Dear colleagues,
I’m excited to begin welcoming our new interns, residents and fellows. The diverse cohort of 254 individuals comprising our incoming house staff represent 65 different medical schools from 25 different states and the District of Columbia. Five international graduates will be joining our programs from as far away as Morocco and Qatar, and I am especially pleased that 36 of our new staff are graduates of the VCU School of Medicine.
This is an important and challenging developmental time in the lives of new doctors, when they effectively learn to “walk the walk” as clinicians. Every physician remembers what it was like to be in their shoes, and I know our entire School of Medicine community will do its best to provide support and to foster an environment where they can learn and grow as providers in their chosen specialties.
To our new house staff: Please know that we are committed to your well-being. We can’t care for others if we don’t take care of each other, and I encourage you to take advantage of the resources at your disposal should you need assistance. Additionally, caring for a community is both a privilege and a responsibility, so I also encourage you to explore and learn more about Richmond and the diverse constituencies you will serve.
Rest assured, you have come to the right place—one full of dedicated professionals committed to advancing comprehensive, innovative and compassionate patient care, and to preparing you to be the physician leaders for the next generation. You are fortunate to be here—and we are fortunate to have you. On behalf of the faculty, administration and staff of the School of Medicine, welcome to our caregiving community. I look forward to the great things we’ll accomplish together.
Kind regards,
Arturo P. Saavedra, M.D., Ph.D.
Dean, VCU School of Medicine
Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs, VCU Health System