A ‘very fast 11 years’

When Kaitlin Brittan, MD, ends her fellowship in rheumatology, a new chapter in her medical career will begin.

Her surroundings will stay the same.

Rishi Batra, MD

Dr. Brittan is one of the between 150-180 house officers (residents and fellows) who will be ending their graduate medical education at UNMC this summer. Each year on June 30, these doctors move to the next stage of their medical careers.

“It’s always an exciting time,” said Chandra Are, MBBS, the UNMC College of Medicine’s associate dean of graduate medical education. “It’s wonderful to see these young physicians embarking on the next stage of their career, and we are proud of their accomplishments.”

Unlike many of her contemporaries, though, Dr. Brittan isn’t going anywhere.

“UNMC just made the most sense,” said Dr. Brittan, who will become an attending physician in the UNMC Division of Rheumatology. At the end of her fellowship this spring, she will have been at UNMC for 10 years, since entering as a medical student.

“Making the transition from fellow to attending has a lot of inherent stressors — learning the new role, handling bigger responsibilities. With knowing the UNMC community, the EMR system, the nurses and other providers — and without having to move and all the added work that brings — I can focus on my new role,” Dr. Brittan said.

UNMC also appealed to Dr. Brittan because it allows her to continue as a physician/educator. During her time as a house officer and fellow, she said, she’d gotten used to helping the younger doctors.

“It’s exciting to be able to continue being in a role to help shape the next generation of learners,” she said. “I always thought education would be part of my career, and staying at UNMC will allow me more interaction with other learners.”

Dr. Brittan praised her mentor, Amy Cannella, MD, for allowing Dr. Brittan and other fellows to be part of the teaching experience.

“The people and culture at UNMC are wonderful,” Dr. Brittan said.

Rishi Batra, MD, agrees completely. But when his residency ends, he’s leaving Omaha for Rochester, Minnesota, and the Mayo Clinic – to take on a fellowship in colon and rectal surgery.

Like Dr. Brittan, Dr. Batra came to UNMC as a med student.

“I loved my experience at UNMC, and I felt very fortunate to match here after medical school,” he said. “I’ve been given a lot of opportunities for research as a general surgery resident.”

At the same time, he’s excited for the new challenge and looking forward to the specialized training, such as in robotic surgery, that will make him a stronger surgeon.

“I feel prepared for the next step in my training.” Dr. Batra said.

He’s excited to be going to the well-known Mayo Clinic, and he said it shows that UNMC residents can compete on a national level when trying for top fellowships or professional opportunities.

But leaving UNMC doesn’t feel real yet, he said.

“It’s been a very fast 11 years. I’m thankful for the opportunities UNMC has given me, and hopefully I will take what I’ve learned here and build on it.

The pandemic made shifting locations especially interesting, Dr. Batra said, because — for example — he hasn’t actually even been to the Mayo Clinic yet.

“It’s hard trying to get a feel for the program and the culture via Zoom,” he said. “Mayo felt like a great fit for me.”

Like Match Day, completing a residency or fellowship is a milestone in a young doctor’s life.

“This is the first point at which the buck stops at your decision,” Dr. Brittan said. “That’s universally the biggest challenge, for everyone.”