Leadership

Program Faculty
Ranita Sharma, MD, FACP
PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Medical School: Kasturba Medical College, India
Residency: Internal Medicine – Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Dr. Sharma has remained on faculty at RWJMS where she completed internal medicine residency and chief residency in 1997. Starting out as associate director for the residency program, she has risen through the ranks to serve as Program Director, Chief of Education and Executive Vice Chair of the department of medicine. She practices hospital medicine and enjoys the privilege of teaching and mentoring learners at all levels. An award winning educator, she was inducted by students to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society and the Gold Humanism Honor Society in 2005. She is a member of the school’s Master Educator Guild. She remains an active chapter member of the American College of Physicians (ACP) contributing to governance and educational programs. She served as the Governor for the NJ ACP chapter between 2010-2014 and was the recipient of the Chapter Laureate Award in 2016.

Payal Dave, MD
ASSOCIATE PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Medical School: Kasturba Medical College, India
Residency: Internal Medicine – Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Dr. Sharma has remained on faculty at RWJMS where she completed internal medicine residency and chief residency in 1997. Starting out as associate director for the residency program, she has risen through the ranks to serve as Program Director, Chief of Education and Executive Vice Chair of the department of medicine. She practices hospital medicine and enjoys the privilege of teaching and mentoring learners at all levels. An award winning educator, she was inducted by students to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society and the Gold Humanism Honor Society in 2005. She is a member of the school’s Master Educator Guild. She remains an active chapter member of the American College of Physicians (ACP) contributing to governance and educational programs. She served as the Governor for the NJ ACP chapter between 2010-2014 and was the recipient of the Chapter Laureate Award in 2016.

James Prister, MD
ASSOCIATE PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Medical School: Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Residency: Internal Medicine – Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Dr. Prister completed undergraduate education, medical school, Internal Medicine residency training, and chief residency at Rutgers-RWJMS. He then joined the RWJMS Academic Hospitalist Program in 2014 and was subsequently appointed as Co-Director of the Program. In 2016 he was appointed Associate Program Director of the Internal Medicine Residency Program. James was inducted by students to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society for teaching excellence in 2013, and has since received many teaching awards for his role in medical student and resident education. He practices hospital medicine and works closely with medical students and residents. While passionate about all aspects of medical education, his interests include medical informatics, resuscitation and ultrasound-guided procedures.

Kathryn Robison, MD
ASSOCIATE PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Medical School: Rutgers New Jersey Medical School
Residency: Internal Medicine – Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Dr. Robison completed her medical school education at New Jersey Medical School, followed by Internal Medicine residency at RWJMS.  She was chief resident at RWJMS following which she then joined the faculty at Penn Medicine at Princeton Medical Center.  In 1998 she was appointed the site director for our training at Princeton. She is the vice chair for the department of medicine and practices office based primary care and hospital medicine.

Laura Willett, MD
ASSOCIATE PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Medical School: University of California – San Francisco
Residency: Internal Medicine – Beth Israel, Boston

Dr. Willett was appointed Associate Director of the Internal Medicine Residency Program in 2011.  A graduate of MIT and UC-San Francisco, she completed her residency at Beth Israel in Boston.  She has had administrative oversight and taught students and residents at all levels, including physical diagnosis, clinical pathophysiology, third and fourth year clerkships, subinternship, resident continuity clinic, and hospital teaching service.  A member of the Master Educators Guild, she has an interest in medical education research.

Sarang Kim, MD
AMBULATORY MEDICINE DIRECTOR

Medical School: University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine
Residency/Fellowship: Internal Medicine clinician-educator track – University of Pennsylvania

As the Ambulatory Medicine Director, Dr. Kim teaches evidence-based medicine and facilitates outpatient education for the residency program. She also supervises residents on the hospital teaching service and in the resident continuity clinic. A graduate of the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, she joined the faculty in 2004 after completing her residency and fellowship in General Internal Medicine in the clinician-educator track at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. She is the Associate Clerkship Director for the medicine clerkship and a member of the Master Educator’s Guild. She was inducted by students to the Alpha Omega Alpha honor society in 2017. Her interests include primary care, evidence-based medicine, and medical education research.

PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION
Rachel Stewart
Program Assistant
Rutgers RWJ Department of Medicine
Peggy Morgan
Program Coordinator
Rutgers RWJ Department of Medicine
Maureen Stemwede
Administrative Assistant
Penn Medicine Princeton Health
CHIEF RESIDENTS
Phoebe Ling, MD
Chief Resident 2019-2020

Medical School: Rutgers New Jersey Medical School
Career Interest: Primary Care

Shivani Vekaria, MD
Chief Resident 2019-2020

Medical School: Jefferson Medical College
Career Interest: Endocrinology

Carolyn Ward, MD
Chief Resident 2019-2020

Medical School: Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Career Interest: Internal Medicine

Vivek Bose, MD
Chief Resident 2020-2021
Lauren Pioppo, MD
Chief Resident 2020-2021