Darnall graduates residents of medical training programs

By Patricia Deal

CRDAMC Public Affairs

FORT HOOD, Texas - Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center honored graduates from its Emergency and Family Medicine Residency, Ultrasound Fellowship and  Hospital Administration programs in a ceremony June 15 at the Killeen Civic and Convention Center.

Darnall’s programs have a long-standing reputation for excellence, especially as they help residents progress to board certification eligibility. Residents from Darnall’s Family Medicine Residency Program (FMRP) consistently score well above the national average on in-training exams, with many residents scoring above the 90th percentile and the Emergency Medicine Residency Program (EMRP) is ranked in the top ten in the country.

Guest speaker at the ceremony, Brig. Gen. W. Bryan Gamble, deputy director, TRICARE Management Activity, commended Darnall for its successes. He said Darnall has produced some of the best, and stressed to the graduates the importance of continuing to achieve excellence. “As you start your next phase of learning and development, many lessons await you. Some will be pleasant and easy, while some will be unpleasant and difficult,” he said. “All, however, will be enlightening and enriching.”

Col. Patrick Sargent, hospital commander, also encouraged graduates to continue their pursuit of clinical and administrative excellence. “Always remember there is a sacred trust that exists between Soldiers and the medical community. These brave men and women put their lives on the line every day, without question, confident in your skills, knowledge and abilities to help preserve live,” he said. “I’m grateful for your service here, and know you will do your best to uphold that sacred trust.”

Dr. Wayne A. Schirner, director of Graduate Medical Education and Population Health said residency programs benefit physicians and patients as the faculty continuously strives to remain current with the latest evidence-based medical treatments and ensures then, that the new doctors are armed with that knowledge to provide the best possible medical care to their patients, any time, in any environment.

The EMRP, one of three such programs in the U. S. Army Graduate Medical Education System, was established at Darnall in July 1980 to take opportunity of the high volume of critically ill and injured patients who come to the busiest Emergency Room in the Army Medical Command.

 “I thrive on the fast pace and urgency in an emergency room. We see patients at their worst and have to act quickly to find out what’s wrong and determine the best way to treat them. Then we have to be ready for the next case,” Maj. Leah Kernan, EMRP graduate, said. “Darnall’s residency program has the best reputation for ensuring exceptional education and experiences for residents to help them become the best doctors they can be.” 

One of seven Army FMRPs, Darnall accepted its first residency class of second-year residents in June 2000. Another group of second-year residents and an intern class were added in 2011.

Fort Hood and Darnall offer an ideal setting for training Family Medicine residents, according to Schirner, as residents are exposed to a broad spectrum of medical conditions seen in primary care, emphasizing continuous and comprehensive health care.

“I like the idea that family medicine covers the complete gamut of health care. A family medicine physician will see patients from pediatrics to geriatrics, both Soldiers and family members, and will treat everything from simple coughs to major medical conditions,” said Capt.   Jinsong Wu, FMRP graduate. “It’s a tough job as you have to be knowledgeable of everything. This program was a great way to help prepare me. I’m grateful for all the support and encouragement I received.”

The U.S. Army-Baylor University Graduate Program in Health and Business Administration prepares its graduates, officers and civilians, to function adeptly as key staff members in complex health care environments, while providing a foundation to develop into future leaders of the federal healthcare sector. Since its start in 1947, the two-year, multi-disciplinary graduate program has grown into the only fully-accredited, graduate program for Health Care Administration in the federal system. In 2007, U.S. News & World Reports ranked the Army-Baylor Program as 11th out of 350 health administration programs in the country.

Continuing its efforts in medical education excellence, Darnall established a year-long Emergency Medicine Ultrasound Fellowship Program in July 2010 to teach advanced ultrasound techniques needed in both garrison and deployed military environments. From its inception, the fellowship has improved the assessment of patients on the battlefield and has had a positive impact on all aspects of health care.

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Graduates from CRDAMC’s Emergency and Family Medicine Residency, Ultrasound Fellowship and Hospital Administration programs pose with Brig. Gen. W. Bryan Gamble (center), deputy director, TRICARE Management Activity, at their graduation ceremony June 15 at the Killeen Civic and Convention Center.  Pictured are: (front row, left to right) Maj. Lisa Dennis, Hospital Administration; Capt. Shayna Thompson, EMRP; Capt. Charles Ussery, EMRP; Capt. Heather Swanson, EMRP; Capt. Kristen Koening, FMRP; Major Leah Kernan, EMRP; Capt. Samuel Ralston, EMRP; (back row, left to right) Capt. Kevin Schlicksup, EMRP; Maj. Jeremy Johnson, Ultrasound Fellowship; Capt. Cody Mead, FMRP; Gamble; Capt. Nathan Borden, EMRP; Capt. Daniel Marino, EMRP; Capt. Jinsong Wu, FMRP. (U.S. Army photo by Patricia Deal, CRDAMC Public Affairs)