Department of Medicine Education Leadership
Meet the faculty who train tomorrow's leaders.
Residency Program Director

Aashish K Didwania, MD
Vice Chair of Education and Associate Professor of Medicine (General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics)
Associate Residency Program Directors


Sarah Chuzi, MD, MSc
Assistant Program Director (Cardiology)


Elizabeth Anne Scharle, MD, MS
Assistant Professor of Medicine (General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics)

Chief Medical Residents

Jason Arnold, MD
Undergrad: Northwestern University
MD: Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine
Chief Resident of VA, Equity and Advocacy, and Procedure Education
Plans after chief year: Fellowship training in Pulmonary and Critical Medicine.

Avni Bavishi, MD
Undergrad: University of Illinois at Chicago
MD: Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Chief Medical Resident of Scheduling & Equity/Advocacy
Plans after chief year: Cardiology Fellowship

Claire Harrington, MD
Undergrad: University of Mary Washington
MD: University of Virginia
Chief Medical Resident, Wellness and Grand Rounds
Plans after chief year: Gastroenterology/Hepatology

Shaundeep Sekhon, MD
Undergrad: The Ohio State University
MD: Tufts University School of Medicine
Chief Medical Resident for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety
Plans after Chief Year: Pursue Cardiology Fellowship.

Brianna B. Valdes, MD
Undergrad: University of Florida
MD: University of Florida
Chief Medical Resident of Curriculum & Conferences
Plans after chief year: Academic Primary Care
Residency Core Faculty

Michael P Angarone, DO
Assistant Professor of Medicine (Infectious Diseases) and Medical Education

Jeffrey H Barsuk, MD
Professor of Medicine (Hospital Medicine) and Medical Education



Aarati D Didwania, MD
Professor of Medicine (General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics) and Medical Education; Director, Honors Program in Medical Education; Director, STAR (Survivors Taking Action and Responsibility) Program; Director of Faculty Development and Mentoring - Clinical/Education

Daniel B Evans, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine (General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics)

Robert Hirschtick, MD
Associate Professor Emeritus of Medicine (General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics)

Muriel Jean-Jacques, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine (General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics)


David B Neely, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine (General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics)



Ronak V Patel, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine (Gastroenterology and Hepatology)

Elizabeth Anne Scharle, MD, MS
Assistant Professor of Medicine (General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics)


Diversity and Cultural Affairs Council Directors

Khalilah Latrece Gates, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine (Pulmonary and Critical Care)

Kehinde U.A. Adekola, MBBS
Assistant Professor of Medicine (Hematology and Oncology)

Global Health Track Director

Physician Scientists Training Program Directors

Sadiya S Khan, MD, MSc
Assistant Professor of Medicine (Cardiology) and Preventive Medicine (Epidemiology)

Benjamin D Singer, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine (Pulmonary and Critical Care)

Douglas E Vaughan, MD
Chair, Department of Medicine Irving S. Cutter Professor of Medicine Professor of Medicine (Cardiology)
Simulation Directors

Jeffrey H Barsuk, MD
Professor of Medicine (Hospital Medicine) and Medical Education

VA Site Directors

Elizabeth G Apolonio, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine (General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics)

Bijal V Jain, MD
Adjunct Assistant Professor of Medicine (General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics)

James R Otto, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine (General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics)

Women’s Health Track Director

Brigid M Dolan, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine (General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics)