“I remember being in your shoes,” resident program director Ronald Witteles, MD, told prospective residents and the interested public during last week’s Google+ Hangout with the Stanford Internal Medicine Residency program. “I really felt that Stanford was the best fit for me, so I crossed my fingers and came out here. It’s been everything I hoped it could be and more.”

Witteles joined a panel of faculty, residents, and physicians to share stories and answer questions about life at Stanford. Department chair Robert Harrington, MD, discussed Stanford’s tradition of innovation – highlighting the Biodesign program, a collaboration between the School of Medicine and the School of Engineering, and the Department of Medicine’s Clinical Excellence Research Center, which organizes research teams to discover and design new methods of health care delivery. When asked to comment on the school’s innovative reputation, he replied: “There is a spirit of innovation across the residency, across the department, and across the university that I think is unique, and is one of our defining characteristics.”

Several programmatic changes were also addressed during the hour-long Hangout. Witteles introduced a new initiative called Pathways of Distinction, or POD, that will allow residents to select one of seven individualized pathways that align with their academic and professional interests. Each POD, he explained, will provide residents with a unique opportunity for mentorship and development outside of their primary education in internal medicine.

Additional audience questions ranged from the level of autonomy afforded to residents (the answer? A significant amount, but you’re never left by yourself), to favorite things about Palo Alto, which garnered enthusiastic group consensus about the vibrant food scene and the close proximity to nature.

As the conversation came to a close, several panelists offered final thoughts: “We don’t just create great clinicians here; we create great leaders. This is an amazing place to practice,” reflected Errol Ozdalga, MD, a clinical assistant professor. Current resident Kathryn Weaver, MD, echoed this sentiment, adding: “At Stanford, I feel lucky every single day.”