The Department of Medicine is pleased to welcome Andrew Coyle, MD, visiting associate professor, General Internal Medicine, as the new director of the internal medicine residency program.

Dr. Coyle joined the department on September 1, 2021, after serving as associate program director for the Mount Sinai Hospital Internal Medicine residency program.

With a passion for mentorship and education, Dr. Coyle brings enthusiasm, experience and an openness to learn to the residency program.

Learn more about Dr. Coyle’s vision and interests in the Q&A below.

What drew you to UW-Madison and the Department of Medicine? 

I've known since the first few weeks of my intern year that I loved teaching and educating. I was fortunate to have really great mentors and teachers during residency, who offered the perfect balance of support and opportunity, while also pushing me to grow and develop new skills. I saw early on the power that teachers and educators have during residency training, and the importance of having program leadership who can provide mentorship and advocacy. After serving as an Associate Program Director for the Mount Sinai Hospital Internal Medicine residency program for the last six years, I'm really excited to have this new opportunity to join UW-Madison. UW and the Department of Medicine have a well-deserved reputation of outstanding clinical training and educational innovation that I'm excited to continue and help expand upon. I've also been so impressed by the warmth and thoughtfulness of everyone I've met in the department! 

What are you most excited about during your first year with the residency?

First and foremost, to get to know all of the residents as people and professionals, and to help them navigate residency training and the transition into their chosen career trajectories. Having had multiple program directors during my residency training, I know change can lead to a lot of uncertainty for residents in the program – my goal is to be as available and open as possible. I think a crucial first step for any leader is to have the humility to listen and learn, and understand the values and culture of a place and program. So, I can't wait to get started with both learning from, and teaching in the residency program. 

Longer-term, the UW residency program has a long tradition of educational innovation and individualization of training, and I think there are a number of ways to take those innovations a few steps further. With the ever-expanding list of roles and responsibilities for internists, now is an excellent time to think critically about the skills needed for internal medicine graduates moving forward and reflect upon areas in the program where structural changes can improve both the training and training environment for residents. Having departmental leadership and faculty that are so supportive of the residency program really opens up a huge number of opportunities. 

What do you find most rewarding about your work?

In my primary care practice, I have always loved the opportunity to build longitudinal relationships and trust with patients and see the changes that unfold in their lives over the years. Saying goodbye to patients I had known for a decade was incredibly challenging for me when leaving Mount Sinai, but those tearful goodbyes were a good reminder about the remarkable opportunity we have in health care to have an impact on others. I certainly learned a lot from the patients I cared for, and I hope they learned a little from me.

As an educator, I have also loved having longitudinal relationships with trainees, teaching and modeling skills, and seeing their professional identities form during their residency training. Whether it's the simple moments where you see a trainee apply some piece of knowledge you gave them, or taking satisfaction in the long-term career successes of others, I'm always happiest when I am teaching.

What are you most looking forward to about living in Madison?

Living in NYC was wonderful, but my family and I are incredibly excited to take up any and every outdoor activity here in Madison! We bought bikes within our first few days of being here, so have been trying to explore the city's many bike paths. The next step is to find ways to get out on the lakes! And we’re taking any food and ice cream recommendations you have!

Banner: new internal medicine residency director, Andrew Coyle, MD. Credit: Clint Thayer/Department of Medicine.

Inset: Dr. Coyle (on right) laughs with General Internal Medicine faculty Laura Zakowski, MD, professor and vice chair of education, and Jeremy Smith, MD, associate professor, at the residency program's welcome picnic.