The chiefs work as a team to provide leadership and support of the key missions of the residency program and function as mentors and advocates for the residents. While each chief has separate responsibilities at their primary site (Duke University Hospital, Durham VA Medical Center, Duke Regional Hospital, and VA Quality/Safety), the camaraderie among the chiefs sets a positive tone for the program and allows us to accomplish the many goals we set for the year. It’s no secret that the Chief Residents form bonds with each class that lasts beyond the Chief year.
Notably, many former chief residents remain on faculty at Duke, serving in leadership positions throughout the health system, including President of DUHS (Dr. Tom Owens), Associate Chief of Service at the DVAMC (Dr. David Simel, Dr. Christopher Hostler), Associate Chief Medical Officer (Dr. Jon Bae), Division Chief of Cardiology (Dr. Manesh Patel), Division Chief of Gastroenterology (Dr. Andrew Muir), Division Chief of Geriatrics (Dr. Cathleen Colon-Emeric), head of the Pepper Center of Aging (Dr. Heather Whitson), fellowship directors for Infectious Diseases (Dr. Eileen Maziarz), Oncology (Dr. Richard Riedel), Pulmonary (Dr. Stephen Bergin) and Endocrinology (Dr. Matt Crowley), Associate Program Directors (Dr. Jenny Van Kirk, Dr. Joel Boggan, Dr. Matthew Labriola, Dr. Stephanie Garbarino), housestaff Liason (Dr. Jenn Rymer) and housestaff Liason (Dr. Omobonike Sanders).
In recent years, the chief residents have been responsible for reorganizing the noon conference series, instituting leadership training for JARs at the VA, developing well-being programming and evaluating patient flow on the general medicine services. In addition, the chiefs galvanize the competition for our annual Turkey Bowl, lead recruitment of new interns and have a tradition of providing entertainment at the annual Department of Medicine Holiday Party.
Chief residents are chosen during the SAR (PGY-3) year and serve as chief residents with a faculty appointment during their PGY-5 year. Typically, Chief Residents complete a fellowship or hospital medicine faculty year during the PGY-4 year and return to their fellowship or hospital medicine position after completion of the chief year.
Current Chief Residents
The 2025-26 chief residents are:
- Sachi Oshima, MD
Dr. Oshima is a graduate of Harvard University and the Duke University School of Medicine. She will be a fellow in Gastroenterology at Duke prior to starting her chief resident year. - Lauren Pinion, MD
Dr. Pinion is a graduate of Furman University and Emory University School of Medicine. She will be a hospitalist at the Durham VA Medical Center prior to starting her chief resident year at the Durham VA Medical Center. - Hannah Schwennesen, MD
Dr. Schwennesen is a graduate of Duke University and The Perelman School of Medicine at The University of Pennsylvania. She will be a fellow in Cardiology at Duke prior to starting her chief resident year. - Sandra Loriaux, MD
Dr. Loriaux is a graduate of The University of Virginia and Duke University School of Medicine, as well as the combined medicine-pediatrics program at Duke. She will be a hospitalist at Duke University Hospital prior to starting her chief resident year. - Haley Bush Cottrill, MD
Dr. Cottrill is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and George Washington School of Medicine.