4 Activities Duke Surgery Residents Enjoy Around the Triangle
For many residency applicants, the city where they will train is just as important as the benefits of the program itself.
The location where they will begin their surgical careers will not only be their new home for the next several years, but will also be a place where they can relax and have an enriching life outside of their work. For Duke Surgery residents, the city of Durham, NC, fits the bill.
Three of the departments’ residents share what their favorite activities are around Durham.
1. Enjoy a diverse range of delicious food from local eateries and cafés.
From Southern barbeque and Napoleon pizza, to Japanese tempura and Indian tikka masala, downtown Durham houses a diverse selection of over 130 local restaurants, diners, and cafés for Duke Surgery residents to enjoy with their family and friends.
Duke Surgery residents Dr. Rebekah Boyd and Dr. Austin Eckhoff share what their favorite spots and activities are in Durham, NC.
Rebekah Boyd, MD, Integrated Thoracic Surgery Resident, says she brings her family to an ice cream shop in Downtown Durham called Simons Says Dip This whenever they go out.
General Surgery Resident
“If I’m going to take my family on a day out, it’s not complete unless we take a trip to this little ice cream place,” says Dr. Boyd. “This is a little place where you make ice cream cones, and you can pick any flavor under the sun. I have [young kids] and they think [Simons Says Dip This] is the place to go here in Durham.”
For a heartier meal, one of the local eateries preferred by residents is Press Coffee, Crepes, and Cocktails (Press), located right next door to the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Press is a popular local brunch spot that serves a variety of sweet and savory crepes, and on the weekends they serve their special hashbrown waffles.
Lillian Kang, MD, General Surgery Resident, enjoys venturing to local restaurants with friends and co-residents. Dr. Kang especially favors a local Italian restaurant called Mothers and Sons Trattoria, becoming a regular diner to this family business.
“It is a very adorable Italian place, and they know me so well,” says Dr. Kang. “They see me and bring me extra focaccia by this point.”
2. Engage in family-friendly activities and events that they can enjoy with their children.
Many Duke Surgery residents have families of their own, and one of the great aspects about Durham are the family-friendly activities.
General Surgery Resident
Austin Eckhoff, MD, General Surgery Resident, brings her son to his favorite place, the city’s Museum of Life and Science, an interactive educational museum where people of all ages can have fun while learning about science and nature.
“It’s a great children’s museum that my two year old loves,” says Dr. Eckhoff. “It has a huge outside area with bears and lemurs. I spend a lot of weekends there.”
Another local favorite is to watch a baseball game at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, where the park holds special family events and has a fireworks show during their weekend games. Many Duke Surgery residents can enjoy a game with their friends and families thanks to Duke Graduate Medical Education, who sponsors their attendance.
3. Enjoy the fun-filled night life for those that seek excitement, or a laid-back outing with friends.
When it comes to night life, Duke Surgery residents say they have a variety of options to choose from.
For live music, a popular spot for locals is Cat’s Cradle. A venue located just outside of Durham, Cat’s Cradle has been the Triangle’s premier live music venue for over 40 years, and has hosted up-and-coming bands.
Duke General Surgery Resident Dr. Lillian Kang is at Press Coffee, Crepes, and Cocktails, one of her favorite brunch spots.
In downtown Durham, breweries are one of the more popular spots for residents to mingle with the locals and hangout with their friends and families.
“There’s a little strip downtown where there’s three or four breweries in a row that [my co-residents and I] would kind of just spend all day at,” says Dr. Kang.
4. Find something new in Downtown Durham.
In the past decade, downtown Durham has evolved into a thriving city filled with successful local businesses and eateries. As the city continues to grow and develop, Duke Surgery residents have countless more activities to enjoy in their spare time outside of work.