Anne Socorro Corrales, MD PGY2
Since I was in medical school, I always wanted to be a primary care doctor. I love to be able to meet people from different backgrounds. The fact that I can somehow contribute to improving their quality of life is my biggest reward. I enjoy the intellectual challenge of dealing with a huge variety of clinical entities. I am very proud to be part of the primary care track at Mount Sinai Morningside/West where, following the lead of excellent faculty members, I am able to grow exponentially both professionally and personally. I am also privileged to serve a community that has struggled with access to healthcare for a long time which will enrich my experience as a doctor tremendously. Furthermore, working and living in NYC is a once in a lifetime opportunity that I am happy to fully enjoy.
Dalgis Dunker Del Rosario, MD PGY2
Primary care is an exciting and extremely rewarding field. My love for primary care is rooted in the opportunity it offers to care for patients with complex medical conditions in the long term, and how it requires not only medical knowledge but understanding of the diverse forces that affect a patient and his/her community. For this reason, joining a program that provides a well-rounded training experience became my priority. Now that I’m part of the Mount Sinai Morningside-West family, I can say with confidence that this is a wonderful institution to become an outstanding physician. I have felt a genuine interest from the leadership and residents to support me in achieving my goals and providing me with a rich training experience. I’m proud to be a part of this family.
Erick Kawegere, MD PGY2
Medicine comes in all shapes and forms, just like we humans come in all shapes and forms. Everyone is unique in their own way, with a story of their own, and perceive the world in a way that only they can understand. Through all that complexity and hustle of our daily lives, one aspect of medicine that we all need and should get the best of it is Primary Care. Using my knowledge and skills to reach as many people as possible, to ease their pain, to catch that disease process before it’s too late, gives me immense gratification. It is the work that I have had the pleasure of doing since I was in medical school in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. The same work continued in Capitol Heights, Maryland. Reaching our vulnurable communities along with those who are uninusured and/or underinsured feeds my passion. I truly believe that everyone should have access to quality healthcare, moreover, that care should be tailored to their needs, respecting everyone’s story. Now, as Internal Medicine Resident Phycisian at Mount Sinai West and Morningside in New York City; even better, training in the Primary Care Track, I get to work and learn from the best, serve my community, and in the process; sharpen my skills even further.
Juan Vasquez Mendez, MD PGY2
My passion for primary care started shortly after graduating while I was completing a year of community medicine in my home country, Dominican Republic. During this time, I learned the power of long-term patient relationships. The opportunity to take part in important times of need in their lives can improve the patient-physician relationships and is one of the reasons that make primary care unique and worthwhile to pursue. Moreover, continuity of care involving the patient and all members of the health care team enables us to work more effectively and, most importantly, results in improved clinical outcomes. I am confident that Mount Sinai Morningside-West will provide me with the tools to excel in my medical career as a primary care physician. In addition, our primary care track is integrated with the categorical residency program, which allows us to gain intensive exposure to all the core disciplines in medicine, act competently in hospital medicine and consider a number of potential career options at the same time. I am delighted to be part of the team.
Gabriela Bernal, MD PGY3
Primary care first captured my attention as a medical student in Spain. As part of our training, we visited the homes of patients that could not come to see us in the clinic. Through this experience, I learned that the events that matter the most to our health take place outside of our hospitals and clinics. It became the reason for my passion for primary care. So far, the primary care track has allowed me to go on home visits, to learn about new innovative models of care, and to get involved in the community. I chose this program for it's diversity, both of our residents and of our patients; and for my mentors, who push me to be a better person and physician. I chose primary care for the empowering longitudinal relationships I build with my patients and the communities which we serve. Through this, I feel like I can be a force of change in the lives of my patients in a way that is meaningful and lasting.
Raul Chibas Sandoval, MD PGY3
One of the things that ignited my desire to work in Primary Care was my experience in a rural community during my social service year back in Nicaragua. During this time, I developed a deeper understanding of the culture and lifestyle and came to appreciate the health issues faced by these communities. I was inspired by how meaningful relationships caused significant changes in people´s health and behavior
I am very satisfied with my journey through learning the ways of primary care in the USA. Being in the PC track has enabled me to see with a wider perspective the practice of primary care and to appreciate how social structures play a critical role in providing effective solutions to our patients´ health.
Pratyusha Nunna, MD PGY3
Being the kind of physician who improves the health of patients and keeps them from falling sick has always been my motivation to pursue primary care as a career path. I enjoy caring for my patients as whole and not just one part of the body. At MSMW, there is focused primary care training with importance given to social determinants of health. I feel blessed to have such great mentors and colleagues who support and motivate each other to bring out the best"
Ines Robles Aponte, MD PGY3
When it came time to apply for residency, I reflected on the things that were most important to me. I knew I wanted a program where I had access to a diverse patient population and where I could focus on primary care without having to sacrifice inpatient training. The Mount Sinai Morningside-West Primary Care Track is fully integrated into the larger Categorical Residency program. Primary Care residents have the same inpatient clinical rotations, including subspecialty medicine and intensive care, but have additional time dedicated to ambulatory medicine. The program also provides flexibility, which allows us to shape our training experience to our interests. The faculty is extremely supportive and have created a positive learning environment. I'm excited to continue my residency journey at MSMW!
Bailey Perry, MD PGY1
Primary care is the front line of medicine. All too often we see patients coming into the hospital for exacerbations of their underlying diagnoses that are usually avoidable. Primary care physicians are able to build relationships with their patients and become liaisons between the medical world and patients everyday life. We are able to incorporate social, environmental, economic and educational barriers into our delivery of health care, which can often prevent hospitalizations and chronic illness altogether. This is why I decided to specialize in becoming a primary care physician, through the Mount Sinai Morningside-West primary care track. This program offered me an opportunity to become an expert in understanding community barriers in an outpatient setting and how I can tailor my treatment based on social determinants of health without sacrificing mastering inpatient medicine. Most importantly, I was the most attracted to this program because of its family-like dynamic where I feel supported in every way and which makes learning and growing as an individual effortless.