ACP mailed and e-mailed 2007-08 dues notices in mid-April, with substantial changes to the formatting of the statement. Although chapter dues are labeled "voluntary," your $95 chapter dues provide the majority of financial support for local activities and are vital to the success of the Chapter.

The chapter receives only a small portion (less than 2 percent) of your $425 ACP dues to help support chapter activities: $5.50 for each Master, Fellow, and member; $1.50 per Associate; and $1 for each medical student member.

When you receive your dues notice, remember to include the chapter dues in your payment. If you have already mailed your dues to ACP and wish to add a payment for your chapter dues, contact our Chapter business office at gena.girardeau@texmed.org or call (512) 370-1508. By doing so, you will contribute to the success of many grassroots activities right here in Texas:

• Some 130 medical students experience the practice of internal medicine firsthand, shadowing an internist for several weeks this summer through our General Internal Medicine Statewide Preceptorship Program.
• Travel stipends for 60 medical student and Associate members allow them to attend the chapter annual meeting, as well as travel expenses for winners of the statewide competitions to represent the Chapter in national competitions during the ACP annual meeting.
• Five regional Associates' events and eight internal medicine student interest groups receive chapter grants to fund programming to encourage internal medicine as a career.
• An outstanding Web site offers a myriad of helpful resources for members.
• A strong presence for advocacy is assured at the State Capitol.
• Voter Voice, TAIM's Web-based grassroots network, facilitates hundreds of member e-mails to their legislators.
• Chapter members travel to Washington, D.C., to lobby Congress on issues vital to internal medicine.
• Staff manage the day-to-day operations of the Chapter.
• New chapter initiatives help meet our members' changing needs.
• This continued funding demonstrates the importance Dr. DiPette places on academic internal medicine departments taking the lead in recruiting students to this field of medicine.

For more information about Texas Chapter activities, visit www.taim.org.