An Eastern Virginia Medical School graduate and local family physician has been elected president of Virginia's largest organization of doctors.

Cynthia Romero, MD, was elected from among the 9,000 members of the Medical Society of Virginia to advocate on behalf of patients and physicians. Her term begins in October 2010.

"It is such an honor to be chosen to represent all physicians throughout Virginia. To be the third female physician in 190 years (to lead the MSV) is pretty overwhelming for me, and to be the fourth president from the Hampton Roads area gives me tremendous pride," Dr. Romero says. "In turn, I have the chance to advocate for all patients in Virginia. It's a very exciting opportunity."

Dr. Romero, who graduated from EVMS in 1993, says her mother - with whom she practices medicine - encouraged her throughout her medical education and training to be involved in the larger issues surrounding medicine. Dr. Romero has been active with the MSV since 1997 and has been a member of the Norfolk Academy of Medicine since the earliest days of her career. She also holds associate member status in both the Chesapeake and Virginia Beach medical societies, which, along with the Norfolk Academy of Medicine, are local components of the MSV.

This is a complicated time to be involved in medicine from the policy and advocacy perspective, Dr. Romero says, but she relishes the opportunity to make sure Virginia patients and physicians are heard. Top priorities for her term include keeping the state's malpractice cap at its current level and ensuring continuity of care - helping patients maintain the relationship with their physician even if they switch jobs or insurance.

"We want the medical society to help allow Virginia to be the best place to practice medicine. We want the physicians in Virginia to know that we are doing all we can as an organization to continue meeting their needs, so that physicians can continue caring for patients without distractions," she says.

A Hampton Roads native, Dr. Romero sees patients at Romero Family Practice in Virginia Beach and is the chief medical officer at Chesapeake Regional Medical Center.