Meet the 2022-2023 Chief Residents

Stephanie Lie, MD

Upon reflecting on her previous three years as a pediatric resident at Mass General for Children (MGfC), Stephanie Lie, MD, has nothing but praise. This year, Lie plans to pay it forward in her new role as one of three chief residents at MGfC for the 2022-2022 academic year.

“I’ve had an overwhelmingly positive experience during my residency and this is an opportunity to give back and learn more administrative and clinical practice skills,” said Lie, of Framingham, Mass. “It’s a great year to work on medical education as well.”

As a chief resident, Lie aims to focus on her growth as a teacher and seeing residents grow as well. “We will have unprecedented volume in pediatrics this year,” said Lie. “We want to focus on the redesign of how our inpatient rotation is structured and to create a more enjoyable experience on the wards.”

Lie, who earned her medical degree from the Boston University School of Medicine, is also looking forward to serving as a pediatric hospitalist at MGfC and MGfC at Newton-Wellesley Hospital and working alongside new leadership in the Pediatric Residency Program. In September 2021, Shaun Fitzgerald, MD, MPH, joined MGfC as the next director of the Pediatric Residency Program, succeeding Shannon Scott-Vernaglia, MD.

“It was a smooth transition between Shannon and Shaun. We all love Shannon, and Shaun has a fresh perspective that brings the best of both worlds,” said Lie. “He completed his training at MGfC, so he knows our culture and our program, but he brings his experience from his previous role at Kaiser Permanente in California.”

Mallory Mandel, MD, MPH, MS

When she was a fourth-year medical student in November 2018, Mallory Mandel completed a clinical rotation in Pediatric Nephrology at MGfC and ended her time at the clinic with more than just new clinical knowledge and skills.

The chief residents at the time shared their expertise, mentorship and career advice – and it made all the difference. “I wanted to be like them when I applied to be a chief resident,” said Mandel, who is originally from California. “I was instantly accepted into the MGfC family. I felt heard, and I thought the caliber of education was incredible.”

Mandel, MD, MPH, MS, is one of three chief residents for the 2022-2023 academic year at MGfC. In addition to her role as a chief resident, Mandel is also a pediatric hospitalist at MGfC and MGfC at Newton-Wellesley Hospital.

With her two fellow chief residents, Stephanie Lie, MD, and Christine Martin, MD, Mandel aims to further create an environment of trust, laughter and inquiry among the pediatric residents.

“We want to be advocates for our residents. We know their challenges and their struggles, and we can bring those directly to leadership,” said Mandel. “Personally, I want to increase transparency and my availability. I want to be present with our residents and inspire positivity and camaraderie.”

Mandel comes from a family tradition of practicing medicine. Her father is an OB-GYN and her mother is an internist and former director of the LA Free Clinic in Los Angeles, but it was her experience with pediatrics that inspired her to pursue her own career in caring for children.

“In pediatrics, I was more optimistic about my ability to make an impact,” said Mandel. “Children are incredibly resilient, and there’s a lot of opportunities for advocacy work and preventative medicine.”

Mandel earned her medical degree, master’s in Public Health and Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences, Health Systems Policy and Management in 2019 from Tufts University School of Medicine.

Christine Martin, MD

Christine Martin, MD, first fell in love with the pediatrics program MGfC during the beginning of her fourth year of medical school. Right away, she knew MGfC was where she wanted to train.

“I was lucky enough to spend a month rotating with Pediatric Endocrinology, through which I was able to get a glimpse inside the residency,” said Martin, of Jamaica Plain, Mass. “I knew right away that this was a program in which I would thrive and grow into a well-rounded, academic and patient-focused pediatrician.”

Martin’s experience at MGfC has been “amazingly positive” and the support she has received each year is more than she imagined.

“This program has instilled a level of confidence and self-assuredness within me that I will forever be thankful for. I credit the learning environment fostered by our leadership and attending physicians, as well as the close-knit community among residents,” said Martin.

As a chief resident, Martin hopes to support the residency’s culture of an academic environment that is rigorous and balanced by a supportive network of peers, mentors and faculty. She also speaks passionately about the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts both within the Department of Pediatrics and the wider system at Massachusetts General Hospital.

“There is a lot of energy and investment behind diversifying our hospital and residency programs in addition to making our spaces more inclusive of our patients and trainees of all backgrounds,” said Martin. Recruitment is always on her mind, but one of Martin’s goals as chief resident is to help trainees develop their skills as allies and culturally competent physicians.

“We have such a beautifully diverse patient population, and our trainees should feel empowered caring for the needs of all patients, regardless of their background and cultural preferences,” said Martin.

In addition to her role as one of three chief residents for the 2022-2023 academic year, Martin will serve as a pediatric hospitalist at MGfC and MGfC at Newton-Wellesley Hospital. Martin earned her medical degree from the University of Massachusetts Medical School.