IU School of Medicine joins nine other colleges and universities in participating during the inaugural year of the Endocrine Society’s Medical School Engagement Program. These institutions will receive resources and opportunities aimed at demonstrating to students the dynamic aspects of endocrinology in clinical and academic settings. Initiatives include:
- Providing funding to support faculty-led Endocrinology Interest Groups for medical students highlighting the best of endocrine practice and research.
- Supporting two Excellence in Endocrinology awards at each institution.
- Funding attendance at the Society’s annual meeting, ENDO, for students from each participant medical school to participate in Endocrine Mentor Day and meet with Society leaders.
The number of fellows enrolling in endocrinology programs has been declining in the last decade, according to the Endocrine Society.
Since 2010, there has been a 78% increase in the number of fellowship positions, while the number of medical school graduates in the United States applying to endocrinology has fallen by 4%. Fewer than one-third of first-year endocrine fellows are from American medical school, according to the society’s website.
The Medical School Engagement Program will help encourage medical students’ interest in endocrinology and provide learners with opportunities to engage with leaders in the field.
"We are excited about the opportunity to promote interest in the field of Endocrinology with the support of the ENDO Society,” said Alex Tuttle, MD, Med, Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics program leader of the new engagement program at IU School of Medicine. “The IU School of Medicine endocrinology student interest group will focus on curating a selection of speakers, hands-on-learning activities and volunteer opportunities to enable student members to appreciate the field and to learn about varied endocrine career pathways like clinical practice, research endeavors, and other opportunities within the health care industry."
More than 35 faculty represent the endocrinology division at IU School of Medicine, the largest medical school in Indiana. This division is dedicated to treating and researching endocrine system disorders, encompassing conditions such as diabetes, metabolic bone diseases and pituitary disorders. With dynamic clinical service operations, the division places a strong emphasis on patient care. Faculty physicians and trainees attend to an array of endocrine disorders through patient visits at downtown Indianapolis hospitals and clinics around the state. Many endocrinology trainees choose to return to IU to further their professional careers as faculty members.
The Endocrine Society is the world’s oldest and largest organization of scientists devoted to hormone research and physicians who care for people with hormone-related conditions. The Society has more than 18,000 members, including scientists, physicians, educators, nurses and students in 122 countries.
Additional information about the Medical School Engagement Program can be found on the Endocrine Society’s website, and future students interested in learning more about opportunities at IU School of Medicine can visit the endocrinology division’s website.
Jackie Maupin assisted with this report.