Resident Profiles - Farzad Azimpour, MD, PGY-1

Farzad Azimpour , MD

Medical School: University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and Austin

I chose the Cleveland Clinic for world-class training in internal medicine and research, ultimately as a springboard to a competitive fellowship in cardiovascular medicine.

With my residency application submitted, I had rotated at 3 of the nation’s top 10 cardiovascular institutions, all emphasizing the seemingly logical yet critical lesson of an "all-systems" approach to patient-care. I knew then to focus on training at the institution with the highest-ranked subspecialty programs in the nation. It is widely known that Cleveland Clinic residents witness the developmental phases of cutting-edge treatments in all specialties, and most importantly, their application to medical and surgical practice. From this unique setting, clinicians who train here develop confidence in more straightforward cases, and progressive approaches to otherwise complicated cases.

The Internal Medicine Residency Program in particular takes educational media beyond what you would expect to find elsewhere. From the provided gold-standard handbooks and downloadable video “podcasts,” to innovative lectures from world-renowned pioneers of medicine and surgery, the program continuously updates a comprehensive plan to build a strong medical knowledge-base.

Given the expected time-constraints of any resident, the Clinic's facilities create a real sense of balance for the workplace. With an outstanding library, top-notch coffee, great food, and covered garage parking, the Clinic has all the components for a productive and cohesive work environment.

Coming from Houston , Texas was a big geographical leap, but adapting to life in Cleveland took a matter of weeks. With my clinical years of medical school in Austin , Texas , I was surrounded by unlimited choices for restaurants, nightlife, concerts, college-sports, and of course, the outdoors. I quickly found many of these here in and around the Cleveland area. Scenic trails for hiking, running, and cycling are always near with an extensive network of “MetroParks” circling greater Cleveland . For those who enjoy the occaisional night out, there are always groups of residents ready to unwind, and new places to explore.

The bottom line is that residency here is challenging, character-building, and highly rewarding. All things considered, the best decision I made was to rank Cleveland Clinic #1.