"While interviewing, I wondered how to decide what was important in a residency program. After receiving lots of advice, I looked for a program with supportive faculty and administration and a group of residents who seemed like the kind of people I'd want to be around for the next three years. For me, no program fit these qualities better than UVA.
These first few months of internship have the most exciting of my life, and also the scariest! But support is never far away and I never feel nervous about asking for help, whether from my resident, fellow, attending, or program director. And the chiefs are an amazing resource and always there when you need them. The 1:1 intern-to-resident ratio fosters a real team dynamic and allows for individualized support and teaching, which is a priority at UVA. Our attendings prepare small group teaching sessions several times each week, so we learn from some of the top names in each field.
The camaraderie I felt on interview day has continued and only improved as I've gotten to know my great group of co-interns. I couldn't make it through this steep learning curve without them, and even with my schedule I'm able to find time to go out with friends several times a week.
The glimpse of UVA I received on my interview day turned out to be accurate: a strong program with a supportive feel. It's a place where I am able to learn, work, and still not take myself too seriously!"
