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Meredith Binford
Hometown: Roswell, GA
College: University of Georgia, Athens, GA
Medical school: Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
Why you chose CMC: After my interview, I stuck around the ED for a few hours to really get a feel for the program. I was blown away by the stellar quality of the residents and faculty as well the supportive team dynamics, especially between the EM and Trauma teams. There was no doubt that CMC is a leader in ultrasound and resuscitation. I watched an early second-year run a flawless, controlled, quiet code and I thought to myself "I want to be just like her." It was also evident that CMC is a close community interested in the well-being of its providers as well as its patients and proud of the exceptional care it provides to both.
What you love about living in/moving to Charlotte: I love the livability of Charlotte. It is easy and comfortable. There is little traffic and it does not feel like you are in a big city. Charlotte is also edgy and fun. To name a few highlights, there are free concerts at the US Whitewater Center, weekly mass bike rides throughout the city, and a spectacular beer scene.
What you see yourself doing in 10 years: I could see myself doing so many things - substance use disorder research, palliative care fellowship, epidemiology intelligence service, disaster preparedness work, healthcare reform - and that's why I love the versatility of our profession!
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Ben Covell
Hometown: Melbourne, FL
College: University of Pittsburgh
Medical school: University of Pittsburgh
Why you chose CMC: At the end of the interview trail, there were a handful of places I knew would be a good fit. It was a tough decision but at the end of the day, this was the place I got most excited about when I opened up my email and saw an interview invitation. The program has everything you could ask for: incredible leadership, nice people, high acuity, sick kids, patient diversity, endless opportunities, AND free cafeteria food. Not to mention the location in one of the coolest young cities in the country. When you rotate through the hospital, services are happy to have you because of the years of great residents (and good people) that have come before you. Plus, this is a program that challenges you. This isn't a deliver-10-babies-and-go-on-vacation-during-OB type of place. This is a we-rely-on-you-to-run-OB-triage-as-an-intern type of place. It's tough work but I guarantee you'll be better because of it.
What you love about living in/moving to Charlotte: I loved my time in Pittsburgh and wanted to find a city with a similar feel. That's exactly what I got here in Charlotte. You never feel overwhelmed by the big city feel but when you decide you want to go to an NFL or NBA game, go through a few street lights and you are there. Plus, I have family here in Charlotte and in Boone so it's nice to be close to them.
What you see yourself doing in 10 years: Working in a medium sized Emergency Department where I am the EMS Director for the local EMS agency. Hopefully with a house with a dock and a boat. And a dog. And enough time off to travel the world.
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Sean Natasha Fling
Hometown: Hampton, VA
College: Spelman College
Med School: UW Madison
Why I chose CMC: I remember seeing happy residents and many significant others and children at the pre-interview dinner. CMC boasted itself on being a big happy family, and it was reflected at that dinner and has been re-iterated time and again during my time here!
What I love about Charlotte: It's a beautiful city with a mix of suburban/southern urban, great food, gorgeous weather, and a wonderful place to experience and explore with my husband and newborn daughter.
10 years from now: I hope to be working with underserved communities locally and abroad and mentoring students from said communities to continually work towards diversifying medicine and closing healthcare gaps. |
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Stephen Jackson
Hometown: Senoia, GA
College: University of Georgia
Medical School: Medical College of Georgia
Why I chose CMC: In August 2015, I rotated here as a visiting medical student because I had heard good things about the program and wanted to get a closer look. What I found during that month was a family that worked seamlessly together, helped each other selflessly, and practiced incredible medicine as a group all while having fun. For the rest of the interview season, nowhere came as close to replicating this teamwork and learning environment and on the interview trail as CMC, and I knew I'd try my best to come here. CMC attracts hard workers who want to learn and want to pitch in and help build up their neighbor. We're a competitive bunch, but for the betterment of our patients, not towards each other. Couldn't be happier.
What I love about Charlotte: Close to the beach, close to the mountains, and close to a great airport if you want to get away. The city itself is also great, with cool neighborhoods each with their own identity, and really easy to navigate. Beautiful houses and lots of green space too.
What I see myself doing in 10 years: Practicing a mix of community and academic medicine, living in the southeast, going to UGA football games and still being close to my crazy group of co-residents. |
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Zach Hedges
Hometown: Carroll, Ohio
College: Wittenberg University
Medical school: Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
Why you chose CMC: CMC’s program had the best sense of family I encountered on the residency trail. The residents here are all incredibly intelligent, humble, and (most importantly) happy. All of the attendings and administrators are supportive and approachable. As someone interested in academics, I found CMC to be outstanding among 3-year programs in terms of research opportunities and support available to residents, as well as their ability to place graduates into competitive fellowships and academic positions. The 24-hour cafeteria and huge meal allowance don’t hurt either!
What you love about living in/moving to Charlotte: Charlotte is a big city with a small-city vibe. There are tons of breweries and restaurants for foodies, and plenty of outdoor activities to keep you busy when you have free time. Coming from Cleveland, I definitely appreciate the warm weather and lack of potholes/constant road construction.
What you see yourself doing in 10 years: Probably working in a teaching hospital. Definitely spending a lot of time brewing beer and coaching little league soccer.
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Andrew Kitchen
Hometown: Jacksonville, FL
College: University of Florida
Medical School: University of Florida College of Medicine
Why you chose CMC: My wife and I were originally attracted to CMC becasue of the location and wonderful reputation of its hospital system both as a nursing magnet hospital and as a top tier emergency medicine program. What really made us choose to come here however was the amazing culture of faculty and residents. At no other interview I went on did I meet such a fun, lively, and open group of people. The culture here is one of mutual respect and trust. The faculty are extremely approachable and deeply care about the residents, responding quickly and eagerly to feedback. The residents are cohesive and extremely inclusive, not just in the EM residency, but among the other residencies as well. The end effect is an amazing training environment that I do not believe I could have found anywhere else.
What I love about living in Charlotte: Life in Charlotte is tailored toward young professionals. There are tons of great bars all within walking distance of the hospital or your apartment (as most people live relatively close). Uptown has your classic big city nightlife, while the Whitewater center and Crowder's Mountain, only a 30 minute drive, give you plenty of outdoor activities. I also love rollercoasters and Carrowinds is an extremely cheap, fun place to spend on a Tuesday afternoon off.
My you see yourself doing in 10 years: To be honest, I'm still trying to figure that out. I love EM and think I may want to practice in the community for a while before potentially returning to academics. I love teaching and think it would be fun to get to work with medical students and residents.
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Johanna Kreafle
Hometown:Weston, FL
College:University of Virginia
Medical School:University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Why you chose CMC: I rotated at CMC as a fourth year medical student and was immediately awed by how approachable and smart all of the residents and faculty were. Seeing the upper level residents in action, I knew I wanted to be as capable and confident as they were. And, the cohesiveness of the residents and sense of family among them was undeniable. I instantly felt at home and knew that if I trained here, I would have a family of colleagues to push me to become the best physician I can be in a very challenging but supportive environment with huge patient volumes and high acuity presentations. When I returned here for an interview, everyone was as happy as I had remembered and it truly felt like I was coming back home.
What you love about living in/moving to Charlotte:Charlotte is an awesome city! It has all of the big-city amenities but a smaller town feel with so much natural beauty. And the friendly people, wide range of things to do, close proximity to outdoor activities including both the mountains and the beach, and reasonable cost of living really make it a great place to live.
What you see yourself doing in 10 years: I see myself practicing emergency medicine in some combination of community and academic practice that allows me to teach residents and medical students on a regular basis, while still spending time outside of the ED volunteering at community clinics for the uninsured and working to decrease healthcare disparities.
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Katie Lupez
Hometown: Miami, FL
College: University of Florida, Go Gators!
Medical school: University of South Florida
Why you chose CMC: I rotated here last August and fell in love the program. The residents and attendings were really friendly, approachable, and always willing to teach. I got to work side by side with some of the top leaders/educators in our field. It was undoubtedly a program that would challenge me and mold me into the best EM physician I could be.
What you love about living in/moving to Charlotte: North Carolina has been an amazing place to move to. It has all four season! But also not too cold for this Miami girl. The mountains and the beach are just a short drive away. Charlotte has been a cool city to explore. It’s got a big city feel with a small town vibe. There is always a new restaurant/bar to try out and always events going on throughout the weekends. For me, it was also particularly important to be in NC to be near to family.
What you see yourself doing in 10 years: Tough question. I still have a lot of deciding to do! Fellowship or not, academic vs community, east coast vs west coast, spending time serving overseas. The opportunities are endless and I can’t wait to see where I end up in 10 years! |
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Maxwell Noe
Hometown: Plattsburg, MO
College: University of Missouri
Medical school: Temple University School of Medicine
Why you chose CMC: It's a well-rounded program. The attending here are experts in their specialties but are approachable and down to earth. Most of all, during the interview dinners I was blown away how many residents and SOs came; they were all people I'd want to have a beer with. Being here, it's as good as I expected.
What you love about living in/moving to Charlotte: I grew up in a tiny town then did med school in Philly; Charlotte is a perfect in-between. There's plenty of big-city feel, but it's only a short drive to outdoor activities. If you invest a longer drive, there are some cool state parks and Ashville is a must-see.
What you see yourself doing in 10 years: Probably wondering where the last 10 years went. I'll hopefully be finishing a critical care fellowship after my military service is over. Then... a steady job, somewhere warm? A guy can dream. |
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Cornelius Powell
Hometown: Sioux Falls, SD
College: Jefferson College of Health Sciences
Medical school: East Tennessee State University
Why you chose CMC: Carolinas Medical Center offers unrivaled diversity in faculty and resident interests and backgrounds, a patient mix that spans both the socioeconomic and medical complexity spectrum and an opportunity to become a part of of a 40 year tradition of excellence in Emergency Medicine. I applied to CMC because of the program’s reputation and ranked CMC #1 because my every expectation was exceeded on interview day. There is an overwhelming sense of accomplishment at the end of every shift, and I know that the successes would not be achieved without the support of the entire CMC family. I would have been happy at every EM program in the country, but am proud to say that I am part of this team.
What you love about living in/moving to Charlotte: Charlotte is a young, vibrant city that is bursting at the seams in great food, fantastic libations and activities galore. We have the Carolina Panthers, the Charlotte Hornets, the Charlotte Knights and NASCAR. We are 3 hours from the ocean, two hours from the mountains and 30 minutes from the Whitewater Center. If you want a life outside of residency, this is the city for you.
What you see yourself doing in 10 years: Tactical Medicine and/or Hospital Administration
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Kyle Roedersheimer
Hometown: Cincinnati, OH
College: Clemson University
Medical school: University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
Why you chose CMC: I wanted a program that would push me to the edge, and support me as I went there. The Emergency Department at CMC is unlike any I found on the interview trail in regards to diversity of patient population and disease presentation, from trauma patients to medically ill. I also was searching for an 'old', established program, with respect from the other departments in the hospital. Lastly, I wanted to be at a 'county style' program that made it a priority to serve the poorest members of the community and gave you autonomy while doing so. CMC had all of these things, making it an easy decision.
What you love about living in/moving to Charlotte: New, young, motivated citizens. Charlotte is known as a 'transplant' town as people move down for warmer weather and opportunity. It has been amazing to watch the city grow and be a part of the positive change going on in a cosmopolitan city in what was a sleepy southern town.
What you see yourself doing in 10 years: Raising a family. Coaching my kid's sports teams. Working in an EM residency program teaching residents and medical students. Competing in triathlons. Running for public office. Completing my MBA. Lots of goals, so little time.
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Russell Trigonis
Hometown: Greensboro, NC
College: UNC Chapel Hill
Medical school: Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine
Why you chose CMC: CMC is the best of all worlds. Our faculty prioritize resident education, both in clinical teaching and encouraging research. The hospital sees the highest acuity patients and supports the residents with all of the resources of an academic institution. And finally, you will not find a more cohesive group of residents than those here at CMC. From the interview dinners that bring out huge groups of current residents, SOs, and families, to the orientation month focused on intern education and camaraderie, our residents are the core of why we (my wife is a Family Med Intern) couldn’t be happier to be at CMC.
What you love about living in/moving to Charlotte: Charlotte has all of the big city amenities while remaining a walkable town. You can find anything you need, from professional sports and rooftop restaurants to greenways and farmers markets. You have lots of options to explore on your days off while still minimizing the stresses of a typical big city.
What you see yourself doing in 10 years: Working in an academic institution alongside residents and medical students, with likely a fellowship in between. And even if this plan changes, I know that CMC will provide all of the support and resources to help me with whatever path I pursue.
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Natalie Wood
Hometown: Danville, KY
College: University of Kentucky
Medical school: Virginia Commonwealth University
Why you chose CMC: When I came for my interview, I felt like I was in a room full of Natalies. Somehow, here at CMC, the residents are an incredibly cohesive group of intelligent, funny, and down to earth people. It felt like a perfect fit!
What you love about living in/moving to Charlotte: Charlotte is such a lovely southern city. There is always something to do. The people are nice. The weather is beautiful. There are many beautiful parks and great neighborhoods to live in.
What you see yourself doing in 10 years: I will have my loans paid off. I'll be working in a community hospital. And when I'm not working I will be taking vacations, spending some quality time with my dog and my siblings, and doing whatever it is people do in their free time. |
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Christina Zauner
Hometown: Danville, Ca
College: California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, University of Oregon
Medical school: Tulane University
Why you chose CMC: I was fortunate enough to rotate in Charlotte during my fourth year of medical school and I discovered that the reputation of CMC that sounds too good to be true- really is true! The faculty and residents are composed of some of the brightest minds in Emergency Medicine, but you would never know it from the humble, lighthearted environment. Before interview season had even begun, I had no doubts that this was the family I wanted to join as the next step to becoming the best version of myself. I could not imagine tackling residency or growing and learning with a better group of people.
What you love about living in/moving to Charlotte: As a native Californian, I needed to be somewhere with mild weather that I could get to both the beach and the mountains easily. Charlotte not only offers that, but it's also a young, growing city with no shortage of festivals, food, or breweries.
What you see yourself doing in 10 years: To be determined, but I hope to pursue a career that has elements of both community practice and resident education. I can't wait to see all the amazing ways my colleagues will contribute to the future of Emergency Medicine
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