The primary goal of our program is to provide comprehensive clinical training so that our graduating residents are fully equipped to pursue whatever career path they desire after residency. A resident in our program receives a rigorous, first-rate clinical experience which centers upon a diverse population of patients at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Hospital and at the Central Arkansas Veterans Health Care System. Our residents are doctors for a wide spectrum of patients, including those who are referred for subspecialty care, those who live locally and come to us with common diseases, and those who have served our country in the armed forces.  

A secondary goal of our program is to provide our residents with research experience; each resident is offered the opportunity to participate in cutting-edge scientific research. There is sufficient flexibility built into each resident’s schedule to accommodate blocks of research time. Most residents who choose to participate in research go on to fellowship training in one of the medicine subspecialties after residency. Our graduating residents boast an excellent record of matching into highly competitive fellowship positions. 

In our program, there is an overarching emphasis on curriculum-driven resident education, so that I sincerely view our residents as learners rather than workers. Our Chairman, Dr. James Marsh, not only enthusiastically encourages his faculty
to participate in education, but also generously rewards them for doing so. Consequently, the attending physicians with whom our residents have most contact, are those who truly possess the desire and the time to teach in the clinic or on the wards. Key clinical faculty are accessible and readily approachable. 

Like the city of Little Rock, our program is of intermediate size. This feature, when combined with a system that stresses teamwork, fosters a true spirit of collegiality resonating among our residents and faculty.  In fact, when I arrived at the
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in 1996, I found that the most striking aspect of the training program was the camaraderie that existed amongst the residents. This is still true today.  

I received my M.D. degree from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston; my training continued at the University of Alabama at Birmingham where I spent a total of 7 years as a resident, a chief resident, and an infectious diseases fellow. Since joining the faculty at UAMS, I have had the honor of being heavily involved with the education of our students, residents, and fellows. In 2002 I became Associate Program Director, a position I held until Dr. Robert Bradsher handed me the reigns of directorship in November 2007. 

If you are interested in a career in general internal medicine or in one of the medicine subspecialties, I encourage you to look at our program. I am confident that the training in internal medicine which we provide for our residents is second to none.