ACP IMpact

ACP IMpact is an online newsletter for ACP Medical Student Members interested in internal medicine. An ACP login is required to access these articles. Not a member? Membership is free for medical students. Join now.

June 2026

Feature

Preventing Disease and Suffering

(from the June 2026 I.M. Matters from ACP)

ACP President Jan K. Carney, MD, MPH, MACP, discusses why life expectancy in the United States trails behind that of our peer countries, despite higher levels of health care spending.

I.M. Matters from ACP is ACP's member newspaper, providing news and information for internal medicine physicians about the practice of medicine and reporting on the policies, products, and activities of ACP.

I.M. Internal Medicine Spotlight

Lyle Wesley Baker, MD, FACP, FASN, AHSCP-CHS

Dr. Baker discusses his father's positive influence and what drew him to the “bean team” during his internal medicine residency.

Medical Student Perspective Essay

Medical School Curricula Truly Need a Paradigm Shift to Advance Health Equity

I have spent lots of time listening to lectures in a sterile hall of a prestigious institution, which often lacked depth on topics like the social and structural drivers of health. The occasional mention of issues like homelessness felt like a checklist to qualify me as “competent” in advocacy, leaving me yearning for actual skills that question and challenge oppressive systems harming historically marginalized patients.

ACP Health Policy Intern Reflection

Learning Perseverance: Health Care Advocacy is Neither Linear nor Swift

My arrival in the city was marked by the Supreme Court issuing its decision in Louisiana v. Callais, which weakened the Voting Rights Act by making it more difficult to challenge discriminatory redistricting. This action triggered remapping efforts in states across the country in a matter of days. I felt a pang of worry—which unfortunately had become a recurring reaction—thinking about the immense power of the systems shaping our lives and the people whose voices risk being diminished as a consequence.

Interested in being next year's ACP health policy intern? Read these 10 tips for applying to increase your chances of being accepted into the program.

Analyzing Annals

Dementia: Clinical Challenges

(from the May 2026 Annals for Educators)

This article summarizes the ACP/Annals Forum on clinical challenges in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of dementia, held on 11 March 2026.

Annals for Educators is a Web Exclusives feature of Annals of Internal Medicine which includes activities using selected Annals articles to help medical educators in their teaching activities.

Winning Abstracts

Holy Transaminitis! A Case Involving a Catholic Priest, Acute Hepatocellular Injury, An Observant Mother, and the Dangers of Inadvertent Ingestion of Unsafe Microwaveable Plastics.

Food preparation has increasingly relied on microwave technology. It is well known that microwave use presents health risks when food directly contacts plastics at high temperature. As plastics heat, polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are released that contaminate food, posing potential health risks for unwitting consumers.

Want to have your abstract featured here? ACP holds National Abstract Competitions as part of the ACP Internal Medicine Meeting every year.

Chapter Chatter

Mark Your Calendar: Local ACP Chapter Meeting Dates Announced

Expand your network, strengthen your CV, and learn new clinical skills by attending your local ACP Chapter Meeting. Medical Student Members have exclusive access to submit original research in their local abstract competition for a chance to present at Internal Medicine Meeting 2027 in Los Angeles, CA. Bonus: most ACP local chapter meetings have FREE registration for medical students!

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