North Dakota Governor's Newsletter September 2026
In this Issue:
- Advancement to Fellowship
- Call for Abstracts – Medical Student and Resident Poster Competition
- AIMCC “Focus on POCUS” Special Issue Call for Papers
- Documentary Film Series Explores Leadership, Resilience, and Adventure Across North Dakota
Joshua C. Ranum, MD, FACP, ACP Governor
Fall is approaching, and it's time to get registered for our annual meeting on October 16 at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks. We've got an excellent program planned along with opportunities to network with colleagues from across the state.
I'm excited that the Chair-elect of the ACP Board of Governors, Dr. Marion McCrary, will be speaking. She has spoken all over the world on the topics of professional development and wellbeing and will have a great message for us. We also have sessions on AI, food as medicine, and the ever popular updates in medicine.
Advancement to Fellowship
Have you been an attending and an ACP member for at least three years? If so, you are likely eligible to become a Fellow in the ACP. This professional designation not only signals professional credibility but is also a gateway into additional leadership opportunities within the ACP.
See the link above if you're interested or reach out to Dinesh Bande or me about becoming a Fellow.
Call for Abstracts – Medical Student and Resident Poster Competition
Compete to be eligible to present in Los Angeles in 2027!
Do you excel at research? Have you come across an interesting case where your colleagues could benefit from your findings? Do you have any projects that promote patient safety or outcomes measurement? Don't miss this opportunity to submit a medical abstract to the ACP/SHM combined North Dakota State Chapter Competition!
The winners of the competition will be eligible to enter the National ACP Poster Competition in April 2027 at the ACP Internal Medicine Meeting – Los Angeles, CA.
This competition offers an exciting opportunity for Medical Students and Residents to present research and case reports at a prestigious event and to gain recognition from peers and internal medicine leaders. Abstracts/Posters could focus on any of the following categories - Clinical Vignette, Research Paper, and Quality Improvement-Patient Safety.
The resident ACP Clinical Vignette poster category will be in-person at UND/Amber Valley Room 244C on Monday, October 12, 2026 at 3:00PM. Doctor's Dilemma will take place after the poster competition.
Posters will be E-poster format.
The ACP Research and Medical Student Clinical Vignette categories will be via Zoom on Thursday, October 15, 2026 since these categories include medical students across North Dakota.
Abstracts have a 450 word limit, excluding the title. See ACP guidelines for abstracts.
Abstracts can be submitted in Word format via email to Carla Beach at carla.beach@und.edu
The deadline for abstracts is September 20, 2026.
If you are interested in volunteering as a poster judge, please sign up here.
AIMCC “Focus on POCUS” Special Issue Call for Papers
Annals of Internal Medicine: Clinical Cases (AIMCC), the peer-reviewed open-access journal co-published by the American College of Physicians and the American Heart Association, is inviting submissions for an upcoming special issue dedicated to the use of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) across the full spectrum of clinical care. The target publication date is April 2027, and submissions are being accepted through October 31, 2026.
Submissions should highlight how POCUS informs real-world clinical practice and contributes meaningfully to patient care. Please note that article processing fees are discounted for ACP members and American Heart Association members, and that submitters must mention they'd like to be considered for the special issue in their cover letter.
Acceptable submission types include:
- Case Reports (1200 words, 15 references, 4 figures/tables
- Case Series (2200 words, 20 references, 4 figures/tables)
- Image/Video Cases (250 words, 5 references, 4 figures/tables)
Additional information, including author guidelines, can be found at www.acpjournals.org/journal/aimcc/pocus.
We encourage our chapter members to submit a case for the special issue. Submissions not selected for the special issue may still be considered for an upcoming regular AIMCC issue if the article quality merits publication.
Documentary Film Series Explores Leadership, Resilience, and Adventure Across North Dakota
What does leadership look like when survival depends on teamwork? How do people make decisions when every choice carries significant consequences? What can extraordinary adventures teach us about everyday life?
This fall, The Study invites North Dakotans to explore these questions through Expedition: Greenland, a statewide documentary film and conversation series featuring North Dakota physician and adventurer Dr. Jon Solberg, a member of the team that completed the first successful south-to-north crossing of Greenland's ice sheet.
Presented in four North Dakota communities, the series combines an award-winning documentary with a live conversation and audience Q&A, offering participants an opportunity to reflect on leadership, resilience, collaboration, and the human spirit through one of the most extraordinary expeditions ever undertaken.
Directed by Clay Croft, Expedition: Greenland (2025) chronicles a 21-day, 1,400-mile journey across the uncharted long axis of Greenland's ice sheet. Traveling in specially equipped Arctic Trucks, the seven-member expedition team navigated one of the world's harshest environments, enduring continuous driving shifts of up to 75 hours, limited campsites, and unpredictable Arctic conditions. The expedition was part of the broader Expeditions 7 project, an effort to drive on all seven continents.
Admission is free, and advance registration is requested.
About Dr. Jon Solberg
Dr. Jon Solberg is a North Dakota physician, adventurer, and member of the Expeditions 7 team that completed the first-ever south-to-north traverse of Greenland's ice sheet. Passionate about exploration and leadership, he brings real-world experience from extreme environments into conversations about resilience, teamwork, and decision-making under pressure. Through his work in medicine and exploration, Dr. Solberg is committed to inspiring others to push boundaries, embrace challenge, and pursue meaningful adventure.
About Expedition: Greenland
Directed by Clay Croft, Expedition: Greenland (2025) documents the first successful south-to-north crossing of Greenland's ice sheet. Filmed with a single camera and drone, the documentary follows seven adventurers across more than 1,400 miles of Arctic wilderness, capturing both the breathtaking landscape and the human story of endurance, leadership, and perseverance.
Event Details
Grand Forks - Saturday, October 10, 2026
2:00–4:30 p.m. CT
University of North Dakota – Chester Fritz Performing Arts Center
Moderator: Dr. Marjorie Jenkins
Fargo - Sunday, October 11, 2026
1:00–3:30 p.m. CT
North Dakota State University – Festival Concert Hall
Moderator: Dr. Ann Burnett
Free admission | Advance registration required
Register at: https://www.thestudynd.org/events