Children's Emergency Department is now located in Children's Tower: 1001 E. Marshall Street.

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Current residents

Sandifer, Benjamin (Ben), MD Benjamin (Ben) Sandifer, MD

Medical University of South Carolina COM

Hello everybody! I am a PGY-2 from South Carolina. I grew up in the upstate and went to Clemson for undergrad (go Tigers!), and then I did medical school at MUSC in Charleston, SC. I wanted to come to VCU for several reasons, but primarily I really felt at home with the residents. During my interview, it was very relaxed and it seemed like the residents all really enjoyed hanging out with each other, which is huge considering how much time we spend with each other. I had never been to Richmond before my interview but really fell in love with it then. It's such a nice mix of city life but also is really close to the mountains and the beach. The hiking trails are excellent, the breweries are everywhere, and the river going through downtown is an incredible place to go hang out on the weekends without having to travel at all. My wife and I also really enjoyed discovering all the wineries out towards the mountains. I think Richmond is an excellent place to train. We are in the state capital and 1.5 hours from DC, so we have a lot of opportunities for advocating for our patients at the state and federal level. Our facilities are fantastic too! The Children's Pavillion was completed a few years ago and we are in the process of building a new children's hospital as well. The program really shows that the interests of their residents are a priority, and the 2-week alternating schedule really helps decrease burnout and fatigue. I had reservations about it initially but it is awesome once you start it. The faculty here are very supportive and really enjoying teaching.

I know that this interview cycle is nothing that we have ever seen before, but I hope to see you on some Zoom chats and virtual visits. Please feel free to reach out to any of us with questions about the program and the city, we are always happy to help!

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