Program directors
Stephanie Ann Call, M.D., M.S.P.H.
Director, Internal Medicine Training Program
Associate professor of medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine
Education
- B.S., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1989
- M.D., University of Maryland, 1993
- M.S.P.H., University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1999
Clinical training
- Internship and Residency, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1993-96
- Chief Medical Residency, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1996-97
- Fellowship, General Internal Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1997-99
Residency training experience
- Assistant program director, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1999-2000
- Associate program director,
University of Louisville, 2000-04
Program director, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2004-present
Dr. Call joined the Virginia Commonwealth University faculty
in fall of 2004 following positions at UAB and the
University of Louisville.
She arrived ready
to invigorate and challenge the VCU residents. She brings
with her
a research
background in outcomes research and decision analysis, and
an expertise in faculty development and medical education. She
has received
teaching awards
from all
three of the medical universities with which she has been
associated as well as from the American College of Physicians-American
Society of Internal
Medicine.
Her pursuit of excellence in teaching is infamous for leading
to frequent alterations in seating arrangements at conferences “in
”
Dr. Call is a wife and the mother of three daughters. She spends
her time away from the hospital hiking, running, camping
and kayaking.
J. Christian Barrett, M.D.
Associate program director
Assistant professor of medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology
Education
- B.S., University of Notre Dame, 1989
- M.D., University of Louisville, 1993
Clinical training
- Internship and residency, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1993-96
- Fellowship, hematology/oncology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1996-99
Residency training experience
- Assistant program director, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1999-2000
- Associate fellowship director, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1999-2000
- Associate program director, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2005-present
Dr. Barrett came to VCU in summer 2005 following one year on faculty at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and five years in a successful private hematology/oncology practice in Louisville, Ky. During his academic time, he was awarded the teaching award for the Division of Hematology Oncology. He feels that his private-practice experience affords him a unique perspective within the university training program, which he looks forward to sharing with residents. His academic and clinical interests are in benign and malignant hematology.
Dr. Barrett is a husband and the father of three daughters. He enjoys running, hiking, camping and kayaking. He also enjoys playing Shrek with his princess daughters (Fiona I, II and III) who often need to be rescued from their enchanted slumbers.
Frank Fulco, M.D.
Associate program director
Assistant professor of medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine
Education
- R.Ph., West Virginia University School of Pharmacy, 1993
- M.D., West Virginia University, 1997
Clinical training
- Internship and residency, medicine/pediatrics, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1997-2001
- Chief medical resident, medicine/pediatrics, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2000-01
Residency training experience
- Assistant program director, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2003-04
- Associate program director, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2004-present
Dr. Fulco graduated from the training program at VCU and joined
the faculty as a McGuire VA Medical Center-based hospitalist.
In this position he
interacts with the housestaff daily as a ward and general medicine
consult attending.
He
also is actively involved in performance and quality improvement
projects and research at the medical center. His current research
includes studying
extended
VTE prophylaxis in acutely ill medical patients and anticoagulation
strategies in stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation patients.
Dr. Fulco is the associate program director responsible for the
oversight of the training program activities at the VA Medical
Center. He sees
himself as
an advocate for the residents and a role model for high teaching
standards. He is well-known for his supportive and comfortable
teaching style and
has been
recently recognized for these teaching skills by the housestaff
by being awarded the Outstanding Ward Attending Award.
His thoughts on the residency … an exceptional group of dedicated, hard
working professionals working in an environment that fosters education and provides
incredible exposure to the gamut of medical pathology … I can still remember
coming here as an intern and hearing “if you can read about it in Harrison’s,
you’ll see it in this training program.”
Jeff Kushinka, M.D.
Associate program director
Assistant professor of medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine
Education
-
B.S., University of Richmond, 1997
-
M.D., Virginia Commonwealth University, 2002
Clinical training
- Internship and residency, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2002-05
- Chief medical resident, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2005-06
Residency training experience
- Associate program director, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2006-present
Dr. Kushinka, a native of Bucks County, PA, came to VCU and medical school in the fall 1998 and quickly found an interest in academic medicine. VCU’s unrivalled clinical experience, outstanding residents, and dedication to resident education were just some of the reasons he joined the faculty after finishing his residency and chief residency at VCU.
As a faculty member, he continues to bring an interest in graduate medical educatio n, seeking to contribute to innovations in education techniques. Much of his time is spent as an attending physician both in the resident clinic and on the inpatient housestaff teams. He has been trained in teaching Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) and has been a tutor in EBM at Duke University’s well-known EBM workshop. He is an active member of the Internal Medicine Clinical Competency Committee; a multidisciplinary committee which monitors resident competence and challenges, as well as provides individual solutions to promote resident development. He is also the Associate Program Director in charge of monitoring resident work hours and leading a chart-stimulated recall exercise to promote the clinical assessment skills of the housestaff.
When not working, Dr. Kushinka and his wife, VCU Pulmonologist Dr. Cathy Grossman, enjoy cycling around Richmond and the surrounding counties; anyone is welcome to join them!
Bennett Lee, M.D., M.P.H.
Associate program director
Assistant professor of medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine
Education
- B.A., Williams College, 1988
- M.D., Virginia Commonwealth University, 1994
- M.P.H., Boston University, 2000
Clinical training
- Internship and residency, University of Cincinnati, 1994-97
- Fellowship, general/preventive medicine, Boston University, 1998-01
Residency training experience
- Associate program director, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2006-present
Dr. Bennett Lee was born and raised in Richmond. His wife is a PhD researcher in transplant immunology. They met in Boston, and she is a big Red Sox fan. Their sons are also a budding baseball fans.
Dr. Lee's research interests include Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) and how minority populations utilize various CAM modalities. Dr. Lee was on faculty at Emory University from 2001-2006 and is thrilled to be returning to Richmond and VCU.
