Recipients of Ephraim P. Engleman Endowed Resident Research Preceptorship Award in Rheumatology Meet Physician Who Helped Shape Their Careers

“He was very interested in the outcome of my study and even asked that a copy of my completed research be sent to him,” explains Dr. Gillispie. “Not only that, he seemed interested in me as a person,” she says.

In fall 2013, Dr. Gillispie conducted research under the guidance of James Jarvis, MD. They analyzed how long it took children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis to reach clinical remission on methotrexate and whether the medicine had to be paired with a biologic.

Other award recipients at the event had similar encouraging interactions with Dr. Engleman. Cecilia Chung, MD, MPH, an assistant professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., also had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Engleman. She was awarded her preceptorship in fiscal year 2010 and was mentored by Joan Bathon, MD. Dr. Chung, Dr. Bathon and a multidisciplinary team studied atherosclerosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Their work led to two published papers providing important information on identifying health risks when treating people with rheumatic diseases.

James Jarvis, MD, and Miriah Gillispie, MD, working together at the University of Buffalo, N.Y., in autumn 2013.

One paper showed that cardiovascular risk factors, such as hypertension, smoking and diabetes, are highly prevalent and underdiagnosed in patients with RA.

The other study showed that in patients with RA, the risk of developing atherosclerosis was related to age, blood pressure and high triglyceride levels. Dr. Chung says she spoke with Dr. Engleman about the research she conducted during her preceptorship and shared the papers with him after the event.

“It is inspirational to feel Dr. Engleman’s enthusiasm and energy,” says Dr. Chung. “He had kind words about my research, but even more encouraging words regarding the future of my career.”

Also among the crowd were the first two doctors to receive the award, Elizabeth Perkins, MD, and her preceptor, George Moxley, MD. Dr. Moxley says it was an honor to meet Dr. Engleman in person. “I must admire such a man who recognized the situation—that young physicians were not considering rheumatology because they encountered it too late in their medical education—and did something truly effective about it,” he says. Dr. Moxley is serving as a preceptor again. He and Daniel L. Riddle, PhD, MS, will mentor Melissa Wang, MD, MHA. They were awarded the Foundation’s Resident Research Preceptorship in January.

To Drs. Gillispie, Chung and Moxley, Dr. Engleman has provided them something more than an opportunity to conduct a few months of research. Through the Foundation’s Engleman preceptorship, he supported an experience that has helped shape the careers of Drs. Gillispie and Chung and enhanced Dr. Moxley’s work.