Alex Baker, MD 

Why UNM is My Choice for Residency: I was lucky enough to have UNM as my medical school. I had four years to get to know the school, the staff, the residents, the programs, and the patient populations and by my fourth year I had no doubt that I wanted to stay here for my residency. Whether it was the days where you got breakfast burritos while pre-rounding, tried to best your co-residents in ping-pong on night shift, the days where you see more zebras than horses, or the days where you aren't even in the hospital and still spending time with your co-residents I had no doubt this is where I wanted to be. The resident culture/family is awesome, the attendings value your education and well-being, the education covers bread and butter through zebras, and the program works to make you the best doctor you can be. There was and is no doubt in my mind I picked the right program. 

Favorite Things About UNM: UNM is uniquely positioned to serve an entire state with a diverse population meaning you won't just see 'bread and butter' patients, you will be seeing zebras. UNM acts as the pediatric specialist center for hospitals all over the state; if there is a unique case in our 120,000+ square miles chances are they will be seen by UNM providers. The resident 'atmosphere' here is supportive, fun, and gets you through the roughest days. The program is structured to build strong foundations in inpatient and outpatient care over your first year and then tailors your schedule to your career goals, you will leave this program with strong foundations in pediatrics and the specialized experience to take on whatever you want to do next.  

Favorite Things About NM: If you're looking for it, chances are New Mexico has it. Want to spend time in the city? You'll have new places to go throughout residency. Enjoy the outdoors? Good luck seeing everything before you graduate. You can spend one day in the forest and the next day exploring the sand dunes. You can backpack/camp/hike through the summer and enjoy snowboarding/skiing through the winter. Whether it's something as unique as Balloon Fiesta or taking the tram up to 10,00 feet for panoramic views or staying in town for a night out, New Mexico has something for everyone.