Class of 2015

Updates in 2020 & 2021

Blakele Bakker, M.D., completed her residency at the University of Tennessee College of Medicine-Chattanooga and is now an obstetrician-gynecologist at Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast in Miramar Beach, Florida. Posted 4.6.20.

Stephanie Battistini, M.D., welcomed a baby girl, Ivelisse, with her husband Antonio in August.  Posted 2.02.21.

Ryan Berger, M.D., completed the orthopedic surgery residency program at Cleveland Clinic and is in a spine-surgery fellowship at OrthoCarolina Spine Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.  Posted 2.02.21.

Ryan Brosch, M.D., completed his obstetrics and gynecology residency program at the University of South Florida College of Medicine and has begun practicing at Women’s Care Florida in Clearwater. Posted 4.6.20.

Alexa Buchanan, M.D., and husband Kyle Pascioni welcomed a baby girl, Adeline Grace, on Nov. 12, 2019. Posted 4.6.20.

Adam Engel, M.D., completed his residency in diagnostic radiology and is in a breast-imaging fellowship at MD Anderson Cancer Center.  Posted 2.02.21.

Shalini Golla, M.D., completed the OB-GYN residency program at Ascension Medical Group Sacred Heart and is now practicing at North Florida Women’s Care in Tallahassee.  Posted 2.02.21.

Ryan Howard, M.D., was an adult hospitalist at the Kaweah Delta Health Care District, where he was honored by nursing staff as Physician of the Year for Compassionate Care. He then completed a fellowship in Hospice and Palliative Medicine through the University of California San Francisco Fresno Campus, and is now medical director of hospice and palliative medicine at the Kaweah Delta Health Care District.  Posted 2.02.21.

Kyle Iketani, M.D., married Erica Sheedy on Jan. 11, 2020, in Orlando. Posted 4.6.20.

Laura Irastorza, M.D., completed her pediatric gastroenterology fellowship in 2021 at Orlando Health and has joined Palm Beach Digestive Associates in South Florida.  Posted 9.29.21.

Christina Kim, M.D., graduated from the diagnostic radiology residency program at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai West as chief resident and has begun a neuroradiology fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital – Harvard.  Posted 2.02.21.

Brandon Lambiris, M.D., finished his plastic surgery residency program at the University of Missouri - Columbia this year and has started West Coast Plastic Surgery, a private practice in Sarasota, Fla.  Posted 9.29.21.

Patrick Murray, M.D., is a family physician at Millennium Physician Group in Lutz, Fla.  Posted 9.29.21.

Rachel Nickels, M.D., welcomed a baby girl, Charlotte Yvonne Nickels, with husband Steven Nickels in April.  Posted 2.02.21.

Keniel Pierre, M.D., has begun a cardiology fellowship at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville. Also Keniel and his wife, Daphnee, welcomed their first daughter, Kaydence Noelle Pierre, on Aug. 4, 2019. Posted 4.6.20.

Anish Raj, M.D., completed the pediatrics and child-psychiatry residency program at Rhode Island Hospital-Brown University and has entered a child abuse pediatric fellowship at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.  Posted 2.02.21.

David Ullman, M.D., is expecting a second daughter. He is a pathology physician at Professional Pathology Services in Columbia, S.C.  Posted 9.29.21.

Andrew Van Sickler, M.D., completed the general surgery residency program at Palmetto Health Richland-University of South Carolina School of Medicine and has begun a vascular surgery fellowship at Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio.  Posted 2.02.21.

Updates in 2019

Justin Beyer, M.D., is practicing emergency medicine with EMPros in Flagler, Volusia and Brevard counties. Posted 8.7.19.

Georgia Christakis, M.D., completed her pediatrics residency at New York Medical College at Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla. She is now a global health pediatric fellow at Boston Children’s Hospital. Posted 8.7.19.

Tyler Cobb, M.D., and Laura McLaughlin, M.D., recently married in Estes Park, Colorado. Posted 8.7.19.

David Deray, M.D., is board-certified in pediatrics and is currently a pediatrician at Blue Fish Pediatrics at Sienna Plantation in Missouri City, Texas. Posted 8.7.19.

Kristen Deray, M.D., is now board-certified in pediatrics. She is a currently an infectious-disease fellow at Texas Children’s Hospital. Posted 8.7.19.

Joshua Gordon, M.D., is an emergency medical services fellow at UF Health-Shands in Gainesville. Posted 8.7.19.

Brian Hassani, M.D., completed an emergency medicine residency at University of Alabama at Birmingham. He is now a practicing emergency physician at Baptist Health Center in Birmingham. Posted 8.7.19.

Jason Hinton, M.D., was named chief resident of radiation oncology at the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis. Posted 8.7.19.

Ryan Howard, M.D., completed his family medicine residency at the University of Arizona in Tucson, where he was recognized for successfully completing the 200-hour Integrative Medicine in Residency curriculum provided by the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine. He was awarded the Medical Legal Partnership Advocacy Award for outstanding performance and dedication to patient well-being. He is now practicing as a board-certified adult hospitalist with Kaweah Delta Health Care in Visalia, California. He also serves as a mentor for residents at the Family Medicine Residency Program at Kaweah Delta Healthcare District. Posted 8.7.19.

Kyle Iketani, M.D., completed his residency in emergency medicine at UF Health. He is now an emergency physician with North Florida Regional Medical Center in Gainesville. Posted 8.7.19.

Amanda (Morden) Kovavich, M.D., completed an internal medicine residency with Johns Hopkins Bayview. She is now a first-year interventional pulmonary fellow at UNC School of Medicine in Chapel Hill. Posted 8.7.19.

Sudeep Kuchibhotla, M.D., is a cardiology fellow at the Texas Heart Institute in Houston, where he completed a yearlong research fellowship working toward the development of stem cell therapies for cardiovascular diseases. He also celebrated his marriage in June to Neethi Srinivasan. Posted 8.7.19.

Tiana Monostory, M.D., completed her residency in pediatrics at Case Western Reserve University Medical Center in Cleveland. She is now a first-year pediatric emergency medicine fellow at the University of Utah School of Medicine. Posted 8.7.19.

Amanda Murray, M.D., completed her residency in pediatrics at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte. She is now practicing as a pediatrician at Dothan Pediatric Clinic in Alabama. Posted 8.7.19.

Patrick Murray, M.D., is a primary-care sports medicine fellow at the University of South Florida in Tampa. Posted 8.7.19.

Keniel Pierre, M.D., is chief resident of the University of South Alabama Internal Medicine Residency Program. He received the Victor Benator Award for overall best resident, as well as the Denzil Les Sockwell Memorial Humanitarian Award, after raising over $2,000 for the Feeding the Gulf Coast Backpack Program. He also married in June. Posted 8.7.19.

Tyler Reinthaler, M.D., completed his family medicine residency at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Presbyterian Shadyside, where he is now practicing as a family physician. Posted 8.7.19.

Sarah-Ashley Robbins, M.D., completed her residency in family medicine at St. Joseph Hospital in Denver. She is now a practicing family physician with SCL Health Medical Group-Cherry Creek in Denver. Posted 8.7.19.

Jonathan Salud, M.D., completed an internal medicine residency at Emory University School of Medicine. He is now practicing as an internist with Kaiser Permanente in Puyallup, Washington, where he also serves as clinical faculty in hospital medicine for the University of Washington. Posted 8.7.19.

Natalie Voithofer, M.D., completed her family medicine residency at East Jefferson General Hospital in Metairie, Louisiana. She is now practicing as a family physician at Ochsner Health Center in New Orleans. Posted 8.7.19.

Day Zayas, M.D., completed her emergency medicine residency at Florida Hospital in Orlando. She is now practicing with Florida Emergency Physicians in Maitland. Posted 8.7.19.

Updates in 2018

Shawn Adams, M.D., is serving as chief resident of his neurosurgery residency program at the University of Louisville School of Medicine. Posted 8.7.18.

Mitali Agarwal, M.D., completed her internal medicine residency at UF Health, where she was inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society. She will now begin a gastroenterology fellowship program at the University of Illinois in Chicago. Posted 8.7.18.

Neeka Akhavan, M.D., finished her internal medicine residency at UF Health where she is now an assistant professor of general internal medicine. Posted 8.7.18.

Neeka Akhavan, M.D., is an assistant professor within the Department of Medicine’s Division of General Internal Medicine at UF Health-Jacksonville. Her husband, Tony Brar, M.D., has accepted a gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition fellowship at UF Health. Posted 7.16.18.

Caitlin Borkowski, M.D., finished an emergency medicine residency at UF Health – Jacksonville. She is now a pediatric emergency medicine fellow at Loma Linda University Medical Center in California.  Posted 8.7.18.

Tony Brar, M.D., completed an internal medicine residency at UF Health, where he is now a gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition fellow. Posted 8.7.18.

Maureen Bruns, M.D., finished her internal medicine residency at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center in Portland, Oregon. She is now in the geriatrics medicine fellowship at University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. Posted 8.7.18.

Georgia Christakis M.D., is currently serving as chief resident of the pediatric residency program at New York Medical College-Westchester Medical Center. Posted 8.7.18.

Francesca Cirillo, M.D., finished her residency in emergency medicine at University of Alabama at Birmingham. She has returned to Florida practicing as an emergency physician at Baptist Health Care in Pensacola. Posted 8.7.18.

Dillon Cleary, M.D., finished his family medicine residency at Scott Medical Center at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. He is now a family physician at PCC Austin Family Health Center in Chicago. Posted 8.7.18.

David Cristin, M.D., completed an internal medicine at University of Colorado School of Medicine Anschutz Medical Campus. He is now a gastroenterology fellow at University of Colorado School of Medicine – Denver. Posted 8.7.18.

David Deray, M.D., completed a pediatric residency at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. He is now a pediatrician at Blue Fish Pediatrics-Sienna Plantation in Missouri City, Texas. Posted 8.7.18.

Kristen Deray, M.D., also completed a pediatric residency at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. She is now in the Infectious Disease Fellowship Program at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston. Posted 8.7.18.

Ryan Dickert, M.D., finished his family medicine residency at UF Health where is now practicing as a family physician. Posted 8.7.18.

Nicole Dillow, M.D., finished a residency in medicine at UF Health. She is now an attending physician at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa. Posted 8.7.18.
 

JD Hales, M.D., completed his family medicine residency at UNC-Chapel Hill, where he will begin a sports medicine fellowship. Posted 8.7.18.

Joanna Hales, M.D., will serve as chief resident of the pediatric residency program at UNC-Chapel Hill. Posted 8.7.18.

Kevin Hou, M.D., is practicing with Martin Health Physician Group as an adult primary care physician in Stuart, Florida. He completed an internal medicine residency at Rutgers this summer. Posted 8.7.18.

Ryan Humphries, M.D., finished his residency in internal medicine at Carolina Medical Center. He is now a hospitalist at Novant Health Matthews Medical Center in Matthews, North Carolina. Posted 8.7.18.

Evgeny Idrisov, M.D., completed his internal medicine residency at Florida Hospital. He is now an internist at Sarasota Memorial Hospital. Posted 8.7.18.

Sudeep Kuchibhotla, M.D., recently completed his internal medicine residency at Tufts Medical Center in Boston. He is now the James T. Willerson Clinical Research Fellow and serves as a clinical research professional within the Women’s Heart & Vascular Health Department at the Texas Heart Institute, working with the Women’s Focused Research & Training Program. Posted 8.7.18.

Rida Laeeq, M.D., finished her internal medicine residency at Baylor. She is now a cardiology fellow at Boston University. Posted 8.7.18.

Luke McKenna, M.D., completed his residency in pediatrics at Middlesex Hospital in Connecticut. He has returned to Florida and is now practicing at Island Coast Pediatrics in Fort Myers. Posted 8.7.18.

Laura McLaughlin, M.D., finished her pediatric residency at Baylor College of Medicine. She is now a pediatric hematology/oncology fellow at University of Colorado School of Medicine Anschutz. Posted 8.7.18.

Patrick Murray, M.D., completed his family medicine residency at Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg and is now practicing at Turley Family Health Center in Clearwater. Posted 8.7.18.

Matthew Neth, M.D., finished the emergency medicine – wilderness medicine track residency program at University of Alabama at Birmingham. He is now an emergency physician with University of Cincinnati Physicians Company in Ohio. Posted 8.7.18.

Rachel Nickels, M.D., completed her internal medicine residency at UF Health in Gainesville where she is now an attending physician. Posted 8.7.18.

Pratik Pandit, M.D., was selected for a fellowship in geriatrics at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Posted 7.16.18.

Anushi Patel, M.D., was named chief resident of her Diagnostic Radiology Residency Program at UF Health-Jacksonville. Posted 7.16.18.

Keniel Pierre, M.D., finished his internal residency at University of South Alabama Hospitals as chief resident. He is now an internist at Stanton Road Clinic in Mobile.  Posted 8.7.18.

Kristopher “Ryan” Shannon, M.D., completed his emergency medicine residency at UF Health Jacksonville. He is now practicing in Las Vegas with TeamHealth Nevada.  Posted 8.7.18.

Farnaz Shariati, M.D., is serving as chief resident of the internal medicine residency program at Ochsner Clinic Foundation Hospital in New Orleans.  Posted 8.7.18.

Melanie Siefman, M.D., finished her pediatric residency program at Children’s National Medical Center. She is now a pediatrician at Unity Health Care in Washington, DC.  Posted 8.7.18.

Ross Stemmler, M.D., completed his internal medicine residency at the University of Vermont Medical Center. He is not an internist at Wilmington Health in North Carolina.  Posted 8.7.18.

John Turner, M.D., has joined Tallahassee Primary Care Associates in family medicine.  Posted 8.7.18.

Kevin Yan, M.D., finished his internal medicine residency at Ichan School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Beth Israel. He is now an assistant professor of internal medicine and faculty practice clinician at Mount Sinai West in New York. Posted 8.7.18.

Kevin Yan, M.D., is an assistant professor of internal medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Beth Israel and a clinician at the faculty practice of Mount Sinai West. Posted 7.16.18.

Updates in 2017

Neeka Akhavan, M.D., and Tony Brar, M.D., were selected this year for membership in the University of Florida Chapter of the Gold Humanism Honor Society. Both are internal medicine residents at UF Health in Gainesville. Posted 10.1.17.

Alexa Buchanan, M.D., a third year OB-GYN resident at Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, was married in February. Posted 10.1.17.

Tyler Caton, M.D., an orthopedic surgery resident at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, became a father this year when his daughter was born on Father’s Day. Posted 10.1.17.

David Deray, M.D., and Kristen Valencia, M.D., were married May 20 in Asheville, North Carolina. Posted 10.1.17.

Joanna (Meadors) Hales, M.D., was selected to be chief resident for the pediatric residency program at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Medical Center for the 2018-19 year. Her husband and classmate, JD Hales III, M.D., is a family medicine resident at UNC. They’re expecting a daughter in September. Posted 10.1.17.

Laura Irastorza, M.D., is in her last year of the pediatric residency program at Palmetto Health in Columbia, South Carolina, and plans to pursue a fellowship in pediatric gastroenterology. She is the Pediatric Ethics Committee chair at her hospital and has been awarded the Resident Super Star Award by the nursing staff. She married Clifton David Perry last year. Posted 10.1.17.

Matt Neth, M.D., now is in the wilderness medicine track in his emergency medicine residency at the University of Alabama-Birmingham. Posted 10.1.17.

Anushi Patel, M.D., switched residency programs. She’s now with the Diagnostic Radiology Residency Program at the University of Florida College of Medicine-Jacksonville. Posted 10.1.17.

Jonathan Salud, M.D., in his third year of residency in the internal medicine-primary care track at Emory University School of Medicine, has been selected as the Primary Care Center Clinic Resident of the Year for two years in a row. Posted 10.1.17.