Welcome to Tulane Internal Medicine! I am so very excited to have this opportunity to connect with you. Whether you are an interested as an applicant or just interested in us, I promise you won’t be disappointed in what we have going on at Tulane Internal Medicine. Explore this site and see more about the amazing aspects to our residency program.
Let me first start by telling you about my road here to be the Program Director. Along this path, you will see just why I am so proud of this program – its undeniable compassion, its courage, and its character.
The first thing you have to know about me is that I am a New Orleans Girl. I grew up in here, left for college but ultimately came back, because, like most people who come here, I just couldn’t get away from this city. It was here I attended medical school, at LSU School of Medicine. I was in the middle of my third year of medical when Hurricane Katrina hit. It was defining moment for this city of New Orleans and for me. Despite everything, all the hardship, I have never been more proud to call a place home. When you come to visit or come to live, I guarantee that sense of pride is still palpable.
After Medical School, I attended Med/Peds residency at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. It is here that I developed a strong appreciation for the role of a clinician-educator. The formation of a professional identity starts in medical school, but the greatest growth occurs in residency and I sure felt it! Residency shaped me into who I am and set me on my path here. During my time in Birmingham, I presented at many regional conferences which allowed me to network with my future employer. Luckily for me, Tulane School of Medicine had an opportunity for me to continue on my path as a clinician-educator. I got the chance to do what I love in the city that I love, and I just couldn’t pass it up!
When I interviewed for a job here at Tulane, I just knew this program was different. The residents and its program director demonstrated a level of empathy and excitement that was infectious. It was clear to me then as it is now, compassion and courage are built into the framework of this program. Every day, every month, every year, the residents here continue to amaze me in their commitment to this city, to its patients, and to each other. These features are the back bones of our residency and they are what allows our residents to grow as clinicians, educators, scholars and leaders.
As a member of the faculty, and now as Program Director, I have internally observed everything that makes this program great. I invite you to see the compassion, the courage, the character of this residency program. Come for a day, but I promise you will want to stay for longer.
We can't wait to meet you.
Deepa Bhatnagar, M.D.
Internal Medicine Residency Program Director
