December 7, 2007

Sergent’s rheumatology contributions honored

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John Sergent, M.D.

Sergent’s rheumatology contributions honored

John Sergent, M.D., professor of Medicine and vice chair for Education in the Department of Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, has been elected a Master of the American College of Rheumatology.

Recognition as a Master of the ACR is one of the highest honors the College bestows. The designation is conferred on ACR members, age 65 or older, who have made outstanding contributions to the field of rheumatology through scholarly achievement and/or service to their patients, students and profession. This honor is usually bestowed upon no more than 15 members per year.

“The department has enormous depth in the quality of its teachers and is proud of their role in making our training programs some of the very best,” said Eric Neilson, M.D., chair of the Department of Medicine. “Among all this excellence, it is particularly fitting to have true masters of the profession recognized at a national level; John Sergent is one of them.”

Sergent has been a member of the ACR for 35 years, during which time the group's national meeting has grown from a few hundred attendees to more than 14,000. He also served as president from 1992-1993.

“It was especially gratifying to be designated a Master by an organization that I've literally watched grow up to become a major force for rheumatology research and education,” he said.

Sergent was elected a Master of the American College of Physicians last year.

Masters in this organization comprise a small group (580) of highly distinguished physicians selected from the group's Fellows, who have achieved recognition in medicine by exhibiting preeminence in practice or medical research, holding positions of high honor or making significant contributions to medical science or the art of medicine.