Nevada Chapter Receives Two 2025 John Tooker Evergreen AwardsÂ
The John Tooker Evergreen Awards Program provides recognition and visibility to chapters that have successfully implemented programs to increase membership, improve communication, encourage member involvement, enhance diversity, foster careers in internal medicine or improve chapter management. The Nevada Chapter received two 2025 John Tooker Evergreen Award for their initiatives, Great Debates in collaboration with the Arizona Chapter and Medical Education Community Faculty Development Program.Â
Great DebatesÂ
Residency participants commented that they may incorporate this type of learning activity in their own residencies thanks to ACP. Â
The ACP Great Debates takes controversial topics in medicine and allows residency teams to debate these topics with the goal of better understanding the duality of medicine. The tournament is composed of preliminary rounds of residency competitions/events at various state locations, culminating in a championship between finalists. The interstate Great Debates 'Executive Committee' worked together to create rules, judging criteria, and debate topics. Each state's Great Debates Committee ran the logistics of their chapter's events. Topics were assigned at random to each competing teams who were then given 30 days to prepare. Events were judged by a panel of volunteer judges and fellow residents. Medical students, faculty, and other ACP members were invited to attend in person or via Zoom to learn about controversial topics in medicine. Â
Special thanks to this program’s key contributors: Â
Allan Markus, MD, FACP, Arizona Chapter, Governor Â
Sandhya Wahi-Gururaj, MD, PhD, FACP, Nevada Chapter, GovernorÂ
Sujatha Reddy, MD, Arizona Chapter, Committee Chair Â
Ashini Shah, MBBS, FACP, Arizona Chapter, Committee Vice-Chair Â
Sheraz Faizan, MBBS, Nevada Chapter, Committee Member Â
Charles Danish, Nevada Chapter, Committee Member Â
Medical Education Community Faculty Development Program Â
We had 90 unique registrants to the series thus far. Non-IM attendee specialties included surgical specialties, ob/gyn, pediatrics, neurology, PM&R, and basic science faculty.  Â
Over the past decade, significant growth in graduate medical education at community-based/university-affiliated programs occurred due to physician shortages, predominantly in southern Nevada. While expansion was necessary, it resulted in a strain on available resources since there were few local opportunities for structured faculty development and a shortage of experts in medical education in the greater Las Vegas area. In 2020, the Nevada Chapter developed a high-quality faculty development series to support community faculty in their new roles. This series was created to support faculty while serving the needs of GME programs. Our goal was to provide value for our members. Â
Special thanks to this program’s key contributors: Â
Sandhya Wahi-Gururaj, MD, PhD, FACP, Nevada Chapter, GovernorÂ
2023 Chapter Excellence Award – Gold Winner
We are pleased to announce that our chapter is in receipt of the Gold Level of the 2023 Chapter Excellence Award! The award recognizes truly extraordinary chapters that surpass excellence in chapter management. We are in the company of 54 other outstanding chapters. In order to achieve the Gold Level of the Chapter Excellence Award, chapters must meet nineteen Bronze criteria, seventeen Silver criteria and multiple Gold level activities. Criteria include such activities as having a legislative action plan or agenda, holding a volunteerism/community service activity, holding multiple stand-alone meetings, having revenue sources outside of dues and meeting registration fees, implementing a strategic plan, implementing a formal recruitment and retention plan and measuring outcomes, conducting various activities for Medical Students, Residents and Early Career Physicians.
We would like to extend a special thanks to those chapter members who assisted us in all of these endeavors! For their hard work and dedication, we received this award.