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Houda Abdelrahman, MD
PGY3, Kent Hospital/Brown University Internal Medicine Residency
Warwick, RI

In which program year of residency are you currently in?

I am a PGY3 in the Kent Hospital/Brown University Internal Medicine Residency Program.

Why did you choose internal medicine?

I enjoy making diagnoses and discussing the disease process and plan with patients. Watching issues evolve or resolve during a hospital admission keeps me engaged at work. I was fortunate to have had wonderful mentors and teachers who explained their clinical reasoning and demonstrated doctoring skills, bedside manner, and teaching during rounds. While internal medicine is very diverse with opportunities to subspecialize and work on multidisciplinary teams, I've seen how a strong background in medicine prepares one for many career paths. 

What lesson(s) did you learn in residency that can help you for the rest of your career?

Residency has taught me to be not only a team player but also an independent thinker: I appreciate the entire clinical picture as I gain a thorough understanding of a patient’s case and decide what will be best for them. I work at a resident primary care clinic in an underserved community, which is rewarding. It's important to connect with ancillary staff you encounter in your patient care. Finally, I've learned to see myself as a lifelong learner—if there's something I don't know today, I'll work to be able to teach it tomorrow. 

What are your plans for after residency? Are you becoming a chief, going into fellowship, or starting as an attending? What factors or advice from mentors contributed to your decision?

Endocrinology fellowship. I gravitated toward endocrinology for its broad knowledge base with complex feedback physiology, the intersection between medical and surgical management of endocrinopathies, and the application to women’s health.

How has being a member of ACP helped you in your professional life? What resources have been most helpful to you?

Throughout residency, we had opportunities to present cases and research in both poster and podium presentations, receive the Annals of Internal Medicine journal, and connect with other ACP members. In my second and third years in residency, I participated in the state and national competitions for the ACP Doctor's Dilemma® competition. Everyone learns something new.