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.
How does RheumMadness work?
In RheumMadness, rheumatology learning concepts compete against each other in a tournament, much like basketball teams in the NCAA March Madness tournament. It’s easy (AND FREE) to participate.
- Before the tournament starts, you will get a chance to learn about each team by reading scouting reports created by rheumatology trainees from fellowship programs all over the country.
- Then, you can fill out your own bracket to predict which team you think will win the tournament.
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, and researchers, both now and in the future. The more your picks match those of the panel, the more points you get, and the participants with the most correct predictions will be crowned the winners of RheumMadness!
Who makes RheumMadness?
Our leadership team is comprised of attendings, fellows, residents, and medical students from multiple different institutions.
Faculty Leadership
David Leverenz, MD, MEd 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 Garren, MD is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Medstar / Georgetown Washington Hospital Center.
Guy Katz, MD is an Instructor in Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Iman Qaiser, MD is a a rheumatologist at Choctaw Nation
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 Associate Professor of Medicine at Duke University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology.
Fellow Leaders
Laura Arneson, MD is a rheumatology fellow at Northwestern
Lauren He, MD is a rheumatology fellow at the University of Michigan.
Ben Kellogg, MD is a rheumatology fellow at Duke University.
Michael Macklin, MD is a rheumatology fellow at the University of Chicago.
Resident Leaders
Meridith Balbach, MD is an internal medicine resident at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Amanda Rodriguez, DO is an internal medicine resident at Lankenau Medical Center
Sabahat Usmani, MD is a chief resident at Weiss Memorial Hospital in Chicago
Eric Wilson, MD is an internal medicine resident at Duke University
Medical Student Leaders
Courtney Bair is a medical student at Duke University School of Medicine.
Ben Lueck is a medical student at Duke University School of medicine.
