Sarah Danziger
Welcome! We're so happy that you're considering residency at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. I'm Sarah, one of the 2024-2025 internal medicine chief residents.
I grew up in Nashville, Tennessee and from there went to Dartmouth College. I then spent a year working at a healthcare non-profit in North Carolina before attending the University of Tennessee for medical school. While in residency here, my main interests have included working in Epic as a Physician Builder. I'm looking forward to a career in primary care after chief year and am currently applying to Clinical Informatics fellowship programs.
I love many things about this place but will share just a few. First, I love how beautiful the Upper Valley is. The hospital is surrounded by nature and has a lot of natural light. Second, I appreciate the sense of camaraderie and kindness that exists here. Third, I find significant value in the opportunity to treat the underserved population here. We have many patients with broad and varied social needs in addition to complex medical needs. I believe working with this population has made me a well-rounded physician with good understanding of both the medicine and the healthcare system. Outside of work I enjoy spending time with my husband and family, as well as hiking, running, and watching TV.
Thank you for your interest in our program. I wish you all the best with your application season. If you have any questions about my experience here or our program in general, please feel free to email me.
Email: sarah.d.danziger@hitchcock.org
Prajesh Gongal
I was born and raised in Nepal and came to the United States for my undergraduate studies at the University of Maine in Orono, where I studied Chemical and Biological Engineering. After completing my undergraduate degree, I worked for 5 years in San Francisco Bay area in engineering and healthcare before moving back to the northeast for medical school at Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. The abundance of outdoor activities, the distinct 4 seasons, and the idyllic rural setting drew me back to this part of the country. My 4 years at Geisel were fun and educational, and I especially enjoyed my clerkship rotations at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. I appreciated the supportive and collaborative environment at the hospital and formed close relationship with some of the residents and attendings. Hence, after medical school, I decided to stay here for my internal medicine residency. I am very happy that I made that decision because I got the opportunity to meet an amazing group of co-residents who are some of the smartest and most caring people I have known. I would not have met them had I done my residency somewhere else! My career interests lie in the intersection of cardiology, public health, and healthcare accessibility, and I am currently applying to cardiology fellowship programs. Outside of residency, I enjoy hiking, playing basketball, learning guitar, and reading.
Good luck with your applications, and I hope I will get to see you here! If you have any questions about Geisel or Dartmouth, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Email: prajesh.gongal@hitchcock.org
Alicia Burns
Welcome and thank you for your interest in the Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center internal medicine residency program!
I’m Alicia, one of the chief residents for the 2024-25 academic year. I was raised in Spokane, Washington and attended the University of Puget Sound for my undergraduate education where I majored biochemistry. I took a few gap years between undergrad and medical school during which I did several things including working retail at a specialty running shoe store and volunteer work. I attended the University of Washington for medical school and am happy that I continued my medical training at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center!
Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center is a unique training environment because, as a rural academic center, we function as the tertiary care center and “safety net” hospital for the region. We manage a breadth of disease, treat a unique underserved population, and care for some of the sickest patients in the northeast. In addition to great training, the culture is very friendly and welcoming. The smaller setting helped me form close relationships with my co-residents and with my mentors. Outside of the hospital, living in this area has been wonderful. The upper valley and the pacific northwest share many similar qualities. Beyond the scenic views, there are activities you can find no matter what your interests are: easy access to the outdoors, restaurants, fairs, farmers markets, day trips, etc. When I’m not working, I enjoy running, painting, and hanging out with my fiancé and my cat, Nala. Next up: I am applying to pulmonary and critical care fellowship.
Thank you for your interest in our program. Do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.
Email: alicia.j.burns@hitchcock.org