Our Fellows

Curtis Kovaleski is from Cincinnati, Ohio. He studied at the University of Notre Dame getting his undergraduate degree in Biochemistry before going to medical school at the Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. He then completed his Internal Medicine/Pediatrics residency at Hershey, Pennsylvania through the Pennsylvania State University.

Dr. Kovaleski chose the UVA PICU fellowship because of the draw of a smaller program while still being a referral center for Virginia. The unit has a great relationship between the trainees, faculty, and staff. Another strength is the combined cardiac and medical unit, leading to much more cardiac exposure and experience during the fellowship.

Sage grew up in Richmond, Virginia. She attended Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia where she completed her undergraduate degree in Chemistry with minors in Poverty Studies and Education Policy. She then completed medical school at Howard University in DC, and pediatrics residency at the University of California, Davis in Sacramento, California.

Sage chose UVA because of its many strengths that make it a great place to train. The ever-growing unit cares for children from a huge catchment area, with services including solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplant, ECMO/VAD support, and level 1 trauma care, with an intermediate care unit that allows the acuity in the PICU to remain consistently high. The cardiac exposure is particularly strong, with high patient volume and a mixed unit structure that allows fellows to be frequent contributors to world-class cardiac ICU care. The program is fellow-centric but not fellow-dependent, allowing for flexibility to maximize learning opportunities. And most of all, there is genuine collegiality amongst trainees, faculty, and staff, making it an incredibly supportive and friendly environment – one where you can thrive, even while challenged to be out of your comfort zone!

Sherilyn Salefsky was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. She earned her undergraduate degree in Biochemistry and Mathematics at the University of Arizona in Tucson, AZ. She then moved back home to attend the MD/MPH program at the University of Arizona College of Medicine–Phoenix. She completed her Pediatric residency with an additional chief resident year at the University of Virginia.

Sherilyn chose to stay at UVA for her PICU fellowship for its high acuity yet small program atmosphere. The mixed cardiac and medical unit provides a unique opportunity for fellows to experience high patient volumes with both a large variety of medical pathology as well as complex cardiac physiology. The faculty, advanced practitioners, and staff are highly engaged with patient care and value providing holistic care while prioritizing fellow education and autonomy. She also loves that it is situated in the beautiful city of Charlottesville with Shenandoah National Park and the Blue Ridge Mountains in her backyard.

Charné grew up just south of Roanoke, Virginia. She attended Virginia Tech for her BS in both Biological Sciences and Business Management. She did medical school in Blacksburg at Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine. For a change of pace, she did her Pediatric residency with an additional chief resident year at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital in Westchester, New York.

Charné chose UVA for several reasons, many of which were evident when she was still living in Virginia and continues to be true now. UVA has a close knit group feel of a smaller program while still having high acuity, being a large referral base, and serving a diverse population. Everyone encourages learning and growth in a supportive environment. The amazing relationships between the APPs, nursing staff, consulting services, and so many others all help make UVA a fantastic place to train.

UVA also had the added benefit of being closer to home, while getting to live in beautiful Charlottesville and enjoying all the advantages it provides, both in and out of the city.

Jordan Klein, DO (2023)           Attending, Bronson Children’s Hospital, Kalamazoo, MI

Melissa Yildirim, MD (2022)    Pediatric Cardiology Fellow, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH

Erin Platter, MD (2021)             Attending, Children’s Hospital of the Kings Daughters, Norfolk, VA

Kim Rush, MD (2020)               Attending, Golisano Upstate Children’s Hospital, Syracuse, NY