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Puget Sound Family Medicine Residency Honors Graduating Class of 2013
Story Number: NNS130628-25
6/28/2013

By Douglas H Stutz, Naval Hospital Bremerton Public Affairs

BREMERTON, Wash. (NNS) -- The Navy's newest staff family physicians are ready to join the fleet as Naval Hospital Bremerton's Puget Sound Medicine Residency held the annual Family Medicine Resident Graduation Ceremony on June 29.

The Family Medicine Resident Graduation Ceremony showcased Navy Medicine's strategic imperatives of readiness, value and jointness by featuring four third year residents who are becoming the Navy's newest staff family physicians, with each transferring to other duty stations throughout the fleet. There are six Family Medicine first year residents who are continuing their training at NHB, along with six new incoming interns.

"The long dark days of winter are behind us and we have completed our mission in training the finest of Navy physicians. This is truly a great day. They have shown maturity and compassion in working to become the finest physicians the Navy has to offer. They have worked visibly and behind the scenes to make themselves and the hospital better. They are ready to lead. I would put myself and my family before them for our care. I would also gladly serve with them in harm's way," said Capt. Erik Schweitzer, NHB Family Medicine program director.

Family Medicine third year residents departing are Lt. Cmdr. Eric C. Peterson, Medical Corps (MC), with upcoming orders to Naval Branch Health Clinic Bahrain; Lt. Adam T. Waterman, MC, to his next duty station at US Naval Hospital, Agana, Guam; Lt. Jonathan D. Wildi, MC, to US Naval Hospital, Agana, Guam and Lt. David J. Zelinskas, MC, with orders to USS George H W Bush (CVN 77), Norfolk, Va.

Family Medicine first year Residents and the graduating intern class continuing their residency are Lt. Derek A. Austin, MC; Lt. Jacques M. Bouchard, MC; Lt. William E. Michael, MC, Lt. Ruth E. Smith, MC; Lt. Katherine A. Snyder, MC; and Lt. Andrew S. Peters, MC, who will be assigned to NHB's Branch Medical Clinic Bangor.

"We are marking a major milestone in these officer's lives. This is an occasion that will never fade. NHB will always be part of the fabric of who they are," commented Capt. Christopher M. Culp, NHB Commanding Officer to the graduating class.

"You are absolutely ready to be someone's doctor. You go forth into our Navy and there will demands that you will handle with your dedication, scholarship and passion. You don't have the perspective (yet) at how good you are, but you are trained better than your civilian colleagues," Culp said.

According to Schweitzer, The graduate medical education (GME) program is essential to preserving the Navy Medical force proficiency and readiness to support national operations stateside, overseas, aboard ships, with the Marine Corps and other fleet assets.

Guest speaker and former faculty member of the Puget Sound Medicine Residency, Dr. Michael J. Watson, shared his fond memories of the residents and his time serving on the staff, noting that graduating residents put in long hours at their own choosing to become Navy doctors.

"I spent five years here so I know the (high) standard and wholeheartedly support it. I can relate to being told to be a family physician and work hard. I have realized what an educational goldmine the Navy GME program is here. You do learn in the best Navy training program. You work a lot, even with an 80-hour work limit, that's still twice as long as most other people. You do it because you're naval officers and Navy physicians," said Watson, also pointing out that the irony of becoming a Navy family physician is that there are times that it's at the personal sacrifice of being with their own family.

"You will go the extra mile when sometimes it's necessary, because you're a Navy family physician," Watson said.

"I feel like a proud parent on this day. This ceremony is always very cool not just for the resident but for their family, friends, our faculty and executive board and everyone else who has supported the residents who have shown hard work, a commitment to excellence and the ability to put others first," said guest speaker Cmdr. David R. Congdon, previous program director for NHB's Puget Sound Family Medicine Residency and faculty member for four of his five years at NHB. The only year not involved with the Residents was when he deployed for a year as senior family physician to Afghanistan to become the Chief Medical Officer for the headquarters of International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Kabul.

The Family Medicine Residency program has long been unique in that the residents train to become family physicians in a community hospital setting such as NHB. In such an environment, family medicine residents become primary physicians for their patients on all inpatient and outpatient services. Residents also receive additional experience in the Intensive Care Unit and Neonatal ICU at Madigan Army Medical Center and on the Pediatric Wards and Emergency Room at Mary Bridge Children's Hospital, both in Tacoma, Wash. PSFMR also partners with the University of Washington Family Medicine Network which has been consistently rated the top training program in the country. In addition, PSFMR was rated as the top rotation site by UW medical students.

Puget Sound Family Medicine Residency (PSFMR) has a total of 18 residents, usually averaging approximately six per year group. The Family Medicine staff at NHB have received additional training in Faculty Development, with two having completed the two-year (U.S. Army) Madigan Fellowship. PSFMR staff and residents have been recognized by the Uniformed Services Academy of Family Physicians for their research efforts, and they have been published in such noted medical journals as American Family Physician, The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, The Journal of Family Medicine and Military Medicine.




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