| Medical School: University of Utah | Career Goals: Hospitalist |
| Hometown: Payson, Utah | Email: tayford@salud.unm.edu |
Why UNM is My Choice for Residency: Going through the match process is complicated, but add on couples matching and things get interesting fast. Now not only does a program need to meet your own professional and personal goals, but a second program must also do that for your partner. After much deliberation, my significant other, Doug, who is now a psychiatry resident here at UNM, and I went through our program list and discovered that UNM met all of our goals. First, our patient population is diverse and interesting. It is a large academic tertiary care center with a mass of rural medicine coming from all around. The population here is widely underserved, with many areas of the state with limited access to health care. Secondly, the faculty has been amazing ‐ it is obvious that teaching is a passion here. There is a great feeling of mentorship and community here. At the end of the interview season, we knew where we wanted to be. The residents seemed happy and not over‐worked; they also seemed to genuinely like being with each other. I have found that to be overwhelmingly true; from kickball leagues to hikes to brewery tours, this is group of residents that love to be around each other! There are exhausting days as a resident, and I can’t imagine going through it without the support of these amazing humans. I have been welcomed by so many. Not long after moving here, Doug and I both found that this is an amazing place. Not only for the professional reasons above, but also living in Albuquerque is so great. Weather cannot be beat, no traffic, easy access to a plethora of outdoor activities, and welcoming neighbors and new friends. We have both opted to extend our time here; I will be chief resident during the 2021-2022 academic year, and he has been accepted to the child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship. I am always happy to share my love for New Mexico and the Pediatric Residency Program at UNM, so please reach out if you have questions!
Favorite Things About UNM: Fun co-residents, awesome patients, and inspiring teachers!
Favorite Things About New Mexico: Tons of outdoor activities, and wonderful weather to do it in.