Winners and organizers of the OREF Resident Research Competition held in San Diego: (from left) Vidyadhar V. Upasani, MD; Ms. Jean McGuire (OREF); Michael J. Bosse, MD; CDR Michael T. Mazurek, MC; Michael Linn, MD; and Matthew Nugent, MD.
Courtesy of CAPT Dana C. Covey, MD
Published 7/1/2009
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CAPT Dana C. Covey, MD
Resident Research Competition showcases young investigators
On May 13, 2009, as part of the 13th Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation (OREF) Resident Research Symposia, the 1st Annual Southwest Region Resident Research Competition was held in San Diego. This event showcased resident research projects from training programs in California and Arizona, and was hosted by the Naval Medical Center, San Diego.
Papers were judged by clinical and basic science faculty members from University of California–San Diego and the Naval Medical Center, including visiting professor Michael Bosse, MD, past president of the Orthopaedic Trauma Association. Jean McGuire, vice president/grants and chief financial officer, represented the OREF.
“It was an honor and a pleasure to work with OREF on this first Southwest Region Resident Research Competition,” said local event organizer LCDR Joseph R. Carney, MD, USN. “We received more than 30 abstracts from five different training programs throughout the Southwest Region. The 15 projects selected for presentation were all of excellent quality. We look forward to hosting future regional research competitions here at Naval Medical Center, San Diego, and hope to see even more resident projects submitted next year.”
Award winners
The first place award ($1,000) was presented to Vidyadhar V. Upasani, MD, for his work on “Disc health preservation after 6 months of spinal growth modulation: Expanding the treatment options for fusionless spinal deformity correction.”
The second place award ($750) went to Michael S. Linn, MD, for his research project, “Etanercept enhances preservation of osteochondral allograft viability.”
Matthew Nugent, MD, received third place honors ($500) for his project on “The effect of poragens on elution and compressive strength of antimicrobial loaded bone cement.”
An inspirational showcase
“The OREF Southwest Regional Resident Research symposium provided us with a great opportunity to showcase the projects we completed this year,” said Dr. Upasani. “The high caliber of research presented demonstrated not only our own commitment to our academic development, but was also a direct reflection of the mentoring provided by the faculty at our institutions.”
Dr. Nugent agreed. “It was great to get together with residents from other programs to see the different research opportunities each institution presents. It also stimulated new ideas to bring back to our home institution.”
The OREF sponsored eight Resident Research Symposia in 2009. For more information, including a list of winners from each of the sites, visit the OREF Web site at www.oref.org/residentssymposia
CAPT Dana C. Covey, MD, is chair of the department of orthopaedic surgery at the Naval Medical Center, San Diego.