December 2019

Feature

How (And Why) to Clean a Stethoscope

(from the April 2019 ACP Hospitalist)

Ever wondered how many germs you're wearing around your neck? Studies show that the microbial community on a stethoscope is robust and sometimes includes drug-resistant pathogens like Staphylococcus aureus.


I.M. Internal Medicine

Spotlight: Valerie E. Stone, MD, MPH, MACP

World AIDS Day, December 1, 2019, is an event dedicated to building awareness of the AIDS epidemic and remembering those who have died from the disease. In honor of World AIDS Day, ACP is spotlighting Valerie E. Stone, MD, MPH, MACP, a nationally recognized expert in HIV/AIDS care.


Medical Student Perspectives

To Plan or Not to Plan

I vividly remember my first standardized patient encounter during my third week of medical school. Students would see patients in pairs to gather feedback from our standardized patient and our peers. Leading up to Wednesday, I read and reread Bates' Guide; practiced taking medical history with my classmates; and spent more time in the evenings trying to perfect what to ask. I wanted (and needed) to plan everything out ahead of time. I did not know what the case would be, but I wanted to be more than well prepared.

Would you like to see your article published here? Review the general guidelines for submission and send your essay as a Word document attachment to impact@acponline.org We look forward to hearing from you.


Analyzing Annals

Humanism and Professionalism – On Being a Doctor: How Did I Get Here? Career Choice in Medicine

Dr. Goldberg wonders how one can learn to accept that critical career decisions are made with an imperfect data set.

Annals of Internal Medicine is the premier internal medicine academic journal published by the American College of Physicians (ACP). It is one of the most widely cited and influential specialty medical journals in the world.


Winning Abstracts

Castleman Disease: The Confounding Role of Immune Dysregulation in the Setting of Chronic Disease

Multicentric Castleman Disease (MCD) is a systemic disease characterized by angiofollicular lymph node hyperplasia often associated with human herpes virus 8 (HHV8) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). We demonstrate a case of idiopathic MCD and hypothesize that the etiology may be due to immune dysregulation triggered by uncontrolled diabetes mellitus rather than the common viral coinfections.

Want to have your abstract featured here? ACP holds a National Abstracts Competition as part of the ACP Internal Medicine Meeting every year. Find out more at ACP Online.


Subspecialty Careers

Hematology

Hematology is the subspecialty of internal medicine that focuses on the care of patients with disorders of the blood, bone marrow, and lymphatic systems.


In the Clinic

Sickle Cell Disease

In African Americans, the incidence of sickle cell anemia at birth is estimated to be approximately 1 in 600, and the incidence of all genotypes of sickle cell disease approaches 1 in 300. These estimates are influenced by increasing immigration from the Caribbean region, Central and South America, the Middle East, Africa, and India. Given the distribution of the HbS gene in the world's population, determining which individuals are at risk for sickle cell disease is difficult. Whereas the HbS gene is most prevalent in persons of African, Arabian, and Asian-Indian ancestry, genetic admixture ensures its presence in most ethnic groups, albeit at a far lower prevalence.


Get Involved

Submit a Medical Student Perspective Essay for ACP IMpact

ACP IMpact's Medical Student Perspective series presents essays by medical students about their experience in medical school. Anyone that's a medical student can submit an article. Essays can be on any topic such as what inspired you to choose internal medicine, hacks for surviving medical school, or a memorable clerkship experience.

See the full guidelines for submission.


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