March 19, 2024

The Office of Graduate Medical Education at Northeast Georgia Medical Center celebrated Match Day on Friday, March 15.

GAINESVILLE, Ga. – 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 sixth class spans seven specialties and increases the number of residents in each specialty to:

  • 30 General Surgery
  • 60 Internal Medicine
  • 36 Family Medicine
  • 36 Emergency Medicine
  • 18 Psychiatry
  • 12 Transitional Year
  • 8 Primary Care Track

NGMC also has 18 Cardiovascular Disease fellows and two Hospice and Palliative Medicine fellows working and training, bringing the total number of physician learners to 220. All new residents and fellows begin work on July 1.

NGMC welcomes:

Emergency Medicine Residents – Medical School and Home State/Country

  • Brenda Diggs, DO – Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine/CA
  • Kevin Gentner, MD – University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine/TN
  • Nathan Holtman, DO – Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine-Auburn Campus/AL
  • Brian Legvold, MD – Emory University School of Medicine/GA
  • Elisa Neibling, DO – William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine/FL
  • Jai Patel, DO – Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine/GA
  • John Patton, MD – Mercer University School of Medicine/GA
  • Anand Shah, MD – Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University/GA
  • Charlotte Thompson, DO – New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine/TN
  • Michael Tucker, DO – Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine/FL
  • Abby Whitt, MD – Ross University School of Medicine/GA
  • Ariel Wilson, MD – University of Mississippi School of Medicine/MS

Family Medicine Residents – Medical School and Home State/Country

  • Spring J. Davis, MD – Trinity School of Medicine/FL
  • Kaylee A. Goergen, DO – Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine/GA
  • Sarah D. Hemzawi, DO – A.T. Still University of Health Sciences School of Medicine in Arizona/GA
  • Nikolas L. Jen, DO – Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine/GA
  • Nidha Khan, DO – Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine/SC
  • Rosalie E. Mattiola, MD – USF Health Morsani College of Medicine/FL
  • Sonia N. Patel, DO – Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine – Carolinas Campus/GA
  • Maryam N. Raad, DO – Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine/GA
  • Jessica L. Radchuk, DO – Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine/GA
  • Manraj K. Randhawa, MD – Trinity School of Medicine/GA
  • Ravjot Singh, MD – Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University/GA
  • Jotrineesha L. Walton, DO – Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine/GA

General Surgery Residents – Medical School and Home State/Country

  • Richard Adams, DO – Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine/GA
  • Angelo Changas, DO – Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine/GA
  • Jerrell Fang, MD – Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University/GA
  • Anna Hayden, MD – University of South Carolina School of Medicine/SC
  • Angelica Rivera, DO – Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine/GA
  • Abigayle Wyer, DO – Old Dominion University & Tidewater Community College/WV

Internal Medicine Residents – Medical School and Home State/Country

  • Zubia M. Ahmed, MD – Osmania Medical College/India
  • Chinazo F. Akpu, MD – Ross University School of Medicine/GA
  • Gideon Asaolu, MD – Windsor University/Nigeria
  • Bolaji O. Ayinde, MD – All Saints University School of Medicine/Dominica
  • Rushali Desai, DO – Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine/NJ
  • Anjuli Devi, MD – Ziauddin Medical College/Pakistan
  • Rajat Gupta, MD – Government Medical College Patiala/India
  • FNU Kalpana, MD – Ghulam Mohammad Mahar Medical College/Pakistan
  • Shahzaib Khan, MD – Ross University School of Medicine/IL
  • Mohammad E. Kyhan, MD – Ibne-Sina Balkh Medical School/Afghanistan
  • Chiugo Okoye, MD – Igbinedion University, Okada/Nigeria
  • Yashini B. Patel, MD – Ross University School of Medicine/Barbados
  • Noorine S. Plumber, MD – St. George’s University/TX
  • Pa O. Sillah, MD – School of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, University of the Gambia/Gambia
  • Barath P. Sivasubramanian, MD – E.S.I.C. Medical College & Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences and Research/India
  • Sree V. Uppalapati, MD – All American Institute of Medical Sciences/India
  • Shikha Upreti, MD – Ross University School of Medicine/IL
  • Cristina Vidal Carrion, MD – Universidad Particular de Especialidades Espiritu Santo (UEES)/Ecuador
  • Hannah Warshaw, MD – American University of the Caribbean/GA
  • Abdelrahman Yakout, MD – University of Alexandria/Egypt

Primary Care Track – Medical School and Home State/Country

  • Crystal V. Ayazo, MD – American University of Antigua College of Medicine/Ontario
  • Hagir Mohamed, MD – University of Medical Sciences & Technology (UMST) Faculty of Medicine/IL
  • Farjana Nasrin, MD – Sir Salimullah Medical College/MD
  • Zainab Khan, MD – Nishtar Medical College/GA

Psychiatry Residents – Medical School and Home State/Country

  • Salankara Bandyopadhyay, DO – Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine/GA
  • Crystal Herrera, MD – University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine/GA
  • Austin Rhines, MD – University of Oklahoma College of Medicine/OK
  • Ferzan Uddin, DO – Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine/GA
  • William Tz- Jie Su, DO – Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine/PA
  • Razan  Sheikh, DO – Lincoln Memorial University – DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine/GA

Transitional Year – Medical School and Home State/Country

  • Donatine K. Afful, DO – Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine/VA
  • Peter B. Choi, DO – Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine/GA
  • Sharon L. Hsieh, MD – University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine/GA
  • Devaki Kalvapudi, MD – J.S.S Medical College/CA
  • Sarah Kyle, DO – Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine/ FL
  • Cirilo Lora, DO – Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine/ FL
  • Sherry Luo, MD – University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine/GA
  • Jay P. Narula, MD – Georgetown University School of Medicine/TN
  • Hifza Z. Sakhi, DO – Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine/GA
  • Martin A. Tan, MD – University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine/TN
  • Gursimran N, Udhwani, DO – Lincoln Memorial University-DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine/GA
  • Ashley L. Williams, MD – Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine/GA

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.

“Match Day is always exciting because the need for a pipeline of excellent physicians is still high in our state and region,” says John E. Delzell, Jr., MD, MSPH, vice president of Medical Education for Northeast Georgia Health System and Designated Institutional Official for NGMC.  “Our residents will work with our faculty, hospital and clinic staff in numerous ways. We look forward to welcoming all our new resident physicians to the local community and introducing them to patients.”

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.

NGMC is 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 NGMC

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, Dahlonega and Demorest, the five NGMC campuses have a total of more than 850 beds and more than 1,300 medical staff members representing more than 60 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 nghs.com.