Aaron Doonan, MD
University of Minnesota
Cardiovascular Disease Fellow

Aaron Doonan, MD

Medical School: University of Kansas School of Medicine
Outside Interest: Movies, Sports, Producing Music

At first glance, The Cleveland Clinic Internal Medicine residencyprogram looks similar to other top-tier residencies in the country. We have a competitive salary, great benefits, and supportive administrative staff. However, it wasn’t until my first month here that I realized the incredible opportunities available both during residency and beyond. Virtually every specialty and sub-specialty has world-renowned faculty in their respective fields. The people publishing the groundbreaking research in the top journals are the same mentors that teach every day on the wards or in the lecture halls. Despite this incredible wealth of intellectual fervor, I found everyone approachable and willing to help with career advice or to support various projects.

The Cleveland Clinic treats a wonderfully diverse population of pathology and patients from around the globe. This affords the opportunity to see and treat rare conditions shoulder-to-shoulder, and very much hands-on, with the experts in the field, something that might not happen in other programs. I also saw the traditional internal medicine diseases that define the questions found on the boards, so I felt prepared for any patient I might encounter after residency. Resident teaching extends from weekly electrocardiogram sessions to traditional conferences, grand rounds, journal clubs, and, most importantly, the bedside.

Although any internal medicine residency will require an investment of time, The Cleveland Clinic believes in life continuing outside the program. Our program director has gone to great lengths to ensure compliance with guidelines on work hours. As a result, my colleagues and I had ample opportunity to explore the city of Cleveland and to pursue our hobbies. From Playhouse Square to Lake Erie, Cleveland has something to offer for everyone. My personal favorite as a music fan was the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but professional football, baseball, basketball, and hockey are a close second. Also, even though it is a large residency program, the residents have several gatherings each year so that no one feels lost in the numbers, important for someone from a small Kansas town. The message here is that the program affords you the opportunity to pursue your career in whatever form you choose while being able to maintain your life outside medicine. Personally, I would not have had it any other way.