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Thomas Blackwell
Hometown: Greenville, SC
College: Clemson University
Medical school: University of South Carolina School of Medicine-Greenville
Why you chose CMC: Carolinas Medical Center has the reputation of being one of the top EM programs in the entire country and I knew if I had the opportunity to train here, there was no way I was going to pass that up. The faculty are engaging and are invested in our education as to makes sure we are becoming the best provides we can be. During virtual interviews, it was often difficult to get a gauge on the vibe of certain programs, but not here. CMC is a big family, and I could sense that over a computer. There is a terrific balance of working hard but playing hard as well which makes residency a little less daunting. I couldn't see myself learning how to practice emergency medicine anywhere else and I'm glad I could be part of such a prestigious program!
What you love about living in/moving to Charlotte: I grew up in Charlotte so when I found out I was coming back, I thought I was going to know my way around the city and what to expect, but Charlotte has grown tremendously and there is so much to do for anyone! There are parks, breweries, every sports team you can think of, and endless number of activities. Work-life balance can be difficult at times, but when you are in a place like Charlotte, it makes things a lot easier.
What you see yourself doing in 10 years: I would love to be in a large academic medical center teaching medical students and residents. Everyone who has taught me along the way has got me to where I am today and I am thankful for each and every one of them, so I think this would be the best way I could give back.
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Kylee Brooks
Hometown: Sarnia, ON, Canada
College: University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL
Medical school: UCF College of Medicine, Orlando, FL
Why you chose CMC: I know a lot of people say this, but it really was because of the people. My face literally hurt from smiling so much during my virtual interview and I 100% got the “warm fuzzies” as Allison Frazure would say. I wanted to train at a program that felt like a family, and despite the virtual format, it was obvious CMC has fostered an environment of support and respect amongst and between residents and faculty. This program is unreal. It offers incredible training in an awesome city and you are surrounded by some of the best leaders in EM. And don’t even get me started on my co-residents; I’m obsessed with all of them.
What you love about living in/moving to Charlotte: My 13+ new friends (see above and below), the stellar brewery scene and amazing outdoor adventures nearby. I typically take my dog Ziggy to the Whitewater Center, Crowders Mountain or one of the awesome parks within the city several times a week.
What you see yourself doing in 10 years: Not quite sure yet, but leaning towards a fellowship in ultrasound or global health. Luckily, we have several elective months to explore our options and this program will prepare us all for a successful career in academic or community EM.
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Sofiya Diurba
Hometown: Kosiv, Ukraine and Silverthorne, CO
College: University of Colorado Denver
Medical school: University of Colorado School of Medicine
Why you chose CMC: Because it is a three-year program that is community, has many academic resources, and feels county, where the residents manage a high volume of complex and diverse patients. The faculty is world-renowned but down to earth and incredible to work with. I also wanted strong pediatric training and CMC offers longitudinal peds training with peds shifts during every EM month and inpatient peds and PICU experiences. The program has plenty of fellowship opportunities. Ultimately, the residents sealed the deal - the camaraderie among residents is incredible and they were happy and seemed like they genuinely liked each other. After moving to a new city where I didn't know a single person, my fellow residents made me feel like family before I even got here and continue to do so now. Significant others are always welcome and hang out, the program is family friendly, and there is always someone open to hanging out (like literally every day) if you're bored or had a hard shift or just feel like being around people. I feel incredibly supported and I could not imagine residency without these amazing people.
What you love about living in/moving to Charlotte: It's a medium sized city that doesn't feel like a huge city but has all of the fun big city things. The traffic isn't bad, and you can get anywhere in the city within about 15 minutes. The White Water Center is epic, there is mountain biking in and around the city, hiking nearby, an awesome craft brewery scene, and tons of awesome restaurants, and you're about 2.5-3 hours away from the mountains AND the beach.
What you see yourself doing in 10 years: Working in rural EM, possibly doing EMS or disaster/operational medicine. I think I want to do a fellowship but it's too early to tell what exactly I will be doing. I know that I am not a big city person so I am confident about the rural EM part. I also hope to be teaching residents, med students, or paramedics on some way throughout my career.
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Haley Dusek
Hometown: Tacoma, WA
College: Vanderbilt University
Medical school: Oregon Health and Science University
Why you chose CMC: I knew that I wanted to train in a place that would challenge me to reach my maximum potential, as a resident and beyond. I wanted a program that valued strong pediatrics training and that had both volume and complexity. CMC is definitely that place. But ultimately, on my interview day there was just an energy that could not be described. Each resident / faculty I encountered were truly excited to share about the program and their experience. The people instantly felt like family and people I wanted to learn from, work alongside, and unwind with.
What you love about living in/moving to Charlotte: My favorite thing about the move has been how quickly CMC has stepped in as family - there is never a shortage of social events, and partners are always welcomed and expected to participate. My fiancé and I also decided to remodel our first home during intern year, which has proved to be the most rewarding experience and an excellent creative outlet. With regards to Charlotte itself, I love the accessibility of restaurants, nature, and so many nearby cities for weekend getaways. Plus, I am really learning to love being outside without a jacket!
What you see yourself doing in 10 years: In 10 years, I think that I will be post- PEM fellowship, working in the community at a larger Trauma center, but seeing both adults and children. My dream would be to help establish a Peds ED, and to develop Pediatric specific protocols for community EM physicians. Outside of work, I hope to be back on the West coast, with family nearby, and some property to retreat to.
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Destiny Folk
Hometown: Apex, NC
College: North Carolina State University (Go pack!)
Medical school: University of North Carolina
Why you chose CMC: As a UNC medical student I was fortunate to have the opportunity to rotate at CMC despite the pandemic canceling away rotations. This rotation was by far my favorite month of med school. The residents, faculty, and nurses were amazing teachers and were also incredibly fun people to spend time with both inside and outside the hospital. I was amazed by the positive energy and talent exhibited by the residents on each shift. I was inspired by their drive to improve every day and ability to provide compassionate care to patients in such a high volume, high acuity environment. I was able to thrive in an environment where I was granted enough autonomy to push me outside of my comfort zone but always had help when I needed it. I was also looking for a program that would provide unparalleled clinical training yet offer the academic opportunities I am interested in…like the amazing EM Guidewire podcast! The people, unparalleled training and mentorship, and the amazing Charlotte location sealed the deal for me. I still wake up daily and am so thankful to be at my dream program!
What you love about living in/moving to Charlotte: Charlotte is a fun city with all the outdoor activities, beer/wine, and concerts you could ask for and it is only a short drive from the beach and Asheville! I love living in an area of Charlotte where I can easily walk to coffee shops, restaurants, and the grocery store while also having a fenced in backyard for our pup, Gemma! The cost of living is affordable and my commute time to work is 10 minutes door-to-door which was important to me considering the busy resident lifestyle.
What you see yourself doing in 10 years: I’m still working on my long-term career goals but if I had to take a guess…I see myself working at an academic institution where I am actively involved in medical education and helping to foster wellness among the residents I work with. I’d love to become a clerkship director, aPD, and maybe even a PD one day but those interests may change as I delve more into other areas of EM. The good news is I know that I will be well supported and mentored here regardless of which niche I choose to pursue in EM.
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Nathanael Franks
Hometown: Damascus, Oregon
College: University of Arkansas
Medical school: University of Texas Health San Antonio
Why you chose CMC: Word of mouth! It was hard for me to imagine a better place to train in emergency medicine. This is a well-established program with outstanding educators and upper level residents. CMC is the only Level 1 trauma center in the region and has the best relationships with other services and staff that I’ve seen. This program is also heavy in pediatrics - which I find very appealing given it’s almost impossible to get enough emergency pediatrics training. Additionally, the resident benefits here are top-notch and most importantly, you won’t go hungry - there is free and nutritious food literally everywhere.
What you love about living in/moving to Charlotte: My wife, daughter, dog, and I love how green it is here! There is a great food and drink scene and plenty to do outdoors. So far I've especially enjoyed whitewater kayaking, mountain biking, trail running, and hiking. The National Whitewater Center has lots of outdoor activities, including free yoga that my wife loves, as well as live music throughout the week.
What you see yourself doing in 10 years: Serving small communities in a rural ED
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Allison Frazure
Hometown: Louisville, KY
College: University of Louisville
Medical school: University of Kentucky College of Medicine
Why you chose CMC: My face hurt from smiling so much during my interview here! Even though our interviews were virtual, I could sense the personality of the program and how genuine the residents were through a computer screen which spoke volumes to me. Aside from the people, Carolinas checked every box I was looking for in a program and I knew I would leave here well-trained. It wasn’t a hard decision.
What you love about living in/moving to Charlotte: I knew nothing about Charlotte before I matched here (quite literally thought it was in South Carolina before I interviewed here), but this city has really stolen my heart. Give me a good outdoor scene and some solid coffee spots and I’m happy camper – and Charlotte certainly delivers both of those, plus so much more. My favorite thing about Charlotte has been the accessibility of the outdoors. I spend almost every day I’m not in the hospital outside – either at the White Water Center or at any of the surrounding state parks, often accompanied by my coresidents. There’s also no shortage of restaurants, breweries, music venues, and sporting events – there really is something for everyone!
What you see yourself doing in 10 years: Right now I’m taking things a day at a time, but my dream is a balance between working at a community shop and traveling. These vacations aren’t going to take themselves!
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Aaron Frolichstein
Hometown: San Antonio, Texas
College: University of Texas at San Antonio
Medical school: UT Health San Antonio
Why you chose CMC: There was no program that I was more confident would prepare me to be an excellent EM physician. CMC has excellent teaching faculty, a diverse patient population, and resources that allow me to pursue my interests in the field.
What you love about living in/moving to Charlotte: Charlotte is an incredible city with so much to do, I've loved spending time at the local breweries, restaurants, and biking trails.
What you see yourself doing in 10 years: Not sure yet, I’m open to exploring a fellowship and a career in academics. I would also be happy working in the community.
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Parker Hambright
Hometown: Jacksonville, NC
College: Wake Forest University
Medical school: Virginia Tech-Carilion School of Medicine
Why you chose CMC: Carolinas Medical Center combines the best aspects of community, academic, and county programs - all within one emergency department. I feel fortunate to train alongside national leaders in Emergency Medicine and be surrounded by brilliant, talented, and confident co-residents who take significant pride in serving the Charlotte community. CMC’s culture of residents and faculty being mutually invested in one another’s success and well-being makes the program a truly special training environment.
What you love about living in/moving to Charlotte: Charlotte offers the perks of a large city, plenty of outdoors space and activities, has a strong brewery scene, and four distinct seasons. Being within driving distance of the mountains and the ocean is a nice bonus too.
What you see yourself doing in 10 years: I hope to have completed a fellowship and be practicing as a confident and competent clinician who continues to provide care to sick patients. Additionally, I hope to have the opportunity to pay-it-forward through teaching in an academic setting as many of my mentors have done for me.
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Douglas Maslowski
Hometown: Eldersville, PA
College: Pennsylvania State University
Medical school: West Virginia University School of Medicine
Why you chose CMC: I was nervous to interview at such a highly regarded program but 15 minutes into the interview I knew that no one here had an ego. Everyone was very down to earth and easy to talk to about the area and program. The residents made me laugh harder than any other interview I had that year. I knew I wanted to train in an environment where I will see it all and do it all with great leadership to back me up and absolutely amazing residents by my side. It was an easy decision.
What you love about living in/moving to Charlotte: White. Water. Center…period. I knew I would need some good mountain bike trails nearby to shred when I had a day off and the WWC does not disappoint. Over 50 miles of bike trails right next to Charlotte? Yes. Oh, you want to white water raft too? Done. Zipline? Sure. Kayak? Got it. Yes, its real. I bought a year pass the day I matched here. Plus, I’ve found numerous other places to go. I actually have 5 miles of trails about an eighth mile from my front door. There is so much more green space here than I anticipated. Tons of parks and areas to relax. I am never indoors unless I’m working in the hospital and Charlotte has not let me down.
What you see yourself doing in 10 years: Well I hope I don't graduate too fast so I can stick around with all these people a little more. I'll most likely be back home working in a small rural emergency department and helping out with my family farm. I also want to build and own a public gym...and start my own outdoor adventure center on the outskirts of Pittsburgh. Any investors out there?
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Faith Meyers
Hometown: New Orleans, LA
College: Louisiana State University
Medical school: Louisiana State University – New Orleans
Why you chose CMC: The more I learned about CMC during my application cycle, the more I loved it. I wanted to be somewhere that challenged me to become the best clinician I was capable of, but that also had the resources and faculty to help me pursue any career path I would like to in the future. CMC serves a diverse, large patient population, and highly values the role that we have in caring for the underserved, which was also very important to me. I loved that the pediatric and trauma experience at CMC was longitudinal, as well as the fact that we very much “learn by doing”.
Objectively, CMC had everything I was looking for in a program, but it was the people here who made the most lasting impression. The faculty here are so well-versed in their trades and highly respected across the county, but hold the same respect for their residents and quickly have you feeling like part of the family. During my interview, it was very easy to see how close the residents were and how much they cared for each other. I feel that Emergency Medicine truly is a team sport, and knowing your people have always got your back is invaluable.
What you love about living in/moving to Charlotte: I am discovering more things to love about Charlotte every day that I live here. I have never been a “big city” person, but wanted to train somewhere that serves a large, diverse population. Charlotte has turned out to be the perfect balance for this. We see a huge volume of patients that are from all walks of life, but the city itself is spread out enough to not be overwhelming. There are many small neighborhoods that surround the city center which allow you to have more of that “community” feel, and I have not found getting around to be difficult at all. There are so many things to do as well – we have great hiking, whitewater rafting/kayaking, sports, many parks, breweries, and restaurants. (Another big plus is that basically everywhere is dog friendly!)
What you see yourself doing in 10 years: While my exact goals have been very fluid as I have progressed through my training, it is hard to imagine myself in the future without some connection to the academic world. I am strongly considering pursuing a fellowship, with Disaster Medicine being one of my primary interests at the moment. I would love to end up working with residents and students in the future, as well as possibly working on a disaster response team. Exact location TBD!
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Steven Perry
Hometown: Peachtree City, GA
College: University of Georgia
Medical school: Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University
Why you chose CMC: I was looking for a training program with four big things. First, people who were cohesive about pushing themselves and each other to constantly be better. Second, training that would prepare me to adjust my practice to any environment I might stumble into. Third, a place with genuine investment in systems that benefitted the community. Fourth, a program where emergency residents and physicians earned a reputation of being among the most reliable go-to people in the institution and in the EM community. Then I saw that they also throw in a pile of grit and laughs but cut out the nonsense and drama. Intern spouses and partners grab food and drinks with chiefs and program grads. People want to see each other succeed across levels and types of training. They offered to make me uncomfortable enough in training to learn to be the best possible emergency physician. It felt right, and it is.
What you love about living in/moving to Charlotte: Charlotte is a perfect size city with a really impressive mix of people and just about any activity within reach. Everything that's not in walking distance seems to be "about 10 minutes" away. You can be as in the city or away from the noise as you want. It's incredibly dog friendly, including a dog water park a short drive away. There are solid food options, music venues, outdoor activities, the whitewater center, and some gorgeous older parts of the city. The brewery options are amazing, and some of the best areas take you out of the downtown. Excellent national/state parks and forests are in day trip reach. Couldn't be happier that this program is also in such an awesome place.
What you see yourself doing in 10 years: I want to practice clinically, find a focus area, and teach junior physicians. I'll likely pursue a fellowship, possibly in critical care, disaster management, or health policy. I'd like to gain some community EM experience while remaining affiliated with a training or teaching program. My 10 year plan will depend on what fellowship or areas of focus I pursue, but I'd like to extend my career to include broader, more systematic aspects of emergency medicine in addition to clinical practice.
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Angela Pikus
Hometown: Columbus, IN
College: Miami University of Ohio
Medical school: Indiana University School of Medicine
Why you chose CMC: What I was looking for in an emergency medicine residency was a combination of a family-oriented atmosphere with excellent clinical training. I knew based on my interview that this was the place for me after seeing how all the residents interact with each other. They always look out for each other and spend time together which makes the biggest difference in a residency experience. To me it’s all about the people. You’ll be spending some of the most challenging yet rewarding years of your life training to become an emergency medicine physician, and who you learn from makes the biggest difference. The residents here at CMC are one big family. It also helps that CMC offers amazing clinical experiences where you'll learn from some of the best leaders in emergency medicine and prepare you for anything when you are practicing on your own after residency.
What you love about living in/moving to Charlotte: I love all of the outdoor activities to choose from here in Charlotte. All of us residents like to go hiking, meet up at breweries, and try out different restaurants. There’s also a White Water Center with so many outdoor activities from rafting, rock climbing, and zip lining to concerts every week. Charlotte is a “big city” with a small town feel and you easily feel at home when you move here.
What you see yourself doing in 10 years: I don't know where I'll be in 10 years, but I can definitely see myself working in an academic hospital because I am interested in medical education, teaching, and learning innovative ideas from others. However, I can also see myself working in a community setting.
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Aaron Sherwood
Hometown: Charlottesville, NC
College: Appalachian State University and the University of Utah
Medical school: Wayne State University
Why you chose CMC: I started following a handful of EM residency programs early in medical school because I always planned to apply to the specialty. I knew that I wanted to move back to the southeast to be closer to family, but I also wanted to train in a high-volume, urban emergency department that served a diverse community. It was apparent that CMC had a well-respected reputation, but I didn't realize how special this place is until I learned more about EM during my 3rd and 4th year of med school. At the end of my interview season, I realized that the experience and opportunities provided here are unparalleled. If you aspire to produce ground-breaking research, want to go into academics, or want to become a leader in the field, our world-class faculty are enthusiastic and eager to support you. If you hoping to go straight into the community or work in a small rural town, you will receive the same amount of enthusiastic support as you work towards achieving your goal. Regardless of your trajectory, you are guaranteed a cutting-edge clinical experience if you train at CMC.
What you love about living in/moving to Charlotte: I was almost as excited about moving back to NC as I was about matching at CMC! The people here are great and it is an easy place to live. I can walk from my apartment to the ED ambulance bay in less than 10 minutes. I can drive to grocery stores in 5 minutes. There is a ton of green space, which was a must-have to maintain my mental health. You can catch me walking, running, or biking on Little Sugar Creek Greenway on most days (when I am not on MICU or Trauma). The greenway also runs right next to the hospital and connects to Freedom Park! Having a large international airport 15 minutes away is a plus too.
What you see yourself doing in 10 years: I have no idea. Fellowship and academics are still on the table, but going straight into the community sounds tempting too. I am looking forward to exploring some options during my elective months. There are so many opportunities for subspecialization in EM. Addiction, Pain Management, Palliative, Disaster, and EMS all sound pretty cool.
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