Internal Medicine Interest Group of the Month: University of Kansas School of Medicine
During the 2010 calendar year, the Internal Medicine Student Interest Group at the University of Kansas School of Medicine focused on educating first- and second-year medical students about the field of internal medicine. We held monthly lunch meetings that fed the minds and stomachs of interested medical students. For each meeting, a current fellow and a staff physician from an IM specialty would discuss why they choose their respective career path and how interested students can follow a similar path. They also talked about the details of the specialty including lifestyle, research, and day-to-day activities.
Since our medical school curriculum is an organ-based system, the presenting physicians were chosen according to the current studying topic for M1s or M2s. One meeting, however, was a case presentation by a hospitalist about chest pain that was informative and well-received by the students. At another meeting, an oncologist and a hematology/oncology fellow discussed not only their subspecialty, but also talked about making tough treatment decisions and how to properly deliver bad news to patients. Our attendance averaged about 60 students per meeting. Many of our lunch meetings were co-sponsored with other interest groups on campus, which strengthened attendance.
During the spring semester of 2010, IMSIG hosted events that were meant to expose students to IM physicians not only in the wards to prepare them for clinical rotations, but also in casual settings to network with current IM physicians. We organized for 10 first- and second-year students to shadow GI physicians in the Endoscopy Clinic over a one week time period. Also, it was the inaugural year for "Rounds with Residents" where about 20 students individually joined IM physicians at the KU Hospital for morning rounds and reports. For a community service project, our group set up a table display and demonstration at a health fair at a local elementary school to educate children and their parents about the importance of washing their hands.
One of the most popular event for IMSIG at KU is called "Dinner with Docs." Physicians volunteer to host a certain number of students at their house or a restaurant to provide a casual atmosphere where students can get to know the physicians on a more personal basis. "Dinner with Docs" has been so popular in the past that we decided to host a companion event in the Fall semester called "Drinks with Docs," which is a happy hour organized by IMSIG. Both events provided a great networking opportunity for students and allowed them to discuss various aspects of medical education and the lifestyle of a practicing physician. Also in the fall semester, KU IMSIG contributed to the greater Kansas City community by hosting a coat drive that collected over 20 coats that were donated to a local homeless shelter. All in all, 2010 was a successful and busy year for IMSIG at the KU School of Medicine.
Executive Board members:
- Ashley Bloom, M2, Co-President
- Clayton Milner, M2, Co-President
- John Hunninghake, M2, Co-President
- Aunya Cameron, M1, Incoming Co-President
- Chris Jones, M1, Incoming Co-President
- Tim Kamerzel, M1, Incoming Co-President
- Dr. Leigh Eck, MD, (advisor) Endocrinology/Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine
The incoming executive board members want to continue the popular lunch meetings while also expanding the role of IMSIG in the medical school and local community. They are bringing fresh ideas to the student group like setting up a mentorship program with IM physicians, and surveying the students to gain insight about future programs. They also want to organize a shadowing experience in the Cardiac Catheterization Lab. Additionally; the group is hoping to host a charity sporting event like a M1 vs. M2 dodge ball tournament that would raise money for a local charity while also fueling the competition between the two medical school classes. Ultimately, IMSIG will continue its mission to educate medical students about the myriad of possibilities that exist within the field of internal medicine.
Ashley Bloom, M2
Email: abloom@kumc.edu
Clayton Milner, M2
Email: cmilner@kumc.edu
John Hunninghake, M2
Email: jhunninghake@kumc.edu
Outgoing Co-Presidents, University of Kansas School of Medicine IMSIG