Co-led by Jessica Lin, MD, MSCR, and Brian Bramson, MD, the UNC Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases has been awarded an ID STEP (Infectious Disease Structured Training and Engagement Program) grant to create a program for medical students, a strategic investment to expand equitable access to ID expertise for North Carolinians—especially in rural and underserved communities. The program will be supported by Sarah Rutstein, faculty advisor for the ID Medical Student Interest Group, and Christopher Sellers, MD, the ID Fellowship Program Director.
Why This Matters Now
National data shows that nearly four out of five U.S. counties lack ID physicians, a gap that undermines patient safety, outbreak response, and antimicrobial stewardship. Despite modest recent improvements in fellowship Match numbers, the ID specialty continues to fill only about half of programs nationally, reflecting an enduring supply–demand mismatch that leaves communities without ID expertise when they need it most.
In North Carolina, the state’s economic tier system highlights distressed counties that often align with limited specialty access and longer travel times for care. Building an ID workforce that can reach these communities is essential to the UNC School of Medicine’s mission to “improve the health and well-being of North Carolinians and others whom we serve.”
“This grant is about closing a life-saving gap,” explained Jessica Lin, MD, MSCR, Associate Professor of Infectious Diseases at the UNC School of Medicine.
“When hospitals and clinics don’t have ID physicians, preventable infections rise, antimicrobial misuse increases, and patients—especially those in rural areas—wait weeks or travel hours for care. ID STEP will help us engage medical students early and keep them connected to mentors, clinics, and research so more of them choose to serve as ID physicians here in North Carolina.”
ID STEP Program
The ID STEP program will create a structured pathway that “sparks” student interest early and sustains their engagement with mentoring, hands-on activities, and scholarly projects aligned to UNC’s statewide service mission.
- Year 1: Broad Exposure
Quarterly ID-themed mini grand rounds will be aligned with core modules; a “Careers in ID” panel; and integration with the Medical ID Interest Group to bring clinician–educator and research faculty together for high-impact sessions. - Years 1–2: ID STEP Cohort
Individual mentoring plus an “ID STEP Passport” of clinical, quality-improvement, and research activities tailored to each student’s interests; pre-program evaluation of career objectives; reimbursement of related expenses - Years 1–2: ID STEP Scholars
Clinical Scholars will be able to lead QI projects, case series, or sustained clinical experiences. Research Scholars can pursue field, lab, or clinical research, and receive project support and conference travel expenses (e.g., IDWeek) when successfully submitting an abstract.
The program will leverage 40+ clinical ID faculty and 10–13 ID fellows as mentors and peers as well as connections with Wake County Public Health, NC State Prisons, and AHEC centers. The program will also complement UNC pathways (e.g., Kenan Primary Care Medical Scholars, Global Health Scholars, Castillo Scholars, STAHR Mentorship) to amplify reach and impact.
Impact: Better Safety, Better Outcomes
Evidence shows that involving ID physicians improves diagnosis accuracy, reduces complications and hospital stays, and optimizes antimicrobial use—core contributions that protect patients and lower costs. ID expertise is also foundational for outbreak response and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) stewardship—issues that remain urgent nationally and in North Carolina.
The COVID-19 pandemic further demonstrated the indispensable roles ID specialists play—building protocols, leading clinical trials, and advising hospital leadership—often without additional compensation. Strengthening the ID pipeline is essential for health security and for sustaining modern medicine that depends on robust infection prevention and stewardship.