Congratulations to the winners of the Case of the Week

As the millennium ends, I wanted to thank all those who have spend such tremendous amount of energy answering and contributing cases to /www.thefetus.net/ . Although it is a lot of work and stress to find the cases and answer the gazillion emails they generate, I have made so many friends among so many people that am very thankful for all who have participated. Many have become my "remote students†or even my "remote children†and I enjoy hearing of their progresses in their careers and family. Some send me tiny emails; others send me long differential diagnoses. I get emails in English, French, and Spanish. Sometimes even Korean, Arabic or Hebrew (but those I need translations) ! Some share their images and ask opinions of how to improve them or ask second opinions about diagnoses. Mostly, all do this with so much grace, it is a neat part of the site. Someone (I lost the email, L) suggested linking the emails of the winners on the web page so that users could communicate more easily. This was a great idea. Maybe we could create some chat room where we could meet too. All ideas are welcomed !

I thought I would try to organize something to reward all those who had put so much efforts. I asked the ultrasound-related companies for assistance, and several kindly offered prizes for the highest scorers for this year (January-December 7). As it is often the case, smaller companies (more nimble, too) turned out to be the more generous. Thus if a certain manufacturer is not represented, it is because either "they had no more money for the year†(this is a true statement from 2 multi-billion companies !) or they did not send their contribution in time.

Medge Platforms, Inc kindly donated the Sonocubic 3D Ultrasound System software to the top 5 winners (actually 8 winners !!!)

Institute for Advance Medical Education has generously given 3 digital cameras. I suggested these digital cameras so that the winners could take picture of their cases and transmit them more easily.

Sonosite has generously given 2 digital cameras.

Toshiba has generously given 1 digital camera.

Acuson has generously given 1 digital camera.

ALI has generously given 1 digital camera.

I will also send to the top winners a copy of the new CD of Fetal Echocardiography when it is available in January.

Here are the top scorers among physicians:

Luis Guillermo Diaz Guerrero (Venezuela)Luis is just an incredible guy… he answered 19 of the 24 cases, and contributed 4 cases (for which he could not compete !). So he got 19/20 answers correct which is just spectacular. Luis is also a good human being, as I have noted from his emails. He will certainly be a mentor for many people. Sonocubic 3D US software, Digital camera Fetal Echo 2nd

Graziella Secchi (Italy) Graziella is quite a gem… As a brand new graduate (only one year) she is one of the most studious responder. She is so good, I dreaded the few times I had to reject one of her diagnoses. She got an incredible 18 cases correct. When she missed her first case (#24; she actually provided the correct answer as her 4th diagnosis) I was so sad…  In spite of her timidity she is also a warm host. She loves her native Sardinia. Sonocubic 3D US software, Digital camera Fetal Echo 2nd

Jose Luis Bartha Rasero (Spain)Jose Luis is a pure marvel. He too got 18 cases correct, and he has a lot of humor. One somber day when Graziella was ahead of him in the list he send me an email saying: "When I grow up I want to be as good as Graziellaâ€. Well they are both as good. Jose Luis is also a humanist with broad interests and we have often discussed the paintings of Velasquez. Sonocubic 3D US software, Digital camera Fetal Echo 3rd

Carlos Alberto Mejia Escobar (Colombia) Carlos is another superstar (16 cases correct). He works with his 3 partners in a group that must be the intellectual envy of most. He was actually studying in England and Italy for several months this year and was not able to log-on so he might actually have had even more correct answers. Another person with a good sense of humor ! Sonocubic 3D US software, Digital camera Fetal Echo 3rd

Gloria Valero de Madrid (Mexico) Most of you are probably familiar with Gloria who has contributed many videos on the site. Her husband Juan (an Ob-Gyn) asked her a few years ago to learn ultrasound and she has done an astonishing job at it (16 correct cases). Gloria is a methodical student who leaves no references unturned before answering, sometimes just minutes before the deadline. She is another warm person who proudly tells me of her daughters' successes. Sonocubic 3D US software, Digital camera Fetal Echo 4th

Luc Gourand (France)Luc is a brilliant and modest person, one who likes to learn and teach, a humanist like so few are at his level and a perfectionist. He has become also a good friend with his open humor and uplifting comments. The type of person I would have wanted as a mentor when I was a student. He is also co-author of an impressive work on the psychological aspect of prenatal ultrasound (a subject too often eschewed in our busy world). (15 correct cases) Sonocubic 3D US software, Digital camera  Fetal Echo 5th   13 correct answers Nicolette den Hollander (Netherlands) Nicolette is a shy but excellent rising star. In the rare cases when she writes more then just the correct answer, it is so nice to learn about and from her. She just got a new baby and we wish her very well. Sonocubic 3D US software, Fetal Echo 5th  13 correct answers Claudio Luna Arévalo (Venezuela) Claudio is also a conscientious student, and he always kindly shares his though process on how he gets his results (using OMIM, Medline…). This is neat, since even when the correct answer is not obtained, the process to attempt the answer is a great education. Claudio is the opposite of the "shoot from the hip†diagnostician and I am sure his patients benefit greatly from this methodical and careful approach. He has also impressed me by his efforts at communicating in English. Another good man I am glad to have met ! Sonocubic 3D US software, Fetal Echo 6th 12 correct answers Julio Navarro (El Salvador) Julio was one of the early one who impressed me with his will to improve his digital images. Fetal Echo 7th 11 correct answers Lech Dudarewicz (Poland) Also a scholar of history ! Miguel Merino (Venezuela) Good and short answers ! Alberto Sosa Olavarria (Venezuela) A wonderful contributor of cases with an apparently endless collection! His pupil Luis Guillermo says of him: "When you can see far, you are standing on the shoulder of a giant". Could not say it better ! Fetal Echo 8th 10 correct answers Waldo Sepulveda (Chile) With all his publications Waldo should almost be out of contest, but since he lectures and travels so much he cannot get to the web as often as he would like ! Carlos Orellana (Venezuela) Another short-and-to-the-point person ! Gelsy Giugni Chalbaud (Venezuela) Fetal Echo 9th 9 correct answers Alberto Bermudez (Venezuela) Fetal Echo 10th 8 correct answers Antonio J. Brise?o (Mexico) Jaime Gomez Diaz (Colombia) Latha Natarajan (India) Ruggero Trevisan (Italy) Fetal Echo

Mary C. Scarboro (USA) Mary is just unbelievably good ! Actually she is so good my sonographers though for a long time she was actually Beryl Benacerraf answering under a pseudonym. If you remember she was already the winner of 1999. 12 correct answers Digital camera Fetal Echo 2nd

Donna Hale (USA) Donna is another dedicated student and she is doing so well, and on top of that, believe it or not, she just started doing ultrasound ! Until a few weeks ago she was working in MRI/CT: Impressive person (also a great human being!) (10 correct answers) Digital camera Fetal Echo 3rd  6 correct answers Cyrethia McShane (USA)  Fetal Echo