The Alaska Chapter ACP sponsors a dinner each fall with the first year class of Alaska WWAMI students. The students are invited to the dinner with an equal number of practicing internists (generalists and sub-specialists) at a local Anchorage restaurant.
Students are urged to sign up as ACP student members, and as ACP Advocates for Internal Medicine. The students introduce themselves, and the physicians are each asked to tell a brief story about a formative event in their career as an internist - one that expands on the theme "what is an internist, and what differentiates internal medicine from other disciplines in medicine."
The students are informed of the other Alaska Chapter ACP student interaction opportunities that are available including: a work life balance dinner at a members home and Journal Club. Students are also encouraged to consider a mentoring relationship with one of the physicians in our Chapter.
This program was started in 2001 and has resulted in a greatly expanded Alaska Chapter ACP student membership, increased student input to the chapter, and has also enlarged the base of student participation in the ACP Advocates for Internal Medicine Network. It is our hope that ultimately, interest in internal medicine careers will be stimulated as well.
Please contact the Chapter's Governor, Molly Southworth, MD, FACP via email at msouthworth@gci.net for more information.