DOM fellows, residents look to future in post-graduate world

Congratulations to all of our graduating fellows and residents, including those who matched into fellowship programs or landed faculty posts here at the University of Arizona.

The first of the season was held May 5, and the last will be June 21. Following is a roundup of who the graduates are and where they’re headed next:

All photos below courtesy of the fellowship or residency programs of those pictured. Mouseover images for captions.

CARDIOLOGY

Cardiovascular Disease Fellows:

• Scott Kirkpatrick, MD | Private practice, Kirkpatrick Family Care, Longview, WA
• Jacob Klewer, MD | Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology Fellowship, Division of Cardiology, UArizona College of Medicine – Tucson
• Suzanne Oskouie, MD | Faculty, Stanford University Medical Partners, Pleasanton, CA
• Iniya Rajendran, MBBS, MPH | Advanced Imaging Fellowship/Faculty, Division of Cardiology, UArizona College of Medicine – Tucson, Tucson, AZ
• Jeffrey Tran, MD | Interventional/Structural Cardiology Fellowship, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO

Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology Fellow:

• Mahesh Balakrishnan, MBBS | Faculty, UArizona College of Medicine – Phoenix; Private practice, Arizona Heart Arrhythmia Associates, Phoenix

Interventional Cardiology Fellows:

• Muhammad Arslan Cheema, MD | Faculty, Ochsner Health Center for Academic Excellence/Ochsner Medical Center, New Orleans, LA
• Mohammad Kashif, MD | Private practice

Their graduation event was held June 1 at the Hacienda del Sol Guest Ranch in Tucson. Muhammad Ijaz Pervez, MBBS (Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship, PGY-2) was presented with; 1) Mark J. Friedman Outstanding Fellow Award by Mark Friedman, MD (retired), and Elizabeth Juneman, MD; and 2) the Outstanding Performance in Interventional Cardiology Award by Madhan Sundaran, MD.

  

DERMATOLOGY

Micrographic Surgery and Dermatologic Oncology (or Mohs) Fellowship:

• Jeffery Krase, MD (graduates July 31) | Faculty, Dermatology, Southern Arizona VA Health Care System, Tucson VA Medical Center, Tucson, AZ

Advanced Dermatology Residency Program:

• Patrick Jedlowski, MD (graduates June 30) | Micrographic Surgery & Dermatologic Oncology Fellowship, UArizona Division of Dermatology (with Jason DuPont, MD), Tucson, AZ
• Mahdieh Jedlowski, MD, PharmD (graduates June 30) | Faculty, UArizona Division of Dermatology’s Pima Canyon Drive Offices, Tucson, AZ
• Zaid Obagi, MD (graduates June 30) | Private practice with his father at Obagi Cosmetics, Los Angeles
• Amy Singh, MD (graduates July 19) | Private practice, Pima Dermatology, Tucson, AZ

Their graduation event is June 15 at the home of Dermatology division chief Clara Curiel-Lewandrowski, MD, where a residency teaching award (as voted by residents) will be presented to Daniel Butler, MD, director of the division’s Inflammatory & Aging Skin Research Program and the college’s assistant dean for student affairs.

ENDOCRINOLOGY

Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Fellowship Program:

• Neda Ebrahimi, MD | Private practice, Tucson, AZ
• Hannah Knox, MD | Private practice, Santa Rosa, CA
• Ramiro Cardenas Lara, MD | Faculty, UArizona Division of Endocrinology, Tucson, AZ
• Rosha Habibi, MD | Private practice, Tucson, AZ

Their graduation event was held May 28 at the Union Public House in Tucson.

 

GASTROENTEROLOGY & HEPATOLOGY

Gastroenterology Fellowship Program:

• Aws Alameri, MD | Interventional Endoscopy Fellowship, Geisinger Health System, Danville, PA
• Amar Vedamurthy, MBBS | Interventional Endoscopy Fellowship, Seattle, WA

Their graduation event was held May 29 at Reforma in Tucson.

  

GENERAL INTERNAL MEDICINE, GERIATRICS & PALLIATIVE MEDICINE

Geriatric Medicine Fellowship:

• Samantha Russell, MD | UArizona Hospice & Palliative Medicine Fellowship, College of Medicine – Tucson

Hospice & Palliative Medicine Fellowship:

• Tom Finkelstein, MD | UArizona Geriatric Medicine Fellowship, College of Medicine – Tucson

Their graduation event is June 19 at Postino in Tucson.

HEMATOLOGY & ONCOLOGY

Hematology & Medical Oncology Fellowship Training Program:

• Nishant Munugala, MD | Faculty, University of California, Irvine, Comprehensive Cancer Center
• Hninyee Win, DO | Kaiser Permanente South Bay Medical Center, Harbor City, CA
• Reya Sharman, MD | Faculty, UArizona Division of Hematology & Oncology, Tucson, AZ
• Qurat Ul Ain Riaz Sipra, MBBS | SAVAHCS, Tucson VA Medical Center, Tucson, AZ

They celebrated their graduation event June 8 at the Arizona Sands Club. Alejandro Recio-Boiles, MD, was awarded the Ravi Krishnadasan Excellence in Teaching Award by the fellows. The award is named after Ravitharan Krishnadasan, MD, hematologist, clinical professor of medicine, UArizona Cancer Center member and director, UArizona Hemostasis and Thrombosis Center.

INFECTIOUS DISEASES

Infectious Diseases Fellowship Program:

• Maryam Naveed, MBBS | Internal Medicine Residency Program, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV
• Sibel Islak Mutcali, MD | Private practice, Arizona Liver Health, Tucson, AZ
• Shyh-Jeun Wang, MD | Private practice, Oasis Medical Services Inc., Las Vegas, NV

Their graduation event was held May 5 at the home of Infectious Diseases division chief, Elizabeth Connick, MD. Attendings, Brentin Roller, DO, MPH, and Steve Scholand, MD, received the ID Faculty Teaching Award for 2024-2025 – nominated by the fellows.

  

NEPHROLOGY

Nephrology Fellowship Program:

• Jessica Nino, MD | Private practice (Arizona Kidney Disease & Hypertension Centers, AKDHC), Tucson
• Nidhi Gupta, MD | Private practice, India
• Srilekha Sridhara, MBBS | Kidney Transplant Fellowship, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix

Their graduation event will be June 21 at Contigo in Tucson.

PULMONARY, ALLERGY, CRITICAL CARE & SLEEP MEDICINE

Allergy & Immunology Fellowship Program:

• Yasamin N. Ghiasi, MD | Faculty, UCLA Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep Medicine, and Allergy & Immunology, Los Angeles

Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine Fellowship Program:

• Waseem Albasha, MD (chief fellow) | Private practice, Sunrise Medical Center, Phoenix
• Sooraj Kumar, MBBS | Faculty (starts July 1), UArizona PACCS division, Tucson, AZ
• Bhargav Patel, MD | Faculty (starts Aug. 26), UArizona PACCS division, Tucson, AZ
• Juan A. Sandoval Gonzalez, MD | Locum tenens
• Sarah Upson, MD, MBA | Private practice, Tucson Medical Center, Tucson, AZ

Critical Care Medicine Track, Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine Fellowship Program:

• Jad Dandashi, MD, MPH | Private practice, Valleywise Health, Phoenix

Sleep Medicine Fellowship Program:

• Muhammad Ebrahim Khan, MBBS | Interventional Pulmonary Fellowship, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT

The Allergy & Immunology Fellowship graduation event is June 14 at Tavolino Ristorante Italiano in Tucson. For other PACCS fellowships, it's June 20 in the HSIB Forum.

RHEUMATOLOGY

Rheumatology Fellowship Training Program:

• Shiva S. Malaty, DO | Private practice, Chandler, AZ
• Biana A. Modilevsky, DO | Private practice, Northwestern Medicine, Chicago
• Carlos A. Tafich Rios, MD | Faculty (joins in November), UArizona Division of Rheumatology, Tucson, AZ

Their graduation event was held May 9 at Saffron Indian Bistro in Tucson. Dr. Tafich Rios also will receive an additional certificate as a Chief Fellow after Oct. 31 when his training ends.

 

INTERNAL MEDICINE RESIDENCY PROGRAM – TUCSON CAMPUS

Graduating class of 2023-24 UArizona Internal Medicine residents** who matched into fellowships that start in July include:

Rodrigo Alvarez, DO | Gastroenterology Fellowship, Mountain Vista Medical Center, Mesa Arizona
Karen Beltran, MD | Rheumatology Fellowship, UCSF, San Francisco, CA
Aaron Bertolo, MD | Hematology/Oncology Fellowship, Moffitt Cancer Center, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Ramzi Ibrahim, MD | Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ
Swathi Jothi, MBBS | Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine Fellowship, University of Arizona – Tucson
Lucia Luna Wong, MD, MS, PhD | Infectious Disease Fellowship, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
Pallabi Shrestha, MBBS | Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship, University of Arizona – Tucson
Richard Trieu, MD | Gastroenterology Fellowship, Kansas University, Kansas City, KS
Mahima Zandu, MBBS | Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship, University of Arizona – Tucson

Chief Residents:

• Brendan Andres, MD | Gastroenterology Fellowship, Case Western University, Cleveland, OH
• Mario Jaramillo, MD | Infectious Disease Fellowship, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
• Vinita Kusupati, MD | Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine Fellowship, Cedar Sinai, Los Angeles, CA
• Chelsea Takamatsu, MD | Nephrology Fellowship, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA

Their graduation event is June 14 at the Omni Tucson National Resort.

**Other graduating Internal Medicine residents and where they're headed include: Kevin J. Moynahan, MD (chief resident) | Faculty, Division of General Internal Medicine, Geriatrics & Palliative Medicine/Outpatient Medicine, Banner – University Medicine Tucson; Kalkidan Abebe, MD | Outpatient medicine, Lakeside Primary Health Care, Lake Havasu City, AZ; Abdulla Saad Alabagi, MD | Hospitalist, Mount Graham Regional Medical Center, Safford, AZ; Cassandra Ballantyne, MD | Outpatient Medicine, PC Optum, Tucson; Madhulika Banerjee, MD | Outpatient medicine, San Antonio, TX; Kandis Boothe, MD, PhD | Chief Resident, UArizona Internal Medicine Residency Program – Tucson Campus; Evan D. Brickner, MD | Outpatient Medicine, Personalized Healthcare of Tucson (Concierge Group); Daniel Brown, MD | Faculty/Hospitalist, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV; Joseph W. Budenske, MD | Hospitalist, M Health Fairview, St. Paul, MN; Natalie M. Davis, MD | Chief Resident, UArizona Internal Medicine Residency Program – Tucson Campus; Arian C. Deonarain, MD | Hospitalist, Southern Arizona; Austin R. Fehr, MD | Nocturnist/Hospitalist, Topeka, KS; Jonathan J. Ferng, MBA, MD, MS | Hospitalist, Tucson Medical Center; Paul A. Haddad, MD | Hospitalist, Locum tenens; Dakota L. Hammrich, DO | Faculty/Hospitalist, Providence Portland Medical Center, Portland, OR; George L. Khludenev, MD | Nocturnist/Hospitalist, SAVAHCS Tucson VA Medical Center; Amie M. Kolimas, DO | Chief Resident, UArizona Internal Medicine Residency Program – Tucson Campus; Vishalakshi Lakshmanan, MD | Chief Resident, UArizona Internal Medicine Residency Program – Tucson Campus; Elise M. Le Cam, MD | Chief Resident, UArizona Internal Medicine Residency Program – Tucson Campus; Andy Lee, DO | Hospitalist, Banner Desert Medical Center, Mesa, AZ; Matthew T. Long, DO, MPH | Hospitalist, San Diego, CA; Macklin G. Loveland, MD | Faculty, UArizona Division of Inpatient Medicine/Hospitalist, Banner – University Medicine Tucson/(July 2025 start in) Anesthesiology Residency, UArizona College of Medicine – Tucson; Adam Madej, DO | Hospitalist, St. Louis, MO; Conner S. Marsden, DO | Hospitalist, U.S. Air Force, Lackland AFB, San Antonio, TX; April L. Olson, MD, MPH | Faculty, UArizona Division of Inpatient Medicine/Hospitalist, Banner – University Medicine Tucson; Elysia Li Hsia Tjong, DO | Hospitalist, Tucson Medical Center; Marie B. Sabanal Villanueva, MD | Faculty, Division of General Internal Medicine, Geriatrics & Palliative Medicine/Outpatient Medicine, Banner – University Medicine Tucson/Rita Ranch; and Rebecca Wig, MBBS | Faculty, UArizona Division of Inpatient Medicine/Hospitalist, Banner – University Medicine Tucson.

Good luck and safe travel wherever fair winds take you in your future endeavors! Thanks for your time and the memories you shared with us here in Tucson.

ALSO SEE:
“A Frenzy of Fellowship Matches, Both ‘To’ and ‘From’ DOM Training Programs, Announced for 2019-20” | Posted Jan. 18, 2019
“Graduating Sleep Fellow Holds Distinction of First NIH K12 Award for UA Health Sciences” | Posted Sept, 12, 2018
“Department of Medicine Graduating 2018 Fellows Celebrate Grand Finale to Advanced Training” | Posted July 27, 2018
“2018 South Campus Internal Medicine Residency Graduates Lauded at Awards Banquet” | Posted June 18, 2018
“Graduating Class of 2018 Department of Medicine Residents Celebrating in Style” | Posted June 6, 2018
“2018 Nephrology Fellows Graduation” | Posted May 30, 2018
“See Fellows Match in Internal Medicine Subspecialties Both at, from UA Department of Medicine” | Posted March 6, 2018
“2016-17 Nephrology Fellows Graduate with Great Fanfare” | Posted July 20, 2017
“Sarver Heart Center Recognizes Seven Graduating 2017 Cardiology Fellows” | Posted June 30, 2017
“South Campus Residents Join at the Omni Resort for Grad Night Festivities” | Posted June 19, 2017
“Class of 2017 Tucson Campus Residents Celebrate Graduation with Honors” | Posted June 5, 2017
“Class of 2016-17 Interns to Arrive Later in June” | June 3, 2017
“January Match Mix Shows Promise for Incoming Fellows in Advanced Internal Med Training” | Posted March 2, 2017
“South Campus Internal Medicine Residents, Graduates Honored at Annual Dinner” | Posted June 11, 2016
“Graduating Tucson Campus Internal Medicine Residents Celebrate with Banquet, Awards” | Posted June 7, 2016
“With Graduation, New Residents Begin Internal Medicine Training in July” | Posted May 17, 2016