The Weill Department of Medicine (WDOM) is pleased to welcome our 2023-2024 Chief Residents: Drs. Jeanie Gribben, Ashwin Kelkar, Rebecca Krakora, Kara Ryan and Charlton Tsai. Dr. John Leonard, Chief (Interim) of the WDOM, recently spoke with the group in a special episode of Vitals. Vitals showcases colleagues across our diverse WDOM community of clinicians, researchers, trainees, and administrative staff in a brief interview about their role and experience.
The 2023-2024 Chief Residents were featured in a special episode of Vitals.
After completing her undergraduate degree in Human Development with a minor in Nutrition & Health from Cornell University, Dr. Gribben -who, along with Drs. Krakora and Tsai are Inpatient Chief Residents- received her medical degree from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in 2020. When asked by Dr. Leonard about the best part of her chief residency experience so far, Dr. Gribben talked about the value of getting “mixed exposure to hospital administration, education, teaching and programming,” seeing how much goes on in the “behind the scenes functioning” of the residency. Dr. Gribben was named Resident of the Year in 2022 and in May 2020 received the Patricia Levinson Award for the Advancement and Inclusion of Women in Medicine.
Dr. Kelkar, who graduated summa cum laude from Stonybrook University with a B.S. in biochemistry and minors in music and chemistry, received his medical degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in 2020. He serves as the Quality Improvement Chief, which focuses heavily on “patient safety events and leading patient safety conferences” while also being part of the “multiple quality improvement initiatives around the hospital.” Earlier this year, Dr. Kelkar received the Harvey Klein MD Award for Dedication to Patient Care and Quality. An avid community volunteer with past service at Case Western Reserve University’s Mini Med School, among other organizations, Dr. Kelkar is also the recipient of an NIH/NIDDK T35 Research Grant.
Dr. Krakora, who received her bachelor’s degree in Biology with a minor in Mathematics from Bowdoin College, recieved her medical degree from Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in 2020. Dr. Krakora also assists in scheduling and administration, with a focus on training and education. Along with Dr. Tsai, Dr. Krakora helps coordinate the residents’ and interns’ didactic education schedules. Her favorite part of being chief resident is being a sounding board for the resident population. “I hope to be an outlet for them,” she said, and, with better knowledge of the hospital’s administrative system, is dedicated to making positive changes “that benefit everyone.” Dr. Krakora is the 2023 recipient of the Daniel M. Libby Program Director’s Award.
Dr. Ryan, a summa cum laude graduate of Boston University with a B.S. in Human Physiology, received her medical degree from Tufts University School of Medicine. As Ambulatory Chief Resident, Dr. Ryan is currently based at Weill Cornell Internal Medicine Associates (WCIMA), which is where all residents rotate through their primary care clinic. Dr. Ryan’s job is a “mixture of administrative and educational items.” Her work includes helping develop outpatient curriculum and, in a few months, precepting patients. (Preceptors provide clinical education, supervision and evaluation of students within a clinical setting.) She is the 2023 Senior Resident of the Year and a 2022 Ruth Fox Scholar at the American Society of Addiction Medicine.
After acquiring his B.S. in Biological Sciences from Cornell University, Dr. Tsai completed medical school at Duke University. His focus as a Chief Resident involves helping coordinate intern schedules and the Morbidity and Mortality Conference, as well as liaising with each unit’s nursing and medical center directors to address challenges and improve workflow. Like Dr. Krakora, Dr. Tsai reflected on watching younger residents’ growth over time as a favorite part of his experience. He looks forward to serving as a mentor and resource for residents. His goals for the year include streamlining the process for residents' research and career development, as well as achieving continued growth as a clinician educator.