Internal Medicine Chair Becomes ACP Fellow
Andrew Pumerantz, DO, FACP, COMP Associate Professor, Department of Internal Medicine Chair and Division of Infectious Disease Chief, has received prestigious national recognition for his work in internal medicine.
Pumerantz has been elected to Fellowship in the American College of Physicians, an honor that reflects well on WesternU’s national reputation.
“The election of Dr. Pumerantz to the level of Fellow continues to add to our prestige in the Southern California medical professional community,” said Clinton Adams, DO, FAAFP, FACHE, Dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific. “This is a national recognition, and our participation provides an opportunity for leadership and service as we continue to build a formidable Department of Medicine with its associated subspecialties.”
Pumerantz will participate in a Convocation ceremony in Toronto in April 2010. The American College of Physicians (ACP) is a national organization of internists — physicians who specialize in the prevention, detection and treatment of illnesses in adults. ACP is the largest medical-specialty organization and second-largest physician group in the United States, according to its Web site, http://www.acponline.org/. Its membership of 126,000 includes internists, internal medicine subspecialists, and medical students, residents, and fellows.
Pumerantz now has the designation “FACP” after his name, which demonstrates professional accomplishments in internal medicine, said James Ott, ACP senior vice president.
“It demonstrates they have a certain commitment to excellence in internal medicine, and it demonstrates their accomplishments,” he said of ACP Fellows. “When the public sees the initials FACP after the physician’s name, they should recognize this as someone who is committed to being a better doctor.”
The college encourages new fellows to get involved on the local and national level. Pumerantz is joining ACP’s Governor’s Council for Southern California Region II. As a Fellow, he can also recommend others for fellowship.
“We certainly encourage him to keep an eye out for colleagues who are deserving, to nominate them and support their fellowship application,” Ott said. “We also try to get new fellows involved in activities at our national scientific meeting. They could serve as poster competition judges and mentors to medical students.”
Pumerantz joins Dr. Michael Finley as COMP faculty with fellowship in ACP.
“I would like to see every member of our faculty become fellows in their own right,” Pumerantz said. “That is my goal. I don’t want to be the last one to be FACP. I want everyone to strive for that in their own subspecialty.”
Pumerantz is a 1988 graduate of Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. He served as chief medical resident at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City and as a fellow in infectious diseases at Yale University School of Medicine.
The COMP Department of Internal Medicine is undergoing vast expansion, with new hires and the anticipated opening of the Patient Care Center (PCC) on WesternU’s campus in early 2010. PCC will be home to the proposed Western Diabetes Institute, which will draw on the expertise of several WesternU colleges.
“Diabetes care has to be interprofessional,” Pumerantz said. “I believe Western is poised to attack this epidemic in this region, much like the Texas Diabetes Institute in San Antonio and Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston. We believe we can create a center of excellence on that level.”
