The 2024 ACR Awards of Distinction

Dr. Maricic

Paulding Phelps Award

Michael Maricic, MD, a rheumatologist in private practice at Catalina Pointe Rheumatology, Tucson, Ariz., is the recipient of this year’s Paulding Phelps Award, bestowed on a clinical rheumatologist for outstanding service to patients, community and the practice of medicine.

“I am extremely honored to be the recipient of this year’s Paulding Phelps award, which I owe to all of the outstanding mentors I have had,” says Dr. Maricic. “This emphasizes the critical role of the ACR and the Rheumatology Research Foundation in continuing to inspire and support clinical trainees.”

Dr. Maricic completed his undergraduate education at Brown University, Providence, R.I., and medical degree at the University of Zagreb, Croatia. His postdoctoral training included residency, including as chief medical resident, in internal medicine at Hackensack University Medical Center, New Jersey, and a rheumatology fellowship at the University of Arizona, Tucson, under Eric P. Gall, MD.

Dr. Maricic later served as head of the Section of Rheumatology and as program director for both the internal medicine residency and the rheumatology fellowship programs at the University of Arizona. He has chaired both the Curriculum Committee and the Graduate Medical Education Advisory Committee. Dr. Maricic has received the Dean’s Teaching Award for Excellence, the Virginia Furrow Award for Excellence in Graduate Medical Education and was elected Alpha Omega Alpha by the medical student class. The internal medicine house staff named him the Outstanding Attending in both 2003 and 2004. At the time he left the university, he was an associate professor of clinical medicine. He continues mentoring internal medicine residents who perform rheumatology rotations in his private practice.

A fellow of the ACR, Dr. Maricic has a long history of service to the College. He is a past chair of both the Education and Audiovisual Aids committees, and past member of the Committee on Rheumatologic Care. He has also been a strong advocate of supporting and funding rheumatology research, clinical educators and fellowship positions at the ACR. He served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Rheumatology Research Foundation from 2014–2017.

With a strong interest in osteoporosis and the rheumatic diseases, Dr. Maricic has also been active as a member of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research and the International Society for Clinical Densitometry. He has served as an associate editor and on the editorial board of the Journal of Clinical Densitometry. He has authored more than 45 peer-reviewed articles on osteoporosis and rheumatology, numerous chapters, and has co-edited textbooks on Decision Making in Internal Medicine, Clinical Care in the Rheumatic Diseases and Bone Disease in Rheumatology.