Raritan Bay Medical Center Resident Physicians Win State Championship

Raritan Bay team will represent New Jersey in national competition in April

Hackensack Meridian Health Raritan Bay Medical Center’s team of resident physicians defeated three

other hospital teams to win the final round of the American College of Physicians’ (ACP) Resident Challenge Bowl on March 22. Sponsored by the nation’s largest medical-specialty

organization, the 2019 bowl began in December with several preliminary rounds of competition and concluded at the New Jersey Chapter of the ACP’s Scientific Meeting in Princeton, N.J.

Likened to “medical Jeopardy,” the annual trivia showdown engages about 20 medical education facilities around the state, and hundreds throughout the country, in a serious, yet fun-spirited competition that enriches medical training. Kanwal Farooq, M.D., Ali Nadhim, M.D., and Sana Najib, M.D., represented Raritan Bay’s Internal Medicine Residency Program in the competition, and will now move on to represent New Jersey in the national Resident Challenge Bowl competition at the ACP’s Internal Medicine Meeting in Philadelphia, P.A., April 11 to April 13, 2019.

“I’m very happy for the resident team from Raritan Bay. Obviously they put a lot of effort into their studies, time well spent as they hone their clinical knowledge,” said David Kountz, M.D., vice president and co-chief academic officer, Hackensack Meridian Health. “I wish them good luck in the national competition as they go on to represent our network and New Jersey.”

Shuvendu Sen, M.D., associate program director and director of medical education for Raritan Bay’s Internal Medicine Residency Program, serves as mentor for the team. “I’m very proud of the team as they trained intensely for the competition, which covered a vast range of topics, from identifying various syndromes to diagnosing diseases,” says Dr. Sen. “The challenge bowl provides a great opportunity for residents to learn and apply their clinical expertise. Along the way they gained a tremendous amount of knowledge, self-confidence, and a sense of accomplishment.”

“It’s actually a fun way of acquiring knowledge,” said Dr. Najib, incoming chief resident and challenge bowl team member. “The entire medical center rooted for us, and we are proud to place Raritan Bay Medical Center at the very top of the state.”

Medical residency training is required to practice as a physician in the U.S., and begins after graduation from medical school. Since 1980, Raritan Bay Medical Center has trained more than 300 residents. In 2018, Jersey Shore University Medical Center became Raritan Bay’s sponsoring institution, expanding opportunities for residents.