Associate Program Director, Transitional Year Residency, Hackensack Meridien Health Ocean University Medical Center
Clinical Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine and Women’s Health, Rowan-Virtua School of Medicine

Hometown: Belmar, New Jersey

Education and Training:
Medical School: Mutah University, Jordan
Residency: Jersey Shore University Medical Center, NJ

What are you doing now?

Currently I am enjoying my role in overseeing our transitional year residents, co-leading the recruitment committee, which involves selection, interviewing, and ranking. I’m thrilled to announce that our program has achieved success this year in attracting top-tier candidates for the upcoming academic year. Additionally, I serve as a mentor and coach for transitional year and internal medicine residents, actively contributing to shaping their future paths as aspiring physicians. I work diligently to assess our transitional year residents, ensuring they meet their milestones, and coach them on how to progress effectively.

In collaboration with the Internal Medicine department, I organize and facilitate engaging medical jeopardy sessions in a spirited and competitive atmosphere. I also lead our ITE improvement project, collaborating closely with residents who are facing challenges with their In-Training Examination, developing tailored plans to address their specific needs.

In my clinical role, I find fulfillment in the outpatient setting, serving as a primary care physician in our resident-driven continuity clinic. Furthermore, I am in the process of establishing my own patient panel, further enriching my clinical practice.

How did fellowship benefit your career?

My decision to pursue the ACES fellowship was undoubtedly one of the best career choices I’ve made. Without the fellowship experience I wouldn’t have attained the current role I hold today. It provided me with a solid understanding of the basics and fundamentals of the Graduate Medical Education (GME) world, along with the responsibilities and tasks associated with being a GME leader. Even now, after completing the fellowship, I frequently find myself reflecting on the invaluable lessons from my favorite classes during our Master’s in Medical Education. The theories of adult learning, in particular, continue to influence my day-to-day practice and teaching.

The ACES fellowship instilled in me the belief that with the right foundation and passion, one can mold and shape their ideal career in the GME and Undergraduate Medical Education (UME) world. Given the chance, I would enthusiastically embark on the fellowship journey again and again!

Why Pittsburgh?

I’ll be honest, before making the decision to move to Pittsburgh, I had little idea of what to expect. Having spent most of my life in the NJ/NY area, Pittsburgh was completely unfamiliar territory to me. The only association I had with the city, perhaps unsurprisingly, was through the Steelers football team – thanks to my husband’s enthusiasm! However, my journey in Pittsburgh has left a lasting mark on my heart.

The unique blend of urban and suburban life in Pittsburgh is unlike anything I’ve experienced in NJ or NY. The tranquility of its people, coupled with the occasional frenzy of football season, creates a dynamic atmosphere that is both serene and vibrant. My time in Pittsburgh has gifted me with unforgettable experiences and memories.

Above all, what truly makes Pittsburgh special to me are the relationships I’ve formed. Meeting individuals who have since become close friends and mentors has been truly life changing. Pittsburgh may have been unfamiliar to me initially, but it has now become a cherished part of my story.

Assistant Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine/NewYork Presbyterian

Hometown: Warren, NJ

Education and Training
College: Cornell University, Ithaca, NY – BS in Nutritional Sciences
Medical School: Rutgers – Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Residency: Zucker SOM at Hofstra/Northwell

What are you doing now?

What I love about my job is the variety! I practice general primary care, obesity medicine as part of an integrated weight management clinic within our General Medicine practice, and then I also precept residents. I have a cohort of residents whom I supervise and work with medical students as well.

How did fellowship benefit your career?

The fellowship provides several benefits but some of the strongest benefits have been the dedicated mentorship, professional development, and exposure to a variety of academic and scholarly endeavors.

Why Pittsburgh?

The people at UPMC are master educators. They are well known in the field and are powerhouses in medical education. They are also incredibly down to earth and approachable which made the decision a no brainer.

Assistant Professor of Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin

Hometown: Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Education and Training:
College: Washington University in St. Louis
Medical School: University of Iowa
Residency: UT Southwestern

What are you doing now?

I am a general internist, practicing both inpatient and outpatient medicine. I work with students and residents in both clinic and on the wards. My education and research are focused on teaching and assessing clinical reasoning skills.

How did fellowship benefit your career?

The fellowship provided me with the training I needed to become an educator. I had the opportunity to develop education skills, experience in education research, and significant professional development to help jump-start my career as a clinician-educator. Pittsburgh is THE place to train as a clinician-educator. There is no other institution that has the experience in training physicians as educators that Pittsburgh does.

Why Pittsburgh?

As a place to live, Pittsburgh has a lot to offer – it’s an easy place to live, with relatively low cost of living, but still has access to arts, sports, and cultural events. There’s numerous city parks and museums to enjoy and always something to do!

Assistant Professor of Medicine
University of Virginia School of Medicine

Hometown: Miami, FL

Education and Training:
College: Boston College
Medical School: Tulane University School of Medicine
Residency: Johns Hopkins Bayview Internal Medicine Residency Program

What are you doing now?

I am currently a general internal medicine clinician-educator at UVA. My clinical work is in both the ambulatory and inpatient setting. At the undergraduate medical education level, I am one of the faculty coaches in the longitudinal Foundations of Clinical Medicine course, and also work with students in the clinical setting. I also serve on the OSCE committee at the medical school. In terms of leadership, I serve as Associate Director of Student Advising, assisting medical students who have interest in careers in internal medicine. On the graduate medical education side, I serve as core faculty in the internal medicine residency program and as a firm attending and preceptor in the ambulatory setting. I also serve as the Director of Medical Education Research and Scholarship for Division of General, Geriatric and Palliative Medicine. My current research interests include development of novel assessments in undergraduate medical education in alignment with the goals of competency-based medical education, integration of artificial intelligence into learner assessment and evaluation and development of systems that promote growth mindset and self-regulated learning in medical education at all levels.

How did fellowship benefit your career?

Fellowship allowed me to develop my skills as a clinician-educator through both the coursework in the Master of Medical Education and through a range of educational opportunities working with medical students and residents at UPMC. It allowed me to align the theoretical aspects of learning theory with the practice of teaching, and to receive feedback on my application of these theories to practice. My ability to conduct medical education research was advanced significantly both through coursework, regular research meetings with colleagues and faculty, and through grant-funded research opportunities at UPMC. Most critically, I formed relationships with incredible faculty who form an incredible network of clinician-educators who will be my mentors and colleagues for life.

Why Pittsburgh?

Pittsburgh is a lively city with great access to nature and an amazing food scene, among other amazing things! I loved exploring the city with co-fellows and friends and have many fond memories from my time in the Steel City. Everyone should attend a Penguins, Steelers and/or Pirates game when in town and experience the amazing Yinzer fandom!

Assistant Professor of Medicine
Division of General Internal Medicine
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

Hometown: Lima, Peru

Education and Training:
College – University of St. Thomas (Houston)
Medical School – McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Residency – University of Alabama at Birmingham

What are you doing now?

Clinical work includes having my own clinic at the UT Southwestern main campus as well as the Parkland Internal Medicine Clinic. I am an attending for a resident team 4 weeks per year at Parkland Hospital. I serve as core faculty for resident clinic at the Parkland Internal Medicine Clinic where I precept resident patients and teach some didactic sessions. I am a course director for the MS4 Medical Education Elective, serve on the Grade Evaluation Committee for the Ambulatory Clerkship, and am a preceptor for medical students in my clinic. I am also a co-chair of the GIM Peer Mentoring group where we facilitate faculty development in professional development, teaching skills, career advancement, and participation in scholarly activities. I present workshops in faculty peer mentoring, struggling learner, and inbasket management.

How did fellowship benefit your career?

The ACES fellowship was one of the most important parts of my career development. My main desire to go into the fellowship was to gain teaching skills and experience to be the best educator possible on the wards, in clinic, and in teaching sessions. However, I gained much more than that. Taking courses on curriculum/project design and evaluation while applying it to my own med ed project was an invaluable experience that still serves me today. Having mentorship from renowned clinician-educators was amazing for designing good med ed projects, feedback on teaching activities, career advice, and networking. Getting a variety of teaching experiences and formal training was a great CV builder, helped me find my educational niche(s), and added an element of versatility when applying for jobs. I believe I was able to get a head start to my career because of this fellowship and I feel very blessed to have been a part of it.

Why Pittsburgh?

The people in Pittsburgh are friendly and proud of their city, and for good reason. It is a walkable city with a good public transport system (free with the student ID card). Summers are wonderful, winters are bearable (at least for someone who mostly lived in the South). The neighborhoods of Pittsburgh have character and charm. There is a lot to do in the city from concerts, sporting events, and discovering restaurants. I still look back at my time there fondly.

Assistant Professor
Division of General Internal Medicine
Emory University School of Medicine

Hometown: Birmingham, AL

Education and Training:
College: University of Pennsylvania, Bioengineering
Medical School: University of South Alabama College of Medicine
Residency: University of Texas Southwestern

What are you doing now?

I currently practice in primary care at Grady Memorial Hospital and supervise Internal Medicine residents and students in the outpatient and inpatient settings. Clinically, I am a clinic lead and focus on ambulatory based interventions to improve access to preventative care as well as management of chronic illnesses. I am also core faculty for the Emory University Internal Medicine residency program and serve on the advisory board for the human simulation-based clinical skills summative exam for Emory University School of Medicine. My educational scholarly interests are focused on observation and feedback, communication skills, and primary care education.

How did fellowship benefit your career?

The fellowship gave me the skills to truly be effective in a new faculty role. I was able to navigate a new large academic institution through mentoring and networking skills to quickly build connections and understand a large academic institution. Through the research methodology built through the master’s program, I could quickly build effective curricula and identify measurable outcomes for assessment. I have also had the opportunity to move from the mentee role to the mentoring role for students, residents, and peer faculty, which has been exciting way to see how much I have grown through the experiences and skill from the fellowship!

Why Pittsburgh?

Pittsburgh is such a unique city! It is beautiful with many parks, trails, and bike paths. People are always out and being active, even in the cold and snow! What truly sold the program was the opportunity to spend two years among a group of faculty and mentors and who live and breathe medical education and are also so welcoming. It’s truly like joining a family!