University of Virginia Health System

TRAINING TRACKS  |  ROTATIONS  |  DIDACTICS & SCHEDULES  |  RESEARCH & SERVICE

All Internal Medicine residents are required to perform a research project during their residency. This fosters an understanding of research techniques, biostatistics and interpretation of the literature. Research opportunities are available within all subspecialties and in the basic sciences. The resident outpatient practice, University Medical Associates, offers another source for clinical research projects.

The department offers support for resident research, including a weekly evidence-based medicine conference and a Clinical Investigation course taught by faculty in the Department of Public Health Sciences. This weekly Fall semester lecture series covers basic statistical concepts, critical analysis of the literature, and methods to collect and synthesize data from multiple sources.

All residents present their research at the end of their third year at a university-wide research day. Many residents also publish and present their work at state and national meetings (e.g., American College of Physicians).

Note:  If you would like to explore basic or clinical research in greater depth during your residency, please indicate this at the time you arrange an interview and identify one or two subspecialty areas that interest you. We will arrange a tour of our research facilities and a time for you to meet with faculty investigators in your areas of interest.

Check out information about our new Research Timeline   |   Research Proposal Form

• Effect of Diabetes Control on Resistance to Erythropoietin in End Stage Renal Disease Patients

• Detection of Cryptosporidium hominis and C. parvum in Stool by Multiplex Real-Time PCR

• Patient and Physician Perceptions of Weight Management at the University of Virginia (UVA) University Medical Associates (UMA) Clinic

• DVT Prophylaxis in General Medicine Patients at UVa: A Quality Improvement Project

• Acute but not Chronic Hypoglycemia Downregulates Brain Map Kinase Phosphorylation

• Urinary 12-Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic Acid is Elevated in Obese Non-Diabetic Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Compared with Body Mass Index-Matched Controls

• Improving Communication Between Residents and Families: A Low-Cost Intervention to Increase the Rates of Autopsy Requests Granted at the University of Virginia

• Addressing End of Life Issues in a Residents' Continuity Clinic

• Cotransfection of NIH3T3 Fibroblasts with Tristetraprolin (TTP) and SRC or RAS Does Not Appear to Protect Cells from TTP-Mediated Apoptosis

• Investigation of the Prognostic Value of Gated Spect Myocardial Perfusion Imaging and Coronary Angiography in Patients with Left Main or Severe Three Vessel CAD

•  Stimulation of Interleukin (IL-10) Production by B Lymphocytes via Inhibition of IL-4: Immune Deviation Towards Regulatory Function

"For instance, I am interested in a career in gastroenterology. From practically the beginning of internship, I was provided with mentoring from the GI faculty as well as numerous opportunities to get involved within the department. As a result, I have helped write a case report, edit a book chapter, and conduct original research – on risk factors for the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease among diabetics – that was presented at a national meeting. The program at UVa has not only strengthened my candidacy for fellowship but has also given me a strong foundation for a career in academic medicine."
Vinay Sundaram, M.D., 3rd year Resident, Internal Medicine

Department of Medicine Research & Clinical Trials

In addition to the planned curriculum, residents are involved in several unique community service activities.

RAM Clinic: Rural Outreach Medicine

Residents may volunteer to participate in the RAM Clinic held in Wise, Virginia, five hours from Charlottesville in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. This University-supported activity provides health care to underserved populations who come to the annual clinic from throughout western Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, and West Virginia.

Patient services include mammography, colon cancer screening, retinal screening via telemedicine technology, and some gynecological procedures. Comprehensive screening for diabetes and hypertension was a special focus at a recent clinic.

The Charlottesville Free Clinic was founded in 1992 by two University of Virginia Internal Medicine residents. Many residents volunteer at this non-profit clinic that provides free care and medications to the working poor population of Charlottesville and surrounding counties and other patients who "fall through the cracks" of the health care system. Since the clinic's inception, many Internal Medicine Residents have taken major roles in both provision of medical care and also administrative functions such as medical directorship.