The most important indicator of the success of a training program is found in the outcomes of the graduates upon completion of their training. Alumni reflect on their experiences in Mayo Clinic's Rheumatology Fellowship in Jacksonville, Florida.

Class of 2023

Megan Sullivan, M.D.

I did my residency at Mayo Clinic and found many positives. The patient cases were challenging, my attendings were brilliant, and the focus on education as opposed to work productivity felt to be a better model for medical training.

Medical school: University of North Dakota School of Medicine, Grand Forks, ND
Residency: Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, AZ
Specialty: Internal Medicine
Current location: Rheumatologist, Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, AZ

Class of 2021

Yan Li, M.D.

Mayo Clinic was the first hospital I visited in the U.S. I came to Mayo as an observer in 2012, and the astounding culture here was absolutely unbeatable. It was a dream for me to study and work at Mayo since then. The Rheumatology Fellowship program had amazing attendings and the staff made it feel like home to be a fellow here. The support from everyone, the mentoring from the faculty, and endless resources were precious to the program. Mayo helped me reach my career goals through a wide range of rheumatology pathologies, accumulated experiences, and confidence from handling various kinds of cases, especially challenging cases.

Medical school: Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China
Residency: Saint Vincent Hospital, Worcester, MA
Specialty: Internal medicine
Current location: Rheumatologist, Cheshire Medical Center, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Keene, NH

Class of 2020

Mina Al-Awqati, M.D.

I was drawn to Mayo Clinic because of its world-class hospital and that it provides excellent patient care and top-notch teaching. I loved my experience as a fellow in the Rheumatology Fellowship program in Jacksonville, Florida, because of the great opportunity of training under the supervision of world-renowned experts along with the breadth of pathology. The friendly and supportive environment provided by the faculty and staff made it a very enjoyable and nurturing experience. The Rheumatology Fellowship program paved the road for me to pursue my dream of working in academic rheumatology. This was through excellent teaching skills provided by my mentors and opportunities of learning ultrasound and capillaroscopy.

Medical school: University of Jordan, Queen Rania St, Amman, Jordan
Residency: University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA
Specialty: Internal medicine
Current location: Assistant professor of medicine, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL

Class of 2019

Omar Tolaymat, M.D.

I was attracted to Mayo Clinic for a plethora of reasons. It's regularly acknowledged as one of the best hospitals and provides training like no other. The Rheumatology Fellowship program encountered a range of diseases from “bread and butter” to rare cases. This provided a wide knowledge base upon completion of the fellowship and confidence when starting to practice. What impacted me the most about the Rheumatology Fellowship program was the camaraderie and commitment to teaching fellows. It was a supportive environment conducive to learning with great mentors. Mayo helped foster my goal as a clinician and educator.

Medical school: Florida International University, Miami, FL
Residency: University of Florida, Jacksonville, FL
Specialty: Internal medicine
Current location: Assistant professor and associate program director for the Rheumatology Fellowship program, University of Florida, Gainsville, FL