What have been the most pleasant surprises?
"As soon as I walked into this place I realized it was the place for me because of the people. They are all so friendly and genuine, which is very important since during your residency you spend MANY MANY hours with them! I also really was attracted to the people in the housestaff office and how helpful they are…we can ask them for support with anything!!! Besides that above, you also get to see a cornucopia of pathology from all over the state. Also the attendings are awesome and always available."
—Carrie Roys, M.D. (Med-Peds PGY-3)
"The program has provided everything that I expected and more."
—Holli Bagwell, D.O. (PGY-2)
What do you like best about Arkansas Children's Hospital?
“True to its mission statement, ACH provides the same level of (best) care to every one who has or has no insurance. I have known patients who even got their outpatient medications filled in the hospital pharmacy, who had no means to pay for. Patients and public love this hospital. People outside respect me when they learn I work for ACH.”
—Satya Hegde, M.D. (PGY-1)
"What I like best about ACH? The people, hands down. My friends in this program are my second family! Oh, and the cafeteria too…"
—Liz Baldwin, M.D. (PGY-2)
"What I like best about ACH? Everyone looks out for each other. I feel like if I am having a bad day or just have no idea what to do with a patient there is always someone to turn to for support."
—Christine Barrett, M.D. (PGY-2)
"The house staff office cares about the residents and makes an extra effort to simplify our lives."
—Dirk Haselow, M.D., Ph.D. (PGY-2)
"My colleagues are amazing! It’s the perfect environment for learning medicine and establishing great relationships! It a great place to learn how to make a difference."
—Ebony Hunter, M.D. (PGY-2)
"Why did I choose ACH? As soon as I stepped foot in the hospital, I knew it was my choice. It was a feeling, hardly an explanation. You have to come visit us to understand…" —Ebony Hunter, M.D. (PGY-2)
"The faculty are awesome. I feel very well supported."
—Tina Jones, M.D. (PGY-2
"After going to college close to home and then medical school at UAMS, I went off and looked hard to find a different residency program. Every place I looked though, I felt they were either their facilities were lacking or that the people just didn’t seem like the kind of folks with whom I wanted to spend the next 3 years of my life. In the end, I placed UAMS as my number 1 program because of the quality of the residents I knew to be there."
—Andy Koehler, M.D. (PGY-2)
Why did you choose ACH?
"The moment I left Little Rock after interviewing at ACH, I knew that I wanted to come back and live here. The people at ACH were both welcoming and delightful, and I was very impressed at all the opportunities the program had to offer. In addition, the camaraderie amongst the residents and faculty members is truly unique. I couldn't wait to come back to Little Rock!"
—Sara Anvari, M.D. (PGY-1)
"Why did I choose ACH? The benefits, you can’t beat the amount of perks this program offers residents."
—Matthew Ramirez, M.D. (PGY-2)
"Arkansas Children’s Hospital is an awesome facility and getting better every day. Great camaraderie amongst the residents and Chiefs. Kelly Simon. The Circle of Friends Clinic (continuity clinic). Great faculty who seem to enjoy interacting with and teaching residents."
—Matthew Ramirez, M.D. (PGY-2)
"ACH is a free standing children’s hospital and the only one in the state so we see EVERYTHING here. We have awesome residents and faculty with plenty of exposure to subspecialties. Night float makes call much better than most programs. And we have a nice hospital and great working environment, and the transport service because what’s cooler than riding a helicopter?---getting paid to ride one."
—Kim Thornton, M.D. (PGY-2)
"I chose UAMS because of our faculty, including the house staff office, and the residents. It really does feel like a family."
—Kim Thornton, M.D. (PGY-2)
"What do I like best about ACH/UAMS? The people. The residents, staff, and faculty make this place great. I’d be hard-pressed to run out of kind things to say about the folks I’ve met and worked with here. We’re really well taken care of as residents, the hospital is great, and there are lots of little (& big) perks that sure help out. If you ever need a helping hand, someone’s always got your back…even before you ask. A specific thanks to those who have been so kind to me."
—Erin Ulloa, M.D. (PGY-2)
"After completing medical school in Little Rock, I interviewed at many programs to ensure that I was staying in Arkansas due to the strength of the program and not just due to my comfort zone. I was unable to match the caliber of fellow residents and approachability of attendings at UAMS. I also will feel comfortable entering a private practice after the level of patient exposure available at ACH."
—Christy Bartlett, M.D. (PGY-3)
"Why did I choose ACH? Solid educational program with a good mixture of training in taking care of patients of all acuity levels. Strong focus on General Pediatrics. Warm feel of both the hospital and the city."
—Thomas Cash, M.D. (PGY-3)
"What do I like best about ACH/UAMS? The administration is very responsive to any and all resident concerns or requests, the night float system is GREAT, and my fellow residents here are wonderful!"
—Sarah Labuda, M.D. (PGY-3)
"Why did I choose UAMS/ACH? I liked the diversity within the residents. There are so many people from different programs as well as UAMS people. It demonstrated that people want to stay here and come here from other places which makes for a great mix. The patient exposure is also significantly higher than my home program."
—Courtney Ranallo, M.D. (PGY-3)
"I like the work ethic and enthusiasm of the staff and residents. Everyone is truly dedicated to excellent care, integrity, but also to fun and support. I recently had my second child, and I was fully supported the whole way. We also have the best housestaff. It makes a big difference that when you’re working hard that there are such caring people to help."
—Courtney Ranallo, M.D. (PGY-3)
"ACH is a wonderful family atmosphere. Everyone looks out for each other and works well as a team."
—Kara Starnes, D.O. (PGY-3)
"I could not have asked for better Medicine-Pediatrics training. I was fully integrated into both the Internal Medicine and Pediatrics residency programs. The faculty and staff are inspiring and attentive, providing individualized mentorship in clinical care, teaching, and research. The relationships that I developed during residency and chief residency continue to be both personally and professionally enriching."
S. Todd Callahan, MD, MPH
Now: Division of Adolescent Medicine
Child & Adolescent Health Research Unit
Vanderbilt Children's Hospital
"Doing residency here was one of the best decisions I ever made. Coming from a very hands on medical school, I knew that I learned from doing and seeing. Here we get an amazing amount of experience performing procedures and taking care of very sick children both in the ER and ICU setting.
Also, Little Rock has been a great place to live, both affordable and safe, as well as a lot of fun."
Laura Campion
Now: Instructor, Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Arkansas Children’s Hospital
Residency: July 2003 to June 2006
Med School: Texas Tech
"My Pediatric residency experience at UAMS/ACH was wonderful. Everyone there made me feel at home. I made friendships that will last a lifetime. I also feel that my training experience prepared me for life in the "real world" of private practice. I was given a solid foundation to build from post- residency."
Jennifer Collier
Now: Private Practice in Georgia
Residency: July 2003 to June 2006
Med School: UT Memphis
"During my time at ACH I felt as if I was part of a large family that truly took interest in its charges, not just in our academic development, but also in our personal well being. I was both well cared for and well prepared for my career ahead of me. I have been in private practice for a year and a half, and I am thankful daily for the training that I received. My experience at ACH prepared me very well."
Ashley Gonzalez
Now: General Practice in Florida
Residency: July 2003 to June 2006
Med School: LSU Shreveport
"Someone wise once told me, 'Do your residency in a resident-driven program, then do your fellowship in a fellow-driven program.' Great advice I would say, and I think I got the best of both worlds. What I tell applicants is that there are probably several good places to learn to be a great pediatrician, but there's no place that's better than ACH."
Brian Eble
Now: Assistant Professor of Pediatric Cardiology at ACH
Residency: July 1999 to June 2002
Med School: University of Missouri - Columbia
"My name is Lakisha Lee and I am one of the Pediatric Chief Residents at Arkansas Children’s. How did I end up in Little Rock? Five years ago, I NEVER would have guessed Little Rock would be a place that I chose to move to and remain in after finishing residency. While searching for programs to consider I focused on residencies in southeastern United States. When I discussed my selections with both the Medicine and Med-Peds Program Directors at my medical school in New Orleans, they both STRONGLY recommended that I visit Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock. One of them laughed hysterically when he saw my responding facial expression, to which he responded “it’s a diamond in the rough, at least consider it”. So I did. I made UAMS my first interview so that I could get it over with. And much to my surprise, they were both right. Every other interview was thereafter compared to my experience at and perception of UAMS.
"Fast-forward three years and I continue to reflect on what a tremendous blessing it has been to grow as a physician in both the teaching environment of UAMS and the culture of Arkansas Children’s. I chose to stay here in Little Rock for an additional year so that I could prolong my exposure to our diversity of patients, and to the attendings and specialists who have helped mold me into the physician I am. It was also very important that, for as long as I can, I continue to be a part of the environment and spirit that drew a skeptical, apprehensive medical student here more than three years ago."
Lakisha Lee
"When I moved to Little Rock, my first impression was of trees, hills, water in a beautiful city that had a big town atmosphere. Less traffic, warm people and a very affordable cost of living is still true 27 years later.”
Richard F. Jacobs, MD, FAAP
Resident Class of 1982
"After 5 years in private practice in Pine Bluff, I moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1987 and became a pediatric hospitalist, practicing there for 17 years. I was immensely pleased to find that my training at ACH was as good as or better than that which my Michigan colleagues had received. The experience gave me a deep appreciation for the privilege that was mine to train at Arkansas Children’s Hospital.”
Bryan L. Burke, Jr., M.D., FAAP
Associate Professor, Section of Neonatology
"We always have outstanding residents from both UAMS and out-of-state, and I greatly enjoy working with them in the ER. They excel in their clinical knowledge, decision making, interpersonal skills, and work ethic."
Don Foster, M.D.
Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Pediatric Emergency Medicine
"I am proud to be partly trained at ACH. For family reasons, my family had to relocate during my training and this made me more proud of what a resident here can be exposed to while being very well challenged and surrounded by not only excellent educators but very friendly ones. One of the main reasons I had to come back as faculty is because of how much support not only a woman faculty with kids can get but residents too.... “
Aline T. Tanios, MD.
Assistant Professor, General Pediatrics-Hospitalist
Medical Home Program
