University of Virginia Health System

Michelle Piel Brooks
Jefferson Medical College

Hello everyone! I grew up in Pottsville, PA and only went an hour away to DeSales University for undergrad, then moved to Philadelphia to attend medical school at Jefferson Medical College. Although I miss some things about Philly (like Phillies baseball), I am excited to live in a city with more of a small town feel. Since my husband went to undergrad at UVA, I visited Charlottesville a few times before considering it as a place to go for residency. I quickly fell in love with the its charm. It is like a college town with many areas that aren't overwhelmed by undergrads. The variety of restaurants and entertainment make it feel like the big city but with the added option of many outdoor activities.

But residency is the real reason I am here. When I first started searching for a program, I had a hard time deciding what was most important to me. Luckily, UVA has many of the criteria I was looking for. It is a smaller sized program with a close-knit group of residents who spend time together outside of work. Everyone I have worked with is supportive and helpful. The faculty are focused on education and are also concerned for the well-being of the residents. The variety of patients who come to UVA see is also outstanding, ranging from the city population to the far-reaching rural areas surrounding Charlottesville.

Even after my short time here, I am extremely happy about my choice of UVA for my pediatrics residency. I hope that you will also consider this as a place to train to be a great pediatrician.

Nikhila Deo
University of Wisconsin

Hey everyone, and welcome to UVA Peds! I grew up in Milwaukee, WI in a small town called Hales Corners, enjoyed my time in Boston, MA for college at MIT, and then did medical school at the University of Wisconsin Madison School of Medicine and Public Health. I am so excited to now be a part of the UVA community, and Charlottesville VA is a beautiful place to live! I'd tell you what all Charlottesville has to offer, but so many other residents have mentioned it so I'm sure you already know! Moving from somewhere far away can be a daunting task, but everyone is so helpful and welcoming, and it is totally worth it.

When my boyfriend and I were looking at places to live and programs, we just fell in love with Charlottesville and the UVA community. Aside from Charlottesville offering a lot to us in terms of a place to live, the program was also exactly what I was looking for... a medium-sized program that offers patient-centered care with a strong focus on teaching and training residents. In addition, the residents and staff are so supportive of one another and make the work environment as pleasant as possible in a challenging place like the hospital.

At the dinner before my interview, my boyfriend and I wound up having so much fun getting to know folks that we didn't even realize that we were the last ones there, and neither did our hosts! It was great to feel like we were already a part of such a great community right from the start.

If you have any questions about UVA pediatrics or anything about applying/interviewing for residencies, please don't hesitate to ask. I look forward to meeting you all soon! Good luck and have fun!

Leah Fleming
University of Washington

Greetings! I'm a native of Virginia originally; I was born in Williamsburg and spent my elementary years in Chesapeake and Virginia Beach, but I've lived in a bunch of places since that time. Middle school and much of high school were spent in Orlando, FL. I finished out high school in Bellevue, WA when my family moved West. After high school I thought, "Well, I've never really been to New England", and traipsed off to Smith College in Northampton, MA to get a BA in biochemistry. Post-college I worked as a cytogeneticist at the University of Washington, and stayed at UW for medical school. While I did love my view of Mt. Rainier every morning that it wasn't too overcast to see a gigantic mountain on my way to the hospital, when I started to look for residency programs I thought it might be time for some intellectual cross-pollination.

UVA was my last interview of the season and I left knowing that I had found the right place for me to thrive as a person and a physician for these next three years. I had a pretty good idea of what I was looking for in a program: a strong commitment to education, a collegial environment, a varied patient population, and demonstrated success in training both generalists and folks who go on to subspecialty. UVA fits that to a tee. I also wanted to live in a place that had a lot going on in town, but with easy access to hiking and non-city stuff. As you'll have read from the other residents, Charlottesville is a really easy and fun place to live. I wish it was closer to my immediate family (I'm campaigning for them to move out here); but in the meanwhile I'm visiting college classmates and extended family on golden weekends, as well as spending what free time I have with a really awesome intern class, and with welcoming, supportive upper levels. The past two months have been challenging, enjoyable and tiring, and have left me really excited for the next three years. I hope you find the perfect place for your training, and that we'll see you on the interview trail!

Lauren Gregg
Medical College of Virginia/VCU

Hi, I am Lauren Gregg, VCU/MCV alumnus. I am really happy to be back in Charlottesville, where I served as the Head Coach for the UVA Women's Soccer team and obtained my master's degree in Chemistry. Not only do I love the community at large but I am really pleased with the overall Pediatric Program at UVA. Specifically, the mentorship, patient population and commitment to resident teaching and empowerment helped secure my decision. We have a wonderful intern class that is reflective of the entire residency body. Let me know if you have any questions and best of luck in your decision!

Sherie Horvath
University of South Alabama

Hi, my name is Sherie and I have really enjoyed the first couple of months here in Charlottesville. When I interviewed last year everyone was so welcoming. I was looking for a medium-sized program with a diverse patient population and dedicated teachers. So far, everything has turned out as I had hoped for and Charlottesville is a great place to live. I enjoy playing soccer, cooking (I can't say I have cooked as much as I want), and I very much enjoy traveling and am looking forward to the international electives offered by our program. I would be glad to talk to anyone about the UVA pediatric residency program and look forward to meeting you this fall.

Jessica Kross
University of Virginia

My family came to Virginia from the Chicago area when I was 8, and at every major junction in my life I've considered picking up and exploring the west coast or the northeast ... and every time I end up finding more than enough reasons to stay near the Blue Ridge. Residency turned out to be one more of those times.

I went to Virginia Tech for undergrad, and to the shock of all my Hokie friends, came to UVA for medical school. I met my fiance, Charlie, here during school − he happens to be from my hometown, but we really got to know each other here. When it was time to choose a residency program, I knew I was looking for one like UVA. I liked the size of the program, and I had really enjoyed working with all the residents and attendings here. As the big decision got closer and closer, I realized that I was comparing every program to UVA, and to the sense of collegiality and professionalism I felt here. All of the residents and attendings here are incredibly intelligent and approachable. There is definitely a focus on teaching, both at conferences and on the wards.

Charlottesville itself is either a city or a little southern town depending on where you come to it from. I've really enjoyed my first 4 years here and I'm looking forward to 3 more. There are plenty of places to hike, lots of live music of all kinds, tons of good restaurants, college sports, and all the other benefits of living in a college town. We're 2-3 hours from D.C. and the beach, and you can show up at our airport 20 minutes before takeoff and get on your flight with no problem (which amazed my Dad, who is used to O'Hare).

During our first month of residency, I've been so happy with the way my intern class and all the upper levels look out for each other. Seniors and attendings don't hesitate to check in and answer any questions we have, regardless of what service we are on. I'd be happy to answer anyone's questions about Charlottesville or the program!

Stephanie Chao Leary
Medical College of Virginia/VCU

Hello everyone! In middle school I moved to Richmond, Virginia from sunny California with every intention of returning back to the west coast as soon as I could. However, I was not able to pass up attending UVA for my undergraduate education, and am thrilled to be back for residency. I attended medical school at MCV in Richmond and as a fourth year medical student I had the opportunity to do an away rotation at UVA. The attendings and residents I worked with and met were extremely knowledgeable, approachable, and eager to teach. My interview day only confirmed what I already knew − that I would receive superb training in pediatrics at UVA.

My husband is an Emergency Medicine resident here at UVA and we have enjoyed being newlyweds in Charlottesville. It's a small town with a lot to offer. So far we have enjoyed many dinners out on the downtown mall, gone apple picking, hiking, play in an ultimate frisbee summer league, and enjoy taking our dog out on the many trails around town. I could not be happier here with the program and location. Feel free to contact me with any questions you may have!

Almea Matanock
University of New Mexico

Welcome! Why is someone from New Mexico, raised on green chile and dry dirt, in the humid green jungle of VA? Well, it is not just that I was looking for a better place to grow a garden, though not having to water is a blessing. It is because I thought UVA Pediatrics was big enough to pull in many interesting cases, but small enough that it felt like a supportive community − collegial in the fullest sense of the word.

Personally, I am interested in international, public, and community health, though I think there is a wide range of interest within the professors and residents here. In addition, from what I know of Charlottesville so far, there's a wide range of patient populations including recent Central American and eastern African immigrants, rural centuries in VA and/or the city of Charlottesville.

If you have any questions, I would be more than happy to try to answer them. All the best.

Elaine Ramsay
Medical University of South Carolina

Hi, and welcome to UVA pediatrics! I am from Clemson, SC, attended the Univ of GA for undergrad and MUSC in Charleston, SC for medical school. I have ventured up "north" for residency here. I became interested in UVA because of the excellent reputation it has in the southeast and beyond. I have family near Charlottesville, so that was a plus as well. There is a focus on teaching here, along with a good patient base, which was important to me. We see bread and butter pediatrics, but also some more rare conditions that you can find in a tertiary care center. It is nice to know that you are training at a place that will not need to send patients to other institutions because of a lack of specialists or facilities. The attendings are here because they enjoy teaching and it makes such a difference.

The people I met during my interview made a great impression − really friendly and happy training here. It is obvious that the residents like being around one another and it makes the whole place better. People help each other and things are a team effort, which is a great environment to work/learn in. Residents are always organizing fun things to do together outside of the hospital.

Besides the quality of training and people at a program, I was looking for a residency in a fun place to live. Charlottesville certainly has that − from the numerous outdoor activities to concerts to great restaurants, there is a lot to do here. Some of my favorite things so far are Fridays After Five (live music, food, art all free!), local wineries and the downtown farmers' market. The size of the town is just right − enough to do, especially shopping, but not all of the traffic or stress! There are a lot of neat little areas of town to explore, which I look forward to doing. Best of luck with the selection process and I hope to see you here soon.

Zeena Salman
Academy of Medical Sciences and Techology, Sudan

Hello and welcome to UVA! A long and winding path brought me to the Pediatrics Residency Program here, and only two months in I'm already sure I made the right decision.

I grew up in Northern Virginia, and when my family moved to Sudan (where we are originally from) I moved too and attended medical school there. I returned after graduation and pursued a Masters in Public Health at Johns Hopkins University, focusing on international and refugee health.

When it was time to look at residency programs, I wanted a program that would be intimate enough for me to get to know the faculty individually while still large enough to see a wide variety of patients. I also wanted a program that would have an appreciation for international experience and could help cultivate that interest. I was impressed by the opportunities for international rotations, as well as the diverse patient background due to the international refugee center in Charlottesville, which has already allowed me to keep my Arabic in practice and continue to learn Spanish! Also, I was nervous about how well I would adapt to a U.S. medical system after studying abroad, but I was happy to find that the attendings keep the perfect balance of challenging me to work hard without feeling overwhelmed or intimidated. Above all else, I just wanted to train somewhere that I felt I would be happy going to work every morning, and that is exactly what I've found at UVA.

Please email me with any questions, and good luck!

Lydia Snyder
Florida State University

Welcome everyone! I am originally from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, but somehow ended up in Florida. I grew up in Fort Lauderdale but decided to move "north" to Tallahassee where I spent some wonderful years at Florida State University. During my search for residency programs I decided to venture even further north to the lovely state of Virginia. I couldn't be more thrilled with my decision and the pediatric program at UVA!

The attendings and upper levels here are always eager to help and are enthusiastic about teaching. There is a great sense of camaraderie, which is something I was looking for in a program. I was impressed with the program during my interview, but after being here for two months I am even more convinced that I found the right team to help me through the challenges and adventures of residency.

There are plenty of fun things to do in Charlottesville. My husband and I love the outdoors and there are lots of parks, trails, and hiking sites for nature lovers. The Blue Ridge Parkway is nearby and there is something very breathtaking about seeing mountains in the distance. We have also enjoyed wine tastings at some of the gorgeous vineyards in and around Charlottesville. If you get a chance, Jefferson's Monticello estate is a neat place to visit. The local farmer's market is a must, at least it's one of my favorite things about Saturday mornings. This is a charming city that has a lot to offer and I can see why people love living here.

Please feel free to email me with any questions. Best wishes during your search!

Kelley Zagol
Temple University

Congratulations on your upcoming graduation! My name is Kelley Zagol. I am from Berwyn, Pennsylvania (a suburb of Philadelphia, home of soft pretzels, cheese steaks, and the World Champion Phillies). I attended college at Washington and Lee University and then went to Temple University School of Medicine. Deciding on a residency program is a stressful decision. My fiancé and I(yes, you can plan a wedding and get married during intern year!) had extensive conversations about our short and long term goals, made pro and con lists, and explored each of the prospective cities before we decided on UVA.

One of the things that really distinguished this program from others is the commitment of the faculty to the patients, the profession, and the residents. They want to see the residents from this program succeed and are always available to answer questions. I was also attracted to UVA because of the residents. The residents are down to earth and always willing to help you out, whether it's looking up a patient's labs or moving into a new apartment (and they are skilled softball players, definitely a plus).

Additionally, I wanted to go to a program that was academically based, nationally recognized, and had a wide referral base. I plan to specialize but it is important to me to have a broad foundation in general pediatrics. The program at UVA allows me to be an integral part of the medical decision process in both "bread and butter" and "zebra" pediatrics. Finally, Charlottesville is a town with history and character. It has great restaurants and beautiful running trails. Charlottesville also has more than twenty surrounding vineyards, enabling me to develop my skills as a sommelier.

Good luck with this process. Please email me with any questions. UVA is a great program and I feel very fortunate to have matched here. See you during interview season!