Welcome to RheumMadness – the place for everyone who is crazy about rheumatology to connect, collaborate, compete, and learn together. RheumMadness is a project funded by a Clinician Scholar Educator Award from the Rheumatology Research Foundation and inspired by a similar project in nephrology called NephMadness.
We had an amazing 2021 tournament and we are looking forward to an even bigger and better 2022 season. Keep reading to learn more.
RheumMadness in the Rheumatologist!
We were thrilled to have RheumMadness featured in the July 2021 issue of The Rheumatologist. Read it here!
Join our Team!
We are looking for rheumatology educators of all types – attendings, fellows, residents, medical students, advanced practice providers, etc – to join our leadership team to create the 2022 tournament. Please contact us at David.Leverenz@Duke.edu or find us on Twitter (@DavidLeverenz).
In addition, we are looking for fellowship programs to help us write the scouting reports for the 2022 tournament. This was a huge success in RheumMadness 2021 – the fellows that participated learned AND had fun! Learn more about this by clicking “Info for Fellowships.”
How does RheumMadness work?
The main event of RheumMadness is a tournament of rheumatology concepts that occurs every year in March. The RheumMadness bracket is comprised of rheumatology concepts that compete against each other just like basketball teams in the NCAA March Madness tournaments. The winner of each match-up is decided by a blue ribbon panel of rheumatology experts who will vote to determine which topic they think is most important to patients, providers, researchers, both now and in the future.
Before the tournament starts, you will get a chance to learn about each team by reading scouting reports created by rheumatology fellows from fellowship programs all over the country that review the strengths and weaknesses of each team. You can also learn more by subscribing to the RheumMadness podcast, available wherever you get your podcasts.
For a quick summary, watch the 4-minute explainer video below:
How to connect with RheumMadness
Even when the tournament is not happening, there is always something going on in the RheumMadness community! Here are some ways to connect.
- Subscribe to the RheumMadness Podcast, available wherever you get your podcasts.
- Check out #RheumMadness on Twitter to follow the latest updates and conversation.
- For rheumatology fellows, internal medicine residents, medical students, advanced practice provider trainees, or any other trainee interested in rheumatology, please join the private RheumMadness Facebook group to connect with your peers!
RheumMadness Leadership
David Leverenz, MD is the creator and director of RheumMadness. He is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Duke University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology and Immunology.
Akrithi Udupa, MD serves on the RheumMadness Leadership Team. She is a second year rheumatology fellow at Duke University School of Medicine.
Guy Katz, MD serves on the RheumMadness Leadership Team. He is a first year rheumatology fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH).
Didem Saygin, MD serves on the RheumMadness Leadership Team. She is a first year rheumatology fellow at the University of Chicago.
Christopher “Allen” Witt, MD serves on the RheumMadness Leadership Team. He is a third year internal medicine resident at Duke University School of Medicine.
Lisa Criscione-Schreiber, MD, MEd is an advisor and mentor for RheumMadness. She is a Professor of Medicine at Duke University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology and Immunology.
Matthew Sparks, MD is the creator of NephMadness and serves an advisor and mentor for RheumMadness. He is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Duke University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology.
