Chief Residents 2012-2013

• Hometown:  Tehran, Iran
• College/Med School: Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences
• Ultimate Plan: GI

Pursuing further academic training, seeking different experience and being adventurous by nature, took me from my historic country,  Iran, to the capital of silicon valley, San Jose where I did 2 years of research in Stanford university. Then I felt the need to come back to clinical medicine after this research experience and set my foot on interview trails.

The  moment I came to KU for interview, I felt a bond with the people I met. Their friendliness and values for family life reminded me of people back home. I could see attendings who had done their training in this institution and had decided to continue working in KU. This was the best sign for me that people have been satisfied with their training in KU and this left me no doubt to join KU.

Being trained in a different system and trying to adjust to a new life was challenging in the beginning. But again, the people whom I was working with in KU, helped me to survive and prosper. Now when I look back, I am thrilled by the fact that I came to KU for my training.

I was honored to be selected as a chief resident and have truly enjoyed this job so far. I hope to be able to step into academic medicine in future where teaching and learning never stops.

• Hometown:  Manhattan, KS
• College:   University of Kansas
• Med School:  University of Kansas
• Ultimate Plan: Hospitalist

Choosing a residency was an easy decision for me. I grew up in Manhattan, KS however I left home to go to KU I then moved to Kansas City to continue with KU for medical school. The interactions that I had with the Internal Medicine staff during my 3rd year confirmed my career path; with their fun and encouraging attitudes, I found myself in a very comfortable learning environment. During my interview trail, I went to multiple residency programs of all sizes and prestige and I found myself comparing it to KU: the friendly banter and social events for the residents, the staff that truly care about teaching, and program leadership that are constantly improving the residency and are always open to feedback. I knew that I would be happiest to continue my journey with KU and I wasn’t disappointed. From the free Worlds of Fun day, Royals game, bowling or a dinner and movie all paid for by the resident appreciation fund, my colleagues and I really enjoyed our time outside of work and I have made some wonderful friendships throughout the last 3 years. Here at KU where we daily are treating very complicated patients with the close supervision of highly intelligent staff. I feel confident in my ability to handle this type of patients in the future. Overall, I am very excited to be a part of this leadership that puts the needs of our residents first and focuses on education. I am planning on pursing a career as a hospitalist after completion of my chief residency.

• Hometown: North Kansas City, MO
• College: San Diego State University
• Med School: Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Ultimate Plan: Hospitalist

I was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, but headed out west to California for my undergraduate and medical educations.  When I was finishing medical school and it was time to decide where I wanted to be for residency, there was no question in my mind that I wanted to be back in the Midwest.  Looking at KU, I was very interested in the message that they advertised on the website, mainly, “He who laughs, lasts”.  On my interview day I also experienced for myself that KU has a strong culture of camaraderie and integrating fun into their education.  My years at KU are unforgettable and the friendships I created as a resident will be lifelong.  Now, after completing 3 years of training, I have joined the administration as a chief resident to be a part of this educational culture that inspired me when I was a fourth year medical student. 

• Hometown:  Leawood, Kansas and Glen Ellyn, Illinois
• College:   Baylor University
• Med School: University of Kansas
• Ultimate Plan: Pulmonary/Critical Care

Although I was born in Houston and grew up in Chicago, I would consider Kansas City to be my hometown. I went to high school in Kansas City, then went to Baylor University in Waco, Texas for undergrad, where I majored in Religion. I returned to Kansas City for medical school at the University of Kansas. Kansas City is a great city, where people are incredibly friendly, the restaurants are delicious, and there are always plenty of things to do. One of the best things about the Midwest is having all 4 seasons during the year, so that you can truly enjoy the spring and fall. My husband and I live on the Kansas side of the state line (Jeremy is a diehard Jayhawk and has converted me as well). We also recently had a baby boy, James, who brings smiles and laughs into our lives.

When choosing a residency, I was always told to look at how the residents interact with each other and the faculty. I think that our program provides an excellent balance of fun and learning, which makes residency as exciting time. Pursuing excellent patient care requires hard work and study, but is much easier to do when surrounded by supportive faculty and colleagues. I have very much enjoyed my time here at KU and am currently applying for a fellowship in pulmonary and critical care.