Ashley Eason
Mercer University

Hi, everyone! I'm glad that you are taking a look at our pediatric residency program here at UVA. Growing up in rural Georgia, I knew I would be a little biased when selecting my residency. I attended the University of Georgia for undergrad (Go Dawgs!) and Mercer University for medical school. Given the Georgia roots, a laid back community with an excellent program was my ideal choice. Charlottesville easily fit that mold. There's much to be said for a location where you can live at the foot of a mountain while at the same time be within fifteen minutes from one of the nation's leading academic medical centers! Of course, the location and quality of a program mean nothing without great people running the show, and UVA does not disappoint. Between intramural softball games, evening social outings, or simply working alongside attendings during the daily grind, I can't understate how warm and hospitable everyone has been. Best of luck on the interview trail and feel free to contact me if I can answer any questions!

JacQuetta Foushee
East Carolina University

Hi, y’all! Welcome to UVA. I grew up in Durham, North Carolina and attended North Carolina State University for undergrad (Go Wolfpack!) and the Brody School of Medicine at ECU for Medical School. I’m a southerner at heart and Virginia was as far north as I was willing to go. During my visit to UVA, the residents seemed genuinely happy with the program and enthusiastic about spending time with each other. I was so impressed with the program overall and knew that it was the right fit for me. I have definitely found that to be true since starting my residency here. Everybody is so nice and the faculty are excellent teachers. I know that I will be well prepared for whatever career path I choose after completing my residency here at UVA.

Charlottesville is a great place to live. My husband and I are enjoying having so many options for food. We've already gone to a couple of the wineries. There is definitely no reason to be bored or hungry around here! If you have any questions, feel free to contact me!

Alexander Janovski
Virginia Commonwealth University

Hello, and welcome to UVA Pediatrics! Charlottesville was always a charming and beautiful place during the times I visited here prior to residency interviews, but what I quickly found out was that the quality of the city is perfectly complemented by the excellence of everyone involved with the pediatric program. The enthusiasm that the residents demonstrated during the pre-interview dinner has not dropped off one bit. Not only is everyone happy to be here, and quick to support you, but the especially large emphasis on education is one of the main reasons that I'm glad to be a part of UVA peds.

In addition to the high caliber program, it is consistently stressed that we have a great time outside of the hospital as well. At "Fridays After Five", you can gather with peds attendings and residents at the downtown pavilion while grabbing a drink and listening to some free live music. The surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains offer all of the outdoor exploits you could ever need. I even look forward to playing with our very own softball team every week, and I'm pretty bad at softball. I grew up in Baltimore (Go Ravens), went to the University of Maryland (Go Ravens) for undergrad, and then to nearby VCU (Go Ravens) for med school. Please contact me with any questions that you have. I hope to see you around!

John Kelly
Tufts University

Hi, and welcome to UVA Pediatrics. I grew up in Milton, MA, a suburb south of Boston. I received my undergraduate degree from Case Western in Cleveland, followed by medical school at Tufts. The faculty involvement and collegial atmosphere of our department is what drew me to choose UVA. Our morning reports are typically run by our residents but routinely attended by our department chair, program director and attendings on and off service. The attitude propagated by our attendings produces a team-based approach, which as an intern I have found to be informative and welcoming. My fellow residents have been great to work with and Charlottesville offers a relaxed and exciting place to live. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about our program or the residency application in general.

Brock Libby
University of Vermont

Hi, everyone, and welcome to the University of Virginia! Not only is Charlottesville a great place to live, but this is also a really great residency program. I am originally from the great state of Maine and went to the University of Maine for undergraduate, then to the University of Vermont for medical school. So, how does one from the Northeast come to the state of Virginia? During my fourth year of medical school, I came to UVA for an outpatient rotation in pediatric hematology/oncology, and was really excited about the enthusiasm and energy of the residents. I saw a group of people who were really happy with where they were training and the education they were getting. And, I can't say enough about the staff I worked with. They were excited, compassionate and believed in teaching at every opportunity. Also, their commitment to their patients was a bright example for how I want to be in the future. So, I am very excited about the next three years and I plan on coming out of here as the best pediatrician possible.

Also, Charlottesville is a city that offers up most of the things I'm looking for: hiking, awesome running trails, good eats and plenty of city wide activities to keep you busy. I am excited to learn more about it as time goes on. Enjoy your visit and be sure to stop me if you have any questions.

Matthew McGraw
New York-Upstate Medical University

Hi, everyone! My name is Matt McGraw, and I'm originally from Upstate New York. I completed my undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering at Bucknell University and medical degree at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, NY. After spending twenty-five years above the Mason-Dixon Line, I decided it was time to look for some warmer weather, with all four seasons but without the twenty feet of snow. When looking for a residency program, I wanted a small-to-medium size program where I could truly get to know all of the residents and faculty. However, I didn't want to sacrifice the variety and complexity that come with a larger academic center. After meeting the outgoing residents and faculty at UVA and hearing about its large referral area, I knew UVA would be the perfect place for a challenging but enjoyable residency.

In addition to the clinical training, the best part about the program is the city and surrounding environment of Charlottesville. The community is extremely active with local run races, triathlons, and open water swims almost every weekend in addition to the many great hiking trails and other outdoor sports. The Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah National Park are in Charlottesville's backyard and Virginia Beach is only a day trip away! Despite being a smaller town, there are tons of big-town amenities with over two hundred restaurants, nearby wineries, and a thriving music scene. I'm convinced that the UVA Pediatrics program is the perfect mix of learning, working, and relaxing. Hopefully you will give the program good consideration along your interval trail. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Otherwise, best of luck in the upcoming year!

Adam Morrison
West Virginia University

Hey, guys! You are definitely in a good place if you happen to be looking at this website. I've been in Charlottesville only a few months, but am more than content with my move here. More importantly, I couldn't be more excited about my choice for a residency program. I was swayed to come to UVA by a great interview where I met some residents and attendings I knew I would be comfortable working with. Not only was I looking for a comfortable place to work and obtain a great education, I wanted to go somewhere where the people in the program seemed like they knew how to have fun. Charlottesville is a place filled with many activities, and the people in the Peds program really seemed like they enjoyed themselves. It was important for me to go to a place where they stress not only education, but also maintaining a positive work/life balance. Another added bonus is that the people in our intern class are all awesome people. We are already a very close bunch.

I am originally from Erie, Pennsylvania. I attended Washington & Jefferson college near Pittsburgh (Go Steelers, Penguins and Buccos) for undergrad, then decided on West Virginia University where I spent my 3rd and 4th years on their Charleston Campus. I had spent my entire life slowly moving down Interstate 79. My wife and I, and our dog Kloe, decided to hop on I-64 East and cross the Blue Ridge to C'ville and are very happy to start our lives together here as we just got married the weekend before intern year started. We love to enjoy the outdoors running, hiking, and taking our dog to some excellent dog parks. We also enjoy good food and an adult beverage or two when we can, and Charlottesville has an abundance of places for that.

Looking forward to meeting you all and possibly becoming a friend and colleague next year!

Ufuoma Onyemachi
Duke University

Hello, Folks! I was born and raised in Nigeria until I moved to the United States for College. I attended Fisk University in Nashville, TN, where I majored in Biology. After completing my undergraduate degree, I decided to enjoy the world of scientific research by doing a Masters in Chemistry at Fisk University before heading to medical school in Durham, NC. My time at DukeMed was great, with several opportunities to travel abroad for clinical work and research and also to complete a Master of Science in Global Health. In deciding on a place for residency, I wanted to train in a program that would prepare me to be a pediatrician who could effectively manage my patients wherever I go globally. The opportunities at UVA to train in both pediatrics and global health makes it a great fit for my career plans.

Having lived in Nashville and Durham, I'm now having an exciting time with my husband here in Charlottesville. While a place may seem exciting, the people around you make it amazing, and being at UVA peds with wonderful people, I am having a great experience. If you have any questions about UVA peds, please feel free to email me.

Christina Ortiz
Eastern Virginia Medical School

Hi there, and welcome to UVA pediatrics! I’m a Virginia native, born and raised in the Tidewater region and usually no more than half-an-hour from the Virginia Beach oceanfront. I enjoyed four years in the Shenandoah Valley for my undergraduate degree at James Madison University and then moved home to study medicine and public health at Eastern Virginia Medical School. For residency, my husband and I were drawn to Charlottesville for many reasons, considering both the program and location in our decision.

During our visit, we quickly realized this was an excellent program that focused on academics while creating a family atmosphere of support among housestaff. UVA also offered the opportunity and flexibility to pursue my passion in international health, specifically with a global health leadership track. In just a few short months, we have grown to love “C'ville,” discovering music on the downtown mall, wineries during days off, and amazing restaurants on just about every corner! If I can help you in any way, please feel free to contact me. Best of luck during the interview season!

Vishakha Pardeshi
Grant Medical College

Hello, ya'll, and welcome to the University of Virginia, Pediatrics. I was born and raised in India and completed my Medical School in Mumbai, India. One of the most important things I was looking for during my applications was a great foundation in Pediatrics and a well-supported program filled with enthusiasm and friendliness. It has been about two months now that I have been at UVA and it still has the same warm, welcoming feel. Most importantly, everyone is filled with enthusiasm and energy for making things better for the patient, and the focus is directed towards patient care. The excellent clinical faculty, with exceptional commitment to teaching, and friendly residents are amazing and I am excited to be a part of UVA.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions during the application process. I wish you the best in your journey to find the program that is the best fit for you.

Rhodes Proctor
Wake Forest University

Hey, y'all! Welcome to UVA. I am glad that you are considering our program. If you can't tell from my greeting, I am a southerner, born and raised in Raleigh, NC. However, VA already had a special place in my heart when I started the interview season. I went to undergrad just down the road at Washington and Lee University (go Generals!), where I met my husband. We cast a large net when it came to residency applications – west coast and east, large and small programs. But for us, it was easy when we came here and had the best time meeting the residents, their spouses and significant others.

I have been here only a short while but Charlottesville is a relaxed and fun place to live, with something for everyone: sports, outdoor activities, food (yum, yum, my fav is Mas in Belmont for tapas), beer, wine and proximity to urban areas or rural for those precious days off. I started my intern year on NICU nights and was a little intimidated coming in to my first shift as an intern. Everyone was very welcoming and eager for me to learn and so it turned out to be a great start. I think that sums up what UVA is about. They want us to dive in and get exposure to all aspects of pediatrics, but in a supported atmosphere. It has been great! Good luck in the process, and enjoy your visit to C'ville.

Caleb Springsteen
Michigan State University

Hello, and welcome to UVA. I grew up in Michigan and went to college and medical school at Michigan State. I have lived in Michigan all my life and decided to get out of the cold. I was looking for a program that I felt had an academic teaching environment and yet was small enough that I did not feel lost in the crowd. UVA met that perfectly, but what really stood out to me was how happy the residents seemed. The attendings challenge you, yet are supportive and very accessible to residents. I am very confident that I will not only enjoy the next three years but will also graduate a well-rounded and prepared pediatrician. Good luck with your interview process!