Congratulations to the winners of the Case of the Week 2000

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, Acuson, ALI and ATL have either contribute 1 digital camera or the shipping of these.

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:

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  14 correct answers Jaime Gomez Diaz (Colombia)Jaime is part of the same group as Carlos Alberto.   Sonocubic 3D US software, Fetal Echo 6th   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 6th  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 7th 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 8th 11 correct answers Lech Dudarewicz (Poland) Also a scholar of history ! Miguel Merino (El Salvador) 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 ! He also won a Digital camera for having submitted the most number of cases of the week. Fetal Echo 9th 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 10th 9 correct answers Alberto Bermudez (Venezuela) Fetal Echo 11th 8 correct answers Antonio J. Brise?o (Mexico) Jaime Gomez Diaz (Colombia) Latha Natarajan (India) Ruggero Trevisan (Italy) Fetal Echo

 

 

And the winners for the Sonographers:

1st

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

 

 

And all in separate category !

Unique

Sharon Shaw (USA) Although Sharon only has one correct answer, I was so impressed that she got a case right: She is a STUDENT sonographer. Talk about a dedicated student !

Fetal Echo