Dr. Pirotte did his undergrad at the University of Kansas and medical school at Loyola University in Chicago. Following this, he completed his residency in emergency medicine at Northwestern where he served as chief resident. He has been an attending in the emergency department at both Loyola and more recently Northwestern and served as both assistant clerkship director and assistant residency director. Dr. Pirotte is passionate about teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels with a focus on procedures, practice transition, and personal finance.  He lives in 12 South with his wife Christiana (an anesthesiologist at Vanderbilt), their 2 children Zoe and Tommy, and their beloved English Springer Spaniel Lilly.  In his free time, Dr. Pirotte enjoys reading novels, entertaining, cooking, outdoor sports, and gaming.

Dr. Ray is a native of Nashville and a former D-1 swimmer at Duke University. She did her medical school at the University of Tennessee and residency at Northwestern in Chicago where she served as Chief Resident. Following residency she took a position as an APD at the University of Wisconsin before returning home to Nashville. She enjoys spending time with her husband Will (a private practice gastroenterologist), her son Jack, and her wire-haired Dachshund Hank.

Dr. Sikon grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. He completed his medical training in 2016 as a part of the six-year accelerated B.S./M.D. program through Kent State and Northeast Ohio Medical University.  From there he and his wife moved to Nashville where he completed his Emergency Medicine Residency at Vanderbilt in 2019, and his Fellowship in Simulation in 2020. Since then, Joe has worked actively with resident education at Vanderbilt as a faculty member, primarily as a part of the Simulation Division. He was appointed as an APD in 2022. When he's not at work or in the sim lab Joe likes to spend his time lifting at the gym, cooking, and spending time with his wife and chocolate Labrador, Chessie.

Dr. Burger is an assistant professor with the Department of Emergency Medicine. She completed her undergraduate degree in biology and history at the University of Michigan followed by her medical degree from Michigan State University College of Human Medicine.  After graduating from the Vanderbilt University Emergency Medicine Residency, she then completed Chief Residency at Vanderbilt as well. After five years serving as faculty at Vanderbilt, she completed a fellowship in Pediatric Emergency Medicine 2021. Shortly after finishing her fellowship, she became assistant program director in 2021. She enjoys international medicine, running, volleyball and cooking.

Dr. James was born, raised, and educated in Arkansas, which is known as the Natural State and the home of the Diamond Mines State Park. She attended the University of Arkansas where she majored in Chemistry. She then obtained her medical degree and Master of Public Health at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Having always dreamed of a career as an Emergency Medicine physician, she was thrilled to match at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center in 2022. She is now serving as a 2024-2025 Chief Resident for our program. She also serves as a resident course coordinator for undergraduate medical education programming. Her professional interest includes advocacy, medical education, and program recruitment. She enjoys fashion, traveling, and trying new restaurants.

Dr. Cosse grew up in New Mexico, aka The Land of Enchantment. She earned her bachelor’s degree in EMS as well as her MD from the University of New Mexico. She is interested in rural and critical access medicine. She lives in 12 South with her husband Ryan and dogs Chama and Noly. In her free time, she enjoys playing piano, riding motorcycles, and reading.

Hey, I'm Sarah! I am originally from sunny Albuquerque, New Mexico. I went to the University of New Mexico and graduated with a degree in Biochemistry.  I kept the momentum going and went to medical school at my alma mater. Fate took a playful turn when I crossed paths with my partner-in-crime, Riley, while we were working at a local urgent care clinic. Before we knew it, we found ourselves saying 'I do' in a Vegas wedding back in 2022. Life's twists and turns, right? We have loved living in Nashville. The foodie scene is incredible, and we love going to Preds Hockey games, and walking at Percy Warner. We love to travel and together have been to many incredible places including Belize, Spain, and Greece! Back home, Sherlock and Watson, our furry troublemaker cats, keep us on our toes with their antics. I’m planning to stick around the Nashville area pursuing a community emergency medicine job next year. I am excited to serve in the role of Chief!

Elizabeth has been at Vanderbilt since May 2016 and is the newest member of our  team.  She is transferring to us from the Department of Surgical Sciences, where she was the assistant to the Chief Business Officer, as well as assisting the General Surgery Residency Program Director for the past 2 ½ years. Elizabeth is a proud mom to three boys (Aaron, Wyatt & Jaxon) and two dogs (Link and Bogie). In her spare time, she likes to spend time with her wife and boys, go hiking, and take family vacations.

Tammy is a Nashville native and has been with VUMC for 15 years. She is the proud mom of one daughter (Alyssa), and her two handsome Golden Retrievers, River and Raine (River pictured). In her spare time she enjoys working in her yard, walking on trails with her Golden boys, crafting and spending time with family and friends. ​

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Please reach out to her with any questions you may have about our program. ​

Contact:

tammy.tankersley@vumc.org