How to build a better health system: 8 expert essays

Department Of Internal Medicine

Internal Medicine is the largest department in the School of Medicine with more than 145 physicians and scientists who are national and international leaders in vaccines, liver, lupus, kidney, and aging just to highlight recent accomplishments in setting standards of excellence in research.

The Department of Internal Medicine at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine offers state-of-the-art facilities, a faculty of outstanding clinical scholars and rapidly expanding research programs. Of equal importance, you will find a friendly, caring atmosphere and a love for learning that are part of the culture of this Jesuit University and medical center.

Ours is a well-established program with deep historical roots. In 1911, Charles Hugh Neilson, M.D., was appointed as the first director of the Department of Internal Medicine, marking the foundation of the department. The department celebrated its Centennial in 2011.

Letter from the Chair

Welcome to the Department of Internal Medicine. For over 100 years, we have excelled in patient care, education, research, and community services. Internal Medicine is the largest department in the School of Medicine with more than 145 physicians and scientists who are national and international leaders in vaccines, liver, lupus, kidney, and aging just to highlight recent accomplishments in setting standards of excellence in research. The department is also a leader in undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate medical education teaching with 10 specialty divisions and 12 accredited residency training programs and our faculty are dedicated to teaching our residents and medical students.

Residency Training Programs

Explore our residency training program, as well as our subspecialty residency training programs, including:

Internal Medicine Research

From 2010 to 2018, 23 researchers in the Department of Internal Medicine have received funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), totaling $67,528,705. This funding has led to significant discoveries and inventions that have already had a major impact on the health of Americans.

Center for Vaccine Development

SLU's Center for Vaccine Development has played a key role in the development of vaccines that have saved lives and protected the public from important diseases, such as influenza, herpes virus infection and zika. It has also played a role in our national response to terrorism with its rapid testing of potential vaccines against smallpox.

Saint Louis University Liver Center

The Saint Louis University Liver Center is notable for its research on hepatitis C, with studies that have sought to understand the fundamentals mechanisms of how the hepatitis C virus attacks the liver and causes cirrhosis and liver cancer. Members of the Saint Louis University Liver Center have also been at the forefront of efforts to develop effective treatments for chronic hepatitis C, a battle that now seems largely won and may lead to the saving of hundreds of thousands of lives around the world.

Rheumatology Research

Researchers in the Division of Rheumatology have helped to develop effective treatments for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE, or more simply Lupus), a disabling and often deadly autoimmune disease that disproportionately affects women and African Americans. We continue to obtain insights into how lupus is caused and how it damages target organs.

Research in Geriatric Medicine

Faculty in the Division of Geriatric Medicine have been national leaders in teaching people about aging successfully. They have studied and developed approaches to managing delirium, frailty and even Alzheimer's Disease. Our researchers have pioneered the use of a unique mouse model, the SAMP8, to study mechanisms of Alzheimer's and, more recently, to develop a novel therapeutic approach to this common disease of aging through the use of antisense RNA that blocks the conversion of amyloid precursor protein to beta amyloid.

Nephrology Research Researchers in the Division of Nephrology have become national leaders in finding ways to increase the number of kidney transplants done each year, including the safe use of kidneys donated by liver donors. Our researchers have recently studied both the mechanism by which secondary hyperparathyroidism occurs in patients with chronic renal failure and the role of growth genes such as the SALL family in renal growth and development.

Ravi P. Nayak, M.D., FCCPJames B. And Ethel D. Miller Endowed Chair in Internal MedicineInterim Chairman and Professor of Internal Medicine

Internal Medicine Residency

The Montgomery Internal Medicine Residency Program provides high-caliber graduate medical education for trainees seeking diverse clinical experiences in both inpatient and outpatient settings, and in subspecialty and general medicine services.

Residents practice in a rich training environment and are exposed to a diverse patient population in a variety of practice settings. Our primary teaching hospital, Baptist Medical Center South, is a community-based facility with nationally-recognized cardiology, cancer and stroke services. Our residents treat patients in the UAB Montgomery Internal Medicine Clinic, offering continuity of care for patients seeking hospital follow ups.

Our growing preliminary year program provides trainees with great foundation in general medicine and prepares them to take the next steps in their medical career. With the exception of continuity clinic, our preliminary interns receive the same level of rigorous training as our categorical interns.

We endeavor to find the perfect balance between resident autonomy and faculty supervision for our residents to become competent, compassionate and independent physicians. Our goal is to graduate outstanding physicians with a love of life-long learning and the tools to continue learning for life.

Hospital Medicine Track

Graduates of the Saint Louis University Hospital Medicine Residency Track will practice exceptional evidence-based medicine; they will be recognized as effective teachers in the hospital; they will be adept at identifying problems and developing solutions to improve healthcare systems; and they will use those skills to improve the health of their communities.

Most of all, our graduates will be recognized locally and nationally for their ability to develop healthcare teams that improve the care of the patient in front of them as well as the patients they have yet to see. The program is ideal for residents interested in pursuing a career in academic internal medicine, hospital medicine leadership, and/or quality improvement. 

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