Attracting Medical Students and Residents to ID/HIV.

Research shows that physicians who choose to specialize in ID/HIV often were inspired by mentors. These three programs connect medical students with IDSA and HIVMA mentors:

IDSA Medical Scholars Program

Summer research project offers $2,000 scholarships for medical students in the U.S. and Canada.

HIVMA Medical Students Program

Grants of up to three years for medical students support longitudinal clinical learning or research projects in HIV.

IDWeek Mentorship Program

Opportunities for medical students, residents and ID fellows to explore IDWeek with experienced mentors and to build career-long relationships.

Attending an ID-themed conference can consolidate interest in the field. These events provide exposure, opportunities and training:

IDWeek

The premier conference in the field offers numerous exclusive opportunities for medical students and residents.

Research Careers Meeting

An annual two-day meeting for medical students, residents, and ID fellows gives participants a chance to hear from leading ID physician scientists about frontiers in medical research and career development, to present their own research, and to visit the NIH campus.

Clinical Careers Meeting

An annual meeting for ID fellows who are interested in clinical practice; includes sessions on skill sets and interviewing for clinical practice positions.

IDSA is working to maximize educational curricular and recruitment opportunities:

Medical Student ID Interest Groups

IDSA offers $500 stipends to support ID Interest Groups at local medical schools to inspire the next generation of infectious diseases physicians and researchers with talks, journal clubs, film screenings, workshops and networking events.

Medical Education Work Group

IDSA is leading efforts to coalesce the medical education community to develop and disseminate best practices through a new IDSA Medical Education Work Group focusing on areas research has identified for improvement in medical school curricula. New areas of investigation into ID include the microbiome, antimicrobial stewardship, infection control and global health.

All-In Match

IDSA has adopted an “All-In” Match Policy to help ensure the integrity of the ID Match. The policy is intended to provide applicants the opportunity to fully evaluate all programs and make optimal choices to suit their needs, and allows programs to compete equally for available applicants.

Online Resources

Online Resources and social media campaigns help medical students and residents evaluate career opportunities in ID.

Fellows' Subcommittee

The IDSA Fellows' Subcommittee provides input from young ID professionals to inform IDSA initiatives, including ways to foster interest in the specialty.

Workforce Study: Analysis of the NRMP-SMS Match for Infectious Disease for 2016-17 Appointment Year and Trends Over-Time

IDSA is conducting a physician workforce analysis and needs assessment to inform further interventions.

Back to Top

Promoting the value that ID physicians bring to the health care system.

IDSA-led research

Informing payers and policymakers about research showing that early intervention by ID specialists saves lives and reduces healthcare costs.

ID Compensation

IDSA has developed a tool kit (log in required) to help IDSA members make the case for ID compensation. IDSA is committed to funding additional research in this area through conducting studies and surveys of ID compensation to accurately reflec the wide array of services provided by ID physicians.

Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS)

IDSA continues to urge Congress to direct the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) to undertake research needed to revalue Evaluation and Management (E&M) Codes.

IDSA has developed ID-relevant measure concepts and proposed them for adoption to CMS. HIVMA tracks implementation of HIV quality measures, weighs in with CMS, and has participated in the AHIP CMS Core Measure Collaborative.

Antimicrobial Stewardship  

Promoting ID’s leadership role in antimicrobial stewardship, including working to ensure that stewardship is a condition of participation in Medicare, and is “physician led.”

Telehealth Technology

Helping IDSA members understand and adopt these tools in the clinical practice of ID, including applying telehealth technology to antimicrobial stewardship.

Back to Top

Raising awareness about the role of ID in public health and research

IDSA plays a key role in informing Congress and other policy makers about the role of ID in surveillance, public health response and control of transmissible illnesses—and advocating for payment reform, robust funding for medical research, and educational support programs to make ID a compelling career choice.

Advocating for strong federal research funding for ID and HIV.

IDSA has urged Congress to support research funding at CDC and NIH, and has worked to advance ID issues through the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). HIVMA led efforts to challenge the flat funding of HIV research at NIH and to sustain funding for the HIV Research Network at AHRQ.

Advocating for policies that reduce regulatory burdens for researchers, including revising the Common Rule for Human Research Protections, optimizing funding policies to improve the sustainability of research, and improving select agent regulations.

ID Workforce Issues Policy Brief

This brief recommends actions policymakers can do to support a robust infectious diseases workforce.

Combating Antimicrobial Resistance

Promoting the central role of ID specialists in combating antimicrobial resistance, including providing input to the U.S. Presidential Advisory Council on AR and the UK’s Review on Antimicrobial Resistance group, which recommended investing in the ID workforce.

Back to Top

Fostering professional and leadership development.

HIVMA Clinical Fellowship Program

The HIVMA Clinical Fellowship Program has trained 17 new physicians to provide HIV care in under-served communities under the supervision of an HIVMA mentor.

Antimicrobial Stewardship

IDSA continues to support ID professionals in antimicrobial stewardship through clinical practice guidelines, a new “toolkit,” the development of a curriculum for fellowship training programs, and sessions at IDWeek.

The New OPAT "Digital Edition" eHandbook

The new OPAT eHandbook provides comprehensive guidance for practitioners about providing antimicrobial therapy for patients in outpatient settings.

Research Funding Resources

IDSA prioritizes advancing research in infectious diseases and supporting members to pursue an active ID research career.

Fellows In-Training Exam

Through the Fellows In-Training Exam, IDSA gives ID Fellows opportunities to identify areas in which they need additional programmatic instruction and self-directed learning.

Maintenance of Certification (MOC) modules

IDSA offers several modules to help members earn MOC credits, including modules on hepatitis C, HIV, adult vaccines, and travel and tropical medicine.

Lyme Disease Case Study Course

IDSA offers training to recognize, diagnose, and effectively treat Lyme disease through IDSA’s free, online Lyme Disease Case Study Course, supported by an educational grant from the CDC.

Back to Top