Graduate Medical Education

Academic Environment and Experience

Atrium Health Navicent is committed to the intentional development of a diverse and inclusive team as we grow the sharpest minds in medicine. We want to advance medical professionals who are knowledgeable, engaged and ready to tackle the complex world of healthcare. Our organization strives to ensure that all trainees and candidates feel at home here.

As a resident or fellow at Atrium Health Navicent, you'll connect, grow and learn with numerous opportunities to get involved at the department, division and organizational level. We welcome you to be an agent of change and to use your voice to make a difference.

Featured Resident/Faculty Testimonials on Academic Environment and Experience

Shalini Ramjit, MD, PGY 1:

The term diversity continues to change with time. Fundamentally, this word diversity is defined as the acceptance and considerations for an individual, while acknowledging the differences of that person or group. The concept of diversity in the health care system is essential since our health care organization continues to evolve and provide continuous support to a diverse community here in Macon. Descending from the West Indies and being born and raised in South Florida, I've encountered diversity at every corner. I was apprehensive about moving to Macon, wondering how I would assimilate in this town. To my surprise, I integrated smoothly, and culturally I felt well-supported in my program. I remember during orientation of this program, I learned that a good percentage of the incoming interns came from diverse backgrounds. In addition, half of my Pediatric intern class were from similar backgrounds and shared the same values as myself; I knew in that moment that I would fit in just fine. From the attendings, residents, Graduate Medical Education, and clinical staff, there is a lot of diversity and inclusion within this institution. This is very important in any program not only for patient care but also for creating an environment you can thrive in.

Alvaro Saldana, DO, PGY2:

Everyone has heard of the common saying that medicine is a collaborative effort - doctors, nurses, pharmacists, coming together for the good of patients. However, just as important, and often an underrated aspect, is having a diverse group of individuals as the makeup of this group. In my Pediatrics Residency Program, we have an extraordinarily diverse roster. We have individuals from many countries, representing every continent - from Colombia, to Switzerland, to Haiti, to Korea, to Nigeria, to India just to name a few. We use this to our advantage in order to take better care of our patients. When there is a patient's family who only speaks Spanish, I know that as the lone Spanish speaker in the program it will be up to me to establish rapport with this family and keep them informed of everything. Similarly, I lean on other Residents to be able to reach patients with cultural differences that other residents may understand better than me. Having an open mind to learning from each other and realizing that each of us brings a unique experience to the table not only makes us better well-rounded individuals, but also better doctors.

Domonique Charles, MD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics:

When I started Residency at Atrium Health Navicent, I was honestly surprised by the diversity amongst the pediatric residents, faculty and staff. I quickly learned that having a diverse group of residents gives us the unique opportunity to learn, not only medicine from each other, but about our cultural differences. As a Black woman, it's been inspiring to me to see so many Black women as faculty and have several of them mentor me along the way during training and becoming a new attending. It’s comforting to see there are women, like me, who have achieved high levels of success in the field of medicine.