Medical residents from the University of Nevada School of Medicine Las Vegas campus showcased their research prowess during the school's annual Resident Research Day in Las Vegas on Friday, June 1.

Prizes were awarded to residents in the following categories:

• Best Basic Science Study:
  
  • Richard Baynosa, M.D., first place;
  • Peter Letourneau, M.D., second place;
  • Orna Fisher, M.D., third place.
• Best Clinical Science Study:
  
  • Elham Taheriam, M.D., first place;
  • Mark Markarian, M.D., second place;
  • A tie for third place between Kenneth Rawson, D.D.S. and Roger Hsiung, M.D.
• Best Clinical Case Presented as a Poster:
  
  • Shifteh Sattar, M.D. and Mark Markarian, M.D. (tie for first place);
  • Jennifer Lising, M.D., second place;
  • Aditi Singh, M.D., third place.

John A. McDonald, M.D., Ph.D., dean and vice president for health sciences, and David Lupan, Ph.D., associate dean for basic science research, served as judges for the event.

Residents from most of the southern clinical departments including family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry and surgery presented their research findings. More than 45 abstracts were submitted and 20 poster presentations and 15 oral presentations were accepted for inclusion in the event.

All southern Nevada medical residents were encouraged to participate in the school's annual Resident Research Day which was developed as a result of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education's (ACGME) increased interest in resident research activity. ACGME evaluates and accredits all residency training programs in the United States. The Council's main purpose is to improve healthcare by assessing and advancing the quality of resident physicians' education through accreditation. ACGME is active in residency education and has become increasingly more interested in encouraging resident research.

As the state's only public medical school, the University of Nevada School of Medicine has been meeting statewide healthcare, educational, and clinical needs since 1969. The School of Medicine encompasses 16 clinical medical education departments, including Family Medicine, Pediatrics, Obstetrics/Gynecology, Internal Medicine, Surgery, and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, as well as ten nationally-recognized departments within basic science including microbiology and biomedical engineering. As the largest multi-specialty healthcare focus within the state, the School of Medicine employs more than 185 doctors who both teach and practice medicine throughout Nevada. The school's statewide faculty physician practice group has a combined 25 different medical specialties with seven physician practice offices located in the Reno-Sparks area and five physician offices located in Las Vegas.

The University of Nevada School of Medicine utilizes a best-practice approach to medicine and is committed to addressing the health needs of Nevada now and in the future.