Meet the Internal Medicine Chief Residents for the 2023-2024 Year

Dear Colleagues,

The Department of Medicine Internal Residency Program is pleased to announce our selections for Chief Residents for 2023-2024. The department trusts these exceptional young physicians to serve as role models for their fellow trainees by demonstrating leadership, enthusiasm in teaching and scholarship, and engagement in advancing our program and department.

The 2023-2024 Chief Residents include:

Garrett Cole, M.D.
Chief Resident, Internal Medicine

Dr. Cole grew in up LaGrange, Georgia and attended the University of Georgia where he obtained a degree in Biology. He completed medical school at Mercer School of Medicine in Macon, Georgia. Dr. Cole plans on pursuing a career in gastroenterology after his year as chief resident, and he is currently involved in clinical research in cardiovascular complications of cirrhosis. His other academic interests include medical education and leadership development. He enjoys watching the Atlanta Braves and University of Georgia Football, and taking time to explore the many restaurants and local beaches in Charleston with his wife Savannah, his son Willis, and their dog Riley.

Samiha Karim, M.D.
Chief Resident, Internal Medicine

Dr. Samiha Karim was born in NYC but grew up in Greenville, Mississippi. She studied Biology and Spanish at Emory University before pursuing medical school at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Her research focuses on patients’ perceptions of participating in systemic lupus erythematosus research and plans on applying for fellowship in Rheumatology after her chief resident year. She enjoys spending time with her fiancé Jacob and their dog, Ofi, as well as painting, baking, and going to the wonderful beaches in Charleston.

Oliver Mithoefer, M.D.
Chief Resident, VA Quality & Patient Safety

Dr. Oliver Mithoefer was born in Charleston, but raised in Burlington, Vermont. While he spent his childhood skiing in the Green Mountains and swimming in Lake Champlain, he maintained his connection to the Lowcountry through frequent trips to visit family in the area. Following a gap year in Tuscany, he moved to Boston and received a B.S. in Behavioral Neuroscience from Northeastern University.

After completing their undergraduate studies, Oliver and his wife Brita moved from Boston to Charleston in 2014, where they meant to stay for just a year or two. Oliver spent two years working as a research assistant in the Brain Stimulation Lab within MUSC's Institute of Psychiatry before starting medical school at MUSC. After receiving his M.D. in 2020, Oliver and Brita's "brief" southern stint continued when they decided to stay in Charleston for his residency in Internal Medicine.

Oliver plans to pursue a career in Cardiology, and his current research projects are focused on clinical outcomes in patients with advanced heart failure. He looks forward to using his year as the VA Chief Resident in Quality and Safety to continue pursuing these research interests, developing his skills in education and leadership, and helping to provide an enjoyable, high-quality educational experience for residents and medical students rotating at the Charleston VA.

Oliver and Brita live in Park Circle with their two hound dogs, Harriet and Prudence. They love Charleston for its incredible restaurants, easy access to beaches and the ocean, friendly people, and beautiful weather.

Rosemary Moak, M.D.
Chief Resident, Internal Medicine

Rosemary Moak, M.D., was born and raised in Brookhaven, Mississippi. She knew from a young age that she wanted to be a doctor as she watched her father practice internal medicine with compassion, love and empathy in their community. She graduated from the University of Mississippi Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a minor in Biology/Chemistry. While in college, Rosemary studied for a semester at Lincoln College of Oxford University in Oxford, England. Upon graduation, she obtained a Masters degree in Biomedical Science from the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) and received her Doctor of Medicine from UMMC in 2020.

Prior to entering medical school, she worked for the Department of Medicine at UMMC as the Community Health Advocates coordinator from 2014-2016. In addition, she served on the leadership committee of the “Cook Right, Live Well” teaching kitchen at UMMC developing meal plans and conducting weekly cooking classes for participants with hypertension, diabetes, and obesity. From 2014-2016, she served as a research assistant to Dr. Richard deShazo and contributor to his book, The Racial Divide in American Medicine: Black Physicians and the Struggle for Justice in Health Care.

Rosemary plans to pursue a career in Allergy/Immunology and currently is focused on a quality improvement project regarding penicillin allergy delabeling in pregnant patients with the Departments of Allergy/Immunology and OBGYN at MUSC. Rosemary is looking forward to her year as chief resident to help provide a quality medical education for residents and students while encouraging them to be compassionate doctors.

Along the way she met her husband, Dr. Neal Boone, prior her acceptance to medical school. They journeyed through medical school and residency together, wed in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, and relocated to Charleston for her internal medicine residency and his fellowship in neonatology.