Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine
Florida Atlantic University
777 Glades Road
Boca Raton, FL 33431
(561) 297-4845

Residents

PGY I

Laura Christopher

herrera rodrguez headshot
Maria Herrera
Rodriguez

Marjorie Kragel

Jenny Lin

John Nguyen

John Sousa

PGY I Preliminary

Catharine Bernal

Michelle Freeman

Sara Lee

Anup Kotadia

Spencer Short

Oscar Vazquez

PGY II

Catherine Donat

Justin Dourado

Alex Dunham

Roni Garbar

Sasha Thiel

Ariel Wolf

PGY III

Kendra Batey

Michael Dedwylder

Michelle Dugan

Max Jackson

Anelia Kassi

Lauren Thompson

Value-Added Year

Daud Lodin

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Roberto Lorenzi-Mendez

Adam Mann

Fred Qafiti

PGY IV

Eva Fuentes

John Gigioli

Christina Layton

Amanda Marsh

Sara Yi

PGY V

Jamin Addae

Alex Casella

Megan Daubert

Jaymie Ang Henry

Bek Negmadjanov

R. Dustin Rawlinson

PGY V

	Jamin Addae, MBChB
Medical School	Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
Additional Degrees/Training	MPH, The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
	General Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University Hospital
Value-Added Year	Planned for 2020-21
Fellowship	undetermined
Why I chose FAU	My decision to join FAU was very simple: I wanted a program that had a fine balance between academic medicine and community practice; this program offers a great variety of cases, from simple to very complex and has a high volume of operative cases for residents as well.
Sample Scholarship	Addae JK, Asemota A, Canner J, Snyder C, Euhus DM. Impact of early stage breast cancer diagnosis on the health related auality of life of older American women. Presentation; Center for Surgical Trial and Outcomes Research, Johns Hopkins Medical Institute, Baltimore MD, 2015 Addae JK, Gani F, Euhus DM, Schneider EB. Trends and outcomes of surgical methods for bowel resection in colorectal cancer patients. Presentation; Center for Surgical Trial and Outcomes Research, Johns Hopkins Medical Institute, Baltimore MD, 2015

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	Alex Casella, MD
Medical School	Florida Atlantic University: Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Boca Raton FL
Additional Degrees/Training	General Surgery, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI
Value-Added Year	2019-20 Cleveland Clinic Florida
Fellowship	undetermined
Sample Scholarship	Cassill, DL, Casella A, Clayborn J, Perry M, Lagarde, M. "What Can Ants Tell Us about Collective Behavior during a Natural Catastrophe?" J Bioecon Journal of Bioeconomics (2015)

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	Megan Daubert, MD
Medical School	University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX
Additional Degrees/Training	N/A
Value-Added Year	N/A
Fellowship	undetermined
Sample Scholarship	Daubert, M. Knowledge of Leishmaniasis in Rural Latin American Countries. Poster presentation at: UTMB Global Health Symposium; Galveston, TX; October 2014
Why I chose FAU	When applying to residency, I wanted a program that would push me to be the best surgeon I could be. FAU has a strong commitment to producing well-rounded surgeons both in and out of the operating room. We are expected and supported to excel. The faculty is committed to teaching, and we are exposed to a great number of cases in many different specialties. Plus - I couldn't say no to living by the beautiful Florida beach!

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	Jaymie Ang Henry, MD
Medical School	University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, Manila, Philippines
Additional Degrees/Training	Transitional Internship, MetroWest Medical Center, Harvard Medical School
	General Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School and Mount Sinai Hospital and School of Medicine, New York and University of Chicago Medical System
	Master of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health
	Founding Executive Director The Global Alliance for Surgical, Obstetric, Trauma, and Anaesthesia Care (G4 Alliance), New York, NY
	Liaison to the United Nations for International Collaboration for Essential Surgery (ICES) and the International Federation of Surgical Colleges (IFSC)
	Intern, WHO Global Initiative for Emergency and Essential Surgical Care (GIEESC) and Research fellow, WHO Patient Safety Programme (PSP)/Violence and Injury Prevention (VIP), World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
Value-Added Year	2018-20 African College of Surgery, The G4 Alliance
Fellowship	undetermined
Why I chose FAU	It’s an incredible honor to be part of the new FAU surgery residency program. I know with the program’s great leadership and the incredible faculty talent we are in the process of building one of the nation’s great surgical programs
Sample Scholarship	Henry JA, Abdullah F. Global Surgical Care in the UN Post-2015 Sustainable Development Agenda. World journal of surgery. 2015. doi: 10.1007/s00268-015-3249-4. PubMed PMID: 26482361.
	Henry JA. Global Surgery: Cinderella no more? International journal of surgery. 2015;21:82-3. doi: 10.1016/j.ijsu.2015.07.683.
	Henry JA, Cotton M. Essential Surgery: The Way Forward: Reply. World journal of surgery. 2015;39(11):2837. doi: 10.1007/s00268-015-3247-6.
	Botman M, Meester RJ, Voorhoeve R, Mothes H, Henry JA, Cotton MH, et al. The Amsterdam Declaration on Essential Surgical Care. World journal of surgery. 2015;39(6):1455-40. doi: 10.1007/s00268-015-3057-x.
	Henry JA, Bem C, Grimes C, Borgstein E, Mkandawire N, Thomas WE, et al. Essential surgery: the way forward. World journal of surgery. 2015;39(4):822-32. doi: 10.1007/s00268-014-2937-9.
	Henry JA, Frenkel E, Borgstein E, Mkandawire N, Goddia C. Surgical and anaesthetic capacity of hospitals in Malawi: key insights. Health policy and planning. 2014. doi: 10.1093/heapol/czu102.
	Maraka J, Grimes C, Henry J, Cotton M. Cost-effectiveness of Dental Surgery Procedures: A Call for Strengthening the Evidence: Reply. World Journal of Surgery. 2014 Apr 3.
	Grimes CE, Henry JA, Maraka J, Mkandawire NC, Cotton M. Cost-effectiveness of Surgery in Low- and Middleincome Countries: A Systematic Review. World Journal of Surgery. 2014 Jan;38(1):252-63.
	Henry JA, Groen RS, Price RR, Nwomeh BC, Kingham TP, Hardy MA, Kushner AL. The benefits of international rotations to resource-limited settings for U.S. surgery residents. SURGERY 2013 April.
	Henry JA, Windapo O, Kushner AL, Groen RS, Nwomeh BC. A Survey of Surgical Capacity in Rural Southern Nigeria: Opportunities for Change. World Journal of Surgery 2012 December.
	Henry JA, Orgoi S, Govind S, Price RR, Lundeg G, Kehrer B. Strengthening Surgical Services at the Soum (Firstreferral) Hospital: The WHO Emergency and Essential Surgical Care (EESC) Program in Mongolia. World Journal of Surgery 2012 Dec.
	Henry JA, Reingold AL. Prehospital trauma systems reduce mortality in developing countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery 2012 Jul;73(1):261-8.
	Henry, J. Perspectives on Volunteering: Contextualising Surgical Care Delivery. Journal of the Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland, No. 43 Summer 2014.

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	Ulugbek Negmadjanov, MD
Medical School	Samarkand State Medical Institute, Samarkand, Uzbekistan
Additional Degrees/Training	General Surgery, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT Post-Graduate Research, Center for Integrative Research on Cardiovascular Aging, Milwaukee, WI
Value-Added Year	N/A
Fellowship	undetermined
Why I chose FAU	Training at FAU provides me with ample opportunity to grow clinically and academically. As an intern I have already been part of several operations that I would normally [elsewhere] require a PGY2 level or above resident. The mentoring provided by our faculty is outstanding and gives me a strong foundation to become a skilled surgeon.
Sample Scholarship	Emelyanova L, Gupta A, Preston C, Negmadjanov U, Edwards S, Kraft K, Devana K, Viqar M, Holmuhamedov E, Shi Y, O’Hair D, Tajik J, Jahangir A. Effect of Aging on Mitochondrial Energetics in the Human Atria. Negmadjanov U, Rizvi F, Emelyanova L, Ross G, Holmuhamedov EL, Jahangir A. Transforming growth factor–beta 1 increases apoptotic resistance of NIH/3T3 fibroblasts through activation of Smad2/3 and Erk pathways. Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews, Volume 3, Issue 4. http://digitalrepository.aurorahealthcare.org/jpcrr/vol3/iss4/3/. November 2016. Rizvi F, DeFranco A, Siddiqui R, Negmadjanov U, Emelyanova L, Holmuhamedov A, Ross G, Shi S, Holmuhamedov E, Kress D, Tajik K, Jahangir A. Chamber-Specific Differences in Human Cardiac Fibroblasts Proliferation and Responsiveness toward Simvastatin. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 2016 Aug 1;311(2):C330-9. doi: 10.1152/ajpcell.00056.2016. Epub 2016 Jun 22. Emelyanova L, Ashary Z, Cosic M, Negmadjanov U, Ross G, Rizvi F, Olet S, Kress D, Sra J, Tajik J, Holmuhamedov E, Shi Y, Jahangir A. Selective downregulation of mitochondrial electron transport chain activity and increased oxidative stress in human atrial fibrillation. American Journal of Physiology - Heart and Circulatory Physiology. 2016 May 6:ajpheart.00699.2015. doi: 10.1152/ajpheart.00699.2015. [Epub ahead of print] Negmadjanov U, Godic Z, Rizvi F, Emelyanova L, Ross G, Richards J, Holmuhamedov EL, Jahangir A. Transforming growth factor–beta 1 mediated differentiation of fibroblasts is associated with increased mitochondrial content and cellular respiration. PLoS One. 2015 Apr. 7;10(4):e0123046. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0123046. eCollection 2015. Emelyanova L, Gupta A, Maria V, Yousufuddin M, Edwards S, Kraft K, Negmadjanov U, Ross G, Rizvi F, Shi Y, Jahangir A. Downregulation of mitochondrial energetics in senescent human atria. Presented at AHA 2016, Basic Cardiovascular Sciences Scientific Sessions 2016, Phoenix, AZ. July 18-21, 2016. Emelyanova L, Gupta A, Negmadjanov U, Maria V, Yousufuddin M, Edwards S, Kraft K, Ross G, Rizvi F, Shi Y, Jahangir A. Mitochondrial Energetics in Senescent Human Atria. Presented at Aurora Scientific Day 2016, May 25, 2016. Petrovic M, Godic Z, Holmuhamedov A, Kraft K, Negmadjanov U, Emelyanova L, Rizvi F, Ross G, Kress D, Holmuhamedov E, Tajik J, Shi Y, Jahangir A. Functional and Structural Differences in Fibroblasts from Atria of Patients with and without Atrial Fibrillation. Presented at American College of Cardiology 65th Annual Scientific Session (ACC 16), Chicago, IL, April 2-3, 2016. Negmadjanov U, Xu H, Cosic M, Emelyanova L, Rizvi F, Ross G, Holmuhamedov E, Jahangir A. Transforming growth factor–beta 1 increased resistance of fibroblasts to apoptotic cell death is mediated through activation of stress kinases. Presented at Aurora Scientific Day, Aurora Health Care, Milwaukee, WI, May 20, 2015.

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	Dustin Rawlinson, MD
Medical School	University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, South Carolina
Additional Degrees/Training	N/A
Value-Added Year	N/A
Fellowship	undetermined
Sample Scholarship	Contemporary Management of Diabetic Neuropathic Foot Ulceration: A Study of Nine Hundred Seventeen Consecutively Treated Limbs. SM.Taylor, BL.Johnson, N Samies, D Rawlinson, LE Williamson, SA. Davis, JA Kotrady, JW. York, EM. Langan, III, DL Cull, Journal of the American College of Surgeons, 2011, 4, 532-545.
	Helicobacter Pylori Is Not the Predominant Etiology for Peptic Ulcers Requiring Operation. Zelickson MS, Bronder CM, Johnson BL, Camunas JA, Smith D, Rawlinson D, Von S, Stone HH, Taylor SM; American Surgeon, 2011, 77, 8, 1054-1060.
	The Value of a Carotid Duplex Surveillance Program for Stroke Prevention. DL Cull, T Cole, B Miller, B Johnson, D Rawlinson, E Walker, SM Taylor. The Annals of Vascular Surgery. 2011, 25, 7, 887-894.
	Bionanoparticles: Synthesis, Characterization, Application. Rawlinson RD. University of South Carolina Honors College Thesis (2009).
	Interfacial Assembly of Turnip Yellow Mosaic Virus Nanoparticles. G Kaur, J He, J Xu, V Pingali, G Jutz, A Boker, Z Niu, T Li, D Rawlinson, T Emrick, B Lee, P Thiyagarajan, TP Russell and Q Wang. Langmuir, 2009, 25, 5168-5176.
	Surgical Emergencies in the Nursing Home Patient: A Practical Analysis to Help Judge the Utility/Futility of Operative Intervention. Boland BN, Rawlinson RD, Johnson BL, Jones YR, Morse BC, Smith DE, Eidt J, Taylor SM. Presented at Southwestern Surgical Congress, Santa Barbara, CA, 2013.
Why I chose FAU	I was drawn to FAU by the friendliness of the residents, the welcoming faculty, and the opportunity for a great surgical education. The breadth of the program is amazing, as is the commitment to supporting resident academic efforts.

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Value-Added Year

	James El Haddi, MD
Medical School	University of Minnesota Medical School, Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN
Additional Degrees/Training	MS Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN General Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Value-Added Year	N/A
Fellowship	undetermined
Why I chose FAU	I chose Florida Atlantic University because it offers a unique hybrid between academic and community based teaching and practice. The faculty, midlevel providers, and residents work together in a collaborative environment. The program gives us great opportunities to develop clinically and technically, and the value-added research year allows residents to pursue their interests and prepare for the next phase of their career.
Sample Scholarship	El Haddi, S. J., Singal A., Soule, C., Iaizzo, P.A. (2015). Radiofrequency Ablation of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Oral Presentation presented at: 2015 Annual Design of Medical Device Conference; Minneapolis, MN. El Haddi, S. J., Singal, A., Soule, C. L., Iaizzo, P.A., Radiofrequency Ablation for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Enhanced Ablative Responses utilizing Adjuvant NaCL Pretreatments. Journal of Medical Devices. 2015, Jul; 9(3): 47-49 El Haddi, S. J., Singal, Al, Soule, C., Iaizzo, P. A.. (2015). Radiofrequency Ablation for Hepatocellular Carcionoma: Enhanced Ablative Responses Utilizing Adjuvant NaCl Pretreatment. Poster presented at: 2015 Design of Medical Device Conference; Minneapolis, MN. Lane, G. I., El Haddi, S. J., Haberman K., Chrouser, K., Sweet, R.. (2015). Randomized Prospective Analysis of Preoperative Patient Education Using a 3d Virtual Reality BPH Model. Oral Presentation presented at: AUA NCS 2015 North Central Section annual meeting; Amelia Island, FL. Krishna, S. H., El Haddi, S. J., Rykken J., Rischall, M., McKinney, A., Nascene, D. Volumetric Interprolated Breath-hold Examination (VIBE) of the Pediatric Orbit: Initial Experience and Qualitative Anlaysis. ASNR Proceedings. 2014, Mar; 2014. Qualich, S. G., Benscoter, M. A., Mattison, L. M., Schmidt, M. M., El Haddi, S. J., Iaizzo, P. A. Assessing Atrial Septal Defect Formation with Novel Transseptal Puncture Device. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2014, Sep; 64(11): 129.

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	Eva Fuentes, MD
Medical School	Universidad Nacional Autonoma de México Facultad de Medicina, Mexico City
Additional Degrees/Training	Palliative Care for Cancer Patients, Diploma, National Cancer Institute
	Research Fellowship, Surgical Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Trauma & Acute Care Surgery, Mass. General Hospital and Breast Cancer, National Cancer Institute, Mexico City
	General Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital
Value-Added Year	2019-20 Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital
Fellowship	undetermined
Sample Scholarship	Fuentes E, Ahmad R, Hong T, Clark J, et al., The impact of neoadjuvant therapy for gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma on postoperative morbidity and mortality. J Surg Oncol. Accepted. DOI 10.1002/jso.24179
	Dijkink S, Fuentes E, Quraishi S, Cropano C et al., Nutrition in the SICU: The cost of starting low and ramping up rates. Nutr Clin Pract. 2016 Feb; 31(1):86-90.
	Fuentes E, Ahmad R, Hong T, Kwak EL et al., Adjuvant Therapy Completion Rates in Patients with Gastric Cancer Undergoing Perioperative Chemotherapy Versus a Surgery-First Approach. J Gastrointest Surg. 2016 Jan; 20(1):172-9.
	Yeh DD, Fuentes E, Quraishi S, Cropano C et al., Adequate Nutrition May Get You Home: Effect of Caloric/Protein Deficits on the Discharge Destination of Critically Ill Surgical Patients. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr. 2016 Jan;40(1):37-44
	Yeh DD, Cropano C, Quraishi S, Fuentes E et al., Peri-procedural Nutrition in the Intensive Care Unit: A Pilot Study, J Surg Res. 2015 Oct;198(2):346-50
	Fagenholz JP, Fuentes E, Kaafarani H, Cropano C, Computed Tomography Versus Ultrasound for the Diagnosis of Acute Cholecystitis. Surg Infect (Larchmt). 2015 Oct;16(5):509-12
	Fuentes Eva, “Introduction to Palliative Care”, S. Allende and E. Verastegui, The ABC of Palliative Medicine, Ed. Panamericana, Mexico. 2014 (pp. 1-9). Mexico: Editorial Medica Panamericana.

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	John Gigioli, MD
Medical School	Ross University School of Medicine, Dominica
Additional Degrees/Training	General Surgery, Jefferson University Health System, Abbington Mem. Hospital
Value-Added Year	2019-21 Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Fellowship	undetermined
Why I chose FAU	FAU has provided me with an ideal opportunity to train in an academic institution that also has a strong community focus through its integrated and affiliated teaching hospitals. The operative experience is excellent.

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	Christina Mesoraca, DO
Medical School	Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
Value-Added Year	N/A
Fellowship	undetermined
Why I chose FAU	I chose FAU’s Surgery Residency Program because of the wide variety of surgical cases, the comradery among the residents, the vigorous clinical and academic curriculum, and most importantly my confidence in FAU. As a former FAU undergraduate, I have experienced first-hand what this university has accomplished in just a few short years, and I am honored to be a part of the ambitious and inspiring project of building our residency program.
Sample Scholarship	Mesoraca, C.R. & Engler, M. M. Could an Increased PTT Be Associated With A Hypercoagulable State? Future of Medicine Summit IX Poster Symposium, September 2015 Mesoraca, C.R. & Hosseinipour, M.M. Marjolin’s Ulcer: When Time Doesn’t Heal All Wounds, Does Time Really Matter? The Johnston Surgical Society Grand Rounds, March 2015

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PGY IV

	Daud Lodin, MD, MPH
Medical School	San Juan Batista School of Medicine, Puerto Rico
Additional Degrees/Training	MPH, Emory University
Value-Added Year	Planned for 2021-22
Fellowship	Undecided
Why I chose FAU	During my interviews, I had the opportunity to see many general surgery programs across the country. FAU was the best fit. I felt at home from the beginning and believed that they would nurture my personal and academic goals. Most importantly, I felt that this program would offer me the autonomy I needed to become an excellent surgeon.
Sample Scholarship	Hermes W, Alvarez J, Lee M, Chesdachai S, Lodin D, Horst R, Tangpricha V, A. A Prospective, Randomized, Double-Blind, Parallel-Group, Comparative Effectiveness Clinical Trial Comparing a Powder Vehicle Compound of Vitamin D With an Oil Vehicle Compound in Adults With Cystic Fibrosis. Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition. 2016, Feb; 2016(0148607116629673): 1-7. Hermes W, Alvarez, Lee M, Lodin D, Tangpricha V. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin-D3 Response to a Large Bolus Dose of Cholecalciferol in Adult Patients with CF. The Official Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. 2015, Apr; 29(1 Supplement): 758.5. Kearns M, Binongo J, Watson D, Alvarez J, Lodin D, Ziegler T, Tangpricha V. The effect of a single, large bolus of vitamin D in healthy adults over the winter and following year: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2014, Aug; 69(2): 193-197. Lodin D, Guerra O, Zarei S. The Impact of Surgical Treatment and Radiation Therapy on The Survival Rate of Patients with Primary Cardiac Neoplasms – An Analysis of Cases from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, andEnd-Results Registry. The Official Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. 2016, Apr; 30(1 Supplement): 1178.14. Lodin D, Mavrothalassitis O, Haberer K, Sunderju S, Quek R, Peyvandi S, Moon- Grady A, Karamlou T.. Revisiting the Predictive Utility of Technical Performance Scores: A Single Center Analysis of Surgical Factors Associated with Complications, Cost, and Length of Stay Following Tetralogy of Fallot Repair. The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. 2017, Apr; 154(2): 585-595. Mavrothalassitis O, Lodin D, Subramanyan R, Reemsten B, DiBardino D, Moon-Grady A, Tabutt S, Peyvandi S, Sunderji S, Karamlou T.. Leveraging the First Statewide Congenital Cardiac Consortium to Reduce Variation in Modifiable Preoperative Management Among Neonates Undergoing Arterial Switch Operation. Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. 2016, Mar; 9(Suppl 2): A216. Mavrothalassitis O, Lodin D, Swami N, Moon-Grady A, Tabutt S, Sunderji S, Peyvandi S, Karamlou T.. Towards standardization: Analysis of specific modifiable perioperative process measures among neonates undergoing arterial switch operation for transposition of the great arteries with intact ventricular septum–A mini-pilot for the CCCC. Progress in Pediatric Cardiology. 2016, Sep; 42(X): 71-72. Zarei, S, Carr K, Reiley L, Diaz K, Guerra O, Fernandez P, Pagani W, Lodin D, Orozco G, Chinea A. A comprehensive review of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Surgical Neurology International. 2015, Aug; 6(171): 9-31. Cited in PubMed; PMID: 26629397. Mavrothalassitis O, Lodin D, Quek R, Subramanyan R, Reemsten B, DiBardino D, Setty S, Moon-Grady A, Karamlou T.. Perioperative Management Variation Among Neonates Undergoing Arterial Switch Operation: A California Congenital Cardiac Consortium Pilot Study.. Pediatric Critical Care Medicine. 2017, Apr; Pub Status: Submitted. Lodin D, Karamlou T, Moon-Grady A. (2016). Role of Multicenter Registries to Assess Outcomes of Fetal Interventions. In Gianfranco Butera, John Cheatham, Carlos AC Pedra, Dietmar Schranz, Gerald Tulzer (Ed.), Fetal and Hybrid Procedures in Congenital Heart Diseases (pp. 11-21). Cham: Springer International Publishing. Hermes W, Lodin D, Rao A.. (2017). Nutritional Knowledge Assessment Score is Not Associated with Gastrointestinal Risk in Adults with Cystic Fibrosis. Poster presented at: North American Cystic Fibrosis 2017 Conference; Indianapolis, IN. Lodin D, Guerra O, Zarei S.. (2016). The Impact of Surgical and Radiological Treatment on The Survival Rate of Patients with Primary Cardiac Neoplasms – An Analysis of Cases from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End-Results Registry Poster presented at: Experimental Biology National Conference; San Diego, CA. Lodin D, Hamm M, Munesi Y, Serrano R, Sanchez T.. (2014). Football and Better Health - An Evaluation of Deportes Para La Vida, an HIV Education, Prevention and Leadership Program For at-risk Youth in the Dominican Republic. Poster presented at: Third Global Symposium on Health Systems Research; Cape Town, ZAF. Serrano R, Lodin D. (2014). The Association between Political Voting Behavior and Smoke-Free County Ordinances Poster presented at: Academy Health 2014 Annual Research Meeting; San Diego, CA. Serrano R, Philyaw M, Lodin D.. (2015). What Individual and Contextual Factors are Associated with Rapid HIV Test Utilization in the U.S.? Poster presented at: International AIDS Society 2015 Conference; Vancouver, BC CAN. Serrano R, Philyaw M, Lodin D.. (2014). Who Uses Rapid HIV Tests? Characteristics from a Nationally Representative Sample. Poster presented at: Academy of Health 2014 Annual Research Meeting; San Diego, CA. Lodin D, Mavrothalassitis O, Swami N, Karamlou T.. (2016). Another Look at the Appropriateness of Technical Performance Scores: A Single Center Exploratory Analysis of Surgical Factors Associated with Complications, Reoperation, and Length of Stay Following Tetralogy of Fallot Repair Oral Presentation presented at: American Association of Thoracic Surgeons National Conference; Baltimore, MD.

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	Roberto Lorenzi Mendez, MD, MPH
Medical School	Ponce Health Sciences University School, Puerto Rico
Additional Degrees/Training	MPH, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Science
Value-Added Year	Planned for 2021-22
Fellowship	Undecided
Why I chose FAU	I chose the FAU General Surgery Program for its highly academic curriculum, well prepared and engaged attendings, and the abundance of resources to help me prepare. Boca Raton is a nice place to live.
Why I chose FAU	Roberto D. Lorenzi, B.S., Prateek Thatikunta, B.S., Kenneth Gresham, Dr. Julian Stelzer. Distribution of cMYBP-C phosphorylation among mouse atrial models under baseline and stressed conditions Poster presented at: AEMPR 5th Annual Research Symposium; San Juan, PR, USA. Roberto D. Lorenzi, B.S., Prateek Thatikunta, B.S., Kenneth Gresham, Dr. Julian Stelzer. Distribution of cMYBP-C phosphorylation among mouse atrial models under baseline and stressed conditions Poster presented at: at Case Western School of Medicine Summer Program Presentation; Cleaveland, OH, USA. Roberto Lorenzi Mendez, Jessica Rivera Perez, Gabriel Vazquez Vives, Maria Chiques Amador.Prevalence of mecA and methicillin-resistant enterococci in recreational waters and sand Poster presented at: PuertoRico Interdisciplinary Scientific Meeting (PRISM); Carolina, PR, USA.

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	Amanda Marsh, MD
Medical School	Creighton University School of Medicine
Additional Degrees/Training	N/A
Value-Added Year	Planned for 2021-22
Fellowship	Undecided
Why I chose FAU	What I found in FAU was a balance between academic medicine and community practice, a welcoming and supportive faculty dedicated to teaching, and the ability to learn and develop into a well-rounded surgeon. We have a unique program with high expectations for excellence and a strong community working to make our experience invaluable.
Sample of Scholarship	Marsh AM, Nguyen A, Lim V, Maranda E, & Mutyala S. Treatment of Choroidal Melanoma with Charged Particle Radiation Therapy: A Meta-Analysis Marsh AM, Nguyen A, Parker T, & Agrawal DK. Clinical Use of High Mobility Group Box 1 (HMGB1) and the Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products (RAGE) in the Prognosis and Risk Stratification of Heart Failure: A Literature Review. Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology. 2017 Mar; 95(3): 253-259. PMID 28092162. Hseih S, Maranda EL, Salih T, Nguyen A, Marsh AM, & Jimenez JJ. The Power to Heal. JAMA Dermatology. 2016 Aug; 152(8):954. PMID 27532361. Maranda EL, Flipps D, Danek D, Taneja R, Marsh AM, & Jimenez JJ. Dermatologic Marvels- Hypertrichosis. JAMA Dermatology. 2016 May; 152(5):552. PMID 27168211. Marsh AM. Assessment of Myocardial Collagen Content in a Novel Mouse Model linked to Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy. University of Arizona Campus Repository: Honors Theses. 2014 May; (Electronic Thesis, http://hdl.handle.net/10150/321798). Marsh AM, Piemonte N, Haerter S, Matthees N, & Gillespie T. From Burnout to Wellness: An Effort to Assess and Promote Wellness among Physicians, Residents, and Students. Marsh AM. From Burnout to Wellness: An Effort to Assess and Promote Wellness among Physicians, Residents, and Students. (2017 April). Poster Presentation at Academic Excellence Day, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ. Marsh AM, & Walton M. Effectiveness of ATOMAC Guideline for Blunt Pediatric Injury: A 3-Year 10- Center Prospective Study. (2017 May). Poster Presentation at Pediatric Research Day, Phoenix Children’s Hospital, AZ. Marsh AM, & Nguyen A. Treatment of Choroidal Melanoma with Charged Particle Radiation Therapy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. (2016 Feb). Poster Presentation at Global Health Conference Midwest Resea Breen M, Burk M, Daniel A, Jacowski C, Palaniappan V, Quirk S, Sunder T, Tomsula J, Williams L, Brandeis A, Kaer B, Paul M, Stumpf M, Thompson D, Wilson B, Marsh AM, et al. Evaluating the Short-Term and Long-Term Efficacy of Creighton University School of Medicine Fit for Life Program in Improving the Attitudes, Behaviors, and Physical Health of 4th and 5th Graders. (2015 Nov). Poster Presentation at Creighton Pediatric Conference, Omaha, NE and The Obesity Society’s Obesity Week.

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	Sara Yi, MD
Medical School	University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville
Additional Degrees/Training	N/A
Value-Added Year	Planned for 2021-22
Fellowship	Undecided
Why I chose FAU	I chose FAU because of the opportunity to become part of a great program that not only allows you to gain the knowledge but also the operative skills to become an excellent surgeon ready to practice in the community.
Sample of Scholarship	Ivanova, A., East, M.,Yi, S., Kahn, R. Characterization of recombinant ELMOD (cell engulfment and motility domain) proteins as GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs) for ARF family GTPases. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 2014, Mar; 289(16): 11111-11121. Nathaniel T., Cochran T., Chaves J., Fulmer E., Sosa C., Yi, S., et al. Comorbid conditions in recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) treatment of acute ischemic stroke. Brain Injury. 2016, May; 30(10): 1261-1265. Nathaniel, T., Williams, J., Fazzone, B., Yi, S., et al. Contraindications and Exclusion Criteria in Guidelines for Rt-pa in Acute Ischemic Stroke: Can the New AHA/ASA Guideline Expand the Use of Rt-pa. Hypertension 2016. 2016, Sep; 68(1): AP 245. Robison, J., Yi, S., Roudebush, W. (2014, October 17). Changes in Fertility after Exposure of Sperm to Exogenous PAF. http://inciid.org/sperm-exposure-exogenous-paf, Pub Status: Published.

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PGY III

	Vincent Athas, MD
Medical School	Texas Tech University School of Medicine
Additional Degrees/Training	General Surgery, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX
Value-Added Year	Planned for 2022-23
Fellowship	Undecided
Why I chose FAU	I chose FAU Surgery Residency for the breadth of clinical experience, the faculty support, operative teaching, and academic emphasis. Working alongside the excellent surgeons at multiple hospitals in South Florida provides a variety of perspectives and skill sets to learn from. The collegiality and support between residents is fantastic with an emphasis on residents-teaching-residents. Multiple attending surgeons are interested in clinical research and encourage a culture of scholarship. Clinical decision making is taught by the attending surgeons with strong emphasis on evidence-based practice which sets the groundwork early for appropriate and systematic surgical decision making. Overall, training here is a great experience where one can evolve into a competent surgeon and scholarly physician.
Sample of Scholarship	Nwankwo EC Jr., Labaran LA., Athas V., Olson S., Adams SB.. Pathogenesis of Posttraumatic Osteoarthritis of the Ankle. Orthopedic Clinics of North America. 2019, May; 50(4): 529-537. Cited in PubMed; PMID: 31466668

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	Kendra Batey, MS, MD
Medical School	Indiana University School of Medicine
Additional Degrees/Training	MS, Med Sci., Indiana University School of Medicine
Value-Added Year	Planned for 2021-22
Fellowship	Undecided
Why I chose FAU	I chose FAU because of the awesome potential I felt the program possessed as a newer program. The residents seemed genuinely happy and I appreciated the exposure to surgical specialties besides just General Surgery, such as Neurosurgery, Urology, and Anesthesia.

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	Mike Dedwylder, MD
Medical School	University of Mississippi School of Medicine
Additional Degrees/Training	B.F.A, Mississippi State University
Value-Added Year	Planned for 2022-23
Fellowship	Undecided
Why I chose FAU	I chose FAU for the the fellowship I felt among the residents and the opportunities provided by the program to develop me professionally and academically.
Sample of Scholarship	Clark, Paul & Smith, Andrew & Dedwylder, Michael & Wise, Jeremy & Duke, Sean & Washington, Chad. Intrathecal Nicardipine for Treatment of Cerebral Vasospasm after Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage. Congress of Neurological Surgeons. 2018, Jul Weaver, Tony & Horriat, Narges & Dedwylder, Michael & Hutchison, Richard. Hazards of the Harvest: Occult Intestinal Perforation and Cross Contamination in Fat Grafting. Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. 2018, May

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	Michelle Dugan, MD
Medical School	Georgetown University School of Medicine
Value-Added Year	Planned for 2022-23
Fellowship	Undecided
Why I chose FAU	I chose FAU because I wanted to give back to my home community. I grew up in Boca Raton and can’t imagine a better place to live. The FAU General Surgery program stands out with it’s excellent case volume, enthusiastic teaching faculty, state-of-the-art technological resources, and unique balance of an outstanding academic institution with a community focus.
Sample of Scholarship	Dugan M., Crandall M., Letter H., Jasra B. Intramuscular cavernous hemangioma of the breast. The American Surgeon. 2018, Aug Dugan M., Sosin M., Caso R., Vadlamudi C., Bayasi M., Marshall M.B. Considering the role of incidental appendectomy during colonic interposition gastroesophageal reconstruction. General Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. 2018, Aug

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	Max Jackson, MD
Medical School	Albany Medical College
Value-Added Year	Planned for 2022-23
Fellowship	Undecided
Why I chose FAU	I was looking for a program that coupled high case volumes in an academic environment with excellent research opportunities. Importantly, I was also looking for a program that was composed of people who were like a family. A group of individuals who want each other to succeed and better themselves. A program that is constantly trying to improve itself. I found all of this in the General Surgery program at FAU.
Sample of Scholarship	And erson, C., & Weber, R., & Patel, D., & Lowrance, W., & Mellis, A., & Cookson, M., & Lang, M., & Barocas, D., & Chang, S., & Newberger, E., & Montgomery, J.S., & Weizer, A.Z., & Lee, C.T., & Kava, B.R., & Jackson, M., & Meraney, A., & Sjoberg, D., et al. A 10-Item Checklist Improves Reporting of Critical Procedural Elements During Transurethral Resection of Bladder Tumor. Journal of Urology. 2016, Oct; 196(4): 1014-1020. Cited in PubMed; PMID: 27044571. Crawley, D., & Haddock, P., & Jackson, M., & Kamradt, J., & Kesler, S. Penoscrotal Lymphedema Associated with Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma. Canadian Journal of Urology. 2015, Aug; 22(4): 7932-7934. Cited in PubMed; PMID: 26267035. Cusano, A., & Haddock, P., & Jackson, M., & Staff, I., & Wagner, J., & Meraney, A. A Comparison of Preliminary Oncologic Outcome and Postoperative Complications Between Patients Undergoing Either Open or Robotic Radical Cystectomy. International Brazilian Journal of Urology. 2016, Jul; 42(4): 663-670. Cited in PubMed; PMID: 27564275.

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	Anelia Kassi, MD
Medical School	University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine
Value-Added Year	Planned for 2022-23
Fellowship	Undecided
Why I chose FAU	To me FAU was a great option to continue my training because it offered early operative experiences, which is often not the case with academic programs. I have been living in South Florida for several years and of all the places I have lived, it feels like home away from home so I wanted to stay here. Finally, when I interviewed the residents seemed to have good interpersonal relationships within one another and happy. Residency is tough and being around happy people is a plus!
Sample of Scholarship	Kassi, A.A.Y., Clavijo, A., Caliz, D., Lee, S.W., Mahavadi, A., Aminul, I.A., Yokobori, S., Hu, Z., Spurlock, M.S., Wasserman, J.M., Rivera, K.N., Nodal, S., Powell, H.R., Di, L., Leung, L.Y., Rubiano, A.M., Bullock, R.M., & Gajavelli, S.. Frontiers in Neurology. Neuroprotection after acute TBI with neural stem cell transplantation. 2018, May Diaz, R. J., Chen, S., Kassi, A., Komotar, R. J., and Ivan, M. E.. (2016). Chapter 13: Awake craniotomy for glioblastoma. In S. Brem and K. G., Abdullah (Ed.), Glioblastoma (pp. 176-188). Philadelphia: Elsevier.

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	Lauren Thompson, MD
Medical School	Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine
Value-Added Year	Planned for 2022-23
Fellowship	Undecided
Why I chose FAU	I chose FAU’s General Surgery program because I desired a program that valued both scholarly activity and early exposure to the operating room, ensuring I become a competent general surgeon in the future.

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PGY II

	Catherine Donat, MD
Medical School	University of Texas Medical Branch
Additional Degrees/Training	General Surgery, Orlando Health. Orlando, Florida
Value-Added Year	Planned for 2023-24
Fellowship	Undecided
Why I chose FAU	There is early operative exposure, research opportunities, and impressive senior matches to their specialty of choice. This program has achieved so much in so little time. I am most appreciative of how warm and welcoming all the other residents/attendings have been so far. Residency shouldn't be harder than it needs to be, and everyone has been so helpful to make the transition into residency easier. I have seen how competent seniors are in their knowledge and surgical abilities. I also have done multiple skin-to-skin exploratory laparotomies in trauma with an attending by my side giving me a chance to prove myself and teaching me if I messed up. I also have had attendings do progress notes/orders to relieve us residents from our work load because we work as a TEAM and they do not think of us as less than them. These are only a few examples of how this program is teaching me and giving me the appropriate independence to become the best surgeon I can be.
Sample of Scholarship	Dakin Solution: “One of the Most Important and Far-Reaching Contributions to the Armamentarium of the Surgeons” J. Georgiadis (1), V. Nascimento (1), C. Donat (1), I. Okereke (2), M. Shoja (2)

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	Justin Dourado, MD
Medical School	University of Florida, College of Medicine
Additional Degrees/Training	General Surgery, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC
Value-Added Year	Planned for 2023-24
Fellowship	Undecided
Why I chose FAU	I chose FAU because after my interview day, I not only felt it would provide me the surgical training and academic support to achieve my goals, but it would do so in an environment that I wanted to be in. The residents seemed like a family and I was immediately comfortable among them. Additionally, it combined the mix of academic and community practice that I felt would allow me do develop into a well rounded and skilled surgeon.

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	Roni Garbar, MD
Medical School	Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine
Value-Added Year	Planned for 2023-24
Fellowship	Undecided
Why I chose FAU	The surgery program at FAU fell on my radar amongst all the other program options because of the various educational opportunities offered at the clinical sites. I was looking for a program with depth and breadth to give me the best training and I believe the surgery program here at FAU will deliver it. Residency is a long time commitment and I felt that the resources provided to each and every resident were built to ensure a successful career.
Sample of Scholarship	“Empty Sella Turcica: A Case Report of a Rare Condition” 1st place winner at the Womack Army Medical Center XIII Annual Research Sympos “Intracellular zinc trafficking and metallothionein gene activation in Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells (HUVEC) treated with Crotalus atrox venom” Publication in The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) Journal vol. 31 no.1 April 2017

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	Sasha Thiel, MD
Medical School	Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University
Value-Added Year	Planned for 2023-24
Fellowship	Undecided
Why I chose FAU	I choose FAU because the residents were easy to get along with and most were actively engaged in scholarship.
Sample of Scholarship	Edgar S. Fernandez MD, Angel Sanchez MD, Sasha Thiel MS3, Michael DeDonno PhD, Allison Ferris MD, "Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP): An Insight into HIV within the LGBTQ Community. In revision to AIDS Care. Edgar S. Fernandez MD, Angel Sanchez MD, Sasha Thiel MS3, Marisha Philogene MS3, Michael DeDonno PhD, Allison Ferris MD, #InCtrl: the Impact of Sexual Education Programs on Today’s Youth. In revision to the Journal of AIDS and Behavior. Jeremy D. Kauffman, Cristen N. Litz, Sasha A. Thiel, Anh Thy H. Nguyen, Aaron Carey, Paul D. Danielson, Nicole M. Chandler, To scan or not to scan: overutilization of computed tomography for minor head injury.

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	Ariel Wolf, MD
Medical School	FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine
Value-Added Year	Planned for 2023-24
Fellowship	Undecided
Why I chose FAU	I chose FAU for my General Surgery training first and foremost because of the camaraderie that was evident to me during the interview day between the residents themselves as well as the residents and faculty. Additionally, I wanted a combination community and academic program because I knew this would provide me with a strong operative experience as well as the option to pursue research if I chose to do so.
Sample of Scholarship	Wolf, A., Balkan, W., Hare, J. “The Use of Mesenchymal Stromal Cells on Acute and Chronic Heart Disease”. The Biology and Therapeutic Applications of Mesenchymal Cells. January 2017. Golpanian, S., Wolf, A., Kassira, W. “Z-Plasty for Scar Contracture”. Operative Dictations in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. In: Anh Tran T., Panthaki Z., Hoballah J., Thaller S. (eds) Springer, Cham. 2017. Natsumeda, M et al. (18th of 26 authors). “A Combination of Allogeneic Stem Cells Promotes Cardiac Regeneration”. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Nov 2017. S, Kulandavelu, Karantalis., Fritsch, J., Hatzistergos, KE., Loescher, VY., McCall, F., Wang, B., Bagno, L,. Golpanian, S., Wolf, A., Grenet, J., Williams, A., Kupin, A., Rosenfield, A., Mohsin, S., Sussman, MA., Morales, A. Balkan, W., Hare, JM. “Pim1 kinase overexpression enhances Ckit+ cardiac stem cell cardiac repair following myocardial infarction in swine”. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Dec 2016. Golpanian, S et al. (9th of 13 authors). “Rationale and design of the allogeneic human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) in patients with aging fRAilTy via intravenoUS delivery (CRATUS) study: A phase I/II, randomized, blinded and placebo controlled trial to evaluate the safety and potential efficacy of allogeneic human mesenchymal stem cell infusion in patients with aging frailty”. Oncotarget. 2016. Golpanian, S., Schulman IH., Ray EF., Heldman, AW., DiFede, DL., Yang, PC., Wu, JC., Bolli, R., Perin, EC., Moye, L., Simari, RD., Wolf, A., Hare, JM. “Concise Review: Review and Perspective of Cell Dosage and Routes of Administration from Preclinical and Clinical Studies of Stem Cell Therapy for Heart Disease”. Stem Cells Translational Medicine. Feb 2016.

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PGY I Preliminary

	Katie Bernal, MD
Medical School	University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine
Additional Degrees/Training	n/a
Value-Added Year	Planned for 2024-25
Fellowship	Undecided
Why I chose FAU	I choose FAU because of the wide variety of clinical experiences really expanding all the areas of surgery including urology, plastics, and gyn which is incredibly unique. Also my experience with the faculty and the residents told me this was a program where teaching is a major priority well as a sense of community.

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	Michelle Freeman, MD
Medical School	Ross University School of Medicine
Additional Degrees/Training	n/a
Value-Added Year	Planned for 2024-25
Fellowship	Undecided
Why I chose FAU	I came to FAU for my surgical training because of the diversity in cases and the opportunity for growth as a surgeon and a scholar. I liked that it was more than general surgery cases with exposure to urology, breast, anesthesiology and vascular surgery. There is also a strong emphasis on research here which I love. What really stood out to me was the family culture between the residents and the support from the attendings. I may be from MN, but FL and FAU feel like home.

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	Oscar Vazquez, MD
Medical School	Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University
Additional Degrees/Training	MS, Aging & Neuroscience, Morsani College of Medicine at University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida
Value-Added Year	Planned for 2024-25
Fellowship	Undecided
Why I chose FAU	As a medical student at Florida Atlantic University, I felt inspired to become an academic physician thanks to the great faculty and affiliated physicians who put patients first and are dedicated to teach both medical students and residents with evidence-based guidelines. That sense of purpose has not changed as a resident and I am thankful for the opportunity to give back to the community as a surgeon-in-training. FAU is a great academic program with very supportive leadership and I can genuinely say I am happy here thanks to all the resources and broad training experiences. Most importantly, the camaraderie between the residents really makes this place feel like home.
Sample of Scholarship	Becker H, Vazquez OA, Rosen T. Cannula Size Effect on Stromal Vascular Fraction Content of Fat Grafts. Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open. 2021 Mar 23;9(3):e3471. doi: 10.1097/GOX.0000000000003471. PMID: 33907655; PMCID: PMC8062151. Vazquez OA, Markowitz MI, Becker H. Fat Graft Size: Relationship Between Cannula and Needle Diameters. Cureus. 2020 Apr 9;12(4):e7598. doi: 10.7759/cureus.7598. PMID: 32399332; PMCID: PMC7212710. Gupta AK, Vazquez OA, Lopez-Viego M. Idiopathic Pneumatosis of Small Bowel and Bladder. Cureus. 2020 May 27;12(5):e8313. doi: 10.7759/cureus.8313. PMID: 32607296; PMCID: PMC7320656. Gupta AK, Vazquez OA. Fallopian Tube Tumor Mimicking Primary Gastrointestinal Malignancy. Cureus. 2020 Aug 17;12(8):e9795. doi: 10.7759/cureus.9795. PMID: 32953309; PMCID: PMC7494413.

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PGY I

	Laura Christopher, MD
Medical School	Indiana University School of Medicine
Additional Degrees/Training	n/a
Value-Added Year	Planned for 2024-25
Fellowship	Undecided
Why I chose FAU	There were many reasons why I chose FAU for my surgery residency. My interview experience was second to none; it was evident that my interviewers took the time to read my personal statement and curriculum vitae to truly get to know me as an applicant, and the residents were so welcoming and down to earth. I know that I will become an excellent surgeon after graduating from FAU. Also, I get to work where people vacation, what a dream!

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	Michelle Freeman, MD
Medical School	Ross University School of Medicine
Additional Degrees/Training	n/a
Value-Added Year	Planned for 2024-25
Fellowship	Undecided
Why I chose FAU	I came to FAU for my surgical training because of the diversity in cases and the opportunity for growth as a surgeon and a scholar. I liked that it was more than general surgery cases with exposure to urology, breast, anesthesiology and vascular surgery. There is also a strong emphasis on research here which I love. What really stood out to me was the family culture between the residents and the support from the attendings. I may be from MN, but FL and FAU feel like home.

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	Maria Herrera Rodriguez, MD
Medical School	Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine
Additional Degrees/Training	n/a
Value-Added Year	Planned for 2024-25
Fellowship	Undecided
Why I chose FAU	I chose FAU for my surgical training because I wanted to have both a strong operative experience and the opportunity to pursue research. FAU was perfect for that given all the resources it provides. Additionally, the camaraderie between the residents and faculty allows for a healthy environment that promotes wellness.
Sample of Scholarship	Herrera Rodriguez MG, Mehra D, Saroop S, Srivastav A. Abdominal Supracervical Hysterectomy With Bilateral Salpingo-Oophorectomy as the Surgical Approach for a 22-Week Uterus With Incidental Endometrial Polyp Focal Atypia. Cureus. 2020 Sep 9;12(9):e10344. doi: 10.7759/cureus.10344. PMID: 33062468; PMCID: PMC7549873.

	Marjorie Kragel, MD
Medical School	Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University
Additional Degrees/Training	n/a
Value-Added Year	Planned for 2024-25
Fellowship	Undecided
Why I chose FAU	As a medical student at FAU, I was able to get a glimpse of the resident camaraderie, expansive operative experience, and outstanding faculty in the FAU General Surgery program. I am excited to spend the next several years learning everything I can from my colleagues and faculty, being engaged in research, and training to become an excellent surgeon.
Sample of Scholarship	El Haddi SJ, Kragel M, Klapper A. Creation of skin grafts from traumatic avulsed skin. BMJ Case Rep. 2021 Jul 15;14(7):e239545. doi: 10.1136/bcr-2020-239545. PMID: 34266814; PMCID: PMC8286758.

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	Jenny Lin, MD
Medical School	Indiana University School of Medicine
Additional Degrees/Training	Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana
Value-Added Year	Planned for 2024-25
Fellowship	Undecided
Why I chose FAU	I was drawn to the friendliness of the residents at FAU and the beautiful warm weather of Florida. The value-added year was unique and a great way to further my interest in a particular area of surgery. I also liked that I would have a wide breadth of surgical experiences in urology, breast surgery, anesthesia, vascular surgery, plastic surgery, and both robotic and laparoscopic general surgery.
Sample of Scholarship	Walimbe T, Dehghani T, Casella A, Lin J, Wang A, Panitch A. Proangiogenic Collagen-Binding Glycan Therapeutic Promotes Endothelial Cell Angiogenesis. ACS Biomater Sci Eng. 2021 Jul 12;7(7):3281-3292. doi: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.1c00336. Epub 2021 Jun 30. PMID: 34192455.

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	John Nguyen, MD
Medical School	Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine - Auburn Campus
Additional Degrees/Training	n/a
Value-Added Year	Planned for 2024-25
Fellowship	Undecided
Why I chose FAU	I chose FAU because the people I interviewed with were down to earth and very honest about the program. Another reason I chose FAU was because of the strong fellowship match into competitive programs. Overall, I knew this is a place I would get great training and support for my future fellowship plans.

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	John Sousa, MD
Medical School	University of Florida College of Medicine
Additional Degrees/Training	Stanford University, Stanford, California
Value-Added Year	Planned for 2024-25
Fellowship	Undecided
Why I chose FAU	I chose FAU because of the volume and variety of the cases we get to do, the amazing teachers we have as attendings, and the success that we have had in fellowship matches.
Sample of Scholarship	Clark RH, Sousa J, Laughon MM, Tolia VN. Gastroschisis prevalence substantially decreased from 2009 through 2018 after a 3-fold increase from 1997 to 2008. J Pediatr Surg. 2020 Dec;55(12):2640-2641. doi: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2020.03.010. Epub 2020 Mar 24. PMID: 32276850.

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	Oscar Vazquez, MD
Medical School	Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University
Additional Degrees/Training	MS, Aging & Neuroscience, Morsani College of Medicine at University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida
Value-Added Year	Planned for 2024-25
Fellowship	Undecided
Why I chose FAU	As a medical student at Florida Atlantic University, I felt inspired to become an academic physician thanks to the great faculty and affiliated physicians who put patients first and are dedicated to teach both medical students and residents with evidence-based guidelines. That sense of purpose has not changed as a resident and I am thankful for the opportunity to give back to the community as a surgeon-in-training. FAU is a great academic program with very supportive leadership and I can genuinely say I am happy here thanks to all the resources and broad training experiences. Most importantly, the camaraderie between the residents really makes this place feel like home.
Sample of Scholarship	Becker H, Vazquez OA, Rosen T. Cannula Size Effect on Stromal Vascular Fraction Content of Fat Grafts. Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open. 2021 Mar 23;9(3):e3471. doi: 10.1097/GOX.0000000000003471. PMID: 33907655; PMCID: PMC8062151. Vazquez OA, Markowitz MI, Becker H. Fat Graft Size: Relationship Between Cannula and Needle Diameters. Cureus. 2020 Apr 9;12(4):e7598. doi: 10.7759/cureus.7598. PMID: 32399332; PMCID: PMC7212710. Gupta AK, Vazquez OA, Lopez-Viego M. Idiopathic Pneumatosis of Small Bowel and Bladder. Cureus. 2020 May 27;12(5):e8313. doi: 10.7759/cureus.8313. PMID: 32607296; PMCID: PMC7320656. Gupta AK, Vazquez OA. Fallopian Tube Tumor Mimicking Primary Gastrointestinal Malignancy. Cureus. 2020 Aug 17;12(8):e9795. doi: 10.7759/cureus.9795. PMID: 32953309; PMCID: PMC7494413.

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Residents

PGY V

Jamin Addae, MBChB

Alex Casella, MD

Megan Daubert, MD

Jaymie Ang Henry, MD

Ulugbek Negmadjanov, MD

Dustin Rawlinson, MD

Value-Added Year

James El Haddi, MD

Eva Fuentes, MD

John Gigioli, MD

Christina Mesoraca, DO

PGY IV

Daud Lodin, MD, MPH

Roberto Lorenzi Mendez, MD, MPH

Amanda Marsh, MD

Sara Yi, MD

PGY III

Vincent Athas, MD

Kendra Batey, MS, MD

Mike Dedwylder, MD

Michelle Dugan, MD

Max Jackson, MD

Anelia Kassi, MD

Lauren Thompson, MD

PGY II

Catherine Donat, MD

Justin Dourado, MD

Roni Garbar, MD

Sasha Thiel, MD

Ariel Wolf, MD

PGY I Preliminary

Katie Bernal, MD

Michelle Freeman, MD

Oscar Vazquez, MD

PGY I

Laura Christopher, MD

Michelle Freeman, MD

Maria Herrera Rodriguez, MD

Marjorie Kragel, MD

Jenny Lin, MD

John Nguyen, MD

John Sousa, MD

Oscar Vazquez, MD