Former Director Encourages Graduates

PENSACOLA, Fla. (NNS) -- The former president of the American Academy of Family Physicians and former director of Family Medicine Residency Training at Naval Hospital (NH) Pensacola, addressed the 2009 graduating residents at the National Museum of Naval Aviation June 26.

Dr. Warren Jones, retired Navy captain and a fellow NH Pensacola family residency graduate and its former director, encouraged the 2009 graduating class to bring compassion, communication and cultural sensitivity to their careers as family physicians.

"As you look back over the past three years, having survived that [first year] internship," Jones said to the residents - "at where you were then and where you are today, you can't help but realize how things have changed."

Jones spurred graduates to life-long learning and to listening carefully to what patients have to say while they are in your care.

Jones has had extensive military and medical teaching experience that includes having served as special assistant to the Navy surgeon general for physical qualifications and review.

The 2009 graduating family medicine residents have the distinction of scoring at the 92 percentile nationally on the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) In-Training Exams. Exams are taken annually by all civilian and military family medicine residents allowing programs to estimate their graduates' future performance on actual board certification exams.

"This is highly reassuring that our family medicine training program continues to graduate superior-quality family physicians, said first-year director Cmdr. Tim Mott. "We fully expect to improve upon our program's already outstanding 97 percent first-time pass rate when our graduates take the upcoming ABFM board certification exam."

Capt. Maryalice Morro, commanding officer of the hospital, addressed her first graduating class since taking the leadership position at NH Pensacola, calling on them to "never forget why they went into medicine ... (that) patients are our most precious commodity ... (and that Navy physicians) are part of something greater than self."

For more news from Naval Hospital Pensacola, Fla., visit www.navy.mil/local/nh_pensacola/.