Area of Concentration — International Health and Community Medicine

Fairfax Family Practice has a well developed program in International Health and Community Medicine. Residents who select this area of concentration will participate in the practice community medicine activities running the gamut from providing medical supervision at local high school sporting events to working with the county Biomedical Action Team which prepares for health care emergencies such as pandemic influenza or bioterrorism.

Residents can expect to participate in the Jeanie Schmitt Community Clinic in Herndon for local residents without insurance, and have the opportunity to do an elective in the extensive community health center network in Washington DC.

In International and Global Health, Fairfax Family Practice and the Department of Family Medicine at VCU have been working in a community health clinic in Pinares, Honduras since 2005. Currently, in cooperation with the VCU Medical school and our other partners, we schedule three brigades a year to staff the clinic to assist the onsite staff with primary care as well as special projects such as a child nutrition project, child health initiative, cervical cancer screening, or installation of water filters.

Our Global Health Interest Group meets quarterly to review topics of interest and plan international medicine projects. Residents can participate in the travel medicine clinic to develop the skills to advise patients on pre travel health precautions and immunizations, and the assessment of post travel illness. Certification in travel medicine can be pursued during the residency. Attendance at the annual International Global Health Conference held in Washington DC is encouraged, as is participation in the Global Health Education Consortium.

For more information contact Dr. Vicci Merkel at vmerkel@ffpcs.com