Hometown: Naperville, IL
Undergraduate: Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
Medical School: Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
Career Plans: General Internal MedicineYes, it's true: I bleed purple. As you can see above, I have spent quite a few years at Northwestern University. When I was looking for an internal medicine residency program, I considered branching out and leaving Northwestern for the first time in 8 years. However, after my many interviews at other institutions, I realized those programs do not have what I already discovered at Northwestern: resident interaction, patient diversity, and an educational atmosphere.
As a medical student, I was impressed with the interactivity of Northwestern residents. My residents emphasized teamwork and educating medical students, while still leading active social lives. My residents were role models and I strived to emulate them during my residency.
I also appreciated the unique diversity of patients at Northwestern. From one room to the next you may encounter a CEO of a company and a recent immigrant without insurance. I valued Northwestern's willingness to allow its residents to work in continuity clinics dedicated to serving uninsured populations. For example, I worked every Tuesday afternoon at Erie Family Health Center located on the west side of Chicago, a clinic catering to the mostly Spanish-speaking underserved population in that area.
I truly felt that our residency program fostered an encouraging educational atmosphere. Morning report was more of a discussion than a didactic session. The residents spoke up and offered their thoughts, even when unsure of the diagnosis, while the chief medical residents consistently kept the cases interesting and informative.
Three years later, I still value these aspects of Northwestern's residency program. I have made some very close friends in my fellow residents and co-chiefs, and was even able to have my first child in between my second and third years of residency. My co-residents, chief residents, residency program director (Diane Wayne, MD) and residency coordinator (Maija Hasiba) were extremely supportive throughout the process. I am extremely proud of placing Northwestern residency on my CV. It reflects on my strength as a physician, teacher and leader. I hope you strongly consider Northwestern for residency training and feel free to contact me with any questions.
Hometown: Flossmoor, IL
Undergraduate: Northwestern University
Medical School: Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine
Career Plans: Cardiology Fellowship
I have been a part of Northwestern for the last 11 years, including my undergraduate, medical school education and residency training. While applying for residency, I had many program options that spanned the country; however, when considering my priorities for training, Northwestern was second to none.
First, I wanted to train at a superior internal medicine program that was part of a tertiary care center, where my daily interactions would be with faculty and mentors who are leaders in their respective fields. Secondly, I wanted to be exposed to patients of all socioeconomic backgrounds, serving to strengthen my knowledge of medical and social issues that pertain to a broad spectrum of patients. Certainly, Northwestern’s advantageous location in downtown Chicago has met this need. Thirdly, I wanted faculty, fellows, residents, and students genuinely happy with their environment and each other. For these reasons, I could not be happier with my decision to stay at Northwestern.
Over the last three years—truly the most fulfilling of my life, both professionally and personally—the friendly, hard-working, patient-first attitudes of my colleagues has been an inspiration to me. Outside of work, there is no shortage of exciting cultural, social, or sporting activities in the great city of Chicago, from the great museums and weekly summer neighborhood festivals, to the friendly grounds of Wrigley Field, home of the lovable Cubs (this is their year!). For these reasons, I am proud to call Northwestern, and Chicago, my home, and would be happy to be of any assistance to you regarding any questions you have pertaining to the program or the city. Best of luck!
Hometown: Ellicott City, MD
Undergraduate: University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Medical School: University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
Career Plans: Gastroenterology/Hepatology Fellowship, Northwestern Memorial Hospital
When applying to residency programs, I wanted, even more than a rigorously academic program, a collegial and friendly environment. Residency was a challenging and rewarding path full of professional, academic, and personal growth. I have found that Northwestern has wonderful facilities and ample research funding, but the real treasure is the people of the Northwestern Internal Medicine Residency Program. As much as I have grown professionally the last few years, the things that resonate are the relationships I have developed with my talented colleagues. During residency at Northwestern I was exposed to an impressive volume and variety of patients. The complexity and acuity of our patients’ medical issues are considerable; much of our learning comes from our patients—from basic internal medicine to hematology-oncology and advanced cardiac disease. Given its location in the heart of Chicago, the hospital caters to patients from a broad array of cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Not only were we exposed to so much on the wards at Northwestern, but opportunities for community service and international rotations were also available: during my third year I spent a month in Bolivia working in one of our affiliated clinics in the jungles of the southwestern Amazon.
Research pursuits are of primary focus to the faculty and residents at the medical center. During my training there were ample opportunities to work on bench-to-clinical research projects. The faculty is very invested in resident academic development.
Chicago has been a wonderful place to live for the past few years. It is a dynamic, diverse environment, with no shortage of things to experience. From Cubs games, to a street festivals, to the Art Institute—I am very impressed with the city.
I plan to continue as a gastroenterology fellow here next year, and am looking forward to my further training at Northwestern. Please feel free to e-mail me with any questions.
Hometown: Northbrook, IL
Undergraduate: University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Medical School: Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine
Career Plans: Allergy & Immunology Fellowship, Northwestern Memorial Hospital
When I applied for residency, I critiqued programs on several criteria integral to an excellent training program. These included outstanding clinical training, ample opportunity to pursue meaningful research, and a collegial working environment. Fortunately, to find a program that exemplifying these attributes, I did not need to stray from where I completed medical school. Northwestern provides state of the art clinical training. As a tertiary care center located in the center of Chicago, we see a wide range of diagnoses from the ordinary to the exotic. Our training program creates a comfortable environment to learn evidence-based medicine, and also provides a patient base that enables doctors to care for patients of diverse backgrounds. Our residents unanimously feel that they graduate with a well-rounded clinical education. The faculty at Northwestern places emphasis on academic pursuit and research. As residents, we receive ample opportunity to pursue both clinical and basic science interests. Research mentors at Northwestern routinely take an active role in helping design projects, which in turn leads many residents to publishing scholarly work or presenting data at conferences prior to graduation. What I love most about Northwestern is the people I work with on a daily basis. From the ancillary staff up to department chairmen, we all strive to maintain a collegial working environment. Among residents, we believe that we are never too busy to help each other. I can remember numerous call nights when fellow residents helped me tackle my workload, and I tried my best to return the favor. We view each other as colleagues, friends, and often times the best medical resource available. I am thrilled with the training I received at Northwestern. Moreover, I’ve enjoyed living in Chicago with a tremendous array of cultural activities, including watching the Cubs, Bears, and Bulls play on a regular basis: I can’t imagine a better three years. I am excited to stay here through my chief residency and fellowship training.
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