Alumni Voices
Graduates of Carle Illinois College of Medicine take their commitment to human-centered medical innovation to hospitals and clinics across the country as they enter medical residency. The Physician Innovators credit the Carle Illinois experience -- from curriculum to clinical training -- with uniquely preparing them for success.
Human-centered medical innovation advances compassionate patient care
Dr. Lidija Barbaric – now a medical resident in anesthesiology at Case Western Reserve in Ohio -- says the solid, one-on-one clinical mentorship and unique curriculum at Carle Illinois College of Medicine
Barbaric says she and her colleagues are trained to be physicians who can make a difference by advocating for and innovating improvements in patient care.
Personalized, immersive clinical experience key to Carle Illinois graduate success
Dr. Alex Lucas – a native of Bridgeport in Southern Illinois – is an emergency medicine resident at Advocate Christ Hospital in Chicago. He credits the Carle Illinois curriculum and the clinical mentorship of Carle Health physicians with setting him up for success.
Lucas cites Carle Illinois’ emphasis on innovation as helping him develop a problem-solver’s mindset – something he intends to carry forward into residency and future practice.
Carle Illinois Medical Innovations Impress Residency Program Directors
Dr. Christina Moawad -- a member of Carle Illinois’ inaugural class – aspired to become an orthopedic surgeon, a very competitive field in which women are underrepresented. She says residency program directors were impressed with depth of experience she gained at Carle Illinois, especially in projects geared toward finding solutions to health care challenges.
Moawad is a resident at New York University Long Island, her top choice. Carle Illinois’ inaugural class achieved a residency match rate of 100%, with class members receiving offers from prestigious teaching hospitals and matching into some of the most competitive specialties.