Internal Medicine Interest Group of the Month: Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
Like many internal medicine interest groups (IMIGs) within medical schools around the country, "Club Med" at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) strives to provide scholarly activities, professional guidance and leadership opportunities to students considering future careers in internal medicine. This year has been no exception as the USUHS Club Med employed both traditional and innovative forums to pique student interest and promote internal medicine.
Monthly, Club Med hosts internists from myriad specialties and backgrounds to speak to students about their individual career paths and fields of medical expertise. During these casual lunchtime forums, students not only glean insight into the scope of internal medicine ranging from infectious diseases to cardiology, but also learn standards of care and topical issues within each of the various specialties. Catering to the students in uniform at USUHS, Club Med also regularly invites active duty and retired military medical officers to speak about some of the unique opportunities and current issues regarding the specific practice of military medicine.
Club Med at USUHS also offers various independent opportunities to students who seek out additional experiences within the field of internal medicine. For example, Club Med facilitates shadowing opportunities for students who wish to gain a sneak peek into the lives of internists on the wards and in the clinics. At the National Naval Medical Center (NNMC) just up the road, students are also welcome to attend case presentations and participate in the diagnostic thought process of internists during morning report and noon conferences. Additionally, Club Med also provides resources for students eager to expand their medical education outside of the classroom through clinical and laboratory research projects.
The true highlight of the year, however, was Club Med's annual "Steps to Success" meeting held in April at the USUHS campus in Bethesda, Maryland. Sponsored by both regional and military chapters of the American College of Physicians (ACP), "Steps to Success" invited students from USUHS, the University of Maryland, Georgetown University, George Washington University, Howard University and Johns Hopkins University for a day of research and discussion within the realm of internal medicine. This year, the morning session consisted of medical student case reports and research poster presentations. Midday panel discussions included topics such as "Building a Satisfying Life as a Physician", "The Residency Application Process", "How to Be a Leader" and "Practice Settings of Primary Care" - the latter of which sparked a lively discussion regarding the role of hospitalists in comparison to traditional internists. Lastly, the afternoon sessions were comprised of specialty workshops where students learned directly from internists and subspecialists about the clinical procedures that they perform on a daily basis. Hands-on stations included joint injection, central line placement, thoracentesis, echocardiogram and bronchoscopy simulations performed by students themselves.
Through the overwhelming success of monthly clinician meetings, various research and shadowing opportunities and the annual "Steps to Success" meeting, Club Med at USUHS takes an interactive and innovative approach to exposing budding internists to the opportunities and benefits a career in internal medicine can offer.
ENS Jeffrey Strich (2012); ENS Jaime Piercey (2012); and
ENS Jacqueline Edwards (2011)
Club Med Officers
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
E-mail: jacqueline.edwards@usuhs.mil