Faculty, staff and learners shine at ACP-Wisconsin 2025

An internal medicine resident discusses his conference poster with onlookers.

The University of Wisconsin Department of Medicine (UW DOM) had an excellent showing at the 2025 American College of Physicians Wisconsin (ACP-Wisconsin) Chapter Scientific Meeting in Wisconsin Dells on September 5 and 6, continuing its strong tradition of leadership and commitment to medical education.

ACP chapter awards

Four DOM attendees received chapter awards from ACP-Wisconsin:

Dr. Shobhina Chheda, center, with current ACP president Ann Maguire, MD, MPH, on the left, and ACP past president Isaac Opole, MD, PhD, on right.
Dr. Chheda, center, with current ACP president Ann Maguire, MD, MPH, on the left, and ACP past president Isaac Opole, MD, PhD, on right.

Shobhina Chheda, MD, MPH, professor, General Internal Medicine, and associate dean for medical education, UW School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH), received the Helen Dickie Distinguished Internist of the Year Award, which honors a career of exceptional effort and contribution to the science and art of internal medicine.

Abdul Wahab Arif, MD, Cardiovascular Disease fellow, Cardiovascular Medicine, received the 2025 Early Career Internist of the Year Award, which recognizes the outstanding contributions of an early career internist in clinical practice, research and/or medical education.

Sophie Kramer, MD, clinical associate professor, Geriatrics and Gerontology, received the 2024 Volunteerism and Community Service Award, which recognizes the work and raises awareness of members who are significantly involved in volunteerism and community service activities.

Ahmed El Shaer, MBBS, chief resident, Internal Medicine Residency, received a 2024 Resident of the Year Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions of a resident at one of Wisconsin’s five internal medicine residency programs in the areas of clinical care, advocacy, teaching, mentoring or research.

Learner presentations

Drs. Bruin Armwald and Jennifer Woodard standing in front of a research poster presentation.
Dr. Armwald, on left, stands with his research mentor, Dr. Woodard, in front of their poster presentation.

In total, 19 internal medicine residents presented clinical vignette and/or clinical research posters at the conference:

  • Bruin Armwald, DO, MS, PG-1, presented “Primary Polycythemia Vera as the Cause of Occipital Stroke”
  • Arun Augustine, MD, PG-2, presented “A Rare Case of Extranodal Lymphoma Involving the Trachea”
  • Sindhu Battula, MD, PG-2, presented “Case of Hemorrhagic Shock due to Duodenal Dieulafoy Lesion” and “A Rare Case of Viral Myositis Secondary to Mumps Infection”
  • Brennen Cooper, MD, PG-2, presented “A Deep Neck Space Infection and the Unsuspected Culprit”
  • Surya Gopal, MD, PG-2, presented “A Rare Case of a Rash: Rowell Syndrome”
  • Samy Khalil, MD, PG-2, presented “Human Granulocytic Anaplasmosis Presenting as a STEMI Imitator”
  • Julia Knight-Shefner, MD, PG-2, presented “This Lymphoma Doesn’t Play Fair: Hypercalcemia and Heavy Lungs in T-cell/Histiocyte-rich Large B-cell Lymphoma”
  • Adam Koraym, MD, chief resident, presented “Thyroid Storm’s Silent Cousin: Severe Hypothyroidism Presenting as Cardiogenic Shock” (vignette) and “Standardized Curriculum in Cardiac Critical Care: A pilot simulation to improve confidence in central and arterial line placement” (research)
  • Marissa LoCastro, MD, PG-2, presented “White coat hypertension and hypokalemia? Is it really JUST the white coat?”
  • Jourdan Mason, MD, PG-2, presented “Beyond Steroids: Combination Therapy in Warm Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia”
  • Gabriel Moreno, MD, PG-3, presented “Development of a Role-Reversal and Standardized Patient Simulation to Teach Residents Effective Communication Practices for Patients with Limited English Proficiency” (research)
  • Emily Nestor, MD, MPH, PG-3, presented “Norovirus Complicating Chronic Conditions: A Case of Co-Occurring Thyrotoxicosis and Euglycemic Diabetic Ketoacidosis”
  • Kaden Rawson, MD, PG-1, presented “Breaking a Sweat: A Decade of Exercise Outcomes in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Clinical Trials and the Need for Standardized Results” (research)
  • Emily Schmitz, MD, MPH, PG-3, presented “A Case of Disseminated Blastomycosis Presenting as Recurrent Nasal Lesion”
  • Ahamed Lazim Vattoth, MD, PG-2, presented “Recurrent Neisseria meningitidis Bacteremia in a Patient with Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria on Eculizumab: A Case for Lifelong Prophylaxis” and “Pseudo-TTP Due to Pernicious Anemia: Recognizing a Reversible Cause of MAHA”

Katherine Tippins, MD, PG-2, won Best Clinical Vignette Poster Presentation for “Inflammatory Hilar Mass and Cavernous Transformation in Disseminated Histoplasmosis: A Rare Cause of Non-Cirrhotic Portal HTN.”

Serafino LaGalbo, MD, PG-2, received Runner-up for the Best Oral Clinical Vignette Presentation for “Legionella goes viral, inflammatory cardiomyopathy in legionnaires’ disease.”

Clayton Skogman, MD, PG-3, also gave an oral presentation called “The Waiting Game: Heart Failure Masking the Diagnosis of Renal Cell Carcinoma.”

Jeanette Liou, MD, chief resident, co-led the Thieves Market Case Discussion as a plenary session as well.

Faculty participation

In addition, six full and one adjunct faculty delivered presentations or moderated sessions at the conference.

  • Abigail Bales, MD, clinical associate professor, General Internal Medicine, moderated the Story Slam, a celebration of submissions from the Narrative Medicine Competition
  • Paul Bergl, MD, clinical assistant adjunct professor, presented “Sepsis Management: A Comprehensive Review of Current Approaches and Future Directions (2025 and Beyond),” moderated one of the Resident Oral Presentation sessions, and participated in the point-of-care-ultrasound (POCUS) workshop
  • Leila Famouri, MD, MPH, assistant professor, General Internal Medicine, helped moderate a dinner program panel, “Storytelling for Advocacy,” along with Dr. Kramer
  • Zachary Goldberger, MD, MS, professor, Cardiovascular Medicine, presented “Management of Atrial Fibrillation”
  • Jennifer Woodard, MD, clinical assistant professor, Hospital Medicine, co-led the Thieves Market Case Discussion, and co-presented “Polypharmacy, Polyproviders, and Polypharmacies: The Challenges and Opportunities of Deprescribing in Acute Care” with division chief Ed Vasilevskis, MD, MPH, who also moderated the Doctor’s Dilemma Competition 

Finally, a record 33 medical students from the UW SMPH also presented posters at the conference. The vast majority of them were mentored by DOM faculty.

Thank you

Many thanks to the faculty, residents and UW SMPH medical students for participating in the conference and for representing our department and institution so well!

Banner: Dr. Ahamed Lazim Vattoth, PG-2, shares his poster insights with onlookers. All photo credit: Jennifer Woodard, MD.
Matt Mallum, MFA