NGMC increases number of Resident Physicians

Published: Monday, March 20, 2023

More physicians are on the way to care for people across the region, as Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) learned Friday who is joining the newest class of resident physicians this summer. 

 The organization’s fifth class spans seven specialties and increases the number of residents in each specialty to:

  • 30 – General Surgery
  • 60 – Internal Medicine
  • 36 – Family Medicine
  • 24 – Emergency Medicine
  • 12 – Psychiatry
  • 12 – Transitional Year
  • 4 – Primary Care Track

NGMC also has 12 Cardiovascular Disease fellows and two Hospice and Palliative Medicine fellows working and training, bringing the total number of physician learners to 192. All new residents and fellows begin work on July 1.

NGMC welcomes:

General Surgery Residents
  • Matthew Bond, MD – St. George’s University School of Medicine/NC
  • Geetha Cawthon, MD – Meharry Medical College/AL
  • Randall Duran, MD – Ross School of Medicine/ FL
  • Marshall Robaczewski, MD – Wake Forest University School of Medicine/NC
  • Christopher Staley, DO – Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine/GA
  • Caitlyn Tomblin, MD – University of Alabama at Birmingham Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine/AL

Internal Medicine Residents
  • Adeoluw Adewuyi, MD – Ross University School of Medicine/MD
  • Sana Ahmed, MD – Smt. Kashibai Navale Medical College and Hospital/India
  • Rana Asif, MD – Shifa College of Medicine, Pakistan/Pakistan
  • Jana Byrd, MD – Mercer University School of Medicine/GA
  • Brady Chen, DO – Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine/FL
  • Sudha Dirisanala, MD – Konaseema Institute of Medical Sciences & Research Foundation/GA
  • Tosan Ejutse, MD – Medical University of the Americas (Nevis), Saint Kitts and Nevis/GA
  • Romina Faridizad, MD – Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Iran/GA
  • Cinsley Gentillon, MD – Ross University School of Medicine/GA
  • Cindy Idowu, MD – St. George’s University School of Medicine/GA          
  • Muhammad Ali Javaid, MD – Dow Medical College, Pakistan/Pakistan
  • Aarushi Kalra, DO – Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine/GA
  • Palwasha Khan, MD – Ross University School of Medicine/Canada
  • Pearl Kode, MD – Ross University School of Medicine/FL
  • Darrin Lowe, DO – Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine/GA
  • Oluwafemi Olukayode, MD – American University of Antigua College of Medicine/GA
  • Zoquier Robles, MD – Felix Ross University School of Medicine/PA
  • Rayan Salih, MD – University of Khartoum Faculty of Medicine, Sudan/Toronto
  • Kvon Shakil, MD – San Juan Bautista School of Medicine/PR        
  • Michael Vidal, MD – State University of New York Upstate Medical University Alan and Marlene Norton College of Medicine/NY
  • Chris Yang, MD – University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix/GA

Family Medicine Residents
  • Linda Akbarshahi, MD – American University of Antigua College of Medicine/GA
  • Jelani Duke, MD – St. George’s University School of Medicine/NY
  • Jordan Harrell, MD – Ross University School of Medicine/GA
  • Catherine Kuo, MD – St. George’s University School of Medicine/WA
  • Amanda Lemus, MD – Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University/GA
  • Tiffany Nicoll, DO – Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, Auburn Campus/GA
  • Michael Nwokorie, MD – Washington University of Health and Sciences/Nigeria
  • Austin Priaulx, DO – Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine/GA
  • Johnathan Sayaloune, MD – University of Nebraska College of Medicine/NE
  • Jamani Smith, MD – Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University/GA
  • Stacia Verrett, MD – St. George’s University School of Medicine/TX
  • Linda N. Willoughby, MD – Ross University School of Medicine/GA

Emergency Medicine Residents
  • Samantha Beauchamp, DOKansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine/MN
  • Rebecca Cranston, DOEdward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine-Carolinas Campus/SC
  • Omolayo Dada, DOMorehouse School of Medicine/GA
  • Kris Fox, DOKansas City of University College of Osteopathic Medicine/MO
  • Erin Jackson, DOOklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine/OK
  • Sharani Jayaratne, MDSt. George’s University School of Medicine Grenada/GA
  • Pallav Joshi, DOPhiladelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine/GA
  • Ukoha Kalu, MDRoss University School of Medicine/GA
  • Melina Kanji, MDRoss University School of Medicine/IL
  • Ryan Leeson, MDUniversity of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville/SC
  • Nikhil Patel, DOPhiladelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine/GA
  • Romy Rahhal, MDUniversite Saint-Joseph Faculte’ de Medecine/MA

Psychiatry Residents
  • Sankhya Amaravadi, DO – A.T. Still University of Health Sciences Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine/GA
  • Gopal Amin, DO – Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine/FL
  • Moonpreet Deol, MD – Trinity School of Medicine/Ontario
  • Gurjinder Olekh, MD – Ross University School of Medicine/British Columbia
  • Hayley Silverstein, MD – Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine/GA
  • Peyton Whiston, MD – Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine/IL

Transitional Year
  • Crystal Ayazo, MDAmerican University of Antigua College of Medicine/FL
  • Woodly Dominique, DO -Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine-South Georgia/GA
  • O’Connell Penrose, MD – Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine/SC
  • Ms. Kalpana, MD – Ghulam Mohammad Mahar Medical College/Pakistan
  • Miles McCabe, DO – Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine/FL
  • Ebere Obasi, MD – Trinity School of Medicine/GA
  • Han Sol, DO – Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine/GA
  • Pavan Patel, DO – Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine/GA
  • Mukhamed Sulaimanov, MD – Akhunbaev Kyrgz State Medical Academy Faculty of General Alas/Kyrgyzstan
  • Angelo Changas, DO – Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine/GA
  • Daniel Davis, MD – International American University College of Medicine Santa Cruz/Jamaica
  • Patrick Speck, MD – Emory University School of Medicine/GA

Primary Care Track
  • Yashna Lamsal, DO – Lincoln Memorial University – DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine/NC
  • Tram Nguyen, MD – University of Queensland School of Medicine, Australia/Vietnam
  • Miriam Nji Aiwokeh Mbong, MD – Miriam University of Buea Faculty of Health Sciences/GA
  • Sangamithra Sathian, MD – Ross University School of Medicine/India

In the months leading up to Friday, medical students participating in the National Resident Matching Program applied to residency programs and interviewed at hospitals across the nation. After those interviews, residency programs ranked the students – and students ranked the programs. Both rank lists were plugged into a national database which crunches the numbers to determine which of the students match with NGMC. Those results are released on Match Day, which was Friday.

“This Match Day is particularly exciting as we’re welcoming more inaugural classes, Transitional Year and Primary Care Track,” says John E. Delzell, Jr., MD, MSPH, vice president of Medical Education for Northeast Georgia Health System and Designated Institutional Official for NGMC. “Transitional Year is a one-year program that serves as the clinical base year that precedes advanced residencies in anesthesiology, dermatology, radiology and others, so we’re creating that important pipeline with this program. The Primary Care Track prepares residents to become excellent primary care internists, which continues to be a great need in our region and state.”

Idopise Umana, MD – program director of the Transitional Year residency program – is equally excited for her new residency class.

“The Transitional Year residency just received accreditation in December, so we have been working hard on recruiting and interviewing during the past few months,” says Dr. Umana. “This Match Day is the culmination of many hours of hard work, and I couldn’t be more excited to teach and train our next generation of specialized physicians.”

Resident physicians are licensed doctors training in a specialty. They train for three to 10 years after medical school, providing patient care and performing procedures under appropriate supervision. They can write orders and prescribe medication. Residents also have educational, testing and evaluation requirements. Their training is overseen by Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.

“Our residents will work with our faculty, hospital and clinic staff in numerous ways,” says Dr. Delzell. “We look forward to welcoming all our new resident physicians to the local community and introducing them to patients.”

NGMC is working to expand to more than 200 residents across these specialties by 2024. That will make NGMC one of the largest graduate medical education programs in Georgia. The idea is to train the physician leaders of tomorrow right here in Hall County, so that they will stay to practice in this region and the state.

Learn more about NGMC’s residency programs at www.ngmcgme.org.


About Northeast Georgia Medical Center

Since 1951, Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) has been on a mission of improving the health of our community in all we do. With hospitals located in Gainesville, Braselton, Winder and Dahlonega, the four NGMC campuses have a total of more than 700 beds and more than 1,200 medical staff members representing more than 50 specialties. NGMC is part of Northeast Georgia Health System, a non-profit that cares for more than one million people across more than 19 counties. Learn more at www.nghs.com.