UMD News Releases

UMD Student Project Judged
"Best Medical Student Project in the U.S."

School of Medicine, Duluth alumnus Dr. Eric M. Ossowski has been named National Family Physician of the Year at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP).

Dr. Ossowski entered the School of Medicine, Duluth (SOMD) in 1973 and graduated from the University of Minnesota School of Medicine, Twin Cities in 1977. He returned to Duluth in 1997 to complete his residency in Family Practice. Currently, Dr. Ossowski is Chief of Family and Primary Care Medicine at the Phoenix Indian Medical Center. He has stated that the education he recieved at the School of Medicine, Duluth played an important role in his career.

Also at the AAFP meeting, School of Medicine, Duluth students Matt Thompson, Ted Ruzanic, and Jason Bisping were selected to present the results of their individual research projects completed during the summer of the 2002 -2003 academic year. The presentations garnered much attention and praise from spectators, according to Dr. James Boulger, Associate Professor at the School of Medicine, Duluth.

Two of the students received awards for their work:

• Matt Thompson's research project titled "Qualities Considered Important by Family Practice Residency Program Directors When Choosing Which Students will be Accepted" was judged the Best Medical Student Project in the U.S..
• Ted Ruzanic's project titled "Diversity of Procedures Performed: A Comparison of Physician Cohorts" recieved the distinction of 3rd Place overall.
• Student Jason Bisping also presented his project called "Use of Support Services in Treating Depression: A Physician's Perspective".

In the past ten years, School of Medicine, Duluth (SOMD) students have presented more than forty research projects at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the AAFP. During that period, UMD medical students have captured first place nationally, five times; second place, twice; third place, once; and fourth place, once.