Medical School: Gulf Medical University, Ajman, UAE
Undergraduate: University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
Small town of Clarion. Clarion Hospital, one of the smallest hospitals
I have ever been to by size, but the largest by heart. The physicians,
the nurses, the staff and even the patients are all more than family.
Day by day during my family medicine journey, the town grew on me and
I got more and more connected to it.
The program might me small, but large enough to get more than enough experience
to go on to practicing medicine outpatient, inpatient or continue into
fellowship.
Here at Clarion Hospital Patients are not numbers, they are family.
Patrick Fusunyan, DO
Medical School: Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Erie, PA
What do I like about the Clarion Hospital Residency? I'd say the main thing
is the people. Us residents are a close knit bunch. This cooperative environment
has been a huge benefit in my growth as a physician as well as on a personal
level, reinforcing the aspects of teamwork and camaraderie that are so
important in life.
With that said, it's not just the residents; the rest of the hospital staff
also foster a collaborative environment. The smaller class sizes allow
for more individualized learning from attending, who can focus on specific
interests or areas you want to improve on and are always happy to teach.
Being able to work closely with the nurses and other healthcare staff
in various service lines has given me a deeper understanding and appreciation
of all aspects of healthcare. Finally, whether it's your first day on
surgery and you're looking for the locker room, or your last day on inpatient
medicine and you need to decompress, the ancillary staff are willing to
lend a hand, or ear.
Asides from the people, the rotations offered have been instrumental in
developing my abilities as a physician. In both inpatient and outpatient
services, I have been given
opportunities to exert a level of decision-making independence that has
continued to help build my confidence, while still being able to ask attendings
for input and suggestions on how to improve my patient care. Being able
to work in hospitals and clinics of varied sizes has helped me narrow
down the niche I wish to pursue on graduation.
Patricia Wilt, DO
Medical School: West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, Lewisburg, WV
Undergraduate: Kent State University, Kent, OH
I grew up in small town West Virginia and knew that I always wanted to
work in an underserved community. I chose Clarion Hospital for just that.
Clarion is an unopposed FM program that provides full spectrum family
medicine. We work closely with both inpatient and outpatient settings.
I love the open communication between the physicians, nurses, and other
staff. Everybody is approachable. It really helps build a sense of belonging.
Since merging with Butler and subsequently into Independence Health System,
our opportunity for specialist education has widened. This program is
what you make of it; I want to be very hands-on and am encouraged to do
so at every turn. When I graduate, I plan to be a hospitalist in a similar
setting and feel confident doing so with my education.
Thaine Woodrow, DO - Chief Resident
Medical School: Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Bradenton, FL
Undergraduate: Seton Hill University, Greensburg, PA
I am the current Chief Resident of Family Medicine class of 2024. I have
been happily married for 7 years and have a 2 year-old with one on the
way. Faith is a huge part of my life. Interests and hobbies include studying
and playing jazz piano, cycling, golfing, rock climbing, cooking, riding
my motorcycle, and I am a serious coffee enthusiast. Growing up in Greensburg,
PA, western Pennsylvania has always been home. I was excited to return
to PA after medical school in Florida, but Clarion was not my first choice.
However, after completing my clinical years at Clarion prior to graduating,
I was thrilled to stay.
Even as a student, Clarion Hospital had me seeing patients on my own, writing
notes, doing procedures, and learning autonomy. This autonomy, still supervised
of course, only increased as a resident, and continues to be so valuable
to our overall education. I was entirely committed to my love for primary
care medicine at the start of my first year. However, I quickly learned
that I preferred emergency and inpatient medicine over outpatient primary
care. This can happen to anyone, so thankfully family medicine is an extremely
versatile field. Clarion made it easy to switch gears and move toward
these goals. I started using all of my electives in the emergency department,
and made it clear that I wanted to learn more procedures. Being unopposed
and having a small resident/attending ratio helped considerably, and all
of the medical staff were very supportive of this decision. Overall, I
am blessed to be a part of the Clarion Hospital family, and am excited
about the future it will provide!
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