I was born and raised in DuBois, a small town in Pennsylvania. I went to Penn State University for undergradate, where I studied kinesiology, and then attended Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Erie, Pennsylvania, for medical school.

I initially pursued general surgery and completed three years of residency in Arizona before ultimately realizing that radiology was a better fit for me. That experience gave me a unique perspective coming into radiology and has made me especially appreciative of the training I’m getting here at UB.

I wanted a program that would prepare me well for the real world and give me the training and confidence to practice independently after residency. Having a broad variety of clinical experiences and work settings was important to me because I wanted to see the full range of what radiology practice can look like. Just as importantly, I wanted to be surrounded by good people.

The people were probably the biggest factor for me. From the beginning, everyone I interacted with during the interview process was welcoming and genuinely seemed to enjoy being part of the program.

I was also really impressed by how organized and thoughtful the interview process was. It gave me the impression that UB was a program that cared about its residents and paid attention to the details.

That has really held true during residency. We have attendings who are not only excellent radiologists and teachers, but who genuinely care about us as people and want to see us succeed.

When I looked more closely at the training itself, the breadth of clinical experience and variety of practice settings really reinforced that impression.

The atmosphere is very welcoming and supportive. One of the things I appreciate most is that you really feel like you are treated as a person rather than a number. The residents are approachable and willing to help each other, and our attendings are invested in our education and our well-being. They genuinely care about us as people, not just as residents, and you can feel that in the way they teach, give feedback, and check in with us.

I really love how much there is to do outside of the hospital. Buffalo has a great food scene, with so many local and non-chain restaurants to explore, and there are plenty of opportunities to get outdoors. I also love having Ellicottville so close by for skiing, hiking, and just getting out of the city. It’s a place where you can have a lot to do without feeling like you’re living in a huge city, which has been a really nice balance for me.

We always hoped we would be able to train at the same place, but it didn’t happen quite in the traditional way. I actually completed three years of general surgery residency in Arizona before deciding to switch to radiology.

When I reapplied for radiology, being able to train alongside Brandon was a really important factor for me, so I specifically wanted to end up wherever he was.

We are incredibly grateful that UB took a chance on both of us and gave us the opportunity to be together here. It has made residency so much more meaningful and our lives outside of residency so much better, too.

It has been great. Brandon is a great senior and chief, so it’s been really nice to have someone I trust who understands exactly what residency is like. We study together, bounce ideas off of each other, and can talk through cases or things that happened during the day.

I think one of the biggest benefits is simply having someone who understands the demands of the job without needing any explanation. We’re able to support each other through the difficult days, celebrate the good ones, and share the experience together.