NMCCL graduates latest class of family medicine residents and the first class of sports medicine fellows

Story by Riley Eversull

Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune

CAMP LEJEUNE, NC – Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune’s Family Medicine Residency Program graduated 10 physicians and 10 interns on June 28, 2024.

“The goal of the family medicine residency program is to provide the medical and leadership training for the residents to become full-scope family physicians and successful Naval officers,” said Cmdr. Daniel Hwang, who is in his second year as program director. “Family medicine residents in the Navy will be prepared to provide care in multiple settings including outpatient clinic, inpatient medicine, obstetrics, short term critical care and stabilization, and in the emergency room.”

For the 13th consecutive year, the graduating class received 100% pass rates on their Family Medicine Certification Examinations given by the American Board of Family Medicine. Lt. Catherine Thomas was selected by fellow residents as one of two chief residents from Postgraduate Year 3 (PGY3) to help lead peers through the program.

“As far as family medicine residencies, this is a great site that offers a broad spectrum of education,” said Thomas. “I’ve learned tons of leadership skills and teamwork both on a peer level as residents and inter-professionally. I feel like all of our other specialists and nursing staff have been fantastic, and they’ve really been important in shaping our learning here.”

According to Hwang, the residents of PGY3 began their program during the height of COVID-19 but persevered through pandemic-related challenges to achieve milestones. Their impact extends out from beyond the walls of NMCCL.

“They have been the pioneer class to enhance their critical care skills by rotating in the surgical intensive care unit at Eastern Carolina University,” Hwang said. “They have volunteered over 50 hours of community service to the Caring Clinic of Onslow County to support the underserved in the community.”

Thomas, along with her fellow graduates, will soon transfer to their next duty stations around the world including Guam and Japan to continue family medicine care. Thomas will take memories of her time at NMCCL with her to her next assignment at Twentynine Palms in California.

“I think our residency as a whole definitely feels like a family, especially over the past few years, growing together as a class. I’ll definitely miss being able to spend time with them.”

In addition to the annual family medicine graduation ceremony was the graduating of the inaugural class from the Sports Medicine Fellowship program. NMCCL’s Graduate Medical Education program established the additional specialty program to help meet the growing need for more sports medicine physicians to aid Marines and Sailors coping with musculoskeletal injuries.

Beginning July 1, the Family Medicine Residency Program will embark on its next academic year for residents and interns. Since its inception, the program has graduated 146 physicians, 163 interns, and six family medicine obstetric fellows.