Start Year: 2021
Basics
Hometown
Charlotte, NC
Where did you attend college/university?
UNC Chapel Hill
Where did you attend medical school?
Tulane University
What other degrees do you hold and from what institutions?
Masters in Public Health (MPH), Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine
What are your career goals?
As for my clinical practice, I am undecided on if I want to pursue a fellowship in a subspecialty or if I want to keep my scope broad as an internist or hospitalist. I am excited to explore various subsets of medicine this year with the ambulatory subspecialty threads various subspecialty inpatient services to discover what kind of medicine I want practice. What I am certain of is my passion for education in medicine; both in teaching and medical education as well as patient education. I know my career will ultimately involve my passion for education in all facets of medicine.
Reflections on the Duke Program
What were you looking for in a residency program?
While I was looking for a rigorous program to prepare me academically to be the best clinician, I was seeking a program where a culture of academic rigor and a culture of supportiveness were not mutually exclusive. Residency is such a formidable time when physicians are being molded, and I wanted to grow as a physician at an institution where I felt challenged but equally supported.
What are the strengths of the Duke Program?
The Duke Internal Medicine Residency program has very clearly mastered the feat of being both a challenging and supportive program. This was evident along the interview trail and has held true since starting residency here. The support is multi-faceted also; I feel supported both academically in that I have the resources and opportunities to pursue whatever my unique interests are within medicine, and also on a more emotional level in that there is a pervasive sense of positivity and camaraderie that makes you feel at home.
What are your observations about the relationships between faculty and house staff?
The Duke faculty are all so invested in the development of the house staff. Every attending I have worked with has taken the time to teach, while being equally sensitive to the time restraints in the work-flow. They also really care about the house staff both inside and outside the hospital by encouraging us to eat lunch and take a coffee breaks when we need it as well as disconnect from the hospital when we have time off to stay balanced.
Tell us about your co-residents. What has helped you connect, support each other, and form friendships?
All of my co-residents are so smart but so humble. The program leadership does an excellent job of recruiting residents who fit this profile and who will facilitate this culture of academic rigor and supportiveness. On the wards, we are always asking each other how the work-flow is going, and if we can help pick up the slack if any one of us interns needs some extra help, knowing this will come back around on a day we are overwhelmed and need the extra hands in return. The ambulatory threads allow for us to spend time with the same smaller sub-group of residents on clinic weeks which has been great for getting to know each other!
What has surprised you most about Duke?
How truly kind everyone is. I felt this on the interview trail (even virtually), but certainly wondered if it would hold true once I arrived at Duke. If anything, the people are even nicer and more supportive than I anticipated, which has been so wonderful.
About Duke University and Durham
What is the best thing about living in Durham and the Triangle?
As a North Carolina native, I can honestly say Durham has arguably the best restaurant and bar scene in North Carolina. There are plenty of fun things to explore in the city of Durham but also equally as many outdoor activities just a few minutes down the road. You also have 2 cities just 20-45 minutes away with Chapel Hill and Raleigh and you equidistant to the beach and the mountains which is perfect for weekend trips when you have a couple of days off! It really is the perfect location in a state with so much to offer.
How does the Triangle appeal to people of diverse backgrounds?
Having done medical school in New Orleans, I loved the diversity I experienced there and was excited to live in Durham, which is equally as diverse and accepting of people from different backgrounds.
Where did you choose to live and why?
My husband and I are renting a house in Trinity Park and love the location! I love going on neighborhood walks and Trinity Park is very neighborhood-walk friendly. It is also walking distance to downtown for good restaurants and bars, in addition to being a quick 8 minute drive to Duke Hospital.
What are your interests outside of medicine?
Going on neighborhood walks and doing barre classes for exercise, slalom water skiing when I visit my parents in Virginia, going to live music shows and trying new restaurants, and playing the piano and oil painting as an artistic outlet, as well as cooking!