Meet the Resident: Michael Milligan, MD

Get to know Michael Milligan, MD, internal medicine resident.

Career goal: My goal is to work in pulmonary critical care or hematology oncology.

“Mentorship begins as soon as you match, with peers who are happy to pay it forward and make you feel welcome after their own intern experience.”

What makes your LVHN training program different from others across the country?

LVHN covers a lot of ground, and it’s all set up to feed to the main campus which can handle even the most complex conditions. The ICUs and main services are divided into resident and non-resident run services. This lets the residents manage the clinically relevant cases without spending time on cases that have no educational value. LVHN also functions as the main medical school campus to the University of South Florida’s SELECT program, which means most attendings and all the residents and fellows participate directly in student education. Teaching is just part of the culture, and that’s invaluable.

What has been the most extraordinary part of your training experience so far?

The thing that has stood out so far is just how well the program sets you up for success. The leadership makes sure that no matter where you start you have senior residents and attendings you can turn to. It’s not just clinical though; there is a program specialist available whenever you need them, and the chief is always willing to stand up for you no matter how trivial or impractical a request may seem. There is even a month-long lecture series covering everything you could ever need to know as an incoming intern, which you are given time to attend. Mentorship begins as soon as you match, with peers who are happy to pay it forward and make you feel welcome after their own intern experience. There are even sponsored social events led by residents, which helps you stay connected with your peers. Those events and lunches happen so often that it feels like resident wellness will always be a priority for the program.

What is one memory you have from your training so far that will stick with you for your career?

One of my first rotations as an intern was in the medical ICU. I remember walking in and expecting to be immediately behind with seniors who were too busy picking up the extra slack to help me adjust. That was not the case. We were not overworked or expected to cut corners when it came to patient care. There were always seniors actively trying to help us succeed, and plenty of time to learn the “why” behind what we were doing without just going home and looking it up on our own. I was shocked how I, as an intern, wasn’t being asked to call the lab, radiology, physical therapy or nutrition to get our orders handled first. It all just works because even during the pandemic we had the staffing we need to do our job well. Those institutional-level decisions mean you can do more than just survive even your most demanding rotations. That’s not just a sign of a well-run hospital; it means you can use your time for things related to your future.

What is one piece of advice you would share with someone as they select a training program?

In my experience, it all comes down to the culture at the program. If the residents are overworked because the program values their labor more than their education, then residents won’t be happy, won’t learn effectively and won’t come out of that program as well-rounded physicians. You also should look at where the fellows come from. When fellowships trust the residents they help train, it means it’s a good program that will provide tangible opportunities for your future.

What does it mean to be a resident at LVHN?

It means support. You have seniors and attendings who are always available and willing to help with clinical problems. You have layers of leadership willing to go to bat for you and colleagues who are invested in your success even after you leave the program. It means having research opportunities wherever you turn and dedicated quality and research specialists who are always seemingly available to help get you to the next step. Being a resident here means you can take a sick day if you need it and have the flexibility to handle any of the emergencies that inevitably arise. It means knowing everyone in your program and buying lunch for each other without a second thought.