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GW-NASTAD Clinical Public Health Summit on HIV

NASTAD and the George Washington University (GW) School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) partner to create an opportunity for first-year medical students to study the federal "Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America" initiative and develop innovative proposals to address the HIV epidemic at the local level.

Students have the opportunity the opportunity to learn directly from senior HIV/AIDS officials and experts fighting to end HIV at the federal, state, city and community levels. Over past years, NASTAD and GW have hosted HIV/AIDS officials from across the country - from Washington State to Washington, D.C. - to work with GW medical students during this summit.

The Clinical Public Health Summit on HIV is the capstone event of the first semester. It is constructed as a scientific conference and problem-solving activity in which students are exposed to the latest data on HIV/AIDS, interact with scientific and public health experts in the field, and are charged with working in teams to develop a state- or city-level action plan to improve HIV/AIDS community health. The Summit will provide students with experience in the Clinical Public Health roles that await you as a physician who practices modern, socially-conscious medicine as a community health leader who can translate basic sciences, pharmacotherapy, epidemiology, and knowledge of health systems into population-level action. 

Students will work in teams focusing on one jurisdiction (state or city). Each jurisdiction team will be led by volunteer student coordinator(s) and will carry out a research plan to review primary sources and expert opinions in order to prepare a report and recommendations to enhance your state/city jurisdiction’s HIV/AIDS action plan. Each of the scheduled Summit events will provide students with an opportunity to inform your report and recommendations. 

Samples of Students Proposals:

  • Development and dissemination of mobile apps for immediate direct-to-consumer delivery of HIV rapid test kits, linkage to access programs for PrEP (Pre-exposure prophylaxis medication), and promotion of HIV medication adherence.

  • Continuing medical education incentives for improved primary care/family medicine/ob-gyn training in routine HIV medicine, with deployment of virtual/telemedicine HIV specialty back-up.
  • Medical student loan forgiveness programs or business tax incentives for physicians who provide broad HIV test counseling and testing for their patients.
  • Programs for improved access to clean needles (i.e., in pharmacies or public vending machines) and medication-assisted treatments for people who inject drugs.