Feature
‘Gold Standard’ Underused for Substance Misuse
(from the November/December 2020 ACP Internist)
While effective medications to treat opioid addiction are available in primary care, few physicians prescribe buprenorphine or naltrexone, and few would obtain the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) waiver to prescribe buprenorphine.
I.M. Internal Medicine
Spotlight: Jaimie P. Meyer, MD, MS, FACP
Find out more about internal medicine physicians: why they chose IM, their professional interests, and their personal passions.
Council of Student Members (CSM) Spotlight
Book Clubs Compliment Medical Education: Connect with Colleagues and Develop Better Patient Empathy
Medical education traditionally focuses on the science of medicine through lectures, textbooks, and clinical rotations. Yet, the art of medicine—learning compassion, empathy, and human connection—may best be taught through other means. Recently, members of the American College of Physicians (ACP) developed their own offerings for learning: book clubs.
Medical Student Perspective
Syncope Versus Seizure: Fourth-Year Reflections
My final year of medical school is already speeding by. In a blink, I have taken the Boards, completed my sub-I in internal medicine, rotated at away institutions, and submitted ERAS. I am about to plunge into interview season. One part of me thinks things are about to slow down and there will be time to relax and reflect. Another part of me thinks I have been saying that for the past three and a half years and it has yet to come true.
Medical School: A Community Effort
It only took several months into my first year of medical school to realize I wanted to pursue internal medicine as a future career. As a scholar committed to understanding the history and facts, I was always interested in etymology. The underpinnings of internal medicine are rooted in 19th-century Germany, when it was referred to as Innere Medizin. During this era, groups of physicians demonstrating ingenuity and commitment to scientific knowledge adopted an approach that moved beyond empirical observation to understanding pathologic causes of disease.
Advocacy Update
ACP to Homeland Security: Exclude J-1 Physicians from Visa Rule Change
(from the November 6, 2020 ACP Advocate)
The American College of Physicians and other leading physician organizations are urging the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to exclude physicians from a proposed visa rule change that would eliminate long-standing duration of status for certain nonimmigrant visa holders.
The ACP Advocate is a bi-weekly e-newsletter that provides ACP members with news about public policy issues affecting internal medicine and patient care.
Analyzing Annals
Humanism and Professionalism: A Dangerous Myth: Does Speaking Imply Breathing?
This article reviews basic respiratory physiology and highlights the clinician's role in discouraging the public from relying on speech as a sign of adequate respiration, especially to propagate injustice or violence.
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
Just Deep to the Surface: An Ever-Present Danger of Mycobacterium Avium Complex
Non-tuberculous mycobacterium (NTM) are ubiquitous in the environment and infections from these organisms are increasingly recognized. In particular, Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) has garnered interest because of its capability of causing disseminated disease in AIDS patients and severe pulmonary infections in immunocompetent hosts. We present a rare case of disseminated soft-tissue MAC infection in an individual presenting with panniculitis while on minimal immunosuppression for an underlying rheumatologic disease.
Want to have your abstract featured here? ACP holds a National Abstracts Competition as part of the ACP Internal Medicine Meeting every year. Deadline to apply for this year's competition is November 30, 2020. 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.
Celiac Disease
Gluten-related disorders, including celiac disease, wheat allergy, and nonceliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS), are increasingly reported worldwide. Celiac disease is caused by an immune-mediated reaction to ingested gluten in genetically susceptible persons. NCGS is largely a diagnosis of exclusion when other causes of symptoms have been ruled out. All patients with celiac disease should be referred to a registered dietitian nutritionist with expertise in celiac disease and a gastroenterologist who specializes in celiac disease and malabsorptive disorders, and they should remain on a strict gluten-free diet indefinitely. This article provides an overview of gluten- and wheat-related disorders.
Get Involved
ACP Virtual National Abstracts Competition 2021: Deadline November 30
ACP will be holding a Virtual National Abstracts Competition in May 2021. Abstracts are divided into five categories: Basic Research, Clinical Research, Quality Improvement-Patient Safety, High Value Care, and Clinical Vignette.
ACP Medical Student members are encouraged to submit. Learn more and apply!
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