Message from the Med-Peds Chief Residents
Hello and welcome! This is Kayla and Arghygadeep, and we are the current chiefs of the Med-Peds program here at WMed. We would like to thank you for taking the time to learn about our program. Our residents come from all walks of life and regions of the world. Although we chose WMed for various reasons, we all agree that WMed has become our second family.
I (Kayla) am originally from North Carolina and moved to Kalamazoo for residency. I have loved my time at WMed. It has been fun to explore Michigan and grow to love Western Michigan, with its beach towns and numerous events in all seasons. WMed has been a truly supportive program for my learning throughout residency with amazing co-residents, attendings, and mentors. WMed fosters an environment for learning and resident well-being. WMed has become a second family and one I am so happy to be a part of. There are numerous opportunities at WMed, including the Osteopathic Manipulation track, Street Medicine, and the Global Health opportunities. It has been a great experience being a part of this amazing Med-Peds program.
I (Arghyadeep) am originally from Calcutta, India, and spent a year in Minnesota before coming to Kalamazoo for residency. Looking back, it was one of the best decisions of my life. Right from the interview, what stood out to me was how happy everyone was to be at WMed, and in general, how collaborative and supportive the environment was. Over the last three years that I have been here, every single person from the program directors of the Med-Peds, Internal Medicine, and Pediatrics programs, the coordinators, and resident peers have been bulwarks of support, creating an extremely nurturing environment focused on education and the well-being of the resident. Cliché as maybe, the people at WMed truly make it a great place to train. I remember during the first three months of being in Kalamazoo, I did not have a car and didn't know how to drive. It was my co-residents and seniors who loaned me their cars for driving practice, driving tests, and gave me rides to work and for my errands. In terms of education, we very much take a resident-first approach and encourage learning at one’s own pace. The presence of an integrated ultrasound and osteopathic curriculum was a massive boon and helped me expand my medical knowledge and horizons in a way I never thought was possible. Finally, Kalamazoo is an amazing place to live and train. It gives you all the major big city amenities, including a Costco and Trader Joe’s, international grocery stores and multiple ethnic culinary options, without the hustle and bustle, and expenses that come with living in such big cities. Kalamazoo is surrounded by many rural communities, and you will see an amazing blend of rural and urban pathology when practicing here in both internal medicine and pediatrics. In case you do need to go to bigger cities, Grand Rapids is less than an hour away while Chicago and Detroit are mere two-hour drives. In closing, I cannot recommend WMed enough and firmly believe that this place will allow you to grow into the best possible internist and pediatrician that you could possibly be in a nurturing environment.
We understand that choosing a residency program is a challenging process. However, we strongly believe that our program offers the foundation and guidance to achieve your goals and become your best self. We look forward to hearing from you!