Section of General Internal Medicine – VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System

Education and Training

The Section of General Internal Medicine at the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System (VAPHS) plays a vital role in the University of Pittsburgh’s internal medicine training programs, offering residents, fellows, and medical students rich learning experiences in both inpatient and outpatient settings. VA faculty hold key leadership positions in medical education, contributing extensively to teaching, curriculum development, and mentorship.

Medical Student Training

VA faculty are deeply engaged in the education of University of Pittsburgh medical students at all stages of training. First- and second-year students build foundational clinical skills in history-taking and physical examination under the guidance of VA faculty, coordinated by Dr. Ruth Preisner. Many students return for their third-year medicine clerkships or fourth-year acting internships, participating fully in ward rounds and educational conferences alongside residents. The VA also offers electives in substance use disorders, women’s health (Dr. DiNardo), and advanced outpatient internal medicine (Dr. Brooks). Faculty additionally contribute to the Faculty and Students Together (FAST) Program and teach in preclinical courses on topics such as medical decision making.

Residency Training

The VA serves as one of the primary sites for inpatient medical education for University of Pittsburgh residents, with the majority of teaching coverage provided by section faculty. Daily teaching rounds and a full complement of didactic sessions, including Morning Report, Chief’s Conference, and the Noon Conference Lecture Series, reinforce hands-on clinical learning.

Residents gain specialized experience through several unique programs. The Medical Consultation Service, directed by Dr. Visala Muluk, provides focused training in perioperative and consultative medicine, while the Medical Preoperative Evaluation Clinic offers residents the opportunity to refine preoperative assessment skills. Under the leadership of Dr. Michael Dresser, the VA Emergent Care Center (ECC) serves as a key training site in emergency and urgent care medicine.

Section faculty members also provide an enormous amount of teaching in ambulatory medicine for residents. The VA Primary Care Clinic, led by Dr. Erika Hoffman, serves as the continuity clinic for approximately half of all internal medicine residents, who manage their own patient panels under close faculty supervision. The Women’s Health Program, directed by Dr. Deborah DiNardo, offers specialized training in gender-specific care and has been recognized by the VA as a National Center of Excellence for its exemplary quality of care and teaching. Outpatient didactic education, coordinated by Dr. Ruth Preisner and Dr. Robert Brooks, further enhances residents’ preparation for independent practice.

Fellowship Training

The VA offers advanced training through its General Internal Medicine Fellowship, directed by Dr. David Macpherson, and a Women’s Health Fellowship led by Dr. Deborah DiNardo. Fellows also engage in mentored research through the Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion (CHERP), a VA Health Services Research and Development (HSR&D) Center of Innovation with sites in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. VA section faculty serve as mentors, collaborators, and instructors in programs sponsored by the Institute for Clinical Research Education (ICRE) at the University of Pittsburgh, supporting fellows pursuing academic careers as clinician-investigators or clinician-educators.