Rock of Allergy Winner: Dr. Michael Land of UCLA

Dr. Michael Land emerged as the "rockinest allergist" in our Guitar Hero tournament (Rock of Allergy) which was held at the 2007 annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI) in Dallas, TX.

Dr. Land blew the competition away with his expert skills on Guitar Hero (a popular video game that allows people to play along with their favorite rock songs using a guitar-like controller).

"I was a member of a band in medical school, made up of four med students in my class," admits Dr. land. "Our band name was 'Knockout Mouse' and we played at a few of the medical school parties following exams. In the band, I played bass guitar and was the vocalist. Our favorite cover song to perform was 'Sweet Child O' Mine' by Guns N' Roses."

Dr. Land had been playing Guitar Hero for just a few months before he won the tournament.

"It makes you feel like a rock star when you are playing the game," says Dr. Land, who drew a crowd when he was playing. "You feel a little bit like you're playing the real guitar, and the song selection is excellent."

It's not surprising that Dr. Land mastered Guitar Hero quickly, as he knows how to play the following instruments: piano, violin, percussion and drums, guitar, voice, and "a few other instruments." He almost minored in music in college, but he decided on a chemistry minor with a biology major.

Dr. Land is currently a fellow-in-training at the UCLA Medical Center, but he will become a clinical instructor on January 1, 2008. He plans to enter an academic clinical practice. His interest in medicine began at career day in high school, when he heard his own family practitioner talking about his life as a doctor.

"The clinical challenges have always interested me," says Dr. Land. "I like continuity of care and developing lifelong relationships with my patients, but not in an exclusively primary care setting. I also enjoy outpatient medicine over inpatient medicine. Being able to identify with my patients as an allergy sufferer also made me interested in specializing in allergies."

Dr. Land suffers from allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis. His skin prick tests were "very positive" for cat dander, dog dander, dust mite allergen, and a variety of pollens.

As winner of Guitar Hero: Rock of Allergy, Dr. Land will receive a complete Allergy Armor™ Ultra bedding package.