We have a wonderful group of residents and hope you’ll get to know them…
Click the photos or names to drop down to their bios.
Co-Chief Resident in Pathology
Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University
Hometown: State College, PA
College: Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT)
Medical School: Jacobs School of Medicine, University at Buffalo
Fellowship Plans: I plan on doing a Surgical Pathology subspecialty.
Career Goals: I am really undecided on whether I wish to pursue an academic or private practice position. I do have a strong interest in teaching and like the idea of specializing in a single area, so I am leaning slightly towards academics.
Hobbies and Interests: Golf, tennis, soccer, and PC gaming.
Why Duke: I think the residents are a great group who really look out for each other. The faculty are fantastic pathologists who are dedicated to teaching, and the facilities are top notch.
Why Durham: Honestly, it is sunny here the majority of the time year round. In Buffalo we didn't see the sun for the entire winter; I think that speaks for itself. Otherwise, Durham and the Research Triangle area have a ton of cultural diversity, especially with good food options and just a lot of neat places to explore, like the Duke Gardens.
Hometown: South Orange, New Jersey
College: Montclair State University
Medical School: Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School
Fellowship Plans: I plan to pursue a fellowship in gastrointestinal pathology.
Career Goals: I intend to further my understanding and treatment of digestive diseases. I hope to contribute to the literature in gastrointestinal pathology through research. I will eventually pursue a position at an academic center so I can help develop the next generation of physicians.
Hobbies and Interests: I am quickly excited by our advances in medicine, alternative energy, and space travel. I also enjoy cooking, local and foreign food, and hiking.
Why Duke: The faculty at Duke has been incredible at helping me push my limits as a person and as a physician. I have been exposed to a wide variety of cases that I often read about as being rare, but get to experience multiple times on any given service.
Why Durham: I am pleasantly surprised by the restaurant scene in Durham. As someone who used to live in a much denser metropolitan area, I became used to seeing restaurants sell Pho, kebabs, and dumplings all on the same city block, and Durham has not once disappointed me.
Hometown: London, U.K.
College: University of Durham, U.K. (B.Sc.), Imperial College London (Ph.D.), International Space University, France (M.S.)
Medical School: University of North Carolina
Fellowship Plans: Surgical Pathology 2021-22 (Duke).
Career Goals: Faculty at an academic center (like Duke!).
Hobbies and Interests: Spending time with my wife and two young daughters. I love running and gardening. I worked at NASA for 10 years as a research scientist in the International Space Station program before going to medical school. I am an aircraft pilot, so I love everything space and aviation-related. I've worked on scientific expeditions in remote locations such as Antarctica, the Arctic, and far-east Russia, and love experiencing the natural wonders of our planet.
Why Duke: Duke is a special place, and Duke Pathology has a great residency program. From the beautiful campus, to the great faculty and co-residents, this is a wonderful place to work and learn.
Why Durham: The Triangle is a great place to live and raise a family. The weather is fantastic with four seasons, the trees and landscapes are beautiful, the state parks are fantastic, and there is a cosmopolitan, eclectic, and international feel, with great colleges like Duke, UNC, and NC State University. It is a very pleasant and comfortable place to be a resident.
Hometown: San Francisco, CA
College: University of California, Los Angeles
Medical School: University of Iowa
Fellowship Plans: Hematopathology and Molecular Pathology.
Career Goals: To become an excellent diagnostician.
Hobbies and Interests: Gardening and cooking.
Why Duke: Duke’s academic reputation for excellence is well-deserved, and I appreciate learning from the world-class pathologists who are our attendings. Here, residents are valued members of the healthcare team, and the support from the residency program director is tremendous.
Why Durham: I feel that the Raleigh-Durham area is a perfect blend of big city amenities with small city navigability. It is also a great location for those who love the outdoors, with mountains, lakes, and beaches all within reach. It’s also a good city for foodies – both those who love to cook and those who love to eat!
Hometown: Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada
College: University of Nevada, Reno
Medical School: University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine
Fellowship Plans: Neuropathology and Forensic Pathology
Career Goals: I hope to become a masterful, compassionate forensic pathologist and teacher. My long-term career goals include integrating teaching into my practice or perhaps working near or in conjunction with a teaching institution. I hope to be able to climb the ranks and maybe even be a Chief Medical Examiner one day!
Hobbies and Interests: I enjoy CrossFit, playing with my dog, and going to concerts. I am also an avid reader of mostly literary fiction and love to watch horror movies.
Why Duke: Duke was able to offer me a multitude of factors that I felt would be beneficial for my career, both during residency and beyond. We are part of an incredible hospital system that sees a huge variety of patients and pathologies. Additionally, the fellowship opportunities in the area abound. A large part of deciding to come here to pursue Forensics was the opportunity to go to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Raleigh for a forensics rotation.
Why Durham: My husband and I love all that Durham has to offer. It's the perfect balance between a big city and a small town. We live close to plenty of restaurants and breweries, and even walk downtown to enjoy the farmer's market or new food; Durham is definitely pedestrian-friendly. I found a CrossFit gym that I love, and we are able to have quick weekend getaways at all the amazing places around North Carolina.
Hometown: Pleasanton, CA
College: Stanford University
Medical School: University of Illinois College of Medicine, Peoria
Fellowship Plans: Neuropathology and Molecular Pathology.
Career Goals: Academic medicine is likely a foregone conclusion given my interests, and that suits me as I truly enjoy teaching, research, and the complex cases that come with academics. Beyond this, my goal is to pursue and exhibit excellence in my endeavors.
Hobbies and Interests: Spending time with my husband and child as well as rock climbing, cooking, hiking, and camping.
Why Duke: Amazing residents, amazing program, and amazing faculty. As someone who grew up surrounded by a family business, I feel our people are as close as one gets to family in the workplace without it being a family company. This great environment is coupled with excellent teaching from our attending pathologists and fellows as well as a case volume and breadth that is hard to beat.
Why Durham: Durham has a taste of all four seasons, but not enough snow to make me long for the West Coast the way Illinois did. It also has a great food scene and is close to outdoor climbing, beaches, and camping. There is always something to do, and it’s affordable enough to buy a home. Now that my family has grown to include a little one, I can also say that Durham has plenty to do for children!
Hometown: Cary, NC
College: Duke University
Medical School: University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine
Fellowship Plans: Surgical Pathology and Cytopathology.
Career Goals: Community practice pathology, but I haven’t ruled out academics.
Hobbies and Interests: I enjoy gardening, cooking, hiking, travelling and dragon boating. I also like to visit art galleries and am excited to take advantage of the music, shows, and dance performances that take place at Duke, UNC, and DPAC. I also will never turn down the opportunity to watch the latest Netflix series.
Why Duke: Two things stood out to me during my externship at Duke: the level of expertise of the faculty and the friendliness of everyone in the program. At Duke, you get to sign out each organ system with an expert in the field and the faculty are open to questions and eager to teach. The residents are extremely intelligent and accomplished but never boastful. They have interesting and unique personalities and backgrounds, and I am looking forward to spending the next four years with them!
Why Durham: Durham and the surrounding Chapel Hill/Raleigh area combine many things that I love to do. There are ample hiking and outdoors activities available, with my favorite places to visit being the Eno River and Umstead State Park. The Duke Gardens and JC Raulston Arboretum are great to visit any time of the year. The annual American Dance Festival is held in Durham. There is the historic Carolina Theater. There are numerous concerts, plays, and dance performances held at Duke, UNC, and DPAC. The Durham/Chapel Hill/Raleigh area has many excellent restaurants with cuisine ranging from Thai, Vietnamese, and Chinese, to Indian, French and amazing BBQ. Finally, Durham is affordable with many excellent apartments within a 10-15 minute drive to the hospital.
Hometown: Salt Lake City, UT
College: University of Utah
Medical School: University of Utah School of Medicine
Fellowship Plans: Cytopathology
Career Goals: I still don’t know where I would like to end up! I could see myself finding a career in academics or the community fulfilling.
Hobbies and Interests:I love spending time with my husband and son, walking my dog, cooking, reading, and getting outdoors to hike/bike/camp as often as possible. I miss skiing back in Utah!
Why Duke: Duke is a program that has endless opportunity. We are a busy academic institution with the opportunity to see many complex, rare, and fascinating cases, while also getting a good amount of “bread and butter” cases. We have incredibly supportive faculty and staff. Despite having many cases, we are able to spend much of our time at the hospital learning, and still lead fulfilling lives outside the hospital!
Why Durham: Durham has many perks! It is affordable, very green, pleasant weather for the most part, and there are lots of fun places to explore outdoors and indoors! There is a lot of great food in the area as well.
Hometown: Fayetteville, GA
College: The Georgia Institute of Technology
Medical School: Tulane University
Fellowship Plans: My initial interests upon entering residency training are Surgical Pathology, Clinical Immunology, and Hematopathology. However, I also have a background in Bioinformatics and am considering Clinical Pathology Informatics fellowships, too.
Career Goals: I am open to a wide variety of practice settings. I could see myself in academic, private, governmental, and/or industry settings. Having a public health and biotechnology background, I would love to incorporate either of those into a clinical practice setting if presented with the right opportunity.
Hobbies and Interests: I have a wide array of hobbies and interests both related and unrelated to work. I have always been involved in a local church. I also love working out at the gym, hiking in the Smoky Mountains, computer programming, touring local attractions, exploring the French Quarter when I am in New Orleans, watching college sports (Go Jackets and Roll Wave!), and spending time with friends and family.
Why Duke: Duke’s reputation is on par with any institution in the country. The opportunities for clinical training and research under world-class faculty combined with Duke’s proximity to the innovative Research Triangle Park make Duke an exciting place to be. The campus is beautiful, and the training facilities are second-to-none. The faculty in the pathology department strongly advocate for their residents’ training needs within the context of DUMC and seek to provide an optimal training experience. However, what really set Duke apart on interview day were the faculty and residents who really seemed to enjoy being at Duke. The residents were the right balance of being pushed to the frontiers of their knowledge-base and ability but not over-burdened.
Why Durham: Being from nearby Georgia, I grew up going on a lot of family vacations to North Carolina and have always loved the state. Though I haven’t been able to explore all the city just yet, Durham is big enough where there is always something to do, yet small enough so that the traffic and cost of living are much more manageable than bigger metropolitan areas. The Eno River State Park and Duke Gardens are cool, easily-accessible, local outdoor venues. I love baseball and basketball, so I hope to catch some Durham Bulls and Duke basketball games. The Triangle area is a young, growing area with a lively college and young professional scene, but it also has a rich history, too. Durham is also a quick day-drive to both the Appalachian Mountains and the beaches of the Carolina coast. Furthermore, it is a short, cheap flight or an easy drive to visit my family back in Atlanta.
Hometown: Louisville, KY
College: University of Louisville
Medical School: University of Louisville
Fellowship Plans: Undecided.
Career Goals: Work at an academic institution that allows me to complete my clinical responsibilities in addition to teaching at the medical school.
Hobbies and Interests: Watching and playing sports, fishing, running, trying all the best restaurants in the Triangle area.
Why Duke: Duke offered me an incredible institution to train at in addition to wonderful people to surround myself with on a daily basis.
Why Durham: I fell in love with Durham the moment I arrived. From the people to the culture, Durham has something for everybody.
Hometown: Dallas, Texas
College: Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, Texas
Medical School: University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston, Texas
Fellowship Plans: Surgical pathology combined with cytopathology or hematopathology
Career Goals: Up in the air at this point.
Hobbies and Interests: Hiking, reading, and watching stand-up comedy.
Why Duke: Duke has a great pathology program, a beautiful campus, and residents, faculty, and staff who are genuinely kind and welcoming.
Why Durham: Durham has a charming, small town feel and such lovely green landscapes. Having lived in a big city almost my entire life, it feels like a real breath of fresh air.
Hometown: Augusta, GA
College: University of Georgia (Go Dawgs!)
Medical School: Medical College of Georgia
Fellowship Plans: I am not sure yet! I am interested in several different areas of pathology, both in AP and CP, and I am looking forward to residency and getting to delve in further.
Career Goals: I am still deciding between academic and private practice.
Hobbies and Interests: I love to bake and cook. I also enjoy outdoor activities like walking and hiking.
Why Duke: I really just felt drawn to the program at Duke. It had strong AP and CP programs, and the residents seemed like they were learning a lot and were very, very happy here.
Why Durham: It will be the first time I will be living in Durham, so I am excited to explore the city! It wasn’t too far from family and had a great vibe as far as local places that I saw when visiting.
Hometown: Tampa, FL
College: University of Florida
Medical School: University of Central Florida College of Medicine
Fellowship Plans: GYN/Breast
Career Goals: Having a longstanding interest in women’s health and oncology, I hope to specialize in GYN and breast pathology. Working at an academic medical center appeals to me so that I have ample opportunities to pursue research, teach residents and students, and continue learning and contributing to the field.
Hobbies and Interests: I am a huge foodie! I love to constantly try my hand at new recipes as well as try new restaurants and cuisines. I also love going on adventures with my boyfriend and our dog, traveling, spending time outdoors, and hanging out and exploring with friends.
Why Duke: Duke offers an exceptional training experience with a variety of fellowships, cutting edge technology, high case volume and patient diversity, and distinguished and supportive faculty. The collegial environment among the residents, attendings and staff is incomparable, making Duke a pleasant and exciting place to learn.
Why Durham: The Triangle offers many aspects of living in a big city which I love, such as a growing food scene, breweries, diverse culture, and events in the arts as well as the coziness of living in a small town with comfortable living, community events, farmers markets, and easy access to nature.
Hometown: Shreveport, LA
College: Baylor University
Medical School: University of Texas Medical Branch School of Medicine
Fellowship Plans: Forensic Pathology (and potentially neuropathology and/or cardiovascular pathology)
Career Goals: I intend to become a Medical Examiner, conduct research in the field of forensics, and also maintain an affiliation with an academic institution for teaching opportunities.
Hobbies and Interests: All sorts of gardening (including veggies, fruits, flowers, and bonsai), hiking, camping, and attending local festivals.
Why Duke: In addition to Duke's academic rigor, the collegial culture among faculty and residents really stuck in my mind following my visit. Faculty were approachable and friendly, and the residents also all seemed genuinely happy with their training environment. Additionally, I felt that there were ample opportunities to plug into academic research or even conduct original research. Lastly, but equally important for my career goals, Duke Pathology offers an incredible training in autopsy pathology (among other fields) where I will have the opportunity to learn from fantastic pathology assistants and experts in autopsy pathology, cardiovascular pathology, and neuropathology.
Why Durham: Durham struck me as a beautiful, welcoming city that offers plenty to do while also having a small town feel. I definitely plan on taking day trips/weekend trips to the mountains and coast, and I'm excited to explore festivals and events taking place here in Durham. The cost of living is great, and the triangle offers numerous career opportunities for my partner as well. An additional bonus is that we have the chance to rotate through and work for the N.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
Hometown: Raleigh, NC
College: Duke University
Medical school: University of North Carolina
Fellowship plans: To be determined
Career goals: Continuing to stay involved in academic pathology by teaching, mentoring and attending local and national conferences.
Hobbies and interests: Going to the beach, seafood, walks with my cockapoo, piano, painting, and tennis. I am fortunate that my family lives closeby, so I enjoy going home to see them as often as I can. I really enjoy checking out local art galleries or browsing/exploring new and upcoming artists on social media especially if they are local.
Why Duke: The Duke Pathology Residency Program has a great variety and volume of specimens, and the residents and faculty are so welcoming, knowledgeable, and most of all friendly. There are boundless opportunities for research, involvement in teaching and a strong focus on education. Additionally there is a great balance of autonomy and support. I felt incredibly happy and comfortable at Duke on interview day, and knew this was the place for me!
Why Durham: Durham has so much to offer in terms of good food, culture, outdoor activities, music and art. It’s very relaxing to run in the Duke Forest, take a stroll through the Duke Gardens, or hike around the Eno River. I attended Duke for my undergraduate studies, and had an amazing time both within the academic environment as well as surrounding city. Durham is an incredibly fun and affordable city, and you can always find something to do when you have a day off.
Hometown: Kansas City, KS
College: University of Kansas
Medical School: University of Kansas School of Medicine
Fellowship Plans: Undecided – there’s potential for GI but I’m keeping an open mind as I go through my training
Career Goals: Also undecided. At the moment I like the idea of working at a VA to encompass aspects of both private and academics.
Hobbies and Interests: I enjoy disc golf, hiking, biking, and, being from Kansas City, barbecuing! I also love sports…love the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals and my Kansas Jayhawks, and I suspect I’ll become a bit of a Duke fan while I am here.
Why Duke: Duke was the right combination of a number of factors for my wife and I. It is a reputable, prestigious program with friendly and personable attendings with a passion for teaching, and I truly believe the program will help me reach whatever career goals I make for myself. In addition to the excellent staff, the residents are all very knowledgeable and willing to help with anything you need.
Why Durham: Durham was another piece of the factors that drew my wife and I to Duke. It’s affordable, it has great diversity and culture, abundant attractions in the triangle area, and the favorable climate makes it great for outdoor adventures. Not only that, it is only a 2-3 hour drive to the mountains or the beach!
Hometown: Miami, Florida
College: Florida International University (FIU)
Medical School: FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine
Fellowship plans: Not sure, possibly hematopathology
Career goals: I hope to work at an academic hospital where I can teach the next generation of physicians (medical students) and pathologists (residents).
Hobbies and Interests: Hiking, scuba diving, video games
Why Duke: Duke has a excellent reputation in pathology with friendly and enthusiastic residents and staff.
Why Durham: Coming from a large city like Miami, I hoped to live in a less populated area with less traffic, better cost of living, and a cooler climate. Durham is a few hours from the mountains and the ocean to provide ample variety in weekend ventures. The area is beautiful, it is close to my friends and not too far away from my family back in Florida.
Hometown: Platte City, Missouri
College: University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Medical School: University of Missouri School of Medicine
Fellowship Plans: Forensic Pathology
Career Goals: I believe all pathologists are teachers, so I hope to be a forensic pathologist who teaches medical students and resident physicians, as well as who mentors undergraduate and high school students who want to become physicians. I served on the University of Missouri School of Medicine’s Admissions Committee for two years and would love to serve on other Admissions Committees as a practicing physician!
Hobbies and Interests: First and foremost, I enjoy eating copious amounts of ice cream! I also love re-reading the Harry Potter series; spending time with my family, friends, and 4-year-old goddaughter; and, of course, rooting for the Nebraska Cornhuskers on game day!
Why Duke: Not only do Duke’s pathology residents learn cutting-edge pathology from physicians who are front-runners in their fields, but they also have time to maintain a strong work-life balance. The residents are friends and spend time getting to know each other outside of work, and Dr. Cummings makes the residents’ well-being his top priority.
Why Durham: Coming from Missouri, I was most excited about Durham's proximity to the ocean and the mountains! There are many great restaurants and a beautiful downtown area with unique artwork and plenty of culture.
Hometown: Columbia, SC
College: Clemson University
Medical School: University of South Carolina School of Medicine
Fellowship Plans: My fellowship plans are still to be determined.
Career Goals: I hope to work in an academic setting where I can be challenged, continue learning, and have the opportunity to train future students and residents.
Hobbies and Interests: I enjoy short hikes, spending time with my cats and husband, playing board games with friends, trying out local restaurants and markets, and taking the occasional nap.
Why Duke: Duke provided the quality of training, supportive faculty and staff, friendly and down-to-earth residents, academic prestige, and beautiful campus I was looking for in a program. Overall, I knew my training would be top-notch and, thanks to the people and place, the process would be equally fun and rewarding.
Why Durham: There is so much to love about Durham! It has a great food scene, plenty of outdoor activities, innumerable nearby hiking trails, good cost-of-living, and fun surrounding cities.
Hometown: Hartland, Michigan
College: Grand Valley State University (undergraduate and Masters in Public Health, Emphasis in Epidemiology)
Medical School: Wayne State University School of Medicine Detroit, Michigan
Fellowship Plans: Forensic Pathology
Career Goals: I am not fully decided on my choice of fellowship, but I have a great interest in Forensic pathology after an elective at my local medical examiner’s office in Detroit. I believe forensic pathology offers a unique opportunity to not only practice and apply all facets of medicine, but also offers the chance to convey justice, compassion and closure to families.
Hobbies and Interests: Artificial intelligence/machine learning, baking for friends and colleagues, avid runner, animal welfare organizations, mindfulness meditation, and hiking!
Why Duke: Duke was my number one choice for many reasons. The most important deciding factor to me was the feeling of acceptance and the welcoming nature of the faculty and residents. I truly felt the residents were genuine, kind and excited to get to know me. Duke is a prestigious program with a large case volume and a wide array of cases in a large academic setting, which was crucial for me to develop my pathology skills. With tons of faculty support, numerous opportunities for research and a beautiful facility- choosing Duke was easy!
Why Durham: What a gorgeous and fun city. I have not gotten to explore the area a lot just yet- but the city has just about everything and anything someone could want. Being a few hours from both the mountains and the beaches, countless restaurants/gyms/grocery stores, and Raleigh just a short car ride away- it has everything I was looking for to make residency an enjoyable experience.
Hometown: Hefei, China
College: University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Medical School: University of Nebraska Medical Center
Fellowship Plans: I'm currently interested in renal pathology, but I will keep my options open as I explore all subspecialties during residency.
Career Goals: I hope to have a career in academics doing both clinical work and scientific research.
Hobbies and Interests: Spending time with my wife and three children in parks and museums, fishing in lakes, hiking in mountains and going to the beach.
Why Duke: Duke provides excellent training in both AP and CP with numerous research and teaching opportunities that will help me succeed in any career I choose. The faculty at Duke are dedicated to teaching and the well-being of residents. The residents are one big family who really support each other.
Why Durham: The research triangle area is not too large of a city with great opportunities and diversity but also has reasonable cost of living and excellent public school education. It is only 2 hours from the beach and 3 hours from the mountains. The weather is just beautiful with four seasons.
Hometown: Durham, NC
College: Brown University
Medical School: Duke University
Fellowship Plans: Neuropathology
Career Goals: Academic Neuropathology
Hobbies and Interests: The most important thing to me is playing outside with my two pre-school age kids. We love tending to the paw-paw trees in our backyard, splashing in the river, and camping and roasting marshmallows out in the mountains or at the beach.
Why Duke: The Duke Pathology Residency Program offers unparalleled training in all aspects of pathology. Several research programs at Duke are at the top of their fields, yet are easily accessible to residents and fellows.
Why Durham: Durham is a great little town that remains affordable. There is a ton of nature just minutes away from downtown, the bike trails are steadily improving, and there's always something new going on.
