Transitional Year Residents Testimonials
Jerry Tsai, MD 
Transitional Year resident
Class of 2024
My transitional year at the University of Maryland Medical Center Midtown Campus was an extremely memorable experience. In preparation for entering dermatology residency, I sought a preliminary year program that would develop a solid foundation in internal medicine while providing the opportunity to customize my training to my interests.
At Midtown, the complicated and diverse patient population meant that I was constantly challenged to hone my clinical skills while working. My co-residents, many of whom came from a variety of backgrounds from abroad, brought invaluable insight and experience that extended far beyond clinical knowledge. Additionally, the program provided me with ample time, resources, and opportunities to participate in scholarly projects and elective rotations so that I can get a head start in preparation for my transition to my specialty.
Most importantly, however, I appreciated the environment of relaxed camaraderie that permeates across all levels of training. Such a culture is not something that can be developed overnight and is the reason that I most strongly recommend potential applicants to consider training at this program. If I had to repeat my intern year, I would very gladly do it at the University of Maryland Medical Center Midtown Campus.
Pramodh Ganapathy, MD
Transitional Year resident
Class of 2024
“I went into my Transitional Year not really knowing what to expect, but working at Midtown was a very positive beginning to residency. We were very fortunate to be part of a program that gave us the time and flexibility to get used to the pace of residency, while still allowing us to experience Baltimore and spend time with family and friends. My residency experience was full of attendings and co-residents who were kind, thoughtful, and considerate individuals who I honestly did not expect to get to know as well as I did. Especially with regard to our program director Dr. Chow, all of us have seen how much he cares about his residents’ experiences and how far out of the way he is willing to go in order to improve things for them. I honestly think my Transitional Year was one of the most fun years of my life—I was able to make new friends, reconnect with old ones, discover a lot of new things about myself, and of course learn quite a bit of medicine along the way. To me, Midtown felt like much more than simply a transition and has become home to some of my favorite memories in residency.”
Farhad Pishgar, MD, MPH
Transitional Year resident
Class of 2023
"Looking back on the past few months, I want to highlight the tremendous value I've found in the learning and growth opportunities provided by this program. The knowledge, skills, and insights I've gained have had a profound impact on my academic journey and have equipped me with the necessary tools to confidently tackle future challenges. I'm particularly grateful for the program's commitment to fostering a supportive and inclusive atmosphere, which has been crucial in nurturing my personal development. The program director has created an exceptional environment that has not only helped me grow professionally but has also given me a solid foundation to overcome personal difficulties. Their dedication to creating a nurturing environment has truly made a significant difference in my life.
Additionally, I want to commend the outstanding collaboration among my fellow residents under the program director's guidance. The emphasis on teamwork and shared success, rather than individual competition, has fostered a culture of mutual support and encouragement. This collaborative spirit has played a vital role in creating an environment where residents uplift and empower one another, resulting in a vibrant and rewarding learning experience. The camaraderie among residents has not only contributed to my professional growth but has also fostered a sense of belonging and community within the program.
Reflecting on my journey, I am filled with profound gratitude for the positive impact of UMMC Midtown's Transitional Year Residency Program and the program director on my life. The dedication, wisdom, and genuine care demonstrated by the program director have played an instrumental role in my personal and academic growth. I will forever cherish the memories, the valuable lessons learned, and the profound influence this program has had on shaping me into the physician I am today."
Mitchell Belkin, MD
Transitional Year resident
Class of 2023
"Midtown exceeded my expectations for a transitional year. For me, Midtown was an excellent program for three primary reasons:
- the supportive culture of the residents,
- the high quality attendings
- the support of the incredible Program Director, Dr. Chow
Prior to starting intern year, I did not appreciate the importance of the camaraderie of the residents in the program. In this regard, Midtown is unparalleled. All of the residents I worked with were incredibly encouraging, easy to work with, and made extraordinary efforts to help one another succeed. Since Midtown Campus is part of the greater University of Maryland system, we have numerous attendings who also work downtown, including our ICU attendings, the Infectious Diseases attendings, and the Endocrinology attendings. These departments in particular have a strong interest in teaching and made learning in those disciplines extraordinarily enjoyable. Finally, Dr. Chow. It's challenging to run a residency program. Dr. Chow is a leader who has created an atmosphere of both personal and professional growth. He really cares about residents and the program wouldn't be the same without him."
Ozlenen Eylul Ince Hocaoglu, MD
Transitional Year resident
Class of 2023
"I am excited to share my experience with my residency program UMMC-Midtown Campus, which I believe is one of the best places for transitional year residents to build a strong foundation in medicine through rotating variety of settings. I deeply value my residency program because they have a strong dedication to teaching and continuously improving. It's evident in the way they value our feedback. They genuinely listen to our input and facilitate positive changes based on it. This creates an environment where residents feel a sense of respect, support, and empowerment in their journey of learning. The program's culture was equally important to me. Right from the beginning, I felt the warmth and friendliness in the atmosphere. The attendings were understanding, approachable, and genuinely interested in our growth and success. The bond among the residents was incredible, making it feel like a tight-knit family. This positive and supportive culture created an excellent learning environment where we could develop both personally and professionally. I feel extremely grateful to be part of such an outstanding program that values education and creates a welcoming atmosphere. As I get ready for my next chapter in physical medicine and rehabilitation, it's a mix of emotions to say goodbye to this program. The friendships and experiences I've gained here will always hold a special place in my heart."
Azam Husain, MD
Transitional Year resident- Ophthalmology Program
Class of 2022
"I was a transitional year intern at Midtown and at the time of graduation in 2022, I found myself surprisingly sad to be leaving the Midtown IM family. Often times, residents requiring a transitional/preliminary intern year in medicine prior to advancing to their respective specialties, treat the intern year as a stepping stone. Midtown's TY was quite the contrary. Immediately, there was very little distinction between categorical and transitional interns. We were immediately taken in as part of the family by Dr. Chow, Sheera, Wanda, attendings, senior residents, and pretty much every one in the hospital. Midtown is perfectly sized in that they see a wide array of pathologies, and yet almost all providers and staff members know each other personally; this created an environment where resident education and well-being is prioritized at each level of care from outpatient to the ICU and everything in between. Attendings get to know you on a personal basis and vice versa. The atmosphere is collegial and the patient care is unwavering. Fortunately, I get to continue my ophthalmology residency at the University of Maryland. As an ophthalmology resident, I have already received consults from some of my prior medicine attendings at Midtown. I honestly enjoyed returning to the inpatient floors at Midtown and reconnecting with past colleagues. I can confidently say, 'once part of the Midtown family, always part of the Midtown family.'"
Doug Brown, MD
Transitional Year resident- Ophthalmology Program
Class of 2022
"I was incredibly pleased with the intern year at UMMC-Midtown Campus. As a true Transitional Year resident, I rotated through a variety of settings, from the inpatient floors, the emergency room, to the ICU. As a member of the combined program with the ophthalmology residency at the University of Maryland, I gained early exposure to ophthalmology by rotating in the adjacent eye clinic for 3 months of the PGY1 year. Now at my advanced ophthalmology program, I feel competent seeing ophthalmology patients with many co-morbidities and responding to consults from a variety of patient locations. I highly recommend Midtown as a warm environment and a caring residency program. It is a wonderful place to grow as an intern and hone the skills of a doctor, no matter whether you will be pursuing specialty training or continuing on with a categorical program."
Kent Reichel, MD
Transitional Year resident
Class of 2022
As I look back on my experience as a transitional year at the University of Maryland Midtown campus, I can confidently say that I've gained a strong foundation in medicine that will prepare me well for my future residency program. I believe that these foundational "doctoring" skills that come from completing an internship aren't unique to Midtown, but what was unique was the community. From the first day of orientation, I felt overcome by the welcoming presence of the residency and hospital leadership. It was clear that this was a group of people with great respect and compassion for one another that fostered the ideal atmosphere for growth and development of junior physicians. I was given graduated autonomy over my patients to make decisions regarding diagnostic tests and treatments, but always felt the safety net of my senior residents and attending physicians. There was also ample opportunity to hone competencies in procedural skills. It was certainly a busy year, but I was still able to find time to balance my work life with time for family, hobbies, and exercise which I believe are essential to overall health and preventing burnout. I leave internship year feeling fulfilled and excited for the next stages of my medical training.
Samuel Asanad, MD
Transitional Year resident
Class of 2021
"Reflecting on this intern year, I can confidently say that I gained a comprehensive experience in Internal Medicine in a very short amount of time. I have learned a great deal from not only exceptional faculty mentors, but also my colleagues. Despite being a transitional year, I appreciated being treated no different from the categorial interns. In addition to clinical skills, the Baltimore community equipped me with a profound set of social skills and cultural competence when working with patients from diverse ethnic backgrounds, many of which have limited access to health care.
I cannot emphasize enough how much my internship experience was enhanced with a strong sense of comradery, which in many ways resembled an extended family. Sheera and Wanda are amazing in not only coordinating the program, but also ensuring the well-being of residents. As Midtown's program director, Dr. Chow fuels your passion for medicine though his unparalleled sense of humor and desire to teach.
Among the rotations, I was especially grateful for my experience in the ICU, which was notably valuable during the COVID era. In light of the pivotal research conducted at the University of Maryland, I am tremendously honored and humbled to have been among the first to receive the COVID vaccine and to continue providing care for patients during a critical time. Moving on to Ophthalmology residency at the University of Maryland, I know that my foundation here at Midtown is one that will allow for a seamless transition where friendships will continue to strengthen, familial bonds will continue to grow, and new advancements in medicine will continue to unravel."
Vikrant Khare,MD
Transitional Year resident
Class of 2020
"As my Transitional Year comes to an end, I look back fondly upon the memories I made here at UMMC Midtown Campus. It has been a rewarding and strong learning experience. Having never worked at a community hospital before, the support and learning opportunities you are given is unparalleled. The work- friendly environment is one of the key reasons why my year at Midtown was memorable - there is a sense of camaraderie and support from all angles. Furthermore, there are many attendings who were once residents at the program, which shows how much they enjoyed being here.
Finally, the attendings at the program catered to my learning - as I am a radiology TY, they all communicated radiographic findings, elaborated on the sort of relationships clinicians and consultants have, and allowed me ample opportunities to perform procedures. Having talked to other classmates and colleagues from my past, I can confidently say I was given more than average opportunity to seek the research and procedures as compared to the average PGY-1. In summary, I feel like I have greatly grown this past year from all aspects of the Midtown experience, and it is the people at Midtown that made this happen."
Graham Tooker, MD
Transitional Year resident
Class of 2020
"Reflecting on my time spent at the University of Maryland Medical Center Midtown Campus and moving on to the next stage of residency is bittersweet, as I could not be more pleased with my experience there. I first learned about Midtown while rotating there as a third-year medical student and was fortunate to later match at Midtown for my Transitional Year. Midtown is a unique institution with a tight knit community of residents and faculty that assist with the difficult transition from medical school to intern year. It also provides a strong clinical curriculum through rotations on the medical floors, ER, ICU, and surgical services that all serve as a strong foundation for future training in any medical specialty. Dr. Chow, the program director is one of the program's greatest strengths. He is a stalwart advocate for the residents, fostering a supportive working environment that emphasizes compassionate care, continuing education, and quality improvement. I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to start my journey as a young physician at Midtown. I will cherish the lessons I have learned and friendships I have made, as I continue my clinical training as a radiology resident."
Moustafa Abou Areda, MD
Transitional Year resident
Class of 2020
"I can honestly look back at my transitional year training at UMMC Midtown campus with pride and fully attest to the life changing experience I had. Pausing now to remember where I was when I first started and seeing how far I have come is truly shocking. Although the experience was truly humbling in that I learned something new every day, I can say the physician I am today is miles and bounds greater than the one I was on day 1! That being said, this year taught me that no matter how far I have come, I have so much more to learn. At one time, this thought seemed daunting and paralyzing. However, it now an exciting and exhilarating prospect. The idea of learning more and my commitment to being a life-long learner burns brighter than ever! Moreover, it was both humbling and an honor to learn to manage such a diverse array of pathologies and to learned from such hardworking yet humble colleagues.
The best thing about this program has been the people - everyone from the security guards, to the nurses, to my co-residents and to the faculty. Learning here was more than just learning, it was also fun. This program has great cultural diversity, with the most amazing group of co-residents and faculty! I must also comment on this Midtown's program director, Dr. Chow. He has an earnest and honest passion for caring for his residents. I should mention his love for laughter and joy; his jokes definitely will keep you on your toes all year! Finally, the biggest thing I took from this program were the life-long friends I have made! I will always cherish and value the time we had together and I am certain our friendships will continue to live on, regardless of the distance between us or the many years that ceaselessly march on! Thank you, Midtown for the great year!"
Ankur Pandey, MD
Transitional Year resident
Class of 2019
"Having just completed my transitional year training at UMMC Midtown Campus, I can look back and confidently testify to my outstanding experience here. It was a humbling experience to work with and learn to manage a wide range of pathologies from accomplished colleagues and I thoroughly enjoyed my wonderful colleagues bringing radiology related queries to my attention, thus making my training here even more fun. The program has great cultural diversity with an amazing group of co-residents and faculty who strive to know each other even outside of work environment, with the program providing several such opportunities. The attendings and staff are great teachers, know you by your name, and are highly approachable and supportive. Dr. Chow, our program director, genuinely cares for his residents and this was easily evident to me from his support towards my professional goals throughout my training while his amazing sense of humor never ceases to surprise you. Embedded within these qualities that one would desire to have in their transitional year internship training are the excellent opportunities for well-rounded training in medicine curriculum focusing on high-quality patient care, yet allowing a flexible elective schedule. Overall, I feel this program is a hidden gem! While the goal during internship year was to develop skills to facilitate my development as a better clinical radiologist, I left with much more including friendships to cherish and valuable clinical mentorship."
Aleeza Abbasi, MD
Transitional Year resident
Class of 2018
"As intern year is coming to an end, I look back at my year at University of Maryland Medical Center Midtown Campus as an enriching and fulfilling experience. I feel humbled and fortunate to have practiced medicine among my colleagues and seniors who have taught me so much. The most important aspect of this residency program in particular is the friendly work environment that is comparable to a close-knit family. Many of the current attending physicians have trained here for residency and stayed on as faculty, which speaks volumes about the program. The Program Director, Dr. Chow, is the glue that holds the program together; he truly cares about resident wellness and is supportive of our career goals. In addition, the residency training at this community program is truly challenging and diverse as we treat the complex patients of Baltimore city. I feel that I have grown as a physician over the past year, and I am glad that I matched here for my transitional year!"
Etienne Schönbach, MD
Transitional Year resident
Class of 2018
I wanted to come to the University of Maryland Medical Center Midtown Campus for my transitional year because of the well-rounded training that the diverse medical and surgical curriculum allows. In addition to the medical training on the medical floors and in the ICU, several months of rotations are in the emergency department, in the operating room, and also in an ambulatory setting that offers hands-on experience in surgical specialties such as otolaryngology, ophthalmology, and urology. The program also gave me the opportunity to dedicate some time to my research interests. The commitment to excellence and the passion for innovation exhibited by everyone I met during my year at the University of Maryland Medical Center Midtown Campus embodies the type of physician I want to be."
Suehyb Alkhatib, MD
Transitional Year resident
Class of 2017
"The stand- out character of the UMMC Midtown Hospital residency program is our community. The program consists of a small class of 20 interns with 16 residents, who are all work together to make the program successful for everyone individually, and for the group as a whole. There is a wide array of staff we are all able to come to know on a personal level and to work together as an interdisciplinary team taking care of patients. All the attending hospitalists are approachable, skilled in teaching, and interested in getting to know the residents. The intimate collegiality and team work environment we have here can only be found in small community hospital settings like Midtown. At Midtown, residents are the heart of the hospital. We are the rapid response team, and we run most of the codes. In the ICU, we work with a fellow from Downtown and have plenty of opportunities to do procedures, as well as in the ED, and to scrub in on surgeries during our surgery rotation for Transitional Year interns. Every program will end up being what we take from the program, and the program at Midtown has a lot to offer."