Our Fellows & Alumni

Meet Our Fellows

Neil Robinson, MD

Residency: UNC Chapel Hill

Area of interest in CL psychiatry?

Inpatient consults; brain injury medicine and psychiatric sequelae of TBI; catatonia; interventional neuromodulation in the medically ill.

Program Strengths / Why you chose UNC for fellowship?

The incredible breadth and depth of experiences available to trainees initially drew me to UNC for residency and indeed afforded me the ability to pursue any curiosity over the past 4 years. The culture at UNC is welcoming and inclusive, and the training experience strikes the right balance between education, patient care, and wellness. We have world class faculty within the department who are approachable, caring, and deeply invested in the development of trainees. I applied exclusively to UNC for fellowship as I have full confidence this program will further help me become the best CL doc that I can be. 

What you enjoy about living in the Triangle/when you move to the Triangle?

North Carolina is green and beautiful year-round, offering a wide variety of outdoor activities and nearby hiking trails. My partner and I love having access to the mountains (and the coast for those who prefer the beach), and there are 4 national parks within a few hours’ drive that make for great long weekend trips. Chapel Hill, Durham and Raleigh each have their own unique vibe with lots of great restaurants, breweries, and cocktail bars to explore. We also love seeing shows at the Durham Performing Arts Center.

Fun Fact about you?

I was a swimmer growing up, and I once beat an Olympic swimmer in an open water charity race! (He was retired).

Kelly Hamilton, DO, HEC-C

Residency: MedStar Health-Georgetown University Hospital

Area of interest in CL psychiatry?

Critical Care Psychiatry, Immuno-psychiatry, Clinical Ethics pertaining to patients with complex medical-psychiatric illnesses.

Program Strengths / Why you chose UNC for fellowship?

I chose UNC for fellowship because of its thoughtful teaching and mentorship philosophy. From day one, the UNC team has been incredibly supportive and has provided guidance aimed at helping me develop into a versatile CL psychiatrist.

What you enjoy about living in the Triangle/when you move to the Triangle?

I enjoy the wide variety of food options in the Triangle, along with the easy access to great trails and the many historic places throughout the area like the American Tobacco Historic District. I also enjoy the ease of travelling in the triangle as most things are a 15-minute drive as well as the public transportation near Chapel Hill!

Fun Fact about you?

I enjoy cooking and making pizza from scratch. Also, a Manchester United fan!

Alex Wermeling, MD

Residency: University of Virginia

Area of interest in CL psychiatry?

ICU Psychiatry, Psycho-oncology, Peri-natal psychiatry

Program Strengths / Why you chose UNC for fellowship?

UNC Psychiatry has a large CL Psychiatry faculty with different interests. The fellow 2:1 schedule allows for a strong mix of both inpatient and outpatient care experiences. I also appreciated the graded approach to autonomy with fellows initially seeing direct consults before functioning in a junior attending role. 

What you enjoy about living in the Triangle/when you move to the Triangle?

As a transplant from Charlottesville, VA, the Chapel Hill area is an easy transition with a similar small-town feel but all the amenities of a larger city. The research triangle allows easy access to larger cities, such as Durham and Raleigh. I am looking forward to exploring the area over the next year. 

Fun Fact about you?

I have all seven seasons of the Golden Girls on DVD.

Alumni

At UNC, our Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Fellowship is proud of our diverse and successful alumni network which has grown since our first graduating class in 2011. We firmly believe the mentorship and support we provide our fellows does not end with graduation. Our alumni have gone on to lead CL psychiatry services, take leadership positions in academic CL, and become successful researchers.

We remain committed to staying connected with our alumni and fostering a strong sense of community. Each year, we reunite with our graduates at the Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry (ACLP) annual meeting for a lively alumni dinner and invite them to “come back home” to Department of Psychiatry events and conferences. We’re particularly proud of the results from our 2023 alumni survey, which revealed:

These impressive statistics demonstrate the positive impact of our program and the enduring relationships we build with our trainees.

Are you an alumnus wanting to reconnect with UNC CL Psychiatry or the Department of Psychiatry? Please reach out to program leadership at bill_scheidler@med.unc.edu or learn more at The Robert Bashford UNC Department of Psychiatry Alumni Society Website (Alumni & Friends | Department of Psychiatry (unc.edu)). We would love to hear from you!

Our alumni are listed below: