Providence St. Vincent Medical Center: Our Graduates At A Glance
Graduates of the Providence St. Vincent Medical Center Internal Medicine Training Program are highly trained internists with skills and capabilities well suited to a variety of career paths. On average, approximately one–third of the graduating housestaff seek fellowship training and place at prestigious programs around the country. Several of our graduates have returned from their fellowships to practice in Portland and many of them are practicing at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center. For those graduates wishing to remain in general internal medicine practice or hospital–based medicine, the growing Portland community offers many excellent practice opportunities.
Cardiology:
Brown University, East Tennessee State, Henry Ford Program, Oakwood Southshore Medical Center (Detroit), Texas A&M, University of California at Davis
Critical Care/Pulmonary:
Baylor University, Oregon Health & Science University, University of California at Irvine, University of Washington, Wake Forest University
Endocrinology:
Harvard, Oregon Health & Science University, University of California at Davis
Gastroenterology:
Cook County Hospital (Chicago), Oregon Health & Science University, St. James Health Center (Chicago),
Geriatrics:
Harvard, Oregon Health & Science University
Hematology/Oncology:
Mayo Clinic
Internal Medicine:
Oregon Health & Science University
Nephrology:
Oregon Health & Science University, University of Arizona
Pathology (Molecular Diagnosis):
University of Pittburgh
Graduates of the Providence St. Vincent Internal Medicine Residency have great things to say about their education with us. Here are a few of their impressions:
“The Providence St. Vincent residency was extremely valuable to me, because it taught me to do what I wanted to do: practice private internal medicine. I had an excellent combination of private care, rotations through universities, and subspecialty electives. Dr. Kenneth Melvin (residency director) is a superb teacher and lends an undeniable satisfaction and joy to the daily grind of residency medicine.”
– Norman Sitz, M.D., internist, Pendleton, Ore.
“The training program at Providence St. Vincent provides a resident the opportunity to practice in a very professional, patient–centered environment. There were some very good clinical role models as teachers, and a tremendous diversity in patient cases. I have a very positive feeling about the time I spent at St. Vincent.”
– Debra Angello, M.D., assistant professor of medicine and cardiology, University of Virginia Health Sciences Center, Winchester, Va.
“I had a desire to participate in medical care in a rural community, and to gain some subspecialty skills to allow me to better practice the type of medicine necessary in an area where subspecialty care is not readily available. Because of the elective time and the flexibility of the residency program at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center, I was able to spend time learning how to do gastroscopies, colonoscopies, and even received training in echocardiography and bronchoscopy. I was able to put in Swan–Ganz heart catheters and temporary pacemakers as well...I am tremendously appreciative of the outstanding attendings and the cooperative spirit that allowed me to gain the education I did.”
– J. Tucker Neilson, M.D., internist, Seaside, Ore.
“It was an excellent education. I felt very well prepared to enter private practice as an internist. But more importantly, there was an atmosphere of respect and congeniality. I was always treated as a colleague.”
– Steve Beeson, M.D., internist, Portland, Ore.
“One of the strong points of the residency was its small size. I think that this led to a real cohesiveness and cooperation between the residents that I have not seen present at larger programs. The learning environment was good, and I felt challenged to do my best as a resident. I found the attending staff at Providence St. Vincent to be excellent clinicians as well as good teachers.”
– Vikki Canfield, M.D., assistant professor of medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Okla.
“I feel there are three main reasons to choose Providence St. Vincent's internal medicine program: first, quality people on staff and in administration who work well with residents; second, pleasant working conditions and learning environment; and third, excellent support of residents from Drs. (Kenneth) Melvin and (Curtis) Holzgang.”
– Patricia Wagner, M.D., internist, Portland, Ore.
“My residency experience at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center preparedme very well for my fellowship in gastroenterology. The outstanding outpatientclinical experience gave me skills superior to those of many of my colleagueswhen it came to management of a busy outpatient practice. Because I was expectedto manage my patients as their primary doctor over the three years of residency,I felt very confident in my abilities to handle the complexities of patient managementon a daily basis. The evidenced–based medicine approach to daily patient careissues was one of the strongest aspects of the program. I felt that I was farahead of many of my colleagues when it came to the use of the literature to efficientlyanswer everyday questions regarding patient care.”
– Doug Shumaker, M.D., gastroenterologist, Portland, Ore.
“The medicine program at Providence St. Vincent serves as excellent preparation for a subspecialty career. I gained a solid grounding in clinical medicine, one that I could build on during my fellowship. In addition, the private medicine experience proved invaluable in transitioning back from academic training into the world of practice. It's hard to imagine a better all–round experience.”
– Harry Bray, M.D., gastroenterologist, Portland, Ore.
“Providence St. Vincent's internal medicine program places strong emphasis on maintaining quality of life for the housestaff while providing them with intensive and individual teaching from a wide range of consultants.”
– Claudia Ostermeyer, M.D., emergency physician, Portland, Ore.
“The Providence St. Vincent internal medicine program offers a very broad and challenging clinical experience, in both the inpatient and outpatient setting. The faculty members are all knowledgeable, enthusiastic and supportive and are clearly invested in educating the housestaff. One of the more valuable aspects of the program, in my opinion, is the one–on–one mentorship within the ambulatory setting. Each resident is assigned two faculty mentors with whom one works the entire three years. Not only does this allow for continuity of care, but more importantly, the mentor is committed to both the personal and professional growth of the resident. I have many fond memories of my residency, worked hard but also had a lot of fun, and I feel that the program more than adequately prepared me with the skills and knowledge to confidently practice medicine.”
– Angela Hahn, M.D., internist, Portland, Ore.
Graduate Destinations (Past eight years)
Fellowships
