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Carly Cox
Hometown: Klamath Falls, OR
College: University of Washington
Medical School: Oregon Health & Science University
Why you chose CMC: There are so many reasons. There were the obvious like the incredible diversity of exposure with a high volume, high acuity center, great peds/critical care exposure, and an outstanding national reputation. What made the decision easy, however, were the people. I was immediately awed by the tight-knit relationship that was undeniable between the residents. The faculty seemed so genuinely interested in their residents and teaching. Ultimately, no other program felt as much like home with such a supportive atmosphere.
What you love about living in/moving to Charlotte: When I visited, I loved the atmosphere of the city: warm, welcoming, with plenty to do. I had a great couple days wandering the city and exploring! As a west coaster born and bred, I'm also super excited to explore North Carolina and the East Coast!
What you see yourself doing in 10 years: Ahh - 2025 feels forever away! I'll definitely be practicing EM, hopefully in a rural setting... maybe after a critical care fellowship. Outside of medicine, I plan to be coercing my husband to take care of my future horses and Pomeranians.
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Adeline Dozois
Hometown: Bradenton, FL
College: University of Notre Dame
Med School: Vanderbilt University
Why you chose CMC: I did an away rotation at CMC the summer of my fourth year, and I was pretty sold by just a few weeks in. I learned so much on each of my shifts, working with attendings who were both approachable and crazy smart. Even more, I had so much fun on my time off exploring Charlotte, attending journal clubs, and hanging out with the residents. I was really sad to leave at the end of the month, and when I returned for an interview I already felt like I was coming home.
What you love about living in/moving to Charlotte: There is really something for everyone in this city!! Incredible outdoor scene (including a white water rafting center 30 minutes away), great food scene, great bar scene - all filled with people who are friendly and humble.
What you see yourself doing in 10 years: I love teaching, so I’d like to get a job at an academic hospital where I can simultaneously provide good patient care and help train future generations of physicians.
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Eric Fredrickson
Hometown: Highland Heights, Ohio
College: The Ohio State University
Medical school: Saint Louis University School of Medicine
Why you chose CMC: My residency program in Akron, Ohio was shut down by a corporate staffing disaster. Dr. Craig had reached out to support a displaced resident. I am thrilled to join such a strong program.
What you love about living in/moving to Charlotte: Charlotte is a growing city with multiple microbreweries, restaurants... don't know if I can get to them all! Looking forward to a warmer winter and being able to go outside longer in the year.
What you see yourself doing in 10 years: I see myself working in community emergency department and then returning to an academic center with residents and medical students.
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Andrew Godfrey
Hometown: Danville, KY
College: Duke University
Med school: University of Louisville
Why you chose CMC: After rotating at CMC as a fourth year medical student, I just couldn't shake the feeling that CMC was where I wanted to be. My interview confirmed that and I was lucky enough to match at CMC. The faculty and residents made me feel like I was "home", even as a visiting fourth year. Everyone was willing to teach and let me learn in a style that fit me. More importantly, no one made me feel like I was a burden on them. Combine that excellent teaching with a large volume hospital where EM is very well respected and there was no where else I wanted to go. The unique mix of staff and private practitioners as well as the blend of a community and academic program makes CMC a truly unique experience. CMC's reputation as a powerhouse in EM is a wonderful plus, and their involvement in EMS at a state level in NC is great, too. Last, and certainly not least, both CMC and the EM department take care of their people as if they were family.
What you love about living in/moving to Charlotte: Although I'm a transplant from Kentucky, I consider NC home. The weather is great, the people are nice, and the BBQ is so much better. Charlotte is close to everything and everyone I want to be around, including family, beaches, and mountains.
What you see yourself doing in 10 years: Working somewhere in NC as an EMS medical director |
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Aaren Hunt
Hometown: Welcome, North Carolina
College: North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
Med school: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Why you chose CMC: My decision was reinforced on the interview trail when programs noticed I had the opportunity to train at CMC during medical school. Their ample praise for CMC Emergency Medicine made it clear that I would be incredibly fortunate to be part of such a strong and reputable team.
What you love about living in/moving to Charlotte: After living here for two years it would take a page for me to list all the things I love about this city. A few are: Lake Norman, Crowders Mtn, The National Whitewater Center, food trucks, Freedom park, Panthers football, minor league baseball, a great Uptown area... and on and on.
What you see yourself doing in 10 years: I would like to be teaching future residents and medical students in addition to being a cool aunt to the small army of people my five sisters are producing. I see myself practicing Emergency Medicine in North Carolina til I'm old and grey.
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Philipp Von Marschall
Hometown: Fairfax, VA
College: University of Virginia
Med school: Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine
Why you chose CMC: I was immediately drawn to the people I met when I interviewed here. The encounters I had with faculty and current residents were both fun and also led to some of the most introspective discussions I had while on the interview trail. I also loved being offered a county, community, and academic training environment all without having to commute across multiple hospitals. Also speaking to the quality and likability of the EM program was the fact that during our tour of the hospital, I witnessed through various interactions that the EM physicians at CMC are greatly appreciated and respected among their colleagues throughout the hospital. This fact was reiterated by talking to several residents in other specialties I knew at CMC prior to coming here. In short, the program here had a very socially welcoming and supportive feel to it that would usually be found at smaller institutions, while at the same time offering opportunities and connections to national and international resources that come with a large academic healthcare center.
What you love about living in/moving to Charlotte: So far, Charlotte has proven to be a great little big city (or big little city?). Having lived in sprawling metropolises like Washington DC and also small mountain towns like Roanoke VA, Charlotte has the best of both worlds. The downtown appears impressive with its skyline and football stadium, but you can easily drive around it on the beltway in 15 minutes. The international airport offers easy access to tons of great travel destinations with direct flights. The city is divided into several great neighborhoods outside of downtown, all of which have a unique and fun feel to them. The mountains are two hours west and the beach three hours east. The weather is generally mild and there are lots of things to do outdoors within (or close to) the city limits (national whitewater center, great mountain biking trails, etc). Cost of living is very reasonable with lots of great amenities nearby.
What you see yourself doing in 10 years: I definitely plan to spend some time working abroad, both in resource poor areas but also in Europe at some point (I grew up living in Greece and Germany and am certain that there would be much to learn and enjoy about working in a healthcare setting there). Eventually, my goal is to pursue an academic career somewhere in the US that will allow me to continue traveling and practicing international medicine. |
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Enola Okonkwo
Hometown: New Lisbon, IN
College: Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis
Med school: Indiana University
Why you chose CMC: My mentors at IU had great things to say about CMC and recommended that I check it out. I rotated here as a student and found all of the good things I had heard to be true. I can't say enough positive things about the program. The environment is friendly, encouraging, and fun! Residents train primarily at one location which I prefer coming from a huge medical school with multiple hospital sites. I'm a relational person so being at one site means being able to develop rapport with co-workers and hospital staff which makes the job more fun and time at the hospital is spent learning medicine and caring for patients rather than learning the logistics of different locations.
What you love about living in/moving to Charlotte: Charlotte is beautiful! The area surrounding the hospital is gorgeous and there are plenty of parks and walkable communities which I love! It’s also 3 hours from the beach and the weather is better than Indiana which was mandatory criteria for me.
What you see yourself doing in 10 years: Who knows?! As soon as I figure this out, I'll let you know.
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Stephen Pecevich
Hometown: Severna Park, MD
College: UNC Chapel Hill Medical school: UNC Chapel Hill School of Medicine
Why you chose CMC: I had the fortunate opportunity to spend my third and fourth year of medical school at CMC. As part of our third year program, we had the unique early exposure to emergency department shifts which definitely sparked my interest in the specialty. It’s a busy place with a large volume of sick, high acuity patients. Most importantly, people here love their job. The residents and attendings in the Department were always excited to teach and clearly enjoyed working with one another. No matter how busy the shift was, a resident guided me through a procedure or an attending would discuss a concept. These people were all mentors who shaped my career aspirations and it’s quite an honor to now be a part of the Department as a resident.
What you love about living in Charlotte: Even if it’s cold in the winter, the sun shines. I can ride my bike to work and pretty much anywhere around the city. My apartment has a pool 2 doors down which is nice and quiet on weekdays and basically a music video party on weekends. People here mention the word “traffic” which I find comical having grown up near DC. It’s always easy to get together with fellow residents and the weather generally permits an outdoor activity. Several of my close friends from college also recently moved here and it’s been a blast having them around.
What you see yourself doing in 10 years: I will likely start in the community working privately, but I could see myself eventually teaching at an academic center. I’d still like to continue to ride my bike to work as well. (In sunny weather).
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Jaron Raper
My name is Jaron Raper, and I went to medical school at the University of Alabama School of Medicine in Birmingham, AL. I did an away rotation at CMC as a fourth year and fell in love. The residents and faculty were both so welcoming and generous with their time whether they were on shift or otherwise. There is a real sense of community that the faculty are not only an integral part of, but actively nurture. The city of Charlotte obviously has a lot to offer, but my wife and I specifically love the green space and public parks which adorn much of the southern side of the city. Ten years from now, I see myself working in an academic center and educating medical students in a clinical environment. |
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Matthew Reaven
Hometown: Canton, OH
College: Kent State University
Med school: Northeast Ohio Medical University Why you chose CMC: I had read such great things about the program and was really excited to come for an interview. At the end of my interview day all of my expectations were exceeded and I knew that CMC was going to be my number one choice. All of the residents were really friendly, down to earth, and got along extremely well. The faculty were all great and easy to talk to, and it was evident that the training they provide is second to none.
What you love about living in/moving to Charlotte: Coming from Ohio, I really love the warm weather. Plus Charlotte is a pretty big city with lots to do, plenty of golf courses, and professional sports teams.
What you see yourself doing in 10 years: I'm thinking about doing a sports medicine fellowship with the goal of becoming a team physician for a college/professional sports team. I also want to work in an academic emergency department where I'll be able to teach and interact with residents and students. |
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Jacquelyn Simonis
Hometown: Salt Lake City, Utah (via Texas, Virginia, and Georgia)
College: University of Georgia
Medical School: University of Utah
Why you chose CMC: It all comes down to finding exceptional training opportunities with people who feel like your family and motivate you be become a better doctor every day! When Dean and I set out to find a program that would prepare us for our future EM dream jobs, we heard time and time again from Emergency Medicine physicians at our medical school that CMC would offer challenging training in a supportive environment. We met incredibly smart and friendly residents, attendings, and administrators on our interview day, and here we are! I look forward to learning and growing from the incredible patient diversity, volume, and educational opportunities at CMC!
What you love about living in Charlotte: Our old farm house right in the city – just 3 miles from the hospital we have a big yard for our 2 dogs, 8 chickens, and hopefully lots of backyard parties around the fire pit this fall! There are also several mountain bike trails within a half hour drive, and you can escape to the western NC Mountains in less than 3 hours, or head east to the beach. You also can’t forget the US National White Water Center where you can hop on a paddleboard and cool off on the Catawba River during the dog days of summer! There are also great breweries and restaurants in every part of town, and residents that love to spend time out together!
What you see yourself doing in 10 years: Working in a community ED in the Mountain West, Alaska, or Pacific Northwest, while still spending time outside of the ED volunteering at community clinics for the uninsured, and developing community healthcare policies to decrease healthcare disparities.
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Dean Tanner
Hometown: Salt Lake City, Utah
College: University of Utah
Med school: University of Utah
Why you chose CMC: The people, the training, and the location. The residents and faculty were the warmest, most welcoming, and possibly the happiest that I met on the interview trail, while also clearly being very smart and motivated. I felt like I would have a family of colleagues to push me to become the best physician I can be while offering a very supportive, encouraging (i.e. not malignant) environment. The training is top notch, and EM is well established and has lots of credibility in the hospital, which makes for a residency program geared towards education and not cheap labor. CMC has a phenomenal reputation, which will be helpful if I want to go work in a competitive region. Also the ~unlimited amounts of free food. Food is good.
What you love about living in/moving to Charlotte: As a native of the west, the southeast is a whole new world to me. Charlotte is a great location because it is urban enough to bring loads of patients with high acuity to the ED, but it does not feel like urban living where I live. Some do live closer to the city center, but I live with Jackie Simonis (we couples matched) a few miles from the hospital and have a big house and yard for our two dogs and 8 chickens. It is close enough to bike commute every day and there are loads of cafes, bars, and restaurants around. So many trees! Charlotte is a beautifully green city with lots of mountain biking trails not far from the hospital, pretty good rock climbing access, the ocean 4 hours away, good river access (national whitewater center is good for taking the dogs stand up paddle boarding, but is also an awesome training ground for kayaking and is 20-30 minutes from town), and is a day's trip away from awesome mountains and fun towns like Asheville.
What you see yourself doing in 10 years: It's hard to say at this point, but it will likely be some combination of living in a little mountain town, working at a hybrid academic/community shop, and working/living internationally (ideally involved in EM education).
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Krystin Thomas
Hometown: San Jose, CA
College: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Med school: Indiana University School of Medicine
Why you chose CMC: Rotating at CMC as a 4th year medical student was a really memorable experience. I instantly felt at home with the residents and faculty and I knew that if I had the opportunity to train with such amazing people, I’d take it in a second. I saw the upper level residents in action and knew that I wanted to be as capable and confident as they were. When I returned to CMC for my interview, it felt like coming back home, the residents and faculty were so welcoming and just as happy as I remembered. Opening that envelope on match day and seeing that I was going to be training at my dream program was incredibly exciting and I'll admit it, I cried.
What you love about living in/moving to Charlotte: As a person with a deep love of both food and the outdoors, Charlotte is an ideal city! I fell in love with the natural beauty of the city and knew I’d like living here as soon as I heard about the farmers markets and food truck festivals. Plus, there’s plenty of outdoor activities within minutes of downtown, the Whitewater Center (which is pretty darn awesome), and I've got a bucket list of local hikes to complete!
What you see yourself doing in 10 years: I see myself practicing emergency medicine in some combination of community and academic practice and going home to a house on the lake where I can enjoy my morning coffee in an Adirondack chair on the dock.
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Mark Zeller
Hometown: Bradenton, FL
College: Georgia Tech
Med school: University of Miami - Miller School of Medicine
Why you chose CMC: Carolinas has everything I was looking for in a residency program, and more! Amazing clinical training from nationally renowned faculty, strong pediatrics exposure, and a busy trauma center with a diverse patient population made CMC a clear choice. But it was the people I met that made Carolinas so special. From my pre-interview dinner to coming back for a second look, every person I met was so happy to be part of the CMC family, and their enthusiasm was infectious!
What you love about living in/moving to Charlotte: I can’t wait to move to Charlotte. After living in Atlanta and Miami the last 8 years, I am excited to live somewhere with all the big-city amenities but a smaller town feel. I look forward to checking out the National Whitewater Center, exploring the hiking and biking trails, learning to ski, and heading up to Lake Norman!
What you see yourself doing in 10 years: I’m interested in pursuing an ultrasound fellowship, but then again CMC will provide me with so many opportunities over the next 3 years that I wouldn't be surprised if my plans completely change! |
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Stephanie Zeller
Hometown: Marietta, Georgia
College: Vanderbilt University
Med school: University of Miami - Miller School of Medicine
Why you chose CMC: I chose CMC because of the people and the training. I loved how welcoming all of the residents were at the pre-interview dinner and interview day, and it was amazing to see how happy everyone was! There was such a clear sense of family between the residents, their spouses, and the faculty, and I knew I wanted to become a part of that family, too. I was also excited to join a program with a long history of training incredible emergency physicians. The diverse patient population, strong pediatrics experience, and happy training environment are just a few more of the reasons that I knew CMC was the perfect program for me.
What you love about living in/moving to Charlotte: I am so excited to move to Charlotte! I love that it is a medium-sized city with so much to do, such as the National Whitewater Center, bike trails, and so much more! It also helps that Charlotte has amazing weather and friendly people!
What you see yourself doing in 10 years: I see myself working as an emergency physician in a setting that allows me to teach medical students or residents on a regular basis. I'm also interested in pursuing a fellowship in EMS, Disaster Medicine, or Global Health.
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