Welcome to the Brown University Internal Medicine Programs in Providence, RI

Our three programs (Categorical, Primary Care (GIM), and Preliminary), are based at Rhode Island Hospital with additional core rotations at The Miriam Hospital and the Providence VA Medical Center. We are situated in Providence, RI – a dynamic, art-, industry- and culinary-focused city, built on a foundation of inclusion and tolerance and ranked #16 for ethnic, language, and region of birth diversity among the 300 most populated cities in the United States. Our residents value the diverse population, a complementary variety of clinical locations, and a talented cohort of faculty educators and researchers within the Warren Alpert Medical School.

Our Mission Statement

The Brown University Internal Medicine Program seeks to promote the development of the consummate internist – doctors who practice with a high level of compassion, knowledge, skills, and professionalism. Our residents and faculty reflect a broad diversity of backgrounds and experiences unified by a dedication to our profession. We aim to give residents the opportunities, tools, and guidance to practice patient-centered care in a variety of environments. Our graduates will hold the care of their patients as their primary goal, accomplished through lifelong learning, scholarship, and education. We achieve this goal through mentorship, experiential learning, and by upholding high ethical standards. Our graduates are prepared for future growth as generalists and subspecialists, practitioners, and investigators, held together by the common bond of dedication to their patients and to the community of medicine. Collaboration, teamwork, and devotion to self and others are our core values.

New Internal Medicine Program Director Appointed

We are pleased to announce the recruitment of Rachel P. Simmons, M.D. as the new Internal Medicine Training Program Director at Brown and Lifespan. Dr. Simmons was selected after an extensive national search. She is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and completed her Internal Medicine, Infectious Diseases training and Chief Residency at Massachusetts General Hospital. She has been an Associate Program Director for the Residency Program in Internal Medicine at Boston University for the last 9 years with substantial responsibilities for several program initiatives and functions. Her areas of interest include resident evaluation, assessment of clinical competence, equitable recruitment practices in graduate medical education, and infectious diseases education. Dr. Simmons is passionate about graduate medical education and feels privileged to work with residents as they transform from students to internists while also experiencing tremendous personal growth. She is also an avid reader of fiction, a runner, an enthusiastic gardener, and eager to explore Rhode Island bakeries and beaches with her children (ages 10 and 8).

Dr. Simmons will replace Dominick Tammaro, M.D., who has led our program for more than 30 years and created one of the most enviable Internal Medicine learning environments in the country. Dom is nationally renowned for his work in residency education and will be continuing in his role as Vice Chair for Education in the Department of Medicine after returning from achieving his lifelong ambition to hike the Appalachian trail.

We welcome Dr. Simmons to her new role and wish Dr. Tammaro nothing but good weather in his new adventure.

What's New

New Chief Residents AY 2023-2024 Named
Brown IM Program Leaders announced the new Chief Residents selected for the Academic Year 2023-2024:

Mohammed Haji, MD
Drexel University

Alexis Jacobson, MD
UMass Medical School

Markos Kalligeros, MD
University of Athens

Rei Mitsuyama, MD
Warren Alpert School of Medicine

Noor Tell, MD
Cooper Medical School
Rhode Island Free Clinic Physician of the Year Award-Assoc Med/Peds Program Director Sybil Cineas, MD
Sybil Cineas, MD received the Dr. Steven Brin Rhode Island Free Clinic Physician of the Year Award 2021. Dr. Cineas is the Associate Program Director for the Medicine/Pediatrics Residency Program at Brown Medicine and Associate Professor of Medicine & Pediatrics, and Medical Science at Lifespan/Brown University. Since 1999, Dr. Cineas has volunteered at the Rhode Island Free Clinic, serving on The Clinic’s Medical Advisory Committee, and actively recruiting physician volunteers. The award is given annually to the physician who demonstrates exceptional volunteer commitment and care for patients, and in doing so embodies the spirit of excellence of Dr. Brin.
Miriam Hospital Receives Multiple Awards
1) In fall 2021, The Miriam Hospital received an “A” from Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, an independent national watchdog organization that assesses hospitals achievements in protecting patients from harm and error in the hospital
2) For the seventh time in a row, U.S. News & World Report named The Miriam Hospital tops in Rhode Island on its Best Regional Hospitals list as well as the number one hospital in the Providence metro area for 2020-2021.
Dr. Dominick Tammaro receives the Rhode Island Hospital Hamolsky Award
Dr. Dominick Tammaro, Internal Medicine Residency Director, was awarded the Hamolsky Award by the Rhode Island medical Staff Association for his 30+ years of contributions and leadership at Rhode Island Hospital. This award is named for Dr. Milton Hamolsky, founding Chairman of Medicine for Brown University’s new medical school who played a leadership role in crafting an academic department of medicine which continues to grow and thrive in research and clinical care. Dr. Tammaro will be presented with this award virtually at the annual RIH Medical Staff Assoociation meeting in January 2022.
Dr. Samir Shah begins 21-22 term as President of American College of Gastroenterology
Dr. Samir Shah was elected to lead the American College of Gastroenterology, which represents over 17,000 gastroenterologists and other digestive disease specialists. Dr. Shah serves as Chief of Gastroenterology at Miriam Hospital and officially began his tenure as president of the ACG in late October during the organization’s Annual Scientific Meeting and Postgraduate Course, which was held in Las Vegas. Dr. Shah was accompanied by many Internal Medicine residents and has been a valued mentor for our program’s future gastroenterologists for many years.
Lifespan Hospitals Top Performers in LGBTQ Health Care Equity
Lifespan’s four hospitals once again achieved Top Performer status on the Healthcare Equality Index (HEI), a national benchmark of hospitals’ policies and practices related to equitable and inclusive treatment of their LGBTQ patients, visitors, and employees.

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation announced August 31 that Rhode Island, The Miriam, Bradley, and Newport hospitals had earned the designation. The Human Rights Campaign, the largest national lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer civil rights organization, has more than 3 million members and supporters.

The HEI assesses hospitals’ policies and practices regarding non-discrimination and staff training, patient services and support, employee benefits and policies, and patient and community engagement.

Participating hospitals “are not only on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, they are also making it clear from their participation in the HEI that they stand on the side of fairness and are committed to providing inclusive care to their LGBTQ patients. In addition, many have made strong statements on racial justice and equity and are engaging in efforts to address racial inequities in their institutions and their communities. We commend all of the HEI participants for their commitment to providing inclusive care for all,” Alphonso David, HRC Foundation president, said in releasing the 13th annual report.

A record 765 health care facilities participated in the HEI 2020 survey. The Human Rights Campaign Foundation provides a searchable database for the public to learn about hospitals near them.
Department of Medicine Implements JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion) Curriculum
Dr. Debasree Banerjee (Pulmonary/Critical Care) has developed a seven-module anti-racism curriculum titled JEDI, which has been implemented for Department of Medicine faculty in the Divisions of Pulmonary/Critical Care, General Internal Medicine, and infectious Diseases. This curriculum was developed with grant support from the Department of Medicine and will be implemented for all faculty over the coming academic year. This new program complements the BRIM (Bias Reduction in Internal Medicine) workshop which has been conducted with faculty and residents in Internal Medicine at Brown for the since 2018. In June 2021, BRIM Facilitators from the Department of Medicine conducted the workshop, originally developed at the University of Wisconsin, for all incoming interns from all residency programs at Brown.
Listen to our Latest Podcasts
Associate Program Director, Dr. Fred Schiffman, appeared on the “Medicine Mentors” Podcast

Dr. Schiffman explains Brown’s focus on Humanism in Medicine and how it contributes to excellence in practice and medical education.

https://campaignlp.constantcontact.com/em/1119270871185/6e1f6736-03ab-42be-8236-1ca62453434a

Program Director, Dr. Dominick Tammaro, describes some features of the Brown Internal Medicine Residency Program.

Listen on Spotify via the link below.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5Eao62XrB8AwB8XH3t3b8E?si=w9KxttRaQRGo94_QzPXhkg

Bias Reduction Education in Brown Department of Medicine Podcast

Dr. Kate Cahill (Clinician Educator track Co-Director/Brown IM Core Clerkship Director/BRIM Instructor) joins Dr. Tammaro in this Podcast describing the nature and implementation of the BRIM program for faculty and residents here at Brown.

You can access the podcast at http://www.brownmed.org/needle/.

Resident Voices

On my interview day, the morning report here won me over. Beyond a sense of camaraderie, the atmosphere amongst the residents and faculty was beautiful in its honesty and remarkable in its simplicity. I recognized that I found a place in which I could train while continuing to develop and cultivate my self and and my personality. Here I'm able to find progress personally and academically, and even when I was tired, hungry, or hangry, the experience has been rewarding.

Athreya Tata, MD (PGY3 - Primary Care),
When I was looking at residency programs, Brown stood on its own in terms of philosophy and values. There is a culture of learning and support that extends from the leadership and percolates through the program that I think is uncommon to find at other places. I have grown so much as a person and healthcare professional, in no small part because of the mentors and teachers made available to me here.

Daniel Yee, MD (PGY3 - Primary Care),
Learning to practice medicine at Brown has been a privilege. The atmosphere here is one of professionalism, collaboration, and mutual respect. Interns and residents are given autonomy but also tremendous support and backup, and I’ve never once felt like I couldn’t ask for help. There are many internal medicine programs with great patient diversity and fellowship match, but I think you’d be hard-pressed to find a place where people treat each other with such benevolence.

Brian Osler, MD (PGY3 - Categorical),
Residency is hard work, so it is important to surround yourself with people who genuinely care about one another and bring a positive attitude to work everyday. My passion for General Internal Medicine has only grown since starting here, and I attribute this to being surrounded by countless incredible role models who make medicine fun! I truly feel that I will leave Brown with all the tools necessary to become an exceptional general internist.

Jaclyn McKenna, MD (PGY3 - Primary Care),
Residency so far has been a phenomenal experience I would never change. The family I have created with my fellow residents and my work as a physician has filled me with such joy. Residency has its hardships but you're never alone, always supported, and trained incredibly well here at Brown.

Grant Cagle, MD (PGY3 - Categorical),