Career Paths & Testimonials

The Primary Care Track is intentionally designed to promote an eclectic array of career choices for its participants, ranging from academia to private practice. Many residents remain in general internal medicine, whether purely outpatient, inpatient, or both, while others choose generalist-leaning subspecialties, particularly Geriatrics and Palliative Care, or outpatient-intensive subspecialties such as Endocrinology and Rheumatology.

The chart at right depicts recent career choices of Primary Care Track graduates from 2018-2022.

When applying to residency, joining a primary care track was not on my radar. It actually was not until I interviewed at UVA that I decided to retrospectively apply for the PC track. After hearing about how it can prepare residents for not only primary care careers, but all outpatient focused career paths I was sold. It has been one of the best decisions I have made in a long time! The track provided me with a smaller cohort of co-residents and mentors to guide and support me through residency. I have learned valuable skills and now feel prepared for a career in an outpatient setting – whether that ultimately be community practice primary care or an outpatient subspecialty. This track exposed me to varying practice models and allowed for additional time in different clinics including women’s health, geriatrics/palliative care, and rural medicine. The PC track leadership, including Dr. Kon and Dr. Wolf, are wonderful role models and have inspired me as a physician during my training. I am so grateful for the experiences and training I have received in my time at UVA, and choosing to be a member of this community is a decision I would make over and over again!
Margo Tanner, MD, Chief Resident, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA

The UVA PC track was foundational to my residency experience and preparation for my career in academic outpatient medicine. I have to start with the community of faculty and co-residents within the track that was a rich place of friendship and like minded people who encouraged me and mentored me throughout training. Additionally, I found the specialized rotational experiences like women’s health, sports medicine, and rural medicine to be extremely helpful to be prepared for the full range of primary care. The track is much more than the sum of its parts, however. What I remember most is the “Hot Topics in Primary Care” gatherings where we discussed the latest research in primary care, the time with my various mentors being challenged and encouraged, and of course the summer nights at Dr. Wolf’s house with all the PC track members and their families haling and fair-welling incoming and outgoing members. The UVA PC track made me who I am today as a physician and I could not more highly recommend it to anyone who wants a robust, well rounded experience and faithful community.
Reed Davis, MD, Core Faculty, Baptist Memorial Hospital, Oxford, MS

The main reason I chose UVA for residency is the Primary Care Track. The clinical opportunities provided and the mentorship from Dr. Wolf have molded me as a physician. What I love about the primary care track is it gives you ample opportunities to work in a variety of settings including private practice, academic medicine, and underserved medicine. In addition, you can gain exposure to patient populations based on your interests. For example, I have a great interest in caring for the underserved Hispanic population and was able to pursue a rotation on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, working with a general practitioner and migrant farmers. Most importantly, you develop lifelong friends and have a primary care family and community at UVA. I am pursuing a career in academic primary care and while this was a goal of mine from the beginning of residency, there is no doubt that the training provided in the primary care track, the mentorship available through many faculty, and the opportunities within the track have left a lasting impact. It is the physicians I trained under whom I aspire to be like, and who set the gold standard of a great physician. I cannot imagine training anywhere else.
Kennedy Wolfe, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA

The primary care track was, hands-down, one of my best decisions and the highlight of my residency experience at UVA. From day one, I inherited a panel of patients and became their primary care physician. Thanks to the additional outpatient rotations and exceptional mentorship from Dr. Wolf, I became confident in my ability to practice primary care by the time I graduated. I learned not only how to work up acute issues, manage chronic conditions, and provide preventive care, but also important skills like joint injections, motivational interviewing, and shared decision-making. The primary care track does a great job balancing training in the hospital and a variety of clinic settings. The track also brings together an incredible group of residents, who become close as they navigate and discuss their primary care interests. I trace my career path today as an academic generalist and health policy researcher directly to my experience in the primary care track.
Sumit Agarwal, MD, MPH, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA

During residency I had multiple interests, ranging from outpatient primary care to critical care. I ultimately settled somewhere in the middle and chose an academic hospitalist position. The primary care track was a great way to see multiple aspects of internal medicine to help me make my decision, and Dr. Wolf served as an excellent mentor along the way. Thanks to the flexibility of the track I have felt well prepared for my career!
Kacie Saulters, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Associate Program Director, Medstar Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC

The Primary Care Track at UVA was an obvious choice for me after medical school, because I wanted exposure to an array of community and academic primary care in addition to office procedures and women’s health. The track did indeed give me the exposure I wanted, but the greatest advantage was getting to be part of a small group of residents who shared a common goal and an excellent mentor in Dr. Wolf. Thanks to this program, I am now comfortable and happy in my new attending shoes at a great primary care practice.
Diane Barros, MD, Northridge Internal Medicine, Charlottesville, VA

My training in UVA’s Primary Care Internal Medicine Program combined all of the aspects necessary to develop into a general internist with a strong foundation in clinical skills, patient care and systems-based practice, including how to succeed in an academic career. The ability to tailor the curriculum to my personal career goals, and the support provided by the faculty, really helped me reach my dream of practicing as an Academic General Internist. Following graduation, I felt capable of dealing with many presenting complaints in both the inpatient and outpatient settings independently. Furthermore, the skills that I gained in medical education, including the ability to conduct medical education research, have helped me continue in leadership positions within Academic General Internal Medicine.
Lisa C. Martinez, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL