Program Leadership

I grew up in a nice suburban area of Long Island, NY. My family had a summer cabin on one of the many finger lakes in upstate NY and I feel in love with the outdoors there. We would periodically make trips to surrounding areas including Burlington, Vermont and it always stood out to me as the perfect place to live. When I had the chance to do my radiology residency in Burlington, I jumped at the opportunity and have stayed here ever since.  Like me, faculty and residents who chose to come to UVM value a healthy work life balance and love the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors in all seasons.  Although our radiology department has national recognizable names, you will find those who work here are down to earth, collegial and friendly. As there are limited fellowship slots, the department is resident driven allowing our residents to experience the full breadth of our clinical rotations. The availability of Lake Champlain, ski mountains, forests and parks tied with the vibrant downtown area, with multiple nearby colleges, make Burlington an ideal place to live and train.  My wife is an ED physician at UVM and we couldn't be happier raising our 2 girls here.  I have always loved teaching throughout my training and I am now lucky enough to support others during their residency.

My first trip to Vermont was for my residency interview, and I have loved every minute of my time in Vermont since. From the amazing hikes and hanging out by Lake Champlain in the summer, to the incredible fall colors, and awesome ski slopes in the winter, Burlington, VT has it all! After completing residency here, I decided to come back to UVMMC after fellowship because there is no other place that has all the camaraderie and close-knit feel of a small department with all the resources and expertise of a large academic institution.

I grew up in Northern NY, attending college there as well.  Having traveled a fair amount, the scenery, pace and "hometown feel" of the North country always drew me back. Burlington and its surrounding areas are so unique; they offer the hometown feel with many urban offerings of bigger cities.  Not only that, you can explore most of New England and the East coast with a weekend trip!  Having an international airport in your backyard does not hurt either. Traveling these days typically includes our two mature pups Buddy and Bear--they love New England!  UVMMC is one of the leading employers in the state and having the opportunity to work here is amazing. 

From the moment I met the current residents at American Flatbread in downtown Burlington for my pre-interview dinner, I knew UVM was the place for me. Yes, Vermont has seemingly endless natural beauty but the best part of being a resident here at UVM is the people. The sense of community is second to none, with friendly, welcoming people who genuinely want to get to know you as a person. After working side-by-side in the reading room all day, residents and attendings consistently choose to hang out with each other after work. Whether that be hitting the slopes, decompressing with an IPA at Foam, or sugaring (maple syrup making for those unfamiliar) in an attendings backyard, the UVM radiology community knows how to have a good time!

Lastly, (and possibly most importantly?) because our department only has a total of 4 fellows across the board, residents are “top dog” and get the first chance at the most interesting cases and all procedural opportunities. Our resident-centered approach fosters early independence, critical thinking, and confidence, as residents are relied upon to manage cases and perform tasks that might otherwise be allocated to fellows in larger programs.

I have migrated from coast to coast, mountains to cities to mountains, and felt that Vermont was a great place to explore when I had my in-person interview at UVM. The program offered good training and, as I reflect, I definitely feel capable of functioning autonomously and competently, even earlier than I expected. As to why this place specifically, I initially was attracted to the opportunity to ski and climb more but have found myself doing things I never thought I would do such as sailing with my attendings and going ice climbing. Vermont has certainly offered the things I was looking for and could have provided more if I wasn’t scared of breaking things.