MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. -- In the vast field of medical science, there is an astronomical number of things that can complicate the health of the human body. With this in mind, various curative medicines and procedures are always being discovered, and those that are not are constantly sought after. However, once a cure for an ailment is uncovered, the knowledge is not instantaneously widespread to all medical personnel throughout the world.
This necessitates the use of research forums, where health care practitioners discuss any notable medical revelations or procedures and spread their newfound knowledge. It is in this spirit that the Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune held its first Medical Research Symposium where various family medicine clinic resident doctors shared their undertaking of unique medical cases, May 20.
“Enhancing research opportunities at our facility will keep us on the cutting edge of medicine and bring the best possible care to our patients,” said Navy Capt. Daniel Zinder, commanding officer of NHCL. “This year the board of directors made enabling research a strategic objective in our annual plan.”
To this end, this year heralded the first symposium of its kind at the naval hospital, where 10 resident doctors either gave oral or pectoral lectures on subjects ranging from hemostatic agents of severe hemorrhage shock, or types of substances used to combat lethal blood loss, to a case of parasitosis delusions, or the thought of having bugs under ones skin.
“We choose an unusual disease occurrence we have come across and educate everyone else about it and how we treated it,” said Navy Lt. Drew Geller, resident doctor with the Family Medicine Clinic of NHCL. “We provide studies in applied research and give clinical info to strengthen and change the way we practice medicine for the better.”
Modern medical procedures and equipment have come a long way from their medieval ancestors of bloodletting to cure virtually any ailment and drilling holes in a patients’ skull to release evil demons. However, simply because the 21st century holds such medical wonders such as a magnetic resonance imaging machine and prosthetic appendages, the march of modern medicine is far from over. Medical researchers across the globe are in a daily fight to know and learn more about the human body, and through discussions like this, they become part of the ever-expanding encyclopedia of health care.
“Each year we stress the importance of family medicine research and development, and this year we share and educate each other with our studies,” said Navy Lt. Eric Vaught, resident doctor with the Family Medicine Clinic of NHCL.
Treating a newborn baby with bilateral hypoplastic thumbs is not a common patient lineup for many health care practitioners, but with symposiums such as this one, everyone will have some amount of knowledge beforehand.