April 2011

Medical Student Perspectives: The Added Value of an MPH to Your Medical Education

Are you interested in systematically improving the quality of care delivered in our health care system? Would you like to learn how to change policies in order to lessen the impact of environmental hazards on human health? Do you want to become a stronger advocate for disadvantaged populations in your community? Would you like become an expert on the application of statistics to clinical trial data? If any of these scenarios spark an interest for you or if you would like to become more proficient in these areas, perhaps you should consider pursuing a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree alongside your medical school training or even during residency.

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My Kind of Medicine: Real Lives of Practicing Internists: Sima S. Desai, MD, FACP

Growing up in a small town in New Mexico, Dr. Sima Desai remembers a local surgeon who had a remarkable impact on his patients and the community. Seeing how the surgeon gave back to the community exposed Dr. Desai to the giving nature of the medical profession. "When I first thought about being a physician I thought it would be a profession about doing things, rather than giving back, and it was the giving part of being a physician that really struck a chord with me and became my road to medicine."

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Internal Medicine Interest Group of the Month: Lincoln Memorial University - DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine

During the 2010 calendar year, the Internal Medicine Student Interest Group at the University of Kansas School of Medicine focused on educating first- and second-year medical students about the field of internal medicine. We held monthly lunch meetings that fed the minds and stomachs of interested medical students. For each meeting, a current fellow and a staff physician from an IM specialty would discuss why they choose their respective career path and how interested students can follow a similar path. They also talked about the details of the specialty including lifestyle, research, and day-to-day activities.

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Winning Abstracts from the 2011 Medical Student Abstract Competition: The Fruits of Labor: A Baby Boy and IRIS in an HIV-Negative patient

The presenting features of any infectious disease are usually the result of host defense mechanisms against the invading pathogens rather than being caused solely by the microorganisms themselves. In an immunocompromised state, clinical features can be subdued while the infecting organisms proliferate unchecked.

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Subspecialty Careers: Geriatric Medicine

Geriatric medicine involves the recognition of differences in presentation of disease and the importance of maintaining functional independence in elderly patients. Geriatrics is a primary care discipline oriented toward preventive, routine, acute, and chronic medical care of elderly patients.

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In the Clinic: Dementia

Dementia is defined as a decline in cognitive function from baseline. It is a syndrome caused by a variety of disorders, the most common of which are Alzheimer disease, vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, and frontotemporal dementia.

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In the Clinic is a monthly feature in Annals of Internal Medicine that focuses on practical management of patients with common clinical conditions. It offers evidence-based answers to frequently asked questions about screening, prevention, diagnosis, therapy, and patient education and provides physicians with tools to improve the quality of care. Many internal medicine clerkship directors recommend this series of articles for students on the internal medicine ambulatory rotation.

2011-2012 Council of Student Members Announced

Please join us in congratulating the following ACP Medical Student members who began terms on the College's Council of Student Members at Internal Medicine 2011.

Leadership
Elizabeth Davlantes, Chair, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
Amirala Pasha, Vice Chair, University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine, South Portland, ME

Northeastern Region
Hao Feng, Yale University, New Haven, CT *
Emily Lau, Brown University, Providence, RI*
Nathaniel E. Lepp, New York Medical College, New Rochelle, NY*

Midwestern Region
Ankit Bhatia, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL*
Nathan Moore, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO*

Southern Region
Ryan Estaris, Lousiana State University, New Orleans, LA*
Osamuede Osemwota, University of Alabama, Montgomery, AL*
Ravi Parikh, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN

Western Region
Salma Alibhai, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tempe, AZ*

Osteopathic Representative
Lindsey Merritt, AT Still University, Mesa, AZ

Military Representative
Justin Peacock, Mayo Medical School, Rochester, MN*

*New Council of Student Members Representative

Internist Articles

Peripheral Artery Disease: An easy screen for an overlooked disease
Despite poor awareness and a lack of training on handling peripheral artery disease, internists can and should be able to recognize the symptoms and manage 95% of cases. Experts advise how to diagnose and treat the condition.

From the MKSAP case studies
A 32-year-old woman presents for evaluation of a murmur recently heard on physical examination. She has noted mild reduction in exercise capacity over the past 6 to 12 months. She has no known history of cardiovascular disease, although a murmur was reported early in life. Following a physical exam and chest radiograph, what is the most likely diagnosis in this patient?

Hospitalist Articles

The July effect: Real or urban myth?
At teaching hospitals, the learning process restarts each summer. Does hospital quality dip at this crucial point?

Computers and medicine: Use caution when seeking medical information online
Quick access to electronic information can be a big help to busy physicians and harried medical students alike, but both groups need to be very careful about which Internet resources they choose to consult.

Newman's notions: Stair wars
I came to an agreement with the medical students on service with me: We would spend our week "elevator-free."