Recap: U.S. Army at Internal Medicine 2011

SAN DIEGO, April 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Last week, U.S. Army medical residents and their program directors from around the country attended the American College of Physicians' annual meeting to present their research, compete in the traditional Doctor's Dilemma competition and share their perspective as military officers with civilian peers.

"The Army encourages opportunities for professional development and leadership," explained Col. Lisa Zacher, M.D., FACP, governor of the Army Chapter of the ACP and chief, Department of Medicine at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. "The fact that our residents were finalists in several national contests speaks to their high caliber. The research and presentation skills they hone at ACP will help them become even better clinicians."

Residents participated in the following competitions at Internal Medicine 2011:

Doctor's Dilemma:  The team from Walter Reed Army Medical Center made it to the final round of this three-day, medical "Jeopardy"-style competition.

Clinical Vignette and Poster Competitions: Winners of their local chapter competitions, four Army residents were selected to present their posters in the national contest:

• "Decreased Incidence of Venous Thromboembolism After Implementation of an Electronic Reminder System in Accordance With ACCP Guidelines" - Capt. Joshua Mitchell, M.D., Walter Reed Army Medical Center (Washington, D.C.)
• "Cholemic Nephrosis Revisited: An Unusual Case of Acute Kidney Injury Associated with Use of an FDA-Banned Herbal Supplement" - Capt. Vito Cirigliano, D.O., Tripler Army Medical Center (Honolulu, Hawaii)
• "Muir-Torre, an Unusual Variant of Lynch Syndrome" - Capt. Allyson Fewell, M.D., Brooke Army Medical Center (San Antonio, Texas)
• "Photoplethymosgraphy for Dry Weight Assessment: A Pilot Study" - Capt. John Thurlow, M.D., Brooke Army Medical Center (San Antonio, Texas)

"The ACP's Internal Medicine meeting is a valuable opportunity to connect with both military and civilian peers and learn from each other," said Capt. Allyson Fewell, M.D., chief-elect of Internal Medicine residents at Brooke Army Medical Center. "Sharing my enthusiasm for the Army is a given. The loan repayment, bonuses and benefits are great, but the chance to do interesting, meaningful work – like my recent humanitarian mission to Haiti – is definitely an important part of the Army experience."

The American College of Physicians is the second largest physician group in the United States with 130,000 members, including internists, subspecialists, residents, medical students and Fellows.

About the U.S. Army Medical Department

One of the largest health care networks in the world, Army Health Care offers more than 90 professional health care career paths – more than any other military service. The U.S. Army's F. Edward Hebert Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship Program is one of the most comprehensive health scholarships available today, and covers the complete cost of tuition, school fees and books, a monthly stipend of more than $2,000, as well as a $20,000 signing bonus for select areas of practice. Practicing physicians and health professionals can join the Army Reserve at any time in their career – up to age 60. For more information, visit healthcare.goarmy.com.

SOURCE U.S. Army Medical Department