CKHS Interns Award Winners — Gilbert Siu, D.O., Ph.D. (left), and Brad Taicher, D.O., M.B.A., proudly display their essay awards, presented by the Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association. Taicher was awarded first place and Siu received third place. Both were interns with the Crozer-Keystone Health System when they researched and wrote their essays.
SPRINGFIELD, Pa. — Two interns [first post-doctoral year physicians] with Crozer-Keystone Health System (CKHS) were recognized by the Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association (POMA). With headquarters in Harrisburg, POMA is a professional organization that supports osteopathic graduate medical education throughout the Commonwealth and lobbies for the interests of osteopathic physicians. Annually, it hosts a statewide scientific essay contest, and three winners are honored at the state convention
Brad Taicher, D.O., M.B.A., was awarded first place in the competition with his essay, The Significance of BRCA Mutations in Males. Currently, he is an anesthesiology resident at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, but was an intern with CKHS while he did the research and writing of his essay. Third place was awarded to Gilbert Siu, D.O., Ph.D., currently an intern with CKHS, for his essay, The Purple Urine Bag Syndrome.
Taicher’s essay was published in the June issue of POMAJournal. Siu’s essay will be published in the September issue. Both issues expose the Crozer-Keystone Health System to a statewide audience and recognize it as producing interns of high academic quality.
“I am very proud of the fact that the interns choose to do clinical research,” says James E. McHugh, D.O., F.A.C.O.I., M.B.A., F.A.C.P., director of Osteopathic Medical Education with CKHS. “Since the Journal is distributed to the osteopathic medical students at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, the medical students become aware of the post-doctoral osteopathic programs within CKHS early in their career, prompting them to rotate with us as third and fourth year students, many eventually choosing one of the CKHS post-doctoral programs.”
The editorial board of the Journal judges the winning entrants, with scientific papers being submitted by any Pennsylvania D.O. or Pennsylvania osteopathic medical student.
The award is unique in that interns are honored by winning a statewide, peer-reviewed, scientific essay contest. It is also rare that interns are published, as most medical literature is authored by research physicians, fellows and senior residents. As they are exposed to the process, the hope is that it will stimulate all competitors to publish more as their careers progress.