Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Paul Wu | 180622-N-NR803-247 Portsmouth, Va. (June 22, 2018) Naval Medical Center Portsmouth’s...... read more read more
Eighty-nine medical interns graduated from Naval Medical Center Portsmouth (NMCP) June 22, making them eligible to independently provide health care at military medical facilities around the world.
This is the 94th consecutive year of the Graduate Medical Education program at NMCP, which provides a joint-service intern program for Navy and Air Force doctors. This class had 10 Air Force interns, six of whom are in pediatrics, three in obstetrics/gynecology and one in radiology.
A medical intern is a physician who has completed medical school, but does not have a full license to practice medicine unsupervised. After completing their first year of postgraduate training, the interns will either be assigned to fleet units as flight surgeons or general medical officers, or they will continue with specialized training.
With the 13-month intern program behind them – one month of orientation and 12 months of rotations in a specific specialty or variety of specialties – the interns have proven they are ready to move beyond medical student to independent physician.
“First of all, congratulations, you finished your internship and that is a big deal,” said Capt. Christopher Culp, NMCP commanding officer. “Medical school gives you the equipment, but this year being an intern has taught you how to be a doctor. You’ve passed your boards, are eligible for licenses and, for many, will be going to an operational unit to be somebody’s doctor.”
Culp spoke about the challenges and demands they will face at their next assignment, whether in the fleet or while continuing their education as a resident in a medical specialty.
“As I look out at you today, I see a group of whom extraordinary demand is going to be your mission – it just will,” Culp continued. “You are physicians. You are physicians on active duty during trying times. For some of you, this extraordinary demand will be little things that happen during the practice of medicine, the comfort, the life and the health of fellow humans. Others of you, because of the uniforms we wear, you will find yourselves in places and times and events that your children will later study. Wherever that demand in the defense of freedom calls you, you will feel a satisfaction for the job you've done, for participating in something greater than yourselves.”
Capt. William Beckman, NMCP’s director of Professional Education, then recognized the intern advisors and residency program directors.
“This motivated group of hard-working NMCP faculty is charged with developing the intern curriculum and overseeing its day-to-day operations,” Beckman said. “This group of esteemed physicians is charged with modeling our future of Navy and Air Force physicians, supporting our troops in the Global War on Terrorism and administering admissions. Please join me in thanking the pillars of vital medical education for a job well done.”
Culp was then joined at center stage by Capt. Carolyn Rice, NMCP executive officer, to present certificates to the interns of the year within eight medical specialties, and award the Overall Intern of the Year Award to Lt. John Demis. They also presented awards to the faculty and support staff on behalf of the class before presenting graduation certificates to the 89 graduates.
Of the 35 interns who are going into a residency program, 31 will remain at NMCP for up to a three-year residency program to specialize in general surgery, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, orthopedic surgery, pediatrics, psychiatry, radiology or emergency medicine. Twenty interns will be attending flight surgery school and six are going to undersea medical officer school. The rest of the class will now care for military patients at commands around the world as general medical officers.
| Date Taken: | 06.22.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 06.29.2018 10:01 |
| Story ID: | 282786 |
| Location: | PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 55 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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