1350. Limited Opportunities for Student Involvement in Infectious Diseases in the Mountain West: How a New Group is Bridging the Gap
Authors: Goel Divyam , Hobson-Rohrer Wendy L , Hobson-Rohrer Wendy L 
Published: December 2022

Background

The documented lack of infectious disease physicians in the United States has motivated substantial research. A new student group, “InfectED”, was formed at the University of Utah with a particular focus on community and student education in infectious diseases. To explore the efforts of our peer clubs, this study characterized student groups focused on infectious diseases (ID), microbiology (M), or global/public health (GPH) in the Mountain West.

Methods

A list of undergraduate colleges, including associates/community colleges, with enrollments of 1,000+ students in eight Mountain West states was constructed. Enrollment was verified with the College Navigator service from the NCES. A second list of 26 schools providing either medical (MD & DO) and/or physician assistant degrees was also developed. Club constitutions, campus and social media webpages were consulted to determine club activities and goals.

Results

Of the 90 final undergraduate schools, 19 (21.2%) had at least one group. 14 M, 16 GPH, and one ID group were found. 4 (12.9%) groups were at private institutions, with the remainder (87.1%) at public universities; none were at associates/community colleges. 11 (35.5%) groups were chapters of either the American Society for Microbiology, GlobeMed, or Operation Outbreak. Of the professional schools, 1 (3.85%) had groups for M, 11 (42.3%) for GPH, and 2 (7.69%) for ID. Community service, student and community education, guest lectures, journal club, and social and enrichment events were frequently mentioned in club bylaws.

Undergraduate Groups Found in the Mountain West

Thirty-one groups for infectious diseases, microbiology, or global/public health were found in undergraduate universities in Utah, Idaho, Nevada, Colorado, Arizona, Montana, New Mexico, and Wyoming. The state of Montana has no groups, and no groups were found at associates and community colleges.

Conclusion

We demonstrate a need for ID-related student involvement opportunities. By developing chapters of ID organizations such as IDSA, students can be inspired to consider the field later on. A strong interest in global/public health is seen, which can be leveraged to attract interest in ID. The absence of any groups at associates/community colleges is also striking. To target this gap and increase interest, InfectED is directing education and enrichment efforts in both English and Spanish at local community centers, community colleges, and high schools with audiences reporting higher interest in both healthcare and ID afterward. A qualitative survey with an invitation to collaborate is currently collecting responses from our peer clubs.

Audience Interest in ID Increases

Answer to the question "this presentation influenced my decision to consider pursuing a career in microbiology and/or infectious disease" by community college and high school students across multiple InfectED presentations.

Disclosures

All Authors: No reported disclosures.