Internal Medicine Interest Group of the Month: University of Alabama School of Medicine
The Internal Medicine Interest Group (IMIG) is one of the largest student medical interest groups at the University of Alabama School Of Medicine. We provide informative programming for medical students interested in learning more about careers in internal medicine and the array of subspecialty training opportunities following residency. We also educate students about the many benefits and opportunities for involvement in the medical community through the American College of Physicians.
Since spring 2010 we have increased our membership by approximately 25% and we are continually growing. Our executive board is comprised of a diverse group of second year students whose commitment to providing insight into the field of internal medicine has been the driving force of our growth this year. Our executive members include Osamuede Osemwota (President); Luke Smelser (Vice President); Meghan McPheeters (Secretary); Jon Stidham (Treasurer); Joe Carly (Webmaster); and Kenneth "Buck" Smith (Co-volunteer Service Coordinator) and Joshua Tate (Co-volunteer Service Coordinator and Membership Chair). We are currently holding elections for two-first year representatives who will transition to serve as president and vice president in spring 2011. After transitioning to their clinical years, former executive members remain active, specifically serving as moderators for an event entitled "Honing your Clinical Skills: Formulating a Differential Diagnosis," in which they present several patient cases while a panel of internal medicine physicians interacts with the audience as they work through generating a differential diagnosis.
This academic year we have many exciting events planned to engage students and hopefully further nurture their interest in internal medicine. Monthly lunch meetings provide a forum for students to learn more about the field of internal medicine and the vast career opportunities available after residency. This year topics for our monthly meetings include: an introduction to navigating internal medicine; politics and medicine; an internal medicine resident panel; and medical jeopardy, modeled after the Doctors' Dilemma program held at the national ACP scientific conference. This month we are honored to have a presentation from Wick Many, MD, FACP, President-elect of the Alabama ACP Chapter.
We will also be hosting clinical skills sessions that will include ECG interpretation, X-ray reading, suturing, phlebotomy, and IV setup. In an effort to nurture and encourage competent physicians, these workshops will provide first and second year participants with hands on experience in each session offered.
In conjunction with the Student Medical National Association, this year we have established a pre-medical undergraduate mentoring program. We currently have one hundred undergraduate participants from three Birmingham, Alabama, universities. The goals of the program are to foster the importance of mentorship throughout our professional careers and to aid undergraduate students through the process of preparing for and entering into medical school. Additional programs we have planned for the year include a community health fair and an inter-class competitive blood drive.
The University of Alabama School of Medicine IMIG is focused on helping students understand the process and benefits of choosing a career in internal medicine while simultaneously providing opportunities for medical students to participate in both constructive extracurricular activities and meaningful community events. Our events and efforts have been successful through the excellent support of our faculty advisor and current internal medicine clerkship director, Jason Morris, MD, FACP, and both the national and local Alabama Chapter ACP offices. For further information about the University of Alabama in Birmingham's Internal Medicine Interest Group please visit our website: http://medicine.uab.edu/education/prospective/75556/.
Osamuede Osemwota
President, University of Alabama School of Medicine IMIG
University of Alabama, Birmingham, 2013
E-mail: osemwota@uab.edu