University of Virginia Health System

Ashley Logan
University of Virginia

I knew from the beginning of my residency search that UVa would be one of my top choices. As a medical student here, I was impressed with how genuinely happy the residents were. That, taken with the high caliber of teaching I received as a student and the allure of Charlottesville, made UVa a frontrunner as a choice for residency. In the process of looking at different programs, I was bombarded with information about call schedules, order of rotations, and so on. In the process of wading through that information, I realized that it was similar across programs and, furthermore, that none of it mattered to me. Rather, I cared about two things: whether the residents were happy, and whether I would receive a solid education. UVa offered just the right balance of quality of life and quality of education.

Echoing what others have mentioned, Charlottesville is a cosmopolitan city in the middle of rural Virginia. After nearly 10 years here, I still haven't run out of fun things to do. Even as a resident, it has been possible for me to enjoy what Charlottesville has to offer and have a life away from the hospital. Besides spending time with my family, I like to dance, practice yoga, and learn about/taste Virginia wine.

I am going into general pediatrics when I'm done with residency. I've been impressed with the balance of primary care and subspecialty exposure, and also the flexibility of this program. Whatever interests you, there is ample opportunity to explore it here.

Nikki Miller
University of Ohio

Hey! I'm from Ohio, born and raised in Columbus. I went to BGSU for undergrad and then to Medical University of Ohio (now UT College of Medicine or something along those lines!) for med school. I've now been at UVa for a little over two years and absolutely love it. I can say without hesitation that I definitely made the right choice in coming to UVa (as much of a choice as the MATCH allows!). I've made it to final year of my residency and have decided to stick around for another year to be one of the chief residents. I have learned so much over the past two years. It's amazing to look back to where I started as an intern. The thing that makes our program stand out from all of the rest is the residents and faculty. Everyone knows each other — you are not just another body here in the peds program. Our faculty truly care about us and about our education; they make it a point to see us succeed. We work hard, but we also enjoy our time off!

The most important part of residency is the people that you work with, and I love the people I work with. We get together as often as possible outside the hospital - whether it be to go out to dinner, Fridays After Five, go wine tasting, or just hanging out at someone's house. I have really enjoyed getting to know these people outside of the hospital! Charlottesville has a lot to offer for being a smaller town. There are tons of great restaurants, bars, music, and wineries. There is always a band playing somewhere or a show to go see. If you are into the great outdoors as I am, there are so many parks, hiking trails, rivers, and lakes to satisfy any type of adventure. My husband and I have two dogs and we love to take them to the dog parks here in town to let them run around and socialize with the other pups. All in all, Charlottesville and UVa Children's Hospital are great places to live and to work. Please feel free to email me or any of the other residents if you have questions. I look forward to meeting you all on interviews!