This shift allowed the Muncie, Indiana-based program, which operated independently since the 1970s, to maintain the small, community charm it prides itself on while gaining a variety of resources from IU. And, thankfully, it all came together with few hiccups, Dickey said.
Ball Memorial is set to graduate its 50th residency class in 2024.
It is one of four residencies offered by IU’s Department of Medicine, which also boasts a residency on the IU School of Medicine’s southwest campus in Evansville and two in Indianapolis (one internal medicine residency, and one joint internal medicine-pediatrics residency).
The program at Ball Memorial – which is located adjacent to the campus of Ball State University as part of IU School of Medicine’s regional campus in Muncie – receives approximately 2,000 applications per year for the eight positions available annually. (There are a total of 24 residents in the program across three program years.)
The residency program is fully accredited and strives for academic excellence by equipping those interested in subspecialty training with the experiences they’ll need for successful fellowships while also giving future hospitalists a well-rounded foundation on which to begin their careers.
About 20 percent of the Ball Memorial program’s graduates opt to pursue fellowship. And for two years running, the program has had a 100 percent match rate among its prospective fellows, Dickey said.
In 2022, four residents tried for fellowships and matched successfully. That accomplishment was followed up in 2023, when five residents successfully matched. They were:
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Ahmed Salih, MD, who matched into a gastroenterology fellowship at the University of Florida. (He is the first gastroenterology fellow from the Muncie program since 1999.)
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Vijaypal Dhillon, MD, who matched into a pulmonary and critical care fellowship at IU School of Medicine.
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Joseph Emran, MD, who matched into a pulmonary and critical care fellowship at the University of Nevada - Las Vegas.
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Amir Beirat, MD, who matched into a hematology and oncology fellowship at Ascension Providence in Michigan.
- Sasmith Menakuru, MD, who matched into a hematology and oncology fellowship at Wake Forest.
Dickey said the friendly, family atmosphere fostered by Ball Memorial’s residents is as important as its many educational attributes, and that learner-driven culture of support only contributes to the program’s success.
When a resident embarks on a fellowship application process, they participate in away rotations, in research and article submissions, and endure long days of interviews, Dickey said. Having supportive peers lessons the burden and helps everyone achieve their goals.
Still, the program has a proven academic prowess across the decades.
Residents in Muncie gain great experience early in their training by preforming diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. The ICU rotation in particular exposes residents to cutting-edge use of bedside ultrasound for quick diagnosis supplementation as well as procedural assistance.
Ambulatory experience is also broad. The program’s internal medicine clinic, for example, provides a three-year longitudinal continuity experience for management of ambulatory patients.
Further, Ball Memorial Hospital operates a robust 4,500 square foot simulation lab in its outpatient pavilion for additional educational experiences.
This is all powered by some 80 Muncie-based physicians who carry IU School of Medicine affiliate faculty member designations.
IU School of Medicine’s statewide, regional campus system sets it apart from other medical schools in the United States. With nine campuses located in some of Indiana’s most livable cities, IU School of Medicine offers a wide variety of working and learning environments to meet different styles, needs and interests.
Learners can study in the urban settings of Indianapolis, Evansville, Fort Wayne and Gary or in a traditional college campus setting in Bloomington, South Bend, West Lafayette or Muncie. Those interested in the school’s rural education track may enjoy studying in Terre Haute.
Regardless of location, all learners benefit from the same high-quality curriculum and robust training experience.
