Training the Doctors of Tomorrow…Today

Roger Williams Medical Center is a Boston University School of Medicine teaching affiliate. Sited on a 30- acre campus near the Smith Hill neighborhood of Providence, Rhode Island’s capital city. The campus includes Roger Williams hospital, academic departments, research laboratories, the Elmhurst Extended Care Facility, the Cancer Center, and the Residents’ Practice offices. The latter two ambulatory practices are housed in a renovated facility adjacent to the hospital.

The hospital proper is a 220-bed general medical and surgical hospital which provides primary and tertiary care to all of Rhode Island and parts of Connecticut and Massachusetts.

The Medical Service occupies 120 beds including:

• 15-bed ICU/CCU

• 22-bed telemetry / step-down unit

• Newly renovated Emergency Department

• 12-bed Day Chemotherapy unit

• Bone Marrow Transplant Facility

• Dedicated Addiction Medicine Unit

• Geriatric Psychiatry Unit

• Geriatrics wards with dedicated facilities

Curriculum

The three-year internal medicine residency program at Roger Williams Medical Center provides our trainees with extensive inpatient and outpatient clinical experience within a ‘4+1’ schedule structure. Residents spend four weeks on one of their required or elective inpatient rotations, followed by one week on an ambulatory rotation. During successive postgraduate years, residents are provided with progressively increasing autonomy and independence in caring for complex patients. Establishing a strong clinical foundation is an integral part of our program, producing residents equally prepared for subspecialty training, general medical practice, and academic medicine.

Throughout the program, residents are tasked with primary responsibility for the care of all patients on their service. Inpatient teams consisting of one intern and one resident, with the assistance of third- and fourth-year medical students, make diagnostic and therapeutic decisions. The resident fulfills the role of team leader while the intern is responsible for primary patient care. The level of responsibility is commensurate with the resident or intern’s clinical experience, allowing for a natural progression from student to mature and confident clinician.

 During ambulatory rotations, interns are assigned patients whom they will care for throughout their three years of training. Interns and residents bear full responsibility for the outpatient care of these patients, in consultation with the clinic director and preceptor staff.  Principles and foundations of preventative care, social support, and comfort and efficiency in the office setting are reinforced. Emphasis is placed on effective communication and on continuity of care. Residents often refer patients they care for in the inpatient setting to the clinic and establish long-standing relationships with their clinic patients.

Inpatient Core Rotation Description

General Medical Floors

On the general medical floors (GMF), five teams, each consisting of one resident and one intern, take full responsibility for management of a busy internal medicine service. Teams are responsible for completing all admission orders, diagnosing, and treating a wide breadth of conditions. Principles of safe and efficient discharge planning with a robust continuity of care plan are reinforced. There are five GMF teams that alternate call every 5 days (7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.). On non-call days, GMF teams sign out to the intern float and end their workday by 4 p.m. All teams get an average of 1.5 days off every week.

 Intensive Care Step-down Unit (Maximum Care Unit)

On the intensive care step-down unit, three teams, each consisting of one resident and one intern, share responsibility for patient care. In this rotation, residents are exposed to higher-acuity patients with more complex conditions that necessitate closer monitoring. Patients requiring non-invasive ventilation or continuous IV infusion medications will often be admitted here. This unit is staffed by critical care and hospital medicine faculty who provide excellent bedside teaching. Three teams alternate between short shifts (7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.), long shifts (7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.), and nights (8:30 p.m. to 7:30 a.m.). Teams get an average of 1.5 days off every week.

Intensive Care Unit

The intensive care unit provides care to patients with critical illness. Three house staff teams per month (the day teams consisting of one resident and one intern, the night team consisting of one resident) get extensive exposure to emergent procedures, ventilator management, tube thoracostomy, and gain experience with cardiotropic drips and sedation. Under the guidance of the pulmonary fellow and critical care attending staff, residents are responsible for managing complex patients often with multiorgan dysfunction.  Daily didactics are provided by the critical care attendings and pulmonary fellows in a small group setting. Teams work 6 days a week alternating short days (7:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.), long days (7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.) and nights (8:30 p.m. to 7:30 a.m.). All teams get at least 1 day off every week.

Coronary Care Unit (at The Miriam Hospital)

Second and third-year residents at Roger Williams have the opportunity to rotate in the CCU at The Miriam Hospital in Providence, a Lifespan hospital affiliated with Brown/Alpert Medical School and a primary PCI center located 10 minutes away. Under the guidance of the Brown cardiology faculty, residents manage acute coronary syndromes, advanced heart failure, structural heart disease, and are exposed to advanced interventions and mechanical circulatory support. Residents gain procedural competencies in a cardiac critical care setting and expand their clinical skills and knowledge in invasive hemodynamic monitoring.

Ambulatory Medicine

Every five weeks, interns and residents have a dedicated ambulatory week during which they have a more extensive didactic schedule and classroom teaching. In the afternoon, trainees in our three-year program proceed to Residents’ Clinic, where they are responsible for the outpatient care a panel of their own patients. As our trainees advance in their post-graduate years, their patient panel grows and as does their autonomy.

Our experienced clinic preceptors provide clinical guidance and tips on efficient office practices. Our ambulatory curriculum offers 1 day of “second site clinic” whereby residents can choose any outpatient specialty clinic including but not limited to cardiology, dermatology, endocrinology, infectious disease, gastroenterology, pulmonology, primary care, rheumatology, or urgent care. Ambulatory weeks are generally 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and weekends are off.

Electives

A wide variety of electives are offered to residents at Roger Williams. Electives may involve inpatient, outpatient, and/or procedural experiences designed to help residents develop into well-rounded internists who have a wide skillset. Our electives also provide exposure to advanced diagnostics and interventions for those interested in subspecialty practice. While most electives are based at Roger Williams, some residents choose to perform certain electives at other institutions. One four-week away elective is permitted during the second and third years of residency.

PGY-1	6-8 weeks of elective
PGY-2	10-12 weeks of elective
PGY-3	14-18 weeks of elective

 

 

 

Our electives include, but are not limited to, the following rotations:

Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, Cardiology, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, Hematology and Oncology, Infectious Disease, Nephrology, Pulmonology. Research, Rheumatology, Transfusion Medicine, Pathology, Interventional Radiology (to practice paracentesis, thoracentesis, lumbar puncture), and Anesthesiology (central lines, arterial lines, and intubations).

A myriad of formal teaching sessions led by both faculty and residents occur at Roger Williams on a daily basis. Didactics led by residents offer an opportunity for junior and senior residents to participate in teaching and educational activities and improve their presentation skills. Didactics led by faculty offer an opportunity for senior consultants to offer a wealth of knowledge and to impart years of experience to residents, with a focus on the latest evidence and clinical practice guidelines.

Morning Report

On Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday mornings of the ambulatory medicine rotation, cases are presented by residents and discussed extensively with senior consultants and the chief resident. Find a sample morning report schedule below.

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday
9:00 – 10:00	Cardiology case	Oncology case	Nephrology case
10:00 - 11:00	Neurology case	Transfusion Medicine	Endocrinology case
11:00 – 12:00	Geriatrics case	Code Simulation	Board Review Questions

 

Noon Conference

Noon conferences take place Monday to Thursday from 12:00-1:00pm. A variety of topics are featured and presented by our faculty and consultants. Lunch stipends are provided to all interns and residents and may be used in our cafeteria.

Chest Rounds

A unique feature of our program is the extensive education trainees receive in pulmonary and critical care medicine. The pulmonary division hosts Chest Rounds, with a focus on advanced pulmonary physiology concepts and chest imaging, led by our critical care attendings and pulmonary fellows every Friday at noon. Lunch is provided.

The most complex cases are discussed by experienced attendings and is often accompanied by an informal lecture/discussion. This lecture series is mandatory for residents on the intensive care and step-down unit rotation and all other residents are encouraged to join.

Geriatric Rounds

While on the general medical service, one team per week is assigned to attend a small group case presentation and discussion about a high-yield geriatrics topic. Our seasoned attendings provide the latest in evidence-based guidelines and valuable clinical pearls on navigating the nuances of caring for our geriatric patient population.

Resident Chalk Talks

In keeping with the educational philosophy of the program, Chalk Talks, led by junior and senior residents, are offered two to three times per week on GMF. These 15-minute informal discussions further enhance the teaching skills of our more senior trainees while imparting knowledge to other learners. Residents take the lead to teach co-residents and interns about topics of importance and interest to interns, further solidifying residents’ medical knowledge through teaching and mastering of the topics presented.

Journal Club

Journal Club occurs once or twice per month. A junior resident is responsible for selection and presentation of a peer-reviewed journal article. Along with the program director and chief resident, the resident discusses the publication of interest. All trainees are required to attend and engage in a deep-dive into the design and conduct of the study, its internal and external validity, and its impact on clinical practice. Finally, the group discusses how the study adds to the current body of knowledge pertinent to the topic.

Morbidity and Mortality Conference

Morbidity and Mortality conference is led by a senior resident once per month. Along with the program director and chief resident, the senior resident discusses a difficult case with a systematic analysis to determine the factors that made this case challenging. All residents are required to attend share their experiences and engage in a discussion about paving a path forward and systematic improvement.

Board Preparation Resources

Roger Williams’ internal medicine residents are known for their top performance on the ABIM Internal Medicine Board Certification Examination. This accomplishment is a testament to the extensive clinical exposure, high-quality clinical education, and the educational resources provided to residents to ensure they succeed:

• UWORLD QBank provided free of cost for duration of training
• MKSAP QBank provided free of cost for senior residents
• A one-week intensive board review course is provided free of cost to all senior residents one month prior to graduation
• An educational stipend of $1350 annually is provided to be used at the resident’s discretion (Often used to pay for USMLE step 3, conference attendance, textbooks, study materials, fellowship applications)

Chief Medical Resident

Mohana Neelam

Senior Medical Residents

                                 Adderly Toribio            Adnan Dany Cheikh-Debs      Khushal Choudhary 

                   

Vincent Cousineau Cote        Mohamed Kassim               Lunia Collado

                   

Ahmed Mahgoub                  Adrian Martin                      Tarek Nafee

                 

Leandro Ramirez                 Nida Shuttari                    Praneet Srisailam

Zainab Aina-Shittu

Junior Medical Residents

              

Giulio Ciprian                        Catherine Ekladios            Ahmed Eldib

               

Afsana Jahan                      Ravinder Kaler                       Jessica Khoury

              

Navya Kirla                         Georgio Medawar              Abdallah Mohamed

            

Cassondra Paletta                   Priya Patel                      Rabya Saraf

             

Neenu Sukumaran                 Marko Tkach                   Yana Turkowski

Current Residents 

Yasaman Ahmadzadeh, MD is a graduate of Istanbul Bilim Universitesi Tip Fakultesi, Turkey, and was a Research Scholar at the Hospital for Special Surgery in NYC in their Division of Rheumatology.  Her interest and hobbies are running, swimming, photography and cooking.

Raad Al-Muhaisen, MD is a graduate of the University of Jordan Faculty of Medicine, Jordan, and was a Hospitalist in Jordan before joining our program.  His interests and hobbies are photography, soccer and hiking.

 

Vishnu Bayanagari, MD is a graduate of the American University of Integrative Sciences School of Medicine, Barbados, and has served as a Care Team Coordinator at  Marshfield Medical Center in Rice Lake, Wisconsin.  His interests and hobbies are cricket, biking and golfing.

 

Karan Bhanushali, MD, is a graduate of Rural Medical College of Pravara Medical Trust, India, and has served as a Research Assistant at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Missouri.  His interest and hobbies are taxidermy, film and badminton.

Peter Borek, MD, is a graduate of Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poland, and served as a Research Assistant at the University of Chicago Medical Center, Illinois.  His interests and hobbies are running, photography and poetry.

 

Matthew DiOrio, DO, is a graduate of the University Of New England College Of Osteopathic Medicine (2021), Maine, and is serving his Prelim year at RWMC before joining the Anesthesia Residency Program at Rhode Island Hospital.  His interests and hobbies are skiing, golf, boating and movies.

Margaret Furtado, MD, is a graduate of the American University of Antigua College of Medicine, Antigua & Barbuda, and previously worked as a nutritionist.  Her interests and hobbies are yoga, ballroom dancing and learning new languages.

Zachary Gandee, MD, is a graduate of  Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University (2021), Pennsylvania, and is serving his Prelim year at RWMC before joining the Anesthesia Residency Program at Rhode Island Hospital.  His interests and hobbies are golf, cooking and snowboarding.

Pamela Gonzalez Manrique, MD, is a graduate of the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine, San Maarten.  Her interests are cooking, learning new languages and exercising.

Rajesh Janapala, MD is a graduate of the Tongi Medical College of Huazhong University of Science & Technology, China, and most recently served as a Research Fellow in the Department of Medicine at George Washington University in Washington, DC.  In addition, he was named an Everest Foundation Scholar in 2020.  His interests and hobbies are cooking and DIY projects.

   

Elle Kaplan, MD, is a graduate of the University Of Alabama School Of Medicine (2021), Alabama, and is serving her Prelim year at RWMC before joining the Anesthesia Residency Program at Rhode Island Hospital.  Her interests and hobbies are ceramics, winemaking and Farm to Table cooking.

 

Chris Kaspar, MD, is a graduate of the American University of Beirut Faculty of Medicine, Lebanon, and served as a Research Fellow in the Department of Cardiology at the American University of Beirut Medical Center.   His interests and hobbies are playing the piano, hiking and spectator sports.

Hafiza Ayesha Khali, MD, is a graduate of Allama Iqbal Medical College, Pakistan.  Her interests and hobbies are interior decoration, cooking and dress making.

 

Lyanne Santana Khoury, MD, is a graduate of Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE) School of Medicine, Santo Domingo, DR, and most recently worked as a Community Manager/Medical Doctor at the Helicobacter Pylori Center & Specialized Lab in Santo Domingo, DR.  Her interests and hobbies are golf, travel and experimenting with new cuisines.

 

 

Ruchika Malhotra, MD is a graduate of Maharishi Markandeshwar Institute of Medical Sciences & Research, India, and most recently worked as a General Physician/Family Physician at the Malhotra Hospital & Maternity Home, India.  Her interests and hobbies are organizing and decorating her home.

 

Yohannes Mengesha, MD, is a graduate of Jimma University College of Public Health & Medical Sciences, Ethiopia, and recently served as a research assistant at the University of Minnesota Medical School in Minnesota on projects related to AI.  His hobbies and interests are tennis, reading and history.

 

Syed Sohab Nasim, MD, is a graduate of Ross University School of Medicine, Barbados, and most recently worked as a Clinical Research Fellow at the Cleveland Clinic in Florida.  His hobbies and interests are coin collecting and watching and playing basketball and football.

 

Antoine Salloum, MD, is a graduate of the University of Balamand Faculty of Medicine & Medical Sciences, Lebanon.  He also served as Chief Resident (2019-2020) at Saint George Hospital UMC, Beirut Lebanon.   His interests and hobbies are ping pong, basketball and travel.

 

Aryanna Sousa, MD, is a graduate of Faculdade de Ciencias Medicas de Santa Casa de Sao Paolo, Brazil, and most recently served as a Research Fellow in the Division of Gastroenterology at the Warren Alpert School of Medicine at Brown University.  Her interests and hobbies are classical guitar, AIKIDO, and reading.

 

Christopher Typhair, MD, is a graduate of the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine, San Maarten, and most recently participated in research studies at Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow, New York.  His interests and hobbies are hockey, cross fit and space science and engineering.

PGY 3

PGY 2

PGY 1

Preliminary

Recent Alumni

Class of 2021

Mohamed Alsehli – Rheumatology fellowship, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Kanwal Bains – Nutrition Fellowship, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston

Sarav Daid – Gastroenterology fellowship, New York Metropolitan Hospital

Brian Hess – Primary Care Physician, Montana

Christian Hiraldo – Academic Hospitalist, Roger Williams Medical Center

Huiling Ji - Primary Care Physician, Brown University

Musa Khan – Hospitalist, Illinois

Seetha Lakshmanan – Gastroenterology fellowship, Kent Hospital, Rhode Island

Xiuhong Lyu – Primary Care Physician, Massachusetts

Shahzad Mehr – Academic Hospitalist, Roger Williams Medical Center

Mohana Neelam – Chief Medical Resident, Roger Williams Medical Center

Yashvin Onkarappa – Hematology Oncology Fellowship, Roger Williams Medical Center

Stephen Seo – Research Fellowship in Advanced Endoscopy, Harvard Medical School

Toufic Tannous – Geriatrics fellowship, University of Miami

Michael Vernon – Rheumatology fellowship, Queens University, Kingston, Canada

 

Class of 2020

Jumanah Algazaq – Infectious diseases fellowship, Memorial Sloan Kettering, New York

Raisa Atif - Geriatrics fellowship, UMMS Baystate, Springfield, Illinois

Seerat Aujla – Hospitalist, New York City

Brett Brownlee – Nephrology Fellowship, Queens University, Kingston, Canada

Sarav Daid – Chief Medical Resident, New York Metropolitan Hospital

Ariel Farber – Primary Care Physician, New York City

Jenna Iannuccilli – Primary Care Physician, Brown University

Yasmine Kamel – Critical Care Hospitalist, California

Rahul Kapil – Pulmonary Critical Care Fellowship – Yale New Haven, Bridgeport, Connecticut

Ibrahim Katibah – Nephrology Fellowship, UCLA, Los Angeles

Hisham Khawaja – Academic Hospitalist, Brown University

John Martino – Primary Care Physician, Louisiana

Anusha Mittapalli – Primary Care Physician, Florida

Ayad Sadda – Academic Hospitalist, University of Rochester

Toufic Tannous – Chief Medical Resident, Roger Williams Medical Center

At Roger Williams Medical Center, we are proud to have a diverse roster of over 50 faculty in general internal medicine and the subspecialties. Our experienced faculty brings a wealth of knowledge and experience, and a dedication to mentoring and teaching residents and medical students to help each individual trainee achieve their goals.

Core Faculty 

Ali Akhtar, MD

Anne Bauman, MD

Rebecca Brown, MD

Shahzad Mehr, MD

John Miskovsky, MD

Kurush Setna, MD

John Stoukides, MD

 

Ambulatory Faculty

Anne Bauman, MD

Gregory Allen, DO

John Miskovsky, MD

Mark Schwager, MD

 

Bone Marrow Transplant Faculty

Todd Roberts, MD

 

Cardiology Faculty

Cynthia Alves, MD

Rita Faherty, MD

Neal Christopher Kelley, MD

Florian Koci, MD

Thomas Lanna, MD

William Levin, MD

Joseph Mazza, MD

John Rodriguez, MD

Richard Regnante, MD

 

Endocrinology Faculty

Anery Patel, MD

Krystel Feghali, MD

 

Gastroenterology Faculty

Alexander Harmatz, MD

Nabil Toubia, MD

 

Geriatric Medicine Faculty

Rebecca Brown, MD

Kristine Mortel, MD

John Stoukides, MD

 

Hospitalist Faculty

Ali Akhtar, MD

Rajinish Bansal, MD

Kuresh Setna, MD

Christian Hiraldo, MD

Shahzad Mehr, MD

 

Hematology And Oncology Faculty

Vincent Armenio, MD

Bharti Rathore, MD

Ritesh Rathore, MD

Gerald Colvin, MD

 

Infectious Diseases Faculty

 

Nephrology Faculty

Keith Bartholomei, MD

Jeffrey Clement, MD

Katherine Davoren, MD

Elkin Estrada, MD

 

Neurology Faculty

Gayle Rebovich, MD

Humberto Leal Bailey, MD

 

Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Faculty

Abd Abdelrahman, MD

Joseph Meharg, MD

Rabih El-Bizri, MD

Thomas Raimondo, DO

 

Rheumatology Faculty

Katarzyna Gilek-Seibert, MD

 

Transfusion Medicine Faculty

Joseph Sweeney, MD, PhD

Research is an important facet of the academic training at Roger Williams Medical Center. Both bench and clinical research are conducted by our faculty under grants assigned to our institution. The scientific staff, research associates, research technicians, and support staff comprise a large non-physician population which contributes substantially to resident education. Roger Williams has maintained its position as a research center of excellence. Residents have traditionally participated in the Rhode Island State and National American College of Physicians (ACP) poster presentation and abstract presentation competitions for many years. Residents have also published manuscripts in prestigious peer-reviewed journals and presented their abstracts as oral presentations at national and international specialty society meetings. Roger Williams Medical Center and the internal medicine residency program encourages participation in and provides numerous opportunities and adequate educational resources to facilitate resident involvement in scholarly activities.

Selected list of resident publications

“Tocilizumab Treatment in COVID-19-Induced Cytokine Release Syndrome: A Detailed Case Report.” Jumanah Algazaq, Cristian Hiraldo-Infante, John Miskovsky, Journal of Infectious diseases in clinical practice.

Lakshmanan, Seetha., Baskaran, Dhanya., Mangala, Yashvin.O., Toubia, Nabil. Pseudocirrhosis in Chronic Budd Chiari Syndrome With Janus Tyrosine Kinase 2 (JAK2) Mutation. Cureus 12(7): e9355. doi:10.7759/cureus.9355.

Lakshmanan, Seetha., Malik, Amer. Acute Pancreatitis In Mild COVID-19 Infection. Cureus 12(8): e9886. doi:10.7759/cureus.9886.

Lakshmanan, Seetha., Toubia, Nabil. Pneumatosis Intestinalis in COVID-19 [published online ahead of print, 2020 May 30]. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2020;S1542-3565(20)30755-2. doi:10.1016/j.cgh.2020.05.048.

Mangala, Yashvin.O., Daid, Saravgunjit., Lakshmanan, Seetha., Kapil, Rahul., Miskovsky, John. Acute Pulmonary Embolism in COVID-19: A Report of Two Cases. Cureus 12(7): e9459. doi:10.7759/cureus.9459.

 Daid, Saravgunjit, Toribio, Adderly., Lakshmanan, Seetha.,Sadda, Ayad., Epstein, Alan. Spontaneous intraparenchymal hepatic hemorrhage as a sequela of COVID-19. Cureus 12(9): e10447. doi:10.7759/cureus.10447.

Mangala, Yashvin.O., Lakshmanan, Seetha., Daid, Saravgunjit., Fru, Relindis., Chaquette, Raymond. Consultant. Published online October 13, 2020. doi:10.25270/con.2020.10.00019. Seo, DJ, Daid S, Malik A, 1365 A Rare Case of Neuroendocrine Tumor Originating in Liver Diagnosed by ERCP Using a Spyglass Direct Visualization System, The American Journal of Gastroenterology: October 2019 - Volume 114 - Issue - p S754-S755 doi: 10.14309/01. ajg.0000594988.48661.df

Daid S, Seo DJ, Onkarappa Mangala Y, Nabil Toubia, MD, 2260 Duodenal Perforation Caused by Inferior Vena Cava Migration, The American Journal of Gastroenterology: October 2019 - Volume 114 - Issue - p S1463-S1464 doi:0.14309/01.ajg.0000600172.54195.35

Seo DJ, Toribio A, Harmatz A, Atypical Presentation of Acute Alcoholic Pancreatitis, accepted for abstract presentation at ACP 2020

Re-visit Cushing reflex: Early detection of silent intracranial hemorrhage in a patient on heparin drip manifesting as bradycardia on telemetry. ACP national abstract, Authors:  Xiuhong Lyu, Ayad Sadda, Seerat Aujla, Mohammed Alsehli, Khawaja Faisal. Rajnish Bansal,

A rare case of mixed autoimmune hemolytic anemia in the setting  of angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma with novel pathogenesis. ACP RI abstract ,Authors: Xiuhong Lyu, Huiling Ji, Toufic Tannous, Brett Brownlee, Shahzad Mehr, Brian Hess, Mohana Neelam, Vincent Armenio.

 

1. Nafee; M. Tavares; J. Sweeney. Fibrinogen Thresholds for Cryoprecipitate Transfusions: A Single Center Retrospective Descriptive Study of Practice Patterns. American College of Physicians, Local Abstract Competition, Podium Presentation Finalist, 2020, Providence, RI

 

1. Khan; T. Nafee; M. Alsehli; M. White; L. Barre. Drug-Induced Eosinophilic Fasciitis: A Rare Complication of a Revolutionary Therapy. American College of Physicians, National Abstract Competition Finalist, 2020

Race case report of multiple ischemic strokes and sub arachnoid hemorrhage after a TACE procedure,Authors:Mohana Neelam, Praneet Kumar Srisailam,Dr. Rebovich, ACP.

Diffuse Alveolar Hemorrhage in ESRD,Authors:Mohana Neelam, T.Sabharwal.Dr. Hussain,ACP

Tocilizumab for severe COVID-19 related illness-A community academic medical center experience, Steven Katz,Kapil Meleveedu,John Miskovsky,Joseph Meharg,Abd Abdelrahman,Richa Tandon,Ashley Moody,Priscilla Dasilva,Gabrielle Masse,Jason LaPorte,Abdul Saied Calvino,Greg Allen,Rabih-El-Bizri,Todd Roberts,Vincent Armenio,Cytokine, 2020.

Dany Debs, MD, Yashvin Onkarappa, MD, Joseph Sweeney, MD. Sickle cell/beta Thalassemia with Multiorgan Failure Resolved with Simple Transfusions. ACP RI Chapter. 2020.

‘The Rog Culture’

Roger Williams Medical Center’s internal medicine residency program embraces a culture of collegiality amongst residents and faculty. ‘The Rog Culture’ is among the program’s strongest assets as trainees develop close relationships with attending physician faculty members and ancillary staff alike. Residents support each other, teach one another, and develop lasting relationships with colleagues, forming a second family to make the residency program truly a “home away from home”.

The current residents and faculty look forward to welcoming you into the Roger Williams family and providing prospective residents with a window into this institution where trainees develop their clinical skills in a warm and intimate educational setting conducive to inclusion and learning.

Sample Schedule

Below is a sample schedule.

	PGY-1	PGY-2	PGY-3
Intensive Care Unit	4 weeks	4 weeks	6 weeks
Step-Down Unit	8 weeks	8 weeks	4 weeks
General Inpatient	12 weeks	8 weeks	4 weeks
CCU	0 weeks	4 weeks	4 weeks
Float	4 weeks	0 weeks	0 weeks
Emergency Medicine	0 weeks	4 weeks	0 weeks
Medical Consults	0 weeks	0 weeks	4 weeks
Electives	7 weeks	10 weeks	14 weeks
Ambulatory Clinic	13 weeks	12 weeks	10 weeks
Vacation	4 weeks	4 weeks	4 weeks
Board Review Course	0 weeks	0 weeks	1 week

 

4+1 Schedule

As described in the information outlining the Roger Williams curriculum, residents spend four weeks on inpatient service (or elective) followed by one week of dedicated ambulatory medicine and didactics. This allows residents to focus on outpatient care during the ambulatory medicine weeks and also serves to enhance the educational experience while on inpatient service.

While on the inpatient service, house staff average 60-70 hours per week, divided over 6 days per week. While on ambulatory or on electives, house staff average 30-40 hours per week, with weekends off.

Vacations and Weekends

Residents’ time free of clinical responsibility is just as important as their time on service. After all, diastole/relaxation is equally as important as systole! Ample vacation time and protected weekends are offered at Roger Williams for trainees to focus on their wellness and attend to important non-work-related activities. 

All residents receive three weeks of vacation per academic year in addition to one week off during the two-week Christmas/New Year’s holidays. During all inpatient rotations, house staff have a minimum of one day off per week; during most elective rotations weekends and holidays are off. With the 4+1 scheduling model, residents are assured of at least one full weekend off every five weeks to decompress and enjoy everything that Rhode Island has to offer. 

Life In the Day of an Intern (Video to be posted soon)

Living in Providence (Pictures to be posted soon)

Providence, a city that is bustling with art, music, sports, and cultural venues. While it may be best known for its nationally recognized Italian restaurants on Federal Hill, Providence offers fine dining throughout its many diverse neighborhoods, including Los Andes, ranked #23 on Yelp’s list of Top 100 Places to Eat in the US in 2021, and a short 5-minute walk from resident clinic. Rhode Island, also known as the Ocean State, is noted for its beautiful beaches to explore, pristine forests and state parks with hiking and biking trails, and even a mountain with ski trails open during the winter months. There are also many historic landmarks, neighborhoods and houses to tour and visit. Rents and cost of living, as a whole in Rhode Island, are far below that of many other metropolitan areas.

Diversity and Inclusion

Roger Wiliams Medical Center is a community of scholars dedicated to outstanding patient care, cutting-edge research, and innovative education. A diverse and inclusive learning and work environment, encompassing individuals with various cultures, backgrounds, and beliefs, is integral to achieving excellence in our mission and to meet the healthcare needs of our multicultural community.

The internal medicine residency program aims to enhance diversity amongst its faculty, residents, students, and staff, and to ensure their cultural competence. In our program, we believe that a diverse and inclusive environment is the key to providing compassionate and culturally sensitive care to the population that we serve.

The results of these efforts speak for themselves. Our residents hail from over 20 countries on five continents. The resident profiles highlight the diversity of race, ethnicity, gender, culture, religion, and educational background of the physicians-in-training who make our program unique. To hear more about our approach to diversity, inclusion, and community engagement, or if you have any questions, please feel free to contact us!

Wellness Committee (Pictures of wellness committee and charity events to be posted soon)

Roger Williams Medical Center views the well-being of its residents as a top priority. Resident wellness is much more than free food and a recreational area (although residents do love their ping pong table!). The Roger Williams Wellness Committee is an organization led by house staff that is dedicated to hearing residents’ concerns and planning initiatives to prevent burnout.

The committee frequently organizes movie nights, painting nights, basketball games, yoga mornings in the park, outdoor retreats and picnics by the ocean at one of Rhode Island’s legendary state parks. The Chairman of Medicine, Dr. Vincent Armenio, hosts annual beach events and a visit to his farmhouse. Residents and faculty participate in a “Secret Santa” gift exchange during the holidays and frequently gather as a group to unwind after busy weeks in the hospital. Free online counseling services are available and residents are continuously engaged in discussions about burnout and what additional resources the program can provide to make the years spent at Roger Williams a fulfilling time of tremendous personal and professional growth.

At Roger Williams, we believe that a culture of giving and community service can also promote resident wellness. The Social Medicine Club is a non-profit organization, formed and led by residents, that engages in food and clothing charity drives, visits to local homeless shelters, and volunteering at local free clinics. 

The Roger Williams Medical Center Internal Medicine Residency Program accepts applications through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). We cannot process applications received through any other electronic or paper medium.

Application Deadline: December 15

Application Requirements

• Dean’s Letter
• Minimum of three Letters of Recommendation
• Medical College Transcript
• Personal Statement
• Curriculum Vitae
• USMLE Step 1, Step 2 CK or COMPLEX LEVEL 1/COMPLEX LEVEL 2 CE
• ECFMG Certificate (if applicable)
• S. clinical experience is strongly preferred
• Research experience is favorable, though not a strict requirement

Important Notes for Applicants

• We have 13 Categorical and 5 Preliminary spots
• We participate in the NRMP Match
• We sponsor J1 Visas only (No H1B visa sponsorship)
• International Medical Graduates must be ECFMG certified
• All applications will be reviewed by our selection committee, and those selected for an interview will be contacted by our Chief Resident
• We conduct interviews from November to January
• All interviews will be conducted virtually for the 2021/2022 season
• Internal fellowship opportunities are available in Pulmonology, Rheumatology, Hematology, and Oncology; a Geriatrics fellowship is planned for the near future

 Interview Process

In light of the current COVID-19 pandemic, we will be using a virtual platform to conduct interviews during the 2021-2022 application season. Applicants selected for interview will be contacted by our Chief Resident via email. All interviews take place between November and January. In addition to the interview day, we will arrange for a virtual meet & greet with our residents.

Salary & Benefits

PGY-1	$ 60,700
PGY-2	$ 62,400
PGY-3	$ 66,200

 Meal Stipend: Annual meal allowance of $1500 is provided on a meal card for all residents and may be used at our cafeteria.

Educational Allowance: An annual educational allowance of $1350 that are often used to pay for board examinations, conference attendance, textbooks, study materials, fellowship applications. In addition, board review materials and courses are provided free of cost.

Contact Information

Roger Williams Medical Center

Department of Medicine

825 Chalkstone Avenue

Providence, RI 02908

 

John P. Miskovsky, MD                                                          Cynthia Boutin

Program Director, Internal Medicine Residency                 GME Program Coordinator

John.miskovsky@chartercare.org                                         cboutin@chartercare.org