Meet Our Fellows
Current Fellows
2nd Year
Dena Lowing, MD
Residency Program: Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Medical School: Case Western Reserve University
Pediatric Career Interests: Medical education, simulation, quality improvement
Why UNC? I had a wonderful interview experience! The teamwork and collaboration was evident from the start with a strong emphasis on learning about my career goals. I believe working at an academic teaching hospital is foundational for evidence based practice in pediatrics. I also had the privilege of attending the PHM Conference last year and was impressed with the research and education UNC provided. UNC has a variety of clinical experiences with leaders in the field of medical education. Add the benefit of warm weather and a beautiful campus, I’m thrilled to start my upcoming fellowship here as a Tar Heel!
Vivian Doyle Mason, MD
Residency Program: Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital
Medical School: University of Louisville
Pediatric Career Interests: Med education, quality improvement
Why UNC? There were many great qualities that attracted me to UNC for PHM fellowship. The area is beautiful with plenty of fun things to do. The faculty I met during my interview were encouraging, knowledgeable and kind; which made me excited to work alongside such great minds. Throughout my interview day, I was impressed with the glowing camaraderie and compassion among the UNC hospitalist team, and knew I would have ample support and mentorship. I am most excited for the opportunity to work with great educators, medical students and residents.
1st Year
Karen Hawks, MD
Residency Program: University of Maryland Medical Center
Medical School: University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville
Pediatric Career Interests: Pediatric Hospital Medicine (Academic)
Why UNC?: I wanted to find a fellowship that provided strong clinical experience while also providing a supportive environment to develop skills in research, particularly QI. It was clear to me on my interview day that UNC would support these goals. Everyone who I met seemed like they were advocates for the fellows, and having started fellowship it is clear that this is the case! I know that I will be very well supported as I continue through fellowship. I also loved the area of the Research Triangle! There are lots of opportunities for outdoor activities (my personal favorite), access to good food, and it is very family friendly. I’m so excited to continue fellowship at UNC!
Paige Lester, MD
Residency Program: Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Medical School: Marshall University School of Medicine
Pediatric Career Interests: Medical education, simulation, rural outreach
Why UNC?: I knew UNC was a great fit early on because everyone I met was so genuine, warm, and encouraging. The close knit community the hospitalists have created is exactly what I’m looking for at work. The strong mentorship and medical education opportunities also stood out to me, and I knew UNC would be a place I could grow both professionally and personally. Plus, I’m excited to be back in the warm weather and sunshine again (and so is my cat)!
Fellowship Alumni
Katie Butler, MD
Residency Program: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Medical School: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Pediatric Career Interests: Med Ed, POCUS
Why UNC? Staying at UNC was an obvious choice for me because the pediatric hospitalists I worked with as a medical student and resident are the type of physicians and medical educators I want to become, and I am looking forward to their continued mentorship and support as I journey through the next steps in my academic career.
Kristin Sundy-Boyles, MD
Residency Program: Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Medical School: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Pediatric Career Interests: Graduate medical education, remediation of medical learners, clinical coaching, teaching diagnostic and clinical reasoning, resident mentorship
Hobbies:Hiking with my coonhound dog Riley, Sunday crosswords and coffee with my husband Glenn, reading anything and everything but mostly a good beach read, and watching Gilmore Girls on repeat.
Why UNC? I am so excited to be coming back to UNC! My husband and I met in med school here and he will be starting fellowship at UNC too – we both have family in the area who we have missed the last few years while we’ve been away. Outside of the geographic location, I was most excited about UNC for the mentorship in medical education and education research, with opportunities to teach and work with excellent medical students and residents. The hospitalist team at UNC seems so thrilled to be there and passionate about what they do, and that’s the type of people I want to work with!
Madison Archer, MD
Residency Program: Cincinnati Children’s Hospital
Medical School: Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University
Pediatric Career Interests: Medical education, the implementation of competency based medical education, utilizing the QI model to improve the ways in which we educate those in the medical field as well as patients and their families.
Hobbies: Hiking, running, UGA football (Go Dawgs!), traveling, and reading. I was technically a nationally rated fencer in college and in medical school I competed in the southeast medical wilderness adventure race (MedWAR) our team “Failure to Thrive.”
Why UNC? UNC has many qualities that appealed to me as an applicant. I appreciated that UNC offered a wide array of experiences that I knew would help refine my clinical skills as a fellow, such as the co-management of Nephrology, Neurology, and Surgical patients on the HM teams. There are also ample non-clinical opportunities available to help develop skills in QI, medical education, and leadership depending on your interest. The inclusion of a scholarly introductory rotation during the second month of fellowship sets you up for success in developing your main fellowship project in whatever area of interest your passion lies. I plan for medical education to be a large part of my career, the shared interest in medical education by many of the program’s faculty and leadership cultivate an environment that greatly supports work in this area. In addition, the strong medical school and residency programs at UNC offer ample opportunity to be involved in the education of future pediatricians. And of course, all of the faculty I spoke with on my interview day were kind, bright people who were clearly passionate about their work at UNC Children’s Hospital. Chapel Hill itself, and the nearby cities of Durham and Raleigh, provide an array of options for where and how to spend your time, whether you prefer a bigger city or a small-town feel.
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Melissa Diaz, MD
Residency Program: Nicklaus Children’s Hospital
Medical School: Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine
Pediatric Career Interests: Quality improvement and medical education; teaching and working with underserved communities
Hobbies: I enjoy outdoor activities including kayaking, biking, hiking, and playing badminton!
Why UNC? Many qualities attracted me to the PHM fellowship at UNC. As a large academic institution, I knew I would have the opportunity to work alongside many experts in the field. Since Quality Improvement and Medical Education are my areas of interest, having the opportunity to work with faculty who are passionate about these topics was crucial in my decision. The program at UNC is very well structured, with the flexibility to tailor your schedule to your interests. Additionally, since I hope to continue working with underserved populations, I was searching for an institution committed to serving those in need. Finally, I was also impressed by the atmosphere of camaraderie and support evident within the faculty. Throughout the interview day, every faculty member mentioned “the people” as one of their favorite aspects of the program, and I continue to feel this support as I embark on this journey. I am very excited to be a part of such an innovative and compassionate team in this beautiful city!