Program Directors
Meet Program Director Brian Uthlaut
Welcome to UVA! I hope you enjoy reading about our outstanding Internal Medicine training program, known for strong clinical experience, ready exposure to mentorship, a resident-centered culture, and outstanding camaraderie among the housestaff…all set in the picturesque, vibrant setting of Charlottesville and the Blue Ridge Mountains. With strong traditions and a commitment to innovate and grow, I cannot imagine a better place to live, work, and learn!
After attending the University of North Carolina for college and medical school, I trained in UVA’s Primary Care Internal Medicine track from 2003-2006. Appreciative of UVA’s culture of education and inspired by faculty mentors, I stayed on faculty after completing residency. My early career included several years as a hospitalist prior to transitioning to a blend of inpatient and outpatient general medicine practice. I feel fortunate to serve a challenging and stimulating mix of patients who come from throughout the state of Virginia; to work with talented and hard-working residents who come from around the country to train in internal medicine; to innovate with and teach alongside phenomenal colleagues; and to mentor and instruct our brilliant and caring medical students. UVA is an amazing place…come see for yourself!
Meet Associate Program Director Rebecca Clemo
I am a lifelong Virginian, but I first came to Charlottesville for my undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering at UVA. Medical school took my now-husband, Merrick, and me to Richmond and VCU, after which we returned to UVA for residency in dermatology and medicine, respectively. Right off the bat, I was blown away by how deeply education and resident well-being are ingrained in the program. During my residency here, I built a family of lifelong friends and mentors that made coming to work not just hugely rewarding for the academically curious, but also downright fun! These, among many, were major reasons I stayed for a chief resident year, and I’m ecstatic to continue in the program as both an APD and an academic hospitalist. Some areas of interest for me are clinical reasoning and cognitive bias, as well as transitions of care and multidisciplinary communication.
Outside of the hospital, I enjoy Charlottesville’s easy access to hiking, breweries, and great restaurants. From taking my now-toddler (Rhys) and dogs (Lucy and Franklin) splashing in the Rivanna River to hiking on the Appalachian Trail, there are so many fun outdoor activities in the area. I’ve been lucky enough to live through many phases of life in this area and still discover new things about Charlottesville every weekend!
Meet Associate Program Director Jessica Dreicer
Born and raised in the Midwest, I stayed to complete my undergraduate (Go Blue!) and medical school degrees (University of Cincinnati) and then ventured to the West Coast for residency at OHSU. I initially interviewed as a hospitalist at UVA because my father had recently joined the faculty. During my interview, I got that somewhat indefinable “good feeling” that UVA was the right fit. That feeling was spot on. Training in a program with supportive co-residents, faculty, and program leadership is so important to help you weather the challenges of practicing medicine, and you’ll certainly find that at UVA.
For me, one of the great joys of internal medicine is receiving three overnight admissions for “shortness of breath” and making three distinctly different diagnoses. The best part of my job is working with residents and medical students on the general medicine wards, providing excellent patient care. I’m passionate about helping learners develop their clinical reasoning and evidence appraisal skills. It is such a privilege to be a physician; I hope you’ll join us at UVA for the next step in your training!
Meet Associate Program Director Rachel Kon
At UVA, we are passionate about medicine and teaching. I was drawn here by the wonderful people who are dedicated to their mission of caring for the underserved and training the next generation of compassionate physicians. I grew up in Michigan and North Carolina. After finishing med school at UNC in 2007, my husband and I spent the next eight years living in DC, where I completed residency, served a chief resident year, and taught at Georgetown. As a general medicine attending, I found my academic home in medical education and served as an assistant program director for the Georgetown Internal Medicine Residency. As our family grew, my husband and I chose to escape the city’s ever-worsening traffic. We arrived at UVA in 2015, excited to see the mountains out our window and watch our kids, Nathan (9) and Kira (5), play in the wide open spaces. Our family is huge Chicago Cubs fans. On the weekends, you may see us at the baseball fields, picnicking at a winery, or hiking with our Cubs hats on.
I am one of the firm attendings at UMA, have my own primary care patient panel, direct a longitudinal patient-doctor relationship course for the medical students, and teach courses for both UME and GME. As an associate program director and director of the PC track, my goal is to help you develop as internists and achieve all your goals. I focus on clinical skills training, ambulatory topic education, interprofessional education, improving the quality of feedback in the outpatient setting, and preparing our residents to be educators.
Meet Associate Program Director Alex Millard
After I completed my undergraduate degree at Boston College and my medical school training at the University of Nebraska, I looked all over the country for a residency. At UVA, I found a program that would provide excellent clinical training, opportunities for the next stage of whatever career in medicine I pursued, and a collegial relationship between residents. Other than one year at the University of Washington as a hospitalist after my chief resident year, I have been at UVA for the last 10 years as a resident first, then as a hospitalist. I have always enjoyed working with the stellar medicine residents here, who help keep me up to date, as well as our excellent medical students, who see our residents as terrific medical educators.
I met my wife, Trish (who is faculty in Oncology), during residency training at UVA, and we both feel that UVA and Charlottesville are now home. We now have two children and enjoy hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains, visiting the many local vineyards, and eating at the excellent restaurants in the area. I’m looking forward to getting back to playing on the soccer team in the city league with many residents and faculty from the hospital when the pandemic ends. I hope you’ll visit UVA to see why so many faculty members stay here after coming for residency and fellowship training!
Meet Associate Program Director Jeff Sturek
Welcome to UVA! This is a great place to grow your career, and I am confident you will find it as welcoming as I have. I grew up in Columbia, Missouri, and attended Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. I moved to Charlottesville in 2005 to attend the Medical Scientist Training (MD-PhD) Program at UVA, and they couldn’t get rid of me! I stayed here for Internal Medicine residency, did a chief year, and then did my fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care. I started on faculty in July 2019, just in time for a global respiratory disease pandemic, truthfully inspiring times for me. I attend the medical ICU as well as the outpatient pulmonary clinic, where my focus is on Oncopulmonology, caring for patients with pulmonary complications from the treatment of malignancy, including chemotherapy, immune checkpoint inhibitors, radiation therapy, and hematopoietic stem cell transplant. I also have a basic-translational research laboratory focusing on lung inflammation and fibrosis, and I help lead clinical trials at UVA focusing on COVID and critical care through our Joint Emerging Diseases Initiative (JEDI J).
The real reason I can’t manage to leave UVA is because of Charlottesville. This is just an awesome college town with an abundance of good food, outdoor activities, and national champion sports teams – Go Hoos! It is also a great place to raise a family, and I have three kids: Lily (age 11), Olsen (age 8), and Hank (age 6), all born right here at UVA. So, though residency is only three years, you never know how long you may be here! I look forward to working with you as you develop your careers here at UVA.
Meet Associate Program Director Katie Waybill
I grew up in Hershey, PA before coming south to UVA for undergrad, where I fell in love with Virginia and the rich history, culture and beauty this area has to offer. After college, I moved down the road for medical school at VCU/MCV, where I stayed for Internal Medicine residency and a chief year. My husband and I then relocated to Boston for a Pulmonary/Critical Care fellowship at Tufts. During my PCCM fellowship, I recognized a tremendous need for palliative care for patients with advanced lung disease and came to value intentional communication in the intensive care unit, which led me to complete an additional fellowship in palliative care at Beth Israel Deaconess. I currently attend the Medical ICU, outpatient Pulmonary clinic, and Palliative Care clinic, where my primary focus is providing palliative care to patients with advanced lung disease.
I have had my eye on Charlottesville since I left many years ago, and was drawn back by UVA’s clinical excellence, the warmth of our people, and the ability to develop both professionally and personally. This is truly a place where people can grow into the physicians and people they want to be, which makes it an ideal place to live and work! Our residents and fellows are bright, curious, and compassionate- the type of people with whom I am proud to work, and I would trust them to care for my loved ones. Outside of work, I can be found trying to keep up with my young family in the outdoors, gardening, cooking, exercising, and experiencing all that Charlottesville has to offer. We are so excited to see you here!
Meet Associate Program Director Margo Tanner
I grew up in the Northeast, but have happily made a home in the South, drawn by the people, community, and atmosphere. UVA has been a special part of my journey—I trained here for residency, served as chief resident, and after fellowship, my husband and I knew we wanted to return for the long haul. Today, I split my time between attending on the general medicine wards and on the palliative care service.
What I love most about UVA is the collaborative atmosphere and the shared passion for lifelong learning. I feel incredibly supported by my colleagues and the residency program, and I’m grateful to continue to be part of the community that helped train me. I love my job, and one of the best parts is sharing that with trainees. Outside of work, I enjoy exploring restaurants, spending time with friends and my cat, and checking out live music.