Resident Testimonials
|
|
“Since my first day, I have been extremely proud to be a part of the residency program at CMC. I have been impressed with the clinical acumen, teaching skills, and approachability of the attendings, my fellow residents, and the staff here at Atrium Health. All the attendings are extremely knowledgeable, compassionate physicians who strike the perfect balance of being supportive but also allowing the residents to have autonomy with patient care. They all are also excellent teachers with a true passion for didactics. Due to the wide catchment area of our hospital network, you are routinely exposed to interesting, rare pathology in addition to typical medicine cases. I also truly appreciate our continuity clinic and our exceptional staff there. It is a privilege to take care of the patients at the Myers Park Internal Medicine Clinic. Our program does an excellent job of creating a familial, supportive atmosphere and an excellent work–life balance. Charlotte is an incredible city in which to live, routinely offering incredible concerts, sporting events, outdoor activities, and a myriad of other exciting endeavors. Thanks to our incredible leadership team and my wonderful co-residents, I really appreciate the opportunity that CMC granted me to learn and take care of patients. I would rank this program #1 again in a heartbeat.” |
|
|
|
“This is truly an incredible place to train and grow as a physician. The level of training here is second to none, and I feel very well prepared. For those interested in pursuing fellowship after residency, there are plenty of research opportunities and eager mentors to provide guidance. The thing that makes this program truly unique is the people. We have excellent attendings who are deeply invested in our education and growth. My co-residents are my second family, and we have built a strong relationship together. I could not be any luckier to be a part of this program!”
|
|
|
|
"I heard about Carolinas Medical Center from an attending in medical school. He described it as a mix of a traditional community program with the added benefit of being based at a large referral center. I am two years in, and that is still the best description I can offer. I routinely stop to chat with attendings, students, and other residents in the halls about medicine and about life. The size of our program has allowed me to build strong relationships with my colleagues, and CMC’s size and location draws a diverse and complex patient population. This makes for an exceptional environment in which to train and gain experience under the guidance of truly top-notch attendings. I have had the chance to present research at national meetings as well as work in a clinic that focuses on those in marginalized communities. I wanted to come to CMC from the minute my interview day ended, and I am so glad that I did."
|
|
|
|
"On the interview trail, I was attracted to CMC by the residents who (to put it simply) seemed like smart, grounded, and happy people. I am so glad that I followed those instincts because I absolutely love this program! The smaller size makes for a close-knit community amongst the residents and faculty. I feel fortunate to be receiving excellent training in Internal Medicine from our busy diverse hospital, while also feeling supported to pursue my personal interests and career goals. Residency is challenging in so many ways, but the faculty at CMC are truly dedicated to helping residents thrive. Because of my interest in medical education, I was encouraged by multiple attendings to apply for one of the chief resident positions, and I am excited to say that I will be staying at CMC for a fourth year! I think it is fair to say that most residencies will give back what you put into them, but CMC has given me much more. I would absolutely choose this program all over again. "
|
|
|
|
"CMC was my top choice for residency for many reasons. I was impressed with the program’s strong foundation in education and teaching. Our conferences, lectures, and simulation labs provide an excellent structure for learning and solidify what we experience on the wards. We often have one-on-one learning with attendings and get to do a large number of procedures, especially in the ICU. There is so much case-mix diversity within our hospital; I have had incredible exposure to “zebras” and “bread and butter” diagnostic dilemmas while on service with staff medicine. The fact that we are a Level I Trauma Center means we get a lot of referrals from outside hospitals, so we get to take care of intellectually complex and challenging cases. I feel that I have learned so much from having those experiences. Next, Charlotte is an incredible place to live. There are fantastic restaurants, good cost of living, diversity in housing options, and lots of sporting venues. There is always something fun to do outside of work. Lastly and most importantly, the reason I chose CMC was because of the people. Our attendings are wholeheartedly dedicated to helping residents be successful. They tirelessly dedicate hours of their time to making sure we get the education we need while also providing a perfect level of support. Residency is a challenging period of medical education, but CMC has managed to combine top-notch training with compassion and understanding. I feel that my co-residents are equally encouraging, and I have had the chance to make some very special bonds to the point that I truly feel that we are family. If given the chance to choose again, I would absolutely continue to rank CMC as my top program!"
|
|
|
|
"As a medical student who trained in the southwest, I truthfully did not know much about CMC's program prior to interviewing here. On interview day, I was shocked by how much I loved the program! Some of the many reasons that I chose CMC include (1) a solid curriculum that fosters learning and growth in a supportive, encouraging atmosphere (2) the smart but also kind, hardworking, and (incredibly) funny group of residents (3) the 100% board pass rate for the past 10 years (CMC is 1 of the only of 2 programs in the country that can claim this!) and (4) training at a >800 bed, level 1 trauma center that admits a diverse patient population. After I interviewed at CMC, I immediately realized that I would be ranking the program #1. Now as a second-year resident, I appreciate those "pros" even more! It feels incredible to be receiving a comprehensive medical training in such a laughter-filled environment."
|
|
|
|
"This internal medicine program truly is a hidden gem. We have the benefits of being at an academic medical center – diverse disease pathology, opportunity to teach medical students, access to research and mentoring for fellowships – while maintaining a community program environment with an emphasis on a family friendly atmosphere and work life balance. Moreover, Charlotte is a vibrant city full of fun things to do, plenty of restaurants to sample and a multitude of bars, breweries, and late night hang-out spots to enjoy with your family, friends, and co-residents. What truly makes this program unique is the people. I really feel that my co-residents are my second family. The attendings here are also amazing. I feel like I can talk to any of them about almost anything. They are always available, and I have never hesitated to text or call for assistance. They give us the perfect balance of supervision and autonomy. As I near the end of my second year, I can honestly say that this program has prepared me to practice independently. Overall, I give my experience at CMC 5 stars and definitely would rank this program #1 again. Come spend a day, month, or three years with the CMC family to see what we’re all about!"
|
|
|
|
"When I was on the interview trail, CMC stood out to me because of the way it represents the best of both worlds. CMC has the respected specialists, diverse resources, and teaching opportunities of a large academic center while maintaining the smaller class size and friendliness of a community hospital. I was impressed by the warmth and collegiality of the house staff as well as the quality of teaching I witnessed on rounds and in formal conference. I was also excited at the prospect of living in Charlotte which is a vibrant and growing city that offers both urban and outdoor pursuits. Ultimately, I chose to rank CMC as my first choice for all of these reasons. After two years in this program, I would once again rank CMC first without hesitation. I truly enjoy working with our attendings - they are well versed in evidence-based medicine and dedicated to teaching. They also offer us independence to come up with our own plans as interns and to lead the team as upper levels while always being available should we need back-up. The diversity of cases we see on our inpatient medicine months is impressive and provides a solid foundation in general medicine as well as opportunities for case reports and research. Furthermore, I feel privileged to be part of a group of classmates who are enthusiastic about medicine, represent a diversity of interests and paths to medicine, and are enjoyable to be around both in the clinical and non-clinical setting. Training at CMC offers a solid foundation applicable to a variety of internal medicine career paths, and I have watched our graduating seniors pursue fellowships, hospitalist medicine, and primary care with great success."
|
|
 Reed Shimberg, MD |
"I first came to Carolinas Medical Center as a visiting 4th year medical student and had a great experience on my rotation. This led me to rank CMC #1 in the match, and I have never questioned my decision. The first two years of my residency have been challenging, engaging, and extremely exciting. I have been privileged to work with smart attendings and co-residents who keep me on my toes and make work fun! I love that we admit such a wide variety of patients on the staff medicine services as we don't have specialty wards teams. My inpatient months are filled with interesting cases. Since we are the major referral center for all western North Carolina, we see all the zebras without sacrificing the bread and butter cases right here in Charlotte. Taking care of a diverse socio-economic and cultural population has given me a great appreciation for the disparities in health care, and I'm proud to work at our Myers Park Clinic that serves an underserved population so successfully."
|
|
 Todd Gandy, MD |
“Despite being only a few months into my intern year, I already feel at home in Charlotte and at Carolinas Medical Center. The CMC Internal Medicine residency program was my top choice for several reasons, most notably because of the friendly and energetic house staff, the devoted and accomplished faculty, and an environment structured for success from the very beginning. The program allows for significant flexibility in scheduling which allows residents to tailor their education towards their specific career goals from day one. There is no doubt in my mind that resident education is the program’s number one priority. It is a very exciting time to be involved in the medical field and also a very exciting time to be a resident at CMC.” |
|
 Sara Glance, MD |
“When I was applying for residency, I knew that I wanted a program that had the perfect mix of academic as well as community aspects. I found it in CMC. We have the feel of an academic center, yet the program is smaller than other academic centers so you get much more one-on-one training. I have never been afraid to ask a question or ask for help whether it be from another resident, an attending, consult service, or ancillary staff. Everyone is so willing to help and so willing to teach. All of the residents get along great, and we enjoy working together as well as spending time together outside of work. CMC had everything that I was looking for - a program that honestly cares about you as an individual, is small enough to get one-on-one experience, and big enough to get a diverse patient population with a variety of pathologies.” |
|
 Tori Hudspeth, MD |
CMC was my top choice for residency for many reasons. I knew that I wanted to do my residency at CMC after I rotated here as a medical student and loved the people, teaching, and atmosphere. We have excellent attendings in general medicine and subspecialties who are always willing to teach and mentor. I like that we have a relatively small class size, allowing us to receive more individual attention. I feel like I have plenty of autonomy, but I also feel that the attendings are very approachable if I need help. Although technically a "community" program, it feels more like a hybrid university-community program. I feel very supported and respected here, and I am very happy with my decision to train at CMC.” |
|
 Raghid Zeitouni, MD |
“This residency program, in my opinion, ranks among the best medicine programs out there. We practice at a great facility which is part of one of the largest healthcare systems in the nation, and we get to see a great variety of common and unique medical cases. We have outstanding faculty whose main priority is teaching. Most importantly, the thing that makes our program great is the outstanding camaraderie the residents have amongst each other and with the faculty. We truly all feel like a big family." |
|
 Kelsey Barr, MD |
“I chose CMC because of the high morale everyone seemed to have at my interview and second look. Since matching and starting residency here, I haven’t been disappointed. Students, residents, and attendings all seem happier here than at almost every other hospital I've worked, volunteered, been a patient, or interviewed. I always thought I would stay for residency at my medical school, but I fell in love with CMC. Plus, all the benefits are fantastic, the food is delicious and abundant, and the faculty are very open to suggestions. I have learned a ton and have never regretted coming here! |
|
 Kyle Nichols |
I have many wonderful things to say about CMC and about our internal medicine program. To write them all would take a lot of server space! Having completed my intern year, I can honestly say that there is nowhere I would rather be. Highlights of our residency include high morale, strong academics, excellent opportunities in all aspects of medicine (community, hospital, and specialist), great benefits, and supportive faculty. Resident autonomy at all levels is actively supported by faculty. We are also provided excellent supervision. All faculty including ward attendings, program directors, and our department chair, are eminently approachable. I highly recommend that you consider completing your IM residency at CMC, regardless of your career goal. |
|
 Alex Fertman |
CMC was my absolute top choice for residency. It is an excellent training program and I couldn't be happier living in Charlotte. Having a smaller residency allows me to work more closely with our attendings on both staff medicine and consult months. The teaching atmosphere here is incredible. I always feel supported no matter what service I am on, and education is a top priority at all times. CMC helps make life easier by offering us many benefits and accommodations which I definitely appreciate. I hope you come and check us out! |
|
 Rob Craven |
Why I chose CMC: I really liked the smallness of the program. Everyone seemed really happy and enjoyed working together. Plus, the board pass rate was higher than any other program I applied to and they had an exceptional fellowship acceptance rate into very competitive specialties. Charlotte is a great city to be single in. There are many young professionals in the area. It is a large city with a great nightlife, but is also close to many outdoor activities. |
|
 Melanie McMinn |
One of the most appealing aspects of this program is the friendly and cooperative learning environment. Residents and faculty attendings interact as peers, and we take every available opportunity to teach each other. |
|
|
|
The make up of the CMC internal medicine program allows for things university programs would love to do, but simply cannot due to their size. It has provided me with ample opportunity to become a well-trained internal medicine physician, but has also prepared me for subspecialty training in Cardiology. I'm thrilled to have been able to call Charlotte home. |
|
|
|
Why I chose CMC? First of all, the reputation of the program extends beyond the city limits of Charlotte. Being one of the first interviews of the season, honestly, I anticipated on ranking another program as my first. During my interview day, interacting and observing the house staff and faculty changed my mind. Not only is this a top notch hospital that services a wide radius of the population, we have some of the best physician attendings that are truly interested in teaching the residents. Completing my training this year, I feel well prepared to enter into practice as a general practitioner. |
|
 Stephan Esser |
Preliminary Year Intern 2009-2010, will be continuing training at Harvard-Spaulding Hospital in Boston MA in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. My Intern year at CMC has been amazing. The program maintains a health balance of intensity and collegiality between interns, and upper levels, staff and attendings. From day one, you are treated like a member of the family and whether prelim or categorical, everyone shares in the same responsibilities. Attendings' doors are always open and even the most senior program directors are happy to converse about patients, home-life or the latest sports event. In the midst of this healthy dynamic, you learn and learn and then learn some more. Both zebras and horses come through the doors on a regular basis, so not a day goes by without putting on the thinking cap. The long and short of it is, I can't imagine a better place to spend my first year of training. Thanks CMC! |
|
