For Medical Students

Med schools letting students follow individual patients

Although longitudinal integrated clerkships have been around for decades, a small but growing number of medical schools are turning to them to promote patient-centered care, according to a recent story by American Medical News.

The longitudinal integrated clerkship is a training model that veers away from traditional clinical block rotations. Instead of studying different disciplines in chunks, medical students work with physicians in core specialties continuously throughout the year while following a panel of patients representing a wide spectrum of medical conditions.

The story quotes Carol A. Aschenbrener, MD, chief medical education officer for the Assn. of American Medical Colleges, who said at least 15 schools have such clerkships. "We're always looking to find optimally effective ways to give medical students and residents an experience in patient care that is as close to the real world as we can get it," Dr. Aschenbrener said.

Register for AMA Medical Student Lobby Day

Learn about the legislative issues affecting medicine and foster relationships with legislators during AMA Medical Student Lobby Day, which will take place Feb. 12–13 in Washington, D.C. Lobby Day will be held at the L'Enfant Plaza Hotel and will offer interactive educational sessions on effective advocacy and lobbying techniques, briefings on legislative issues before Congress and a full afternoon on Capitol Hill meeting with legislators and their staffs.

Register by Jan. 10. Registration is $10, and a limited number of free hotel rooms are available.  You must be an AMA member to attend. If you’re not a member, join today.

Apply for AMA advocacy fellowship by Jan. 31

Take advantage of a unique opportunity to learn about the national legislative activities of organized medicine through the AMA's Government Relations Advocacy Fellowship, a yearlong, paid fellowship opportunity in the AMA's Washington, D.C., office.

One medical student will be selected for the fellowship and will work with the AMA's federal advocacy unit to advance the AMA's legislative agenda and policies. Other duties include:

• Researching and analyzing issues in health and medical education policy.
• Meeting and working with leaders in health policy and advocacy to help implement the AMA's action plan on key issues.
• Developing talking points, letters and other advocacy documents.

Applications are due Jan. 31. For more information, email Abby Daniel, who currently is serving the fellowship.