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Angela Allen

Hometown: Seal Beach, California
Undergrad: University of California, Irvine
Med School: University of California, Irvine
Areas of Interest: Medical Education, Ultrasound, Disaster Medicine, Wilderness Medicine, International Emergency Medicine
Hobbies: Traveling on a budget, cooking and hosting dinner parties, hiking, backpacking, water skiing, wake boarding, yoga, climbing, singing
Why I chose: Throughout my interview day at UNC, everyone was so warm and welcoming; it was clear that they cared genuinely about each other, their work, and their patients. I was drawn to the strong sense of community that UNC embodies and knew that I would feel completely at home and supported. I wanted a strong academic experience with the opportunity to work with outstanding educators in the field and loved the diverse experiences I would gain rotating at our community site as well. In UNC I found a family that I believe will foster my compassion while training me to be not just an excellent provider, but an advocate for my patients. I was also excited for the opportunity to live in North Carolina with the lush greenery, lakes, mountains, and beaches!
Email: Angela.Allen4@unchealth.unc.edu
Angela Allen

Bevan Bonhomme

Hometown: Durban, South Africa and Glastonbury, CT
Undergrad: University of Connecticut
Graduate: University of Connecticut
Med School: New York Medical College
Areas of Interest: Global EM, Med Ed, Ultrasound
Hobbies:
Why I chose: The people, the place, the culture, the “gut feeling”, the everything. UNC had all I was looking for in a program. From the moment I drove into Chapel Hill I knew that it might be the place for me. This feeling was solidified during the pre-interview dinner and even more during my interview day. I heard this many times on the trail but the UNC EM residents are truly like one big family. I interacted with significant others and even children during the dinner. I was welcomed and made to feel comfortable right off the bat.
When I returned with my wife and daughter for the 2020 Carolina Second Look, I got the opportunity to interact with residents and attendings from internal medicine, dermatology, pediatrics, ob/gyn and family medicine. Again, I was made to feel at home and warmly welcomed. During this time the program director, Dr. Nikki Binz, took the time to meet with applicants and coordinated a splinting/US lab with some of her residents.
I was also drawn to the diversity of training sites with UNC Main being an academic powerhouse and the urban/community vibe at WakeMed. I appreciate the host of opportunities in medical education, public health and global health too. Lastly, The Triangle is arguably one of the best places to live in the country and it has tons to do! I could go on and on but overall UNC was just the perfect fit for me and my family.
Email: Bevan.Bonhomme@unchealth.unc.edu

Eli Colman

Hometown: Chapel Hill, NC
Undergrad: UNC–Chapel Hill
Graduate: Georgetown University
Med School: Brody School of Medicine
Areas of Interest: Medical Education, POCUS
Hobbies: Gardening, Basketball, Soccer, Cooking, Cheering on the Heels!
Why I chose: Having grown up in Chapel Hill, matching at UNC for residency was always a dream. This was made even more clear during my away rotation – from day one, the residents and faculty treated me like a familiar member of the team. It was also immediately apparent that the whole EM family is passionate about education and resident well-being, and that they genuinely enjoy each other’s company. After my away rotation, I knew I would gain an outstanding training at UNC and enjoy my time here. My wife, daughter and I are excited to rejoin the Tar Heel family!
Email: Eli.Colman@unchealth.unc.edu
Eli Colman

Brendan DeCenso

Hometown: Cincinnati, OH
Undergrad: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Med School: University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Areas of Interest: Global Health, Health Policy, Critical Care
Hobbies: Travel, sports (especially golf and basketball), cooking
Why I chose: Having spent time in the Triangle during undergraduate as well as my early career, I knew that it would be among the regions I would explore for residency. It has all the bustle and progressivity that I enjoy with mid-sized city living, while still keeping what everyone loves about the Southeast. With that in mind, I did an away rotation here during my fourth year and had a tremendous experience. I learned a lot of course, but beyond that felt valued and welcomed by the department. One of the unique aspects of training here is the time split between major medical centers. Both UNC and Wake Med see a ton of volume, and thus give you a great mix of training, from the undifferentiated patient to the extremely complex patient. This type of broad-based training was something I very much wanted from residency. UNC additionally supports its residents and their passions, including having a strong global health presence (something that was important to me). I am beyond excited to be training at a world-class institution with people I admire, and to be in a place that feels like home.
WHY I LOVE UNC: As generic as it may sound, I love UNC EM for its training and its people. You cannot beat the longitudinal experience we get throughout our three years at several very different clinical sites, two of which are among the largest emergency departments in the state. More importantly, I love that our program consistently works towards building a diverse set of people who are at the same time easygoing and immensely dedicated to patient care
Email: Brendan.Decenso@unchealth.unc.edu
Brendan DeCenso

Victoria Fenton

Hometown: Ottawa, Ontario
Undergrad: Pennsylvania State University
Med School: Drexel University College of Medicine
Areas of Interest: EMS, Ultrasound, Medical Education
Hobbies: Being outdoors, Traveling, Gymnastics, Skiing, Going to the beach, Drinking wine/going to vineyards, Spending time with my family, boyfriend, and English Bulldog Angus
Why I chose: UNC felt like the right choice for me for so many reasons. First, the people are extremely intelligent and overall amazing. What makes it even better is that a few of the upper UNC residents were some of the people who convinced me to pursue the field of EM. Second, there’s the opportunity to work at both academic and large community hospitals. Finally, the location is the best-warm and between the beaches and the mountains!
WHY I LOVE UNC: I love UNC EM because I have the most laidback, fun and intelligent co-residents and staff. It makes me excited to go to work when I know I have those people to see and learn from.
Email: Victoria.Fenton@unchealth.unc.edu

Austin Flick

Hometown: Raleigh, NC
Undergrad: North Carolina State University
Med School: Brody School of Medicine
Areas of Interest: Medical Education, Ultrasound
Hobbies: Sports, Woodworking, Exercise, Breweries and Beer festivals, and hanging with my dog (Tucker) or any other dog I meet really
Why I chose: For me, I was really looking at people, place, and location when I was trying to select, and UNC hit all 3 of those easily for me. I really wanted a place where I could be well rounded and experience all different aspects of Emergency Medicine and with rotations, at both UNC and Wake Med it offered an amazing chance for both strong academic and community medicine training. Being raised in Raleigh I was thrilled at the idea of being back in the triangle as well. Whether your interests are breweries, outdoors, arts, sports, you name it, there’s something to do in the triangle area that will fit that. What settled it for me though was meeting people on the interview day. I had an awesome time hanging out with the residents the night before and on the interview day and really enjoyed the attendings that I got to interview and talk with. It was a really clear feeling that they all enjoyed not just being here, but working with one another and hanging out together when they weren’t working and that was the type of environment and group of people that I wanted to be a part of.
Email: Austin.Flick@unchealth.unc.edu

Ethan Gerdts

Hometown: Shawnee, KS
Undergrad: Azusa Pacific University (Azusa, CA)
Med School: University of California – San Diego School of Medicine
Areas of Interest: Mentoring, POCUS, Disaster Medicine, PEM US
Hobbies: Hanging with my wife & kids, reading, staying active (*whispers ‘crossfit’*), experiencing new things, places, and people
Why I chose: Why would a guy who has been out in California for 15 years suddenly decide to switch coasts? Every interview I went on asked me that question. I heard about UNC because of their academics and reputation, but wanted to stay for the people and the ‘feel’. Every program boasts ‘wellness’ and ’together-ness’, but none of them felt anything like how UNC made me feel on interview day. The residents were open and welcoming, but not in a weird fake interview way. The faculty were laid back, honest and easy to approach, yet were serious about training the next leaders in Emergency Medicine. The admin staff is second to none in communication and keeping you in the know. In addition to all of that, I was enticed by the lack of “graduated responsibility” that is so common in other programs – UNC lets you see all patients on day 1 (especially at WakeMed), and is there for you when you need them for backup. I can’t say enough good things about UNC, which goes so far beyond “good training” (the names in the EM department speak for themselves). My wife and I wanted our residency to feel like a second home – we are truly excited to be at UNC!
WHY I LOVE UNC: Every residency has something unique to offer…but personally, the dedication, spirit, and attitude of the EM residents, faculty, RNs, and other staff at UNC is like nothing I’ve seen before. These people make “working” enjoyable and I learn every day from every single one. Even when I couldn’t see them outside of work (thanks COVID), the sense of camaraderie and the bonds we built in such a short time was exactly why I wanted to come here in the first place!
Email: ethan.gerdts@unchealth.unc.edu

Jordan Humphrey

Hometown: Avella, PA
Undergrad: Duquesne University
Med School: Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine
Areas of Interest: Aerospace Medicine, EMS, Tactical Medicine, Disaster Medicine
Hobbies: Gardening, Hiking, General Aviation, Reading, Cooking, Fishing, Traveling, Spending time with my wife and two dogs
Why I chose: I visited UNC in spring 2019 and found the EM residents to be genuinely happy. As I interviewed at multiple programs throughout the fall I realized that this was an outlier. It was also clearly evident that the faculty were invested in the medical education of their residents. I wanted a mix of academic and community medicine with the opportunity to immerse myself in a strong EMS program… UNC offered all of that. In addition, central NC offers the ability to be in the mountains or at the beach within a few hours drive. Mid 70s in December isn’t too bad either.
Email: jordan.humphrey@unchealth.unc.edu

Zach Martin

Hometown: Raleigh, NC
Undergrad: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Med School: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Areas of Interest: Global Health, Ultrasound, Wilderness Medicine
Hobbies: Reading, Cooking, Meditation, Sports (especially basketball and soccer), Running, Hiking
Why I chose: The faculty is diverse and replete with brilliant, engaging clinicians who are passionate about educating residents. The split between UNC and Wake Med hospitals provides a comprehensive training experience that can’t be found many other places. The Triangle is a great place to live in itself, and it provides easy access to beaches, mountains, and whatever else you might want within a few hours’ drive. Most of all, the residents and faculty here all feel like one big family unit. I wanted to enjoy the people I was going to be spending all my time around, and I wanted to feel at home in a residency program. I found all of that here at UNC.
Email: Zachary.Martin@unchealth.unc.edu
Zach Martin

An Truong

Hometown: Raleigh, NC
Undergrad: North Carolina State University
Med School: Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University
Areas of Interest: Wilderness medicine, Global EM, and EMS
Hobbies: Traveling, Hiking, Running, Cooking
Why I chose: The people I met during the pre-interview dinner and during the interview day were all very down to earth and genuine. The combination of experience at both UNC and WakeMed make for an incredible blend of academic and community EM. UNC also has many awesome opportunities that I am interested in such as global EM, wilderness medicine, and EMS. I grew up in the Triangle and knew it was a great place to live. There is plenty to do in the Triangle ranging from great restaurants and breweries to outdoor adventures. It is also only 2 hours from the beach and 3 hours from the mountains. Overall, the combination of people, training, and location is incredibly hard to beat.
Email: An.Truong@unchealth.unc.edu
An Truong

Eric Sasine

Hometown: Evergreen, CO
Undergrad: University of Colorado Denver
Med School: University of Colorado School of Medicine
Areas of Interest: Medical Education and Global EM
Hobbies: Going on walks with my wife and kids, hiking, biking, playing fingerpicking guitar, baking sweets, making coffee, and reading science fiction
Why I chose: I initially came to UNC to complete a residency in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. I rotated in the ED as an intern and fell in love with emergency medicine. I ultimately decided to switch paths after my second year as a med-peds resident. There was no doubt that I wanted to stay at UNC for my EM training. Part of what made me switch career paths was how great the UNC EM community is. My attendings were kind and provided helpful feedback. The residents were supportive and seemed to have good work-life balance. The patient population is diverse and interesting. Not only that, but my wife and I love the triangle area and wanted to stay to raise our kids.
WHY I LOVE UNC: I love UNC EM because of the people. Our residents look after each other and are constantly doing fun things together, and our attendings give great feedback, It’s a fantastic teamwork environment.
Email: Eric.Sasine@unchealth.unc.edu
Eric Sasine

Caroline Vines

Hometown: Richmond, VA
Undergrad: University of Virginia
Med School: University of Vermont
Areas of Interest: Health policy, critical care, women’s health
Hobbies: Anything outside including hiking and biking, cooking, planning trips I can’t afford, basketball
Why I chose: What first piqued my interest in UNC was the program’s emphasis on family and camaraderie, which I found to be true during the pre-interview dinner and throughout the interview day. All of the residents and faculty I met were extremely approachable and down to earth. The opportunity to train at an academic and community site was a huge draw as well. UNC prepares residents to practice in a variety of settings, and offers tremendous mentorship opportunities to explore your interests within EM.
WHY I LOVE UNC: UNC fosters a culture of respect and camaraderie that is unlike any hospital I have ever rotated in. The attendings are genuinely interested in your development as a physician and as a person. From day one, your attendings and senior residents give you the freedom to see the sickest patients in the department, but are always there to support and teach.”
Email: caroline.vines@unchealth.unc.edu

Andrew Wick

Hometown: Burlington, VT
Undergrad: The University of Vermont
Med School: Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont
Areas of Interest: Education, EMS, Wilderness Medicine, Ultrasound
Hobbies: Hiking with my wife and two rescue pups, playing Basketball, Golf, Skateboarding, Skiing, Biking, Rock Climbing, Fishing, Cooking, Eating out way too often and exploring new restaurants, gardening, playing Guitar, and live music
Why I chose: For me UNC offered the best combination of down-to-earth fun people that I felt like I fit in with, training environments, and location. The pre-interview dinner was the most fun I had on the interview trail and I had a gut feeling that I’d enjoy working with the residents I met. I also had a great experience on my interview day and felt the faculty were really down to earth, straight forward, and friendly. My interview experience combined with the fact that you have a longitudinal training experience at both a top notch academic center (UNC) and busy community hospital (WakeMed) really sold the program for me. Aside from the great people and training, my wife and I really love the Raleigh/Research Triangle area, that you aren’t too far from beautiful mountains or the beach, and that it’s a bit warmer than Vermont but still has four seasons. We couldn’t be happier!
Email: Andrew.Wick@unchealth.unc.edu