Family Medicine Residency Program Builds a Local Pipeline of New Physicians in Western South Carolina
Drs. Tarun Parvataneni and Marwa Meguid are trailblazers.
As participants in the first class of family medicine residents at Aiken Regional Medical Centers, the newly graduated physicians embraced the opportunity to build a foundation for future residents.
‘Sense of Ownership and Pride’
“Being part of the inaugural class was a unique and deeply meaningful experience,” Parvataneni says. “The collaborative, learner-centered culture here is what made the difference for me. The class gave us a sense of ownership and pride that you don’t always get in an established program.”
Meguid says the program helped her grow as a clinician and a person through close mentorship, diverse patient experiences and community engagement.
“I learned how to approach patients holistically and advocate for their well-being. It also strengthened my confidence in decision-making and my ability to lead within a health care team,” she says.
Parvataneni says the program gave him a solid foundation as well. “Academically, I was encouraged to explore research early on, and the mentorship I received helped me publish and present at national conferences and build a scholarly portfolio that set me apart.”
He says this first cohort laid the groundwork for a culture of leadership, scholarship and innovation. “We’ve shown that a young program can compete at the highest levels if given the right foundation, and now, we’re helping the next classes build on that momentum.”
Meguid says the group embraced the unique challenges and uncertainties that came with being the first class of residents. “We learned to adapt and communicate openly with leadership through collaboration, feedback and perseverance,” Meguid says. “We helped establish systems, traditions and expectations that will benefit future residents.”
‘Feels Like Home’
Both Parvataneni and Meguid decided to stay on at Aiken Regional after graduation. Parvataneni says several factors influenced his decision.
“I felt a deep connection to the mission of serving a medically underserved population, a community where access to care truly matters and where continuity can make a life-changing difference,” he says.
Just as important was the hospital’s commitment to academic growth and resident development. Parvataneni was offered a dual role that aligned perfectly with his goals, and he now serves as a full-time hospitalist and assistant research director and core faculty for the residency program.
“This opportunity not only allows me to continue providing high-quality clinical care, but it also gives me the platform to mentor residents, expand scholarly activity and help shape the future of the program,” he says. “Today, as a hospitalist and research faculty member, I apply everything I learned, from patient care to mentoring future physicians.”
Meguid, who also serves as a hospitalist and core faculty, says, “This program feels like home to me. The mentorship, camaraderie and opportunities for growth I experienced as a resident made a lasting impact. Staying on allowed me to give back to a place that helped shape me as a physician and help mentor the next generation of residents.”
‘Confident, Capable and Ready’
Dr. Matta Temujin Reddy, director of the family medicine residency program, says the program is vital to meeting the growing primary care needs of Aiken and the surrounding communities. “Research consistently shows that most residents ultimately practice within a few miles of where they trained,” Reddy says. “By training residents locally, we are developing a sustainable pipeline of skilled family physicians who understand our patients, our health care systems and the unique needs of this region.”
The residency program began in 2022 and accepts six residents per year, with plans to expand to eight per year. Reddy says this size fosters close mentorship, strong faculty engagement and a personalized learning environment.
Designing a curriculum, recruiting exceptional faculty and navigating the complex accreditation and regulatory processes took extraordinary effort and collaboration.
“It was truly a team achievement made possible through the support of local physicians, hospital leadership and our residents who served as pioneers,” Reddy says. “Seeing them graduate confident, capable and ready to serve their communities was the culmination of years of shared dedication and vision.”
He says the family medicine residency program at Aiken Regional is more than an effort to train future health care providers.
“It is a mission to build a healthier, more resilient community,” he says. “We take pride in cultivating compassionate, competent physicians who embody the values of service, teamwork and lifelong learning. Our vision is to make Aiken a destination for high-quality, community-centered medical education.”
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