Welcome

Welcome to Internal Medicine Residency at The University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center. Our program has a long history of attracting excellent physicians from around the country and the across the world. We offer a fantastic mix of diverse clinical experience, focused mentoring, and innovative educational curricula. We value the diversity of our patients, students, residents, faculty and staff. Our strengths include our people, our camaraderie, and our sense of teamwork.

UNM has a national reputation for excellence in all the medicine sub-specialties and our research programs are strong. While most clinical rotations occur at the University Hospital and the VA, residents have the opportunity to take electives to work in private practices, rural settings, and international locales.

Our program aims to provide a resident-centered educational experience tailored to individual interests. For that reason, we continuously improve and adapt the program and curricula in response to housestaff feedback. The attitude of continuous improvement is also demonstrated in our commitment to patient safety and high value care. We value the principles of evidence based medical practice, the importance of scientific curiosity, and a collegial learning environment.

Mark Unruh, MD	Sara Combs, MD, MS
Department Chair	Residency Program Director

Meet the Director

Sara Combs, MD, MS

Residency Program Director

Associate Professor

Divisions of Nephrology and Palliative Care

Dr. Combs joined University of Colorado faculty as a clinician-educator at the Denver VA in 2015. At the Denver VA, she served from 2015 to 2019 as medical director of VA hemodialysis unit, which included teaching responsibilities and creating and overseeing both the hemodialysis and palliative nephrology curricula for nephrology fellows. From 2016-2019 she served as Director of the VA Nephrology and Hypertension Clinic, coordinating the VA ambulatory continuity experience for CU nephrology fellows, and as Director of the Palliative Medicine clinic from 2015-2019, where she developed a robust outpatient palliative care program at the Denver VA. She was VA site director of the CU palliative care fellow continuity experience, created and supervised a home-based palliative care program for fellows, and developed a continuity experience for residents interested in palliative care fellowship during their primary care clinic blocks.

Dr. Combs joined as Internal Medicine faculty at the University of New Mexico in September 2019. She divides her clinical time between the Divisions of Nephrology and Palliative Medicine. She joined the IM residency program leadership team in January 2020 and became program director in September 2021. Dr. Combs has a vision of enhancing our program diversity and support, augmenting focused mentorship and innovative curricula, and improving communication skills across the residency.

Undergrad: University of Kansas

Medical School: University of Washington

Residency: University of Washington

Fellowships: Nephrology: University of Colorado

Palliative Medicine: University of Washington

Professional Interests: Medical education, communication skills training, anything in the intersections of palliative medicine and nephrology.

Personal Interests: Running, hiking, HIIT training, eating good food.

What do you love about New Mexico/UNM? I love the people, the sun, the outdoors and access easy access to foothills, the low cost of living, and my job.

Meet our APD's

A. Doran Bostwick, MD

Assistant Program Director

Assistant Professor

Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care

Undergrad: Sewanee, University of the South

Medical School: University of Texas, Southwestern

Residency: Duke University

Fellowship: University of Utah (Pulmonary Critical Care)

Professional Interests:

Critical care, pulmonary hypertension, social and environmental determinants of health.

Personal Interests:

Hiking and biking with my family and pups, rivers, growing and cooking good food, back porch sitting

Erin FitzGerald

Associate Professor

Division of Palliative Medicine

Communications APD

Healer's Art Course Director

Undergrad: The Evergreen State College

Medical School: University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine

Residency: Internal Med UNM w Integrative Med in fellowship training

Fellowship: UNM Palliative Medicine

Professional Interests:

Meaningful relationships with patients, Narrative Medicine, Justice in Healthcare, Integrative Medicine, Acupuncture, Communication, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Personal Interests:

Yoga, Hiking, Nature, Writing, Puzzling, Baking bread, Feeding my loved ones, playing with dogs and my kiddo, building fires, talking to my plants

What do you love about New Mexico/UNM?

I love the culture of NM, the diversity of its people. I love the grandeur of the wide blue skies and the abundance of mountains, the daily connections with nature. UNM is filled with people dedicated to providing excellent care to New Mexicans w justice, compassion and humility. There is tremendous collegiality, teamwork, and creativity.

Trintje Johansson, DO, MS

Associate Program Director

Assistant Professor

Division of Hospital Medicine

VA Academic Hospitalist

Undergrad: Western Washington University

Medical School: Western University of Health Sciences, College of Osteopathic Physicians of the Pacific Northwest

Residency: University of New Mexico, Internal Medicine

Professional Interests:

Diversity and Inclusion Medicine, Health equity, Physician Wellness, Resident Education, and Veteran Health

Personal Interests:

Hiking, cycling, skiing, all things outdoors, travel, food, and culture.

What do you love about New Mexico/UNM?

I love the three Ps on NM – The people, the patients, and the pathology. I adore the people I work with colleagues and learners, I am honored to serve our patient population, and UNM provides an incredible education for residents as the pathology you’ll see here is extensive. I came back to UNM/NM because diversity is welcomed and honored here. I couldn’t be happier to be apart of such a place with its mission to serve the people of the southwest.