College Hosts 26th Annual Academic Excellence Day

“You can’t practice medicine without understanding research and how those facts apply to the patients you are seeing.” — Michael D. Grossman, MD, MACP

For 26 years, the Michael D. Grossman, MD, MACP, Academic Excellence Day has provided an opportunity for residents and fellows serving in and around Phoenix to showcase their exciting, and often groundbreaking, clinical and translational research.

When Dr. Grossman, professor emeritus with the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix founded the event, he envisioned a comprehensive collaboration of professionals coming together to find ways to improve patient care. In conducting medical research, these residents and fellows are also discovering how to better identify with their patients’ experiences.

“We are proud of the quality of the work of our Phoenix residents and fellows. Their presentation of clinical cases, research and quality improvement projects was an important opportunity for all of us to learn and improve,” said Cheryl O’Malley, MD, associate dean for Graduate Medical Education (GME).

This year’s event saw 75 research submissions from residents and fellows attending exceptional GME programs at Abrazo Health, Barrow Neurological Institute, Creighton University Arizona Health Education Alliance, HonorHealth, Phoenix Children’s and the U of A College Medicine –Phoenix/Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix.

The distinguished awardees were selected from a highly competitive pool of submissions. The submissions were reviewed by 66 volunteer judges from across the valley.

Dr. O’Malley credited the judges, as well as the institutional leads, program directors and, especially, the Mutual Insurance Company of Arizona (MICA) Medical Foundation for making it all possible.

Since 2015, the event has been sponsored by MICA. The organization generously provided $6,000 in prize money for the awardees.

“MICA is a physician-founded and physician-directed organization that has been dedicated to the practice and defense of medicine for over 45 years,” said Karen J. Nichols, DO, MA, MACOI, FACP, chair of the MICA Medical Foundation. “We remain committed to the safe, effective and compassionate delivery of medical care through our ongoing support of future physicians.”

This was the third year in a row that the event was held virtually, but that did little to dampen the enthusiasm of the day; nor did it affect the potential future impact of the research that was presented.

2022 AED Awardees

Fellow Research Oral

1. Erin Goode, DO, Phoenix Children's.
2. Kari Evans, MD, U of A College of Medicine – Phoenix and Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix.
3. Nehan Sher, MD, U of A College of Medicine – Phoenix and Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix.

Resident Research Oral

1. Richard Auran, MD, U of A College of Medicine – Phoenix and Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix.
2. Nicole Warrington, MD, Creighton University Arizona Health Education Alliance.
3. Bridgette McNally, DO, U of A College of Medicine – Phoenix and Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix.
4. Winnie Feng, DO, Creighton University Arizona Health Education Alliance.

Fellow Case Oral

1. Hadiatou Barry, MD, Creighton University Arizona Health Education Alliance.
2. Sakolwan Suchartlikitwong, MD, U of A College of Medicine – Phoenix and Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix.

Resident Case Oral

1. Madeline Singer, MD, Barrow Neurological Institute.
2. Kelli Kosako Yost, MD, U of A College of Medicine – Phoenix and Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix.

Fellow Research Poster

1. Natalie Booth, DO, Phoenix Children’s.
2. Brian Fung, MD, U of A College of Medicine – Phoenix and Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix.
3. Priyank Chauhan, MD, U of A College of Medicine – Phoenix and Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix.

Resident Research Poster

1. Zachary Alholm, MD, U of A College of Medicine – Phoenix and Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix.
2. Katie Zappas, MD and Chloe Wood, MD, Creighton University Arizona Health Education Alliance.
3. Madeline Singer, MD, Barrow Neurological Institute.
4. Samuel Timm, MD, Creighton University Arizona Health Education Alliance.

Fellow Case Poster

1. Liliana Montoya, MD, Phoenix Children’s.

Resident Case Poster

1. Melissa Kerkelis, MD, HonorHealth.
2. Harrison VanDolah, MD, Phoenix Children’s.
3. Ali Moradi, MD, Creighton University Arizona Health Education Alliance.
4. Daniel Barnett, MD, U of A College of Medicine – Phoenix and Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix.
5. Megan Ghai, MD, U of A College of Medicine – Phoenix and Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix.