Chief Residents 2011-2012

Choosing a residency is a big undertaking. After all, your residency years are perhaps the most formative of your career—your academic interests, approach to patient care, and diagnostic skills will all begin to take shape in those three short years. It is important to find a training environment in which you can maximize your chances of becoming the best physician possible. As a graduate of medical school at the University of Kansas, I had initially sought to head elsewhere for the next step in my training. Having convinced myself that “change for the sake of change” would be a good thing, I set off on the interview trail throughout the Midwest. What I quickly learned surprised me (though in retrospect, it shouldn’t have!): no matter where I went, there was always something missing. From the largest and most prestigious academic programs to the smaller, more comfortable-sized ones, I could always find a reason why staying at KU for residency training would be advantageous. My suspicions were confirmed on the day of my interview…I felt at home.

Now that I’m in my Chief year, I look back with fondness at the time I spent here. KU is such a great place because of the people that surround us; everyone from the support staff and nurses to our fellow residents and the attending physicians are friendly and willing to take the extra time to teach. Opportunities for personal and professional growth abound, and the patient population is challenging. I’ve been able to build my research resume with the help of great faculty mentors in the gastroenterology department, and the residency program has a dedicated system for matching residents with mentors in their future specialties. KU truly has everything a young physician could want. Kansas City, too, is a great place to be; not too big or too small, it is home to great food and entertainment while maintaining tons of great neighborhoods in which to live and even raise a family. Residents at KU take advantage of our great city, with trips out and about paid for largely by the House Staff Appreciation Fund.

Rashaad Chothia, MD
Chief Resident

As a citizen of the global community, I’ve had the pleasure to study in three continents during my exploration of the world, which eventually led me to a life in medicine.  I may have been born in the town of Stockton in the great state of California, but my journey for knowledge has taken me to South Africa as a youth, Europe as a medical student, and throughout the USA for training.  I was fortunate to end up in one of the jewels of the United States, the hidden secret that is Kansas City.  A town lacking in nothing, and a University Hospital with training that rivals any major medical center in the country. The big plus is the hospitality and true collegiality that can only be found in the Midwest.  The rigors of Internal Medicine residency can be overwhelming and it is the people you work with and the support of your department that makes the process gratifying.  I will continue my journey with my next stop in New York to fellowship in Cardiology at the University of Rochester, but I will fondly remember my time in Kansas City as one of the most enjoyable stops along the way.  I hope you have the opportunity to find a rewarding program to spend these important years of your training, and if you chose to visit the University of Kansas, I’m sure you will find it just as hard to leave.

Searching for an Internal Medicine Residency program is one the most essential and important decisions in a medical career. However, I knew from the moment I interviewed at KU, there was no other program where I wanted to receive my training. The decision was relatively easy for me, as I saw the commitment to excellence from the Internal Medicine department and camaraderie amongst the residents. The teaching and education at KU is superb and continues to excel on a daily basis. The program leadership is compassionate and enthusiastic with the genuine interest of their residents at hand. Throughout my residency program I developed a passion for academia and a commitment to further instruct and teach residents. I was honored and privileged by receiving one of the Chief Resident positions where I face new challenges everyday and strive to be my best. I am overjoyed to be working here and I believegreat changes are in the horizon at KU! Please feel free to email me at unazir@kumc.edu

I've been a Kansas girl all of my life growing up in a small town in Southeast Kansas attending Pittsburg State University and later migrating to Kansas City for medical school and residency. I knew from the moment that I rotated through KU as a medical student that I wanted to be a part of “The KU Family”.  KU is wonderful in so many ways; from the amazing diversity of patients to the state-of-the-art medical center to the broad array of fellowships which are actively involved in resident education.  Most importantly, the people are what attracted me to KU…everyone from custodial care to nursing and ancillary staff to the residents, fellows and faculty that you interact with on a daily basis. I immediately felt welcomed and knew that I wanted KU to be my home and the place where I developed professionally to be the best internist I could be. Additionally, my husband and daughter have felt just as welcomed.  We love calling Kansas City our new home.