Heather Christie, MD
2008 Residency Graduate
Dr. Christie lived in Tallahassee, Florida and moved to San Diego, CA in the late 80's where she stayed until 2000. In the early 90's, she graduated from San Diego State University with a Bachelor of Science in Business. Despite a life-long interest in medicine, Heather was not yet ready to tackle medical school, and pursued her business career. She met and married her husband while in San Diego, and their family quickly grew with the addition of two girls, currently 8 and 10 years old. After being in sales for a few years, Heather "took the plunge" and moved her family across the county to Tulane Medical School in New Orleans to begin her career in medicine. The family left San Diego for New Orleans where she attended Tulane Medical School.
After graduating from Tulane, she moved to the Triangle area to start residency at Duke. She absolutely fell in love with the area and is planning to stay after completion of residency. She said: "This area reminds me of a combination between California and the South with lots to do, beaches and mountains close by and, of course, Southern BBQ. Whether you are single or have a family, you will find no shortage of activities here!"
Dr. Christie chose Duke Family Medicine for residency for several reasons. The most exciting is the fact that the residency is undergoing many changes. She has a 25+ year work history and when she looks back upon the jobs she's held, the best work experiences are those jobs she had where the organization was changing and willing to implement the ideas of the employees.
"During my residency, our program has undergone many changes - many of which were proposed by the residents. I'll have to admit that the closure announcement last year was discouraging, however in retrospect it enabled us to create a program that is more enjoyable and meets our educational needs as well as our needs as a program. Most important to me is the fact that everyone here has been extremely supportive of our department and that the residents are truly listened to."
