Lauren Woldanski, MD

There are so many reasons that come to mind. First and foremost – the family. During my interview process the thing that I found most important to me was finding a group of residents and faculty that considered each other family. I knew that what was going to make me the happiest was to be surrounded by a group of people who were constantly supporting each other in every aspect of life – after all, we were going to be together more often than not over these next 6 years. Many other institutions claimed they were family, but SIU is where I really felt it – not only between the residents, but also from the faculty towards the residents. Runner up is the Mentorship Model – not many places I interviewed at were able to run a program like this. I thrive in environments where I can develop one-on-one relationships with my mentors and have time to gradually earn their trust and gain independence. Working with different providers every day can be difficult because each have their own preferences and techniques; the Mentorship model minimizes that stress so I can focus more on learning what is really important. On top of all that is the impressive amount of resources available for resident success: anatomy labs, skills sessions, the micro lab, ample research support. When I first started the process of trying to pursue a plastic surgery residency, the program director at my medical school specifically told me that he thought I would be a good fit at SIU – and I honestly can’t believe how right he was.  I couldn’t be more thankful to be at this program and for this team that has so effortlessly made Springfield feel like it has always been home.