Medical residents and fellows who completed their training at Saint Michael’s Medical Center were recognized for their accomplishments during the 55th Annual Dr. Phillip D’Ambola Certificate and Awards ceremony.
The residents have been enrolled in Saint Michael’s internal medicine program for the past three years, learning from the faculty attending physicians at the hospital. Saint Michael’s is a teaching affiliate of New York Medical College.
With their residencies completed, the doctors will either begin working full time as physicians or continue their education as fellows in a specialty.
Several doctors were also recognized for completing their fellowships in cardiology, interventional cardiology, gastroenterology and pulmonary and critical care.
“We are proud to be teaching the next generation of medical doctors,” Saint Michael’s CEO Robert Iannaccone said. “As a teaching hospital, our patients benefit because our attending physicians must stay abreast of the latest medical breakthroughs.”
Dr. Joseph DePasquale, the internal medicine program director at Saint Michael’s, awarded each of the doctors their certificates of completion.
Those who completed their residencies in internal medicine were: Dr. Siva Prasad Maruboyina, a fourth-year chief resident, Drs. Hazera Khatun, Christina Picciano, Christopher Saling, associate chief residents and Drs. Wala Abusalah, Hamdi Battah, Judith Faria- Briceno, Almutasem Hamed, Amir Issa, William Meng, Jessica Natale, Biren Patel, Rutwik Patel, Prince Philip, Sina Rahimi, Vikas Reddy, Dmytro Sednev, Neesha Settipalle, Hardikkumar Shah, Lakshmi Durga Sriramulu. Dr. Priscilla Sheshie completed her certificate in podiatric medicine and surgery.
Those who completed their fellowships were: Dr. Bader AbuGhalyoun (cardiology), Dr. Muhammed Shittu, (interventional cardiology), Dr. Varun Patel, (gastroenterology), and Drs. Anas Al-Khateeb and Muqueet Kadri (pulmonary and critical care).
The faculty staff includes Dr. Stephen Abo, the osteopathic program director, Dr. Theodore DaCosta, internal medicine associate program director, Dr. Michael Guma, internal medicine associate program director and Dr. Ann Marie Palagiano, podiatric medicine and surgery program director.
Several awards were given in honor of Saint Michael’s physicians who were dedicated to teaching residents.
The Dr. Peter Ho Memorial award was given to Dr. Biren Patel.
The award was named after Dr. Ho, who was born in Vietnam and served as a surgeon alongside American doctors during the Vietnam War. He was an infectious disease fellow at the hospital in 1983. When he was invited by drug reps to dinner, he would only go on the condition that he be allowed to take food and bring it to a homeless shelter. Dr. Ho died in 1985 and the Saint Michael’s HIV/AIDS clinic is named in his honor.
The Dr. George Perez Achievement for Outstanding Medical Teaching was awarded to Dr. Marc Adelman.
The award was named after Dr. Perez, who was chief of infectious disease at Saint Michael’s until his death in 2011. Dr. Perez consistently won the best teacher award during his years at the hospital.
“He was a great teacher. The residents really loved him,” said Dr. Jihad Slim, the chief of infectious disease. “Rather than keep giving him the award every year, they decided to just name it after him to give other attendings an opportunity.”
The Dr. Philip D’Ambola Memorial Award for Excellence in Teaching was given to Dr. Rutwick Patel.
The award and the ceremony were named after Dr. D’Ambola, who cast the deciding vote as a member of the hospital’s executive committee that made Saint Michael’s a teaching hospital more than a half century ago. The award was presented by his great niece, Dr. Lesly D’Ambola, who also did her residency at the hospital years ago.
Receiving the Intern of the Year award was Dr. Kok Hoe Chan.
