Reducing Health Disparities in Internal Medicine The National Medical Association Internal Medicine Scientific Section would like to submit an application for consideration of R13 NIH Conference Support funding application for our upcoming 2016 Annual Convention & Scientific Assembly. We would like to include a comprehensive proposal that will focus on endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolism, HIV/AIDS, gastroenterology, cardiology, and nephrology subspecialty topics?all topics of importance in minority populations. Our Convention will be held July 31 ? August 4, 2016 in Los Angeles, CA. The current R13 application will focus on endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolism, HIV/AIDS, pulmonology, gastroenterology, cardiology, and nephrology subspecialty topics. The proposed title would be NMA 2016 Reducing Health Disparities in Internal Medicine. Scientific sessions will explore strategies to reduce health disparities in Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, HIV/AIDS, Gastroenterology, Cardiology, Pulmonology, and Nephrology in minority populations and the general populations at large. The session will also include early career investigators/trainees in our meeting to engage in networking, learn about the development of research tools and generate early awareness of health disparities. NMA Internal Medicine Section steering committee members and senior faculty will be available to serve as mentors to the early career investigators. This year we propose to have our selected award recipients present research poster presentations in the general session along with general NMA presenters. This is being proposed to expose our early career investigators to a broader medical and professional audience and to facilitate interaction with other NMA scientific section members, e.g., family medicine, emergency medicine, OB/GYN, etc., who may also have an interest in the presented science of our early career investigators. Additionally, new this year, we will integrate the top three recipients of the oral abstract presentations within the appropriate subspecialty IM session, e.g., Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, HIV/AIDS, Gastroenterology, Cardiology, Pulmonology, and Nephrology. Our program will conclude with a round table discussion/small group question and answer session between the IM faculty/leaders and our early career investigators/research trainees. There are five objectives (specific aims) to this conference session: 1) Provide a forum for cross-disciplinary exchange of ideas to further explore issues of health disparities in the areas of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, HIV/AIDS, Gastroenterology, Cardiology, Pulmonology, and Nephrology. 2) Foster opportunities for early stage minority faculty and trainee investigators to network and learn about current research in the internal medicine specialty including Endocrinology and Metabolism, HIV/AIDS, Gastroenterology, Cardiology, Pulmonology, and Nephrology. 3) Promote opportunities for early stage faculty and trainee investigators to their present research findings during the general NMA poster presentation session; and integrate the top three recipients of the oral abstract presentations within the appropriate Internal Medicine specialty presentations. 4) Promote opportunities for early stage faculty and trainee investigators to interact with more senior investigators working in the internal medicine areas of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, HIV/AIDS, Gastroenterology, Cardiology, Pulmonology, and Nephrology. 5) Provide a mentoring platform for early career minority investigators to engage in the NMA and develop a pipeline of future leaders for the NMA.
There is a need to educate physicians and young investigators about the current trends in the areas of internal medicine that impact minority populations as minorities often suffer disproportionate prevalence and incidence rates and negative outcomes. There is also a need to educate practicing physicians in the area of current subspecialty topics that are important to diverse populations of whom they serve. Significant disparities exist in the areas of endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolism, HIV/AIDS, gastroenterology, cardiology, and nephrology.
