Members of Carle Illinois College of Medicine’s first graduating class are taking their commitment to human-centered medical innovation to hospitals and clinics across the country as they enter medical residency this month (July). The newly minted physicians say they have been uniquely prepared by the education they received at Carle Illinois. 

Dr. Lidija Barbaric – now a medical resident in anesthesiology at Case Western Reserve in Ohio -- says the solid, one-on-one clinical mentorship and unique curriculum at Carle Illinois have prepared her the next steps.

"I would say to people coming to Carle Illinois, that it's really nice to know that although it's going to be engineering-based and you're going to have a lot of unique challenges outside of the clinical years, you are still first and foremost the priority of your instructors. And everyone you encounter, is to mold you into the best physician you can be. And I’m just happy that has been a priority throughout the process. 

I think they helped me so much by integrating patient care from Week 1.  I think having our Family Medicine longitudinal learning was really cool and it was a great jumping point then from entering clinical years in your third year, you are there with so much more confidence."

Barbaric says she and her colleagues are trained to be physicians who can make a difference by advocating for and innovating improvements in patient care.

Carle Illinois is the first engineering-based medical school, infusing engineering concepts, innovation, and entrepreneurship in all four years of its curriculum. The college’s inaugural class graduated in May 2022.