Amidst the global challenges we have faced and continue to face over the last year, we have found ways to grow as both health care professionals and as people. We have identified areas to further develop while also solidifying core tenets of our program that have been established for several years. We hope our Med-Peds website will give you a glimpse into our program, our residents, the area we serve, and the community in which we live. Here, we highlight some of the qualities of our program that make it so special:
Academics: Albany Medical Center is the major tertiary referral center in our region, serving over 25 counties spanning northeastern New York, western Massachusetts, and southwestern Vermont. This large catchment area affords us the opportunity to care for the region’s most complex pathology in both Pediatrics and Internal Medicine. Through the numerous subspecialty services we offer, we are well equipped to handle anything that walks through our doors. We also have the opportunity to rotate through the Albany Stratton VA hospital, giving us insight in the healthcare of our US Veterans.
Our continuity clinic truly embodies our combined Med-Peds spirit as a place our residents and patients can call home. In our Patient Centered Medical Home, all of our clinic attendings are Medicine-Pediatrics trained and serve as mentors for us during our residency and beyond. Every resident has their own dedicated patient panel promoting continuity that spans the entirety of one’s training. There is a dedicated team of nurses, case managers, and ancillary staff to assist with our more medically complex patients. Additionally, the Department of Sports Medicine shares part of this space. We have easy access to the expertise of our Sports Medicine colleagues whenever the need arises.
Our Residents: The true heart of any residency program is its trainees. We have had the privilege to attract some of the most well rounded and talented residents. Both our program and our residents are held in high regard among Albany Medical Center’s faculty, staff, and leadership. Our residents hail from different areas of the country, diverse walks of life, and have varied personal and professional interests. Being able to both relate to and learn from each other, we foster a collegial environment whether we are in the clinic, the hospital, or at a gathering outside of work. Our camaraderie permeates through our relationships with resident and faculty colleagues at all levels and specialties within Albany Med. We love our med-peds identity while also finding joy in integrating with our fellow categorical residents!
Our Community: Whether local or abroad, we feel a deep sense of pride in the communities we serve. Our residents have worked on projects spanning from increasing literacy among children to ensuring proper education and colon cancer screening in our adult population. We have partnered with local community programs to foster healthy eating habits and highlight the importance of physical activity, especially in low income families. Our residents and faculty have also traveled to Uganda as a part of our partnership with the Engeye Clinic, providing acute medical care in a resource limited setting.
Living in Albany offers a ton of exciting opportunities. As the state capital of New York, we are steps away from the development of important legislative policies giving access to numerous opportunities for advocacy. The region’s changing seasons afford us beautiful hiking trails and ski slopes in the Adirondacks, boating on the Hudson River or in many of the area’s lakes, or enjoying the local parks and festivals throughout the year. Albany has a diverse food scene along with several local and regional entertainment venues that host major artists and theatre productions. If you are looking for a quick day trip out of town, Boston, Montreal, and New York City are only a few hours away by train or car.
We wish you the best of luck this upcoming application cycle and look forward to meeting you!
Ayesha Ropri, M.D. and Omar Merdan, M.D.
Chief Residents, 2023-2024
