PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Ranita Sharma, MD, MACP
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. In 2020, she was awarded Mastership in the ACP.
ASSOCIATE PROGRAM DIRECTORS

Payal Dave, MD
Medical School: Medical College of Virginia
Residency: Internal Medicine – Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Dr. Dave attended the Medical College of Virginia and completed her Internal Medicine residency training at RWJMS. Following a chief resident year, she joined RWJMS’ Division of Education as an Associate Program Director in 2005. In addition to her administrative duties and teaching interests, she practices hospital and office-based internal medicine.

James Prister, MD
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.

Christina Theodorou Ross, MD
Medical School: Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Residency: Internal Medicine – Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Dr. Theodorou completed medical school at Rutgers RWJMS where she was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. She remained at RWJMS for her Internal Medicine residency and subsequently joined as Rutgers faculty in 2020, combining her interests of hospital medicine and medical education as an academic hospitalist. In 2023, she was appointed as an Associate Program Director for the RWJMS Internal Medicine Residency Program. She continues to practice hospital medicine on the medical teaching service, actively involved in the education of medical students and residents throughout their training.
PRINCETON SITE DIRECTOR

Christine Fanning, MD
Medical School: New York Medical College
Residency: Internal Medicine – Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Dr. Fanning completed her medical school education at New York Medical College, followed by Internal Medicine residency at RWJMS and served chief resident. She then joined the faculty at Penn Medicine at Princeton Medical Center where she served as the site co-clerkship director. She remains an active clinician and in 2020 was appointed the site director for our training program at Princeton.
AMBULATORY MEDICINE DIRECTOR

Sarang Kim, MD
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.