Why did you choose Yale Department of Internal Medicine for your fellowship?
When interviewing for fellowship, I prioritized collegial and productive departments with similar research interests as mine. I was also interested in pursuing additional education and training in immunology as well as bioinformatics and computational biology. Yale offers defined educational pathways for medical trainees to pursue additional interests. I have found great mentors at Yale and am currently conducting research as a postdoc in Dr. Insoo Kang’s lab.
What was your path to Yale?
Prior to fellowship, I had no direct connection to Yale. My medical training trajectory has been nonlinear. After I graduated from medical school at the University of Illinois, I completed pathology residency at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. I then pursued additional training in internal medicine at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center.
Perks of living in New Haven? Connecticut?
New Haven has some of the best food options I have experienced thus far, rivaling much larger cities, such as Boston and Chicago. The ethnic diversity allows for learning about other cultures, especially through their food. The cost of living relative to other coastal cities with similar institutions is an added benefit.
Connecticut’s landscape is stunning and allows for outdoor activities, especially hiking. Its location facilitates travel throughout the Northeast. I can easily visit family in Boston, New Jersey, and Virginia.
What is your career goal?
Overall, I would like to pursue a career as a physician scientist. Over the next few years, I would like to further solidify my clinical skills in rheumatology and advance my understanding of immunology and computational biology. I am interested in leveraging omics data to study the pathogenesis and heterogeneity of autoimmune diseases to identify potential therapeutic targets.