Voices of the accelerated: key themes when considering implementation of an accelerated medical school program.

In this rapid communication, accelerated undergraduate medical education is examined using prior literature as well as experiences of those who have completed or are in the process of completing accelerated medical curricula. The Consortium of Accelerated Medical Pathway Programs (CAMPP) hosts an annual multi-institutional conference for all its members. During the meeting in July 2023, a virtual panel was convened from multiple constituent programs (N = 4) including medical students (N = 2), resident physicians (N = 4), and faculty (N = 2). Panel participants represented current learners or graduates from accelerated pathways of varying specialties (N = 5) to share firsthand experiences about acceleration to an audience representing over 25 medical schools. Five key themes were identified for accelerated students and trainees: Reduced debt as motivating factor to accelerate, Feeling prepared for residency, Ideal accelerated students are driven, Ability to form early professional relationships, and Less time for additional clinical experiences. Discourse from the CAMPP panel can inform current and developing accelerated programs at institutions looking to create or improve accelerated learning.

Impact of Chronic Infection on Resistance and Tolerance to Secondary Infection in Drosophila melanogaster.

Prior exposure to a pathogen can greatly influence the outcome of a secondary infection, and although invertebrates lack classically defined adaptive immunity, their immune response is still influenced by prior immune challenges. While the strength and specificity of such immune priming depends highly on the host organism and infecting microbe, chronic bacterial infection of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster with species isolated from wild-caught fruit flies provides broad nonspecific protection against a later secondary bacterial infection. To determine how chronic infection influences progression of secondary infection, we specifically tested how chronic infection with Serratia marcescens and Enterococcus faecalis impacted both resistance and tolerance to a secondary infection with an unrelated bacterium, Providencia rettgeri, by simultaneously tracking survival and bacterial load postinfection across a range of infectious doses. We found that these chronic infections increased both tolerance and resistance to P. rettgeri. Further investigation of S. marcescens chronic infection also revealed robust protection against the highly virulent Providencia sneebia, and that protection was dependent on the initial infectious dose for S. marcescens with protective doses corresponding with significantly increased diptericin expression. While the increased expression of this antimicrobial peptide gene likely explains the increased resistance, increased tolerance is likely due to other alterations in organismal physiology, such as increased negative regulation of immunity or tolerance of ER stress. These findings provide a foundation for future studies on how chronic infection influences tolerance to secondary infection.

Understanding Nutritional Knowledge and Experiences in Families With a Child Newly Diagnosed With Type 1 Diabetes.

Nutrition is an integral part of diabetes management. Caregiver nutritional knowledge has been implicated in glycemic management of youth with type 1 diabetes. This study assessed the nutritional knowledge of parents/caregivers of children newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Findings suggest there is a need for more targeted support and training during the initial diagnosis and a desire for more technology-related resources such as virtual nutritionist-guided grocery shopping visits. Integrating these interventions into routine care for children with type 1 diabetes will help address the current gaps in caregiver nutritional literacy and their ability to provide appropriate care.