FRESNO – Michael W. Peterson, MD, associate dean at UCSF Fresno Medical Education Program, has been awarded Mastership in the American College of Physicians (ACP), the national organization of internists.
As Associate Dean, Dr. Peterson oversees the development of UCSF Fresno’s clinical and academic programs. UCSF Fresno is the largest physician training program in California’s San Joaquin Valley, training about 300 residents and fellows and 350 medical students each year. Peterson was named associate dean in April 2016 and served as interim associate dean since January 2015. He also has served as chief of medicine at UCSF Fresno for the past 14 years. In addition, he is vice chair in the Department of Medicine at UCSF.
Peterson was recruited from the University of Iowa College of Medicine in 2002. During his tenure in Fresno, he oversaw growth of the UCSF Fresno Internal Medicine Residency Program from 45 trainees to its current 68 trainees, the development of seven subspecialties with 37 fellows and led fundraising efforts to build the UCSF Fresno Clinical Research Center, which opened in 2013. He also secured funding to establish the Larry L. Hillblom Center on Aging at UCSF Fresno.
His clinical and research focus is in pulmonary and critical care medicine. He received both his undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Minnesota and completed his residency in internal medicine at the University of Wisconsin. He is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and the American College of Chest Physicians and a leading member of the California Thoracic Society, the largest state organization of lung specialists in the United States. He was a founding member, councilor and president for the Association of Chiefs and Chairs of Medicine. He is a consummate physician and teacher and has won numerous awards in both areas, including being named one of America's Best Doctors in 2002 and every year since 2010. He also received the Henry J. Kaiser Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2007.
Election to Mastership recognizes outstanding and extraordinary career accomplishments. Masters must have made a notable contribution to medicine. This includes, but is not limited to teaching, outstanding work in clinical medicine (research or practice), contributions to preventive medicine, improvements in the delivery of health care, and/or contributions to the medical literature.
According to ACP bylaws, Masters are elected “on account of personal character, positions of honor, contributions toward furthering the purposes of the ACP, eminence in practice or in medical research, or other attainments in science or in the art of medicine.” ACP activities are also taken into consideration for all candidates. This includes service to the ACP in an official capacity, participation in chapter activities, and involvement in the development of College products and educational programs. Volunteer and community service is also taken into consideration. ACP will honor new Masters at Convocation during Internal Medicine Meeting 2017, ACP's annual scientific conference. The meeting is March 30‐April 1 in San Diego.
About the American College of Physicians
The American College of Physicians is the largest medical specialty organization and the second‐largest physician group in the United States. ACP members include 148,000 internal medicine physicians (internists), related subspecialists, and medical students. Internal medicine physicians are specialists who apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis, treatment, and compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illness. Follow ACP on Twitter and Facebook.
