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Margaret Q. To, MD, MPH
Emory University, Combined Internal Medicine and Psychiatry Residency
Atlanta, GA

In which program year of residency are you currently in?

I am currently in my fifth and last year of combined internal medicine and psychiatry training at Emory University. Starting July 1, I will be beginning a 3-year infectious diseases (ID) fellowship at Emory.

Why did you choose internal medicine and psychiatry? Why did you decide to pursue a infectious diseases fellowship?

I chose internal medicine because of the “allure of the investigation”—that is, the detective-like ritual of gathering clinical clues to guide a differential diagnosis and inform clinical practice. It still excites me to this day!

I ultimately chose to pursue combined training in internal medicine and psychiatry because of a desire to treat patients holistically by considering the influence of both biology and behavior on health.

I am excited to be starting ID fellowship soon. I hope to use the skill set I have developed as a psychiatrist to address complex cases more completely, particularly cases with HIV, where severe medical complications can arise from barriers created by stigma, trauma, and mental illness.

What lesson(s) did you learn in residency that can help you for the rest of your career?

One of the most meaningful lessons I have learned during residency is that success is driven less by what you know and more by an intellectually curious spirit, the ability to rely on others for assistance when needed, and the humility that comes with a growth mindset. Medicine is a team sport, not an individual race.

What are your plans for after residency? Are you becoming a chief, going into fellowship, or starting as an attending? What factors or advice from mentors contributed to your decision?

After residency, I will be starting fellowship in ID. I am passionate about mental health and HIV care integration, which is particularly needed in the southeastern United States—the hub of the U.S. HIV epidemic. I am lucky to have had excellent mentors who have encouraged me to pursue these passions despite the extra years of training involved.

How has being a member of ACP helped you in your professional life? What resources have been most helpful to you?

Being a member of ACP has been an invaluable resource—both for professional development and clinical learning! One of my very first written abstracts and posters was presented at an ACP meeting in 2017 (an ID case no less!). This experience created a framework for scholarly activity that has continued throughout residency and hopefully will continue into my academic career. ACP has excellent clinical resources. Some resources that I have particularly benefited from include the POCUS modules and MKSAP.