Internal Medicine Residency Program
Welcome to the Internal Medicine Program at University of Kentucky King’s
Daughters (UKKD) in Ashland, Kentucky. Our program is dedicated to providing
the highest quality of patient care and offer a supportive environment
for residents to learn. At UKKD, we are committed to the development of
our residents and ensuring we safely care for our patients. In both the
inpatient and outpatient settings at UKKD, our residents play a vital
role in the treatment of our patients.
From Program Director Charbel Salem, M.D., MBA, CPE
“We are thrilled to have you join our community. Our hospital, faculty,
physicians, and administration are deeply invested in your success and
excited to embark on this journey with you. As the main healthcare hub
for Ashland and the surrounding region, our institution offers a rich
environment to prepare you for real-world practice, exposing you to a
wide range of acute and chronic illnesses through training both within
our hospital and outreach clinics.
Our faculty comprises experienced clinicians who are passionate about teaching. They understand the critical role residents play in improving healthcare outcomes, are committed to providing a well-organized curriculum, and protected teaching time. You will be supported and mentored throughout your clinical work while also having the opportunity to engage in didactic and scholarly activities without disruption.
Our curriculum emphasizes scientific rigor in internal medicine topics, alongside a review of the latest literature in acute and chronic condition management. Beyond the technical and scientific aspects, our program is rooted in the philosophy of fostering the humanistic side of medicine. We aim to cultivate compassionate and well-rounded physicians who excel not only in clinical acumen but also in the art of patient care. Throughout your training, you will collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to address the social determinants of health and their impact on patient outcomes. Additionally, our faculty will guide you in developing essential skills in communication, coding, and the business aspects of medicine. Through our partnership with the University of Kentucky College of Public Health, you will have opportunities to explore statistical concepts and conduct research on the interplay between social factors, comorbidities, and population health outcomes.
Our facilities are modern, many built within the last decade, including expanding emergency and radiology departments. You’ll enjoy working in pristine, state-of-the-art buildings across our campus, alongside faculty, nursing staff, and administrators who wholeheartedly embrace graduate medical education and are dedicated to your success.
We are confident that your training in our program will help you develop into an exceptional clinician and a well-rounded leader. Welcome to a transformative journey that will shape you into the best version of yourself—both personally and professionally.”
Our Mission:
Our mission is to cultivate a new generation of internal medicine physicians equipped not only to excel in diverse clinical environments but also to lead and innovate in their chosen paths, be it in service to our local community or in pursuit of academic and clinical excellence. We commit to offering a comprehensive and real-world internal medicine experience, deeply rooted in both hospital-based and ambulatory settings, to navigate the complex clinical challenges an internist faces throughout their career. Our program places a strong emphasis on the clinical coordination of care across various medical disciplines, fostering collaboration with a multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals to achieve the best outcomes for both acute and long-term patient care. Integral to our mission is the commitment to understanding and addressing the social determinants of health, ensuring our residents are well-versed in delivering compassionate, patient-centered care to those suffering from chronic or terminal illnesses. We prioritize a value-based, individualized approach to treatment, engaging patients and their appointed caregivers in meaningful and supportive interactions. Our goal is to empower our residents with the knowledge, skills, and empathy required to lead with integrity and excellence, driving forward the field of internal medicine for the betterment of individual and community health.
Our Aims:
- Comprehensive Patient Care Coordination: our program will equip residents with essential skills to coordinate comprehensive patient care plans effectively. We emphasize the importance of interdisciplinary communication and collaboration to achieve optimal patient outcomes. By mastering these competencies, our residents are prepared to navigate complex healthcare environments and deliver superior care.
- Faculty Development and Lifelong Learning: we prioritize faculty development and the cultivation of a culture of lifelong learning among our faculty. We are dedicated to fostering an environment that encourages continual professional development and innovation.
- Patient Centered and Analytics Based Health Delivery: our program is actively involved in refining patient-centered and analytics-based health delivery models. By integrating our residents into significant health care initiatives, residents participate in performance improvement projects that enhance patient care and improve population health outcomes. This hands-on experience is vital in preparing residents to implement effective health delivery strategies in their future roles.
- Population Health Curriculum: the program will integrate ongoing research and precision public health efforts into the curriculum, leveraging a collaboration with UK College of Public Health. By incorporating cutting-edge research and data-driven public health techniques, we prepare residents to become leaders in a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, fostering a deeper understanding of the interplay between individual patient care and population health. Our program is dedicated to producing not only excellent clinicians but also visionary leaders in public health and preventive medicine. Our curriculum emphasizes the importance of panel-based and population-based analysis.