Spotlights

Lara Alrubaye (PGY-2)

Do We Choose the Path… or Does the Path Choose Us?

My passion for internal medicine was not born in a classroom, but in a hospital room, where my son’s tiny heart was fighting for life. Years spent in hospital corridors, waiting outside operating rooms, taught me the true weight of fear — and how, at times, hope becomes the strongest medicine of all.

That experience changed me. I began to see medicine through the eyes of a patient, not only as a doctor, and I came to believe that medicine is truly my life’s calling. From that journey, my passion for internal medicine deepened, along with a special calling to cardiology — focusing on that small organ where all of life is contained in a single beat.

I found my way to ECU Health, a place that embraces my values and challenges me to grow every day as both a physician and a person. Here, learning is continuous and support is always present. At ECU, I have found a true family, united in serving a kind and welcoming community that reflects the warmth, beauty, and spirit of Eastern North Carolina.

Over time, I discovered the answer to my question:

“We don’t always choose the path — sometimes, the path chooses us, leading us exactly where we were always meant to be.”

Pirapat Max Rerkpattanapipat (PGY-1)

At ECU Health Medical Center, the Internal Medicine Residency has a special goal: improving the health and well-being of the hardworking people across Eastern North Carolina’s 29 counties.

From growing up in the NC foothills to completing medical school in-state, it is a true honor to continue serving and learning from the people of North Carolina during my residency training. I am eager to connect with medically underserved communities in Pitt County and throughout eastern NC, while working hard to grow into the best physician I can—for the state I love.

It is a privilege to train in ECU’s welcoming and collegial environment, alongside outstanding co-residents and dedicated faculty who are passionate about teaching. The supportive culture of ECU’s residency programs stood out to both me and my wife, Dr. Matela, during our couples match process. We are grateful to be part of the close-knit ECU family and excited to call Greenville our home.