Residents
Preliminary |
|||
 |
Caroline Lu, MD Year: PGY 1 (Preliminary Urology) Medical School: Medical College of Georgia |
||
 |
Geoffrey Pearman, MD Year: PGY 1 (Preliminary Anesthesia) Medical School: St. George’s University |
||
Intern Class of 2023 |
|||
 |
Name: Meshka Anderson Year: PGY 1 (Categorical) Hometown: Coral Springs, Florida (born in Montego-Bay, Jamaica) College: University of South Florida Medical School: University of Florida Hobbies: Kayaking, New found love for traveling Why you came to CMC: Clinical diversity, reputation of outstanding training, environment focused on education, research opportunities and the overall sense of community |
||
 |
Name: Sullivan “Sully” Ayuso Year: PGY 1 (Categorical) Hometown: Austin, Texas College: Emory University Medical School: University of Texas Southwestern Medical School Hobbies: Distance running, playing basketball, skeet shooting, imitation, cooking mean steaks and looking at maps Why you came to CMC: I chose CMC because it provides the unique opportunity to care for a variety of patient populations under one roof. Additionally, the residency program is committed to producing clinically excellent surgeons and has faculty who are willing to provide mentorship in whatever area of surgery I ended up pursuing. |
||
 |
Name: Shakira W. Burton Year: PGY 1 (Categorical) Hometown: Bronx, New York College: Spelman College Medical School: Drexel University School of Medicine Hobbies: Traveling, reading, group fitness classes, watching movies, attending plays and concerts Why you came to CMC: I chose CMC for the vast surgical experience I would obtain, extensive mentorship and the awesome residents. |
||
 |
Name: Lauren Alexis Jeck Year: PGY 1 (Categorical) Hometown: Jupiter Florida College: University of Florida Medical School: Florida State University Hobbies: Running, making delicious home cooked food, driving my Jeep, weightlifting, trying new breweries, going to baseball games, and spending time with my adorable niece Why you came to CMC: Everyone at CMC seems to genuinely enjoy going to work each day and I want to learn from people who love their job! CMC has amazing attendings and everything a training surgeon needs to reach their absolute full potential. It’s an added bonus that Charlotte is one of the greatest places to live!! |
||
 |
Name: Jordan Robinson Year: PGY 1 (Categorical) Hometown: Naperville, IL College: University of Wisconsin-Madison Medical School: Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Graduate School: Master’s in Public Health, Northwestern University Hobbies: Reading, Sports, Movies, Philosophy Why you came to CMC: I felt that CMC would be the best place for me to grow as both a person and a physician. I also had some inside information from a friend already training here who loved it. There seemed to be a rare balance of surgical rigor and personal warmth that made CMC the right fit. |
||
 |
Name: Isolina Ruth Rossi Year: PGY 1 (Categorical) Hometown: Tremont, IL College: Southern Methodist University Medical School: Rush Medical College Hobbies: Horseback riding, running, basketball Why you came to CMC: I was looking for a general surgery training program that would prepare me to come out of training ready to either go straight into practice or focus on a fellowship of choice. CMC is nationally renowned for preparing its surgical residents in all of the sub-specialties. I'm incredibly grateful to join a compassionate group of residents at the hub of some of the most advanced surgical care in this part of the country. Moving to a land of warmer winters and great barbeque was just a perk! |
||
PGY-2 Class of 2022 |
|||
 |
Maria Baimas-George, MD Hometown: Hingham, MA College: Colgate University Medical School: Tulane University Hobbies: Cooking, painting, running, biking Why you came to CMC: The tight knit group of residents who are always supportive, the operative case volume and early autonomy. I also enjoy working with exceptionally skilled attendings and the exposure to a wide variety of cases |
||
 |
Sharbel Elhage, MD
Hometown: Plainfield, New Jersey College: Clemson University Medical School: Medical University of South Carolina Hobbies: Cycling, Climbing, Backpacking, Fishing and any other outdoor activities Why you came to CMC: The camaraderie between the residents and the great clinic exposure we get. There is also a premium placed on getting to the operating room and there are always available cases |
||
 |
Leslie Okorji, MD Birthplace: Port Harcourt, Nigeria College: University of Texas at Dallas Medical School: Northwestern University Hobbies/Activities: Watching lots of sports, playing soccer, exercising, leisurely reading, exploring and trying new things Why I chose CMC: CMC gave me the perfect combination of a top notch program which is flexible in terms of research and extracurricular requirements, has a very collaborative atmosphere and is in a vibrant city. The best parts of this program are the volume and complexity of cases, superb resident autonomy, the opportunities to do any type of extracurricular activity you desire (research, global health, et cetera), and the camaraderie both within residents and between residents and attendings. Oh and we have awesome benefits; as my co-residents will tell you I have been well fed and taken care of. The city of Charlotte completes the package. It has so much to offer, whether it be outdoor activities, nightlife, restaurants, breweries, arts and so on. And it is a very livable and affordable city. |
||
 |
Andrew "Brett" Sorah, MD
Hometown: Bristol, Tennessee College: East Tennessee State University Medical School: East Tennessee State University US Navy: 2012-2017 Internship: Naval Medical Center Portsmouth Flight Surgeon (2014-2017) Naval Aerospace Medical Institute Hobbies: Hiking, Skiing, Shooting, Anything involving the outdoors. Why you came to CMC: Early operative experience with great surgical volume and variety, acuity of patients, busy trauma service, and excellent camaraderie. The location doesn’t hurt either. |
||
 |
Michael Watson, MD Hometown: Danville, Pennsylvania College: University of Pittsburgh Medical School: University of Virginia Hobbies: When I’m not at the hospital I like to unwind by going on hikes, running, or playing soccer. I love to make ti to yoga during the week with other residents (and attendings too). I try to travel on weekends to see friends and family. Why you came to CMC: I love the family atmosphere and the camaraderie between all the residents. We’re truly a family here. I also love the autonomy and responsibility that I have at CMC. Residents really take ownership of our patients in many aspects of their care from preop to the operating room and through discharge. We also have so many opportunities to operate with experts in surgery and be a co-surgeon rather than simply an observer. I know that I’ll be an amazing surgeon when I graduate. |
||
 |
Robert “Grant” Willis, MD Hometown: Montgomery, AL College: Samford University Graduate: Master of Science in Medical Sciences from Mississippi College Medical School: University of South Alabama Hobbies: Spending time with family, fly fishing, and becoming a better surgeon Why you came to CMC: Carolinas Medical Center (CMC) is dedicated to excellence in patient care for all patients throughout the Carolinas, and the operative breadth and volume has created a strong department of Surgery with world leading Surgeons in their respective fields. This environment is full of hard working and energetic Surgeons to learn from and to train alongside. The volume demands a certain level of autonomy with appropriate supervision across all levels of resident training. There is a congenial disposition amongst the house staff residents that fosters resident resilience, and it has been apparent from the interview process through July 1st of my PGY1 year to the present. I choose CMC for the ideal training environment and unique resources CMC has to offer to residents and surgeon’s in training. |
||
PGY-3 Class of 2021 |
|||
 |
Michael Arnold, MD Hometown: Rockledge, Florida College: Emory Medical School: University of Central Florida Physician Assistant Degree: Barry University Hobbies: Surfing, Brewing, Hanging out with my wife and two kids Why you came to CMC: The overall feel of this residency program. Everyone here has the goal of becoming excellent surgeons regardless of the specialties they have chosen. Additionally, everyone is hard working, but willing to help each other out to make sure everything is completed. |
||
 |
Michael Genz, MD Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia College: Miami University of Ohio Medical School: Mercer University School of Medicine Hobbies: Table Tennis, Cooking, Craft Brewing, Exercising, Mountain Biking and Cycling Why you came to CMC: The surgical environment along with the daily interactions and teamwork within the residency. |
||
 |
Angela Kao, MD Hometown: Westmont, Illinois College: Georgetown University Medical School: University of Illinois College of Medicine Hobbies: Eating, Traveling and Running Why you came to CMC: Co-Residents and overall camaraderie, the ability to get a great deal of operative experience and academic research depending on what you’re interested in. The cheese grits also don’t hurt either. |
||
 |
William Lyman, MD Hometown: Chattanooga, Tennessee College: University of Tennessee Medical School: University of Tennessee Health Science Center (Memphis) Hobbies: My wife says I have too many. Golf, hunting, fishing, grilling/smoking (Memphis dry rub fan), cooking, following college football (Tennessee Volunteers), listening to a variety of music on my vintage Klipsch Fortes (high school summer job acquisition), proud dogfather of a bluetick coonhound, exploring the city of Charlotte and the surrounding mountain towns/rivers, and recently woodworking/carving. Why I chose CMC: I did an away rotation here as a 4th year medical student and was extremely impressed with CMC over the course of the month. I noticed the way the way that the residents worked together to get the work done (chiefs helping interns with notes, etc.). I was also impressed with the wide variety of backgrounds of all of the attendings which led to an extreme amount of variety in the way procedures were done. I felt that the numerous strong service lines and the opportunity to learn from faculty who had trained all over the country would be a huge benefit to my future career. Also, it didn't hurt that Charlotte is a great place to live, and my wife loved the city when we visited. |
||
 |
Mike Mallah, MD Hometown: Kuwait City, Kuwait College: University of North Carolina Med School: University of North Carolina Hobbies: Running, Skydiving, Scuba diving, Global travel, Spoken Word poetry, Riding my motorcycle, Salsa dancing Why I choose CMC: There are the obvious incredible perks of the program such as yearly national conference travel, educational text and software funding, and additional numerous minor benefits which support me while I focus on patient care. That’s also not to mention how happening Charlotte is as a city—nightlife, restaurants, rooftop bars, art exhibitions—while not being overwhelming the way a bigger city would be. There are no crazy traffic jams, subway delays, or crazy high rents/mortgages. But the true reason I ranked CMC #1 was because, as a medical student, Dr. Green and Dr. Sachdev went out of their way to support and mentor me during a very difficult life decision. Looking forward to 5 years of the most extensive and exhaustive training, I knew those are the kind of people I wanted in my corner and I found them here at CMC. |
||
 |
Y. Everett Warren, MD Hometown: Robersonville, North Carolina College: North Carolina State University Graduate School: Masters in Teaching at American University (Teach for America in 2010) Medical School: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Hobbies: Being outdoors, kayaking, road trips, cooking, kickball, Harry Potter, Knitting Why you came to CMC: Close-knit group of residents, feels like a family. Early and ample operative experience. Supportive faculty and safe learning environment. Research opportunities. Free perks from the hospital also make it a great place to work. |
||
 |
Samuel Yelverton, MD Hometown: Jackson, Mississippi College: Mississippi College Medical School: University of Mississippi Hobbies: Fly fishing, fly tying, hunting and video games Why you came to CMC: I chose cmc because I want to do general surgery and wanted a residency that could equip me with a high case volume along with variety so I could go into community surgery straight out of residency. The fellowship among residents and attendings was huge for me as well. I wanted the people I worked with to be people I would be friends with and not just coworkers. |
||
PGY-4 Class of 2020 |
|||
 |
Brett Baker, MD Hometown: Morganton, North Carolina College: Wake Forest University Medical School: Wake Forest University Hobbies: Fly Fishing, hanging out with family, sewing up facial lacerations, grilling, outdoor activities and racquetball. Why you came to CMC: CMC provided an opportunity for a wide exposure to all surgical fields that I was interested. The volume of the cases is substantial which made me feel that I would leave this residency as a strong surgeon. I also enjoy the camaraderie and the friendships I have built with my fellow residents. Everyone is here to help each other, which creates a fantastic working environment. Surgical Fields of Interest: Plastic Surgery |
||
 |
Adam W. Calarese, MD
Hometown: Boston, Massachusetts College: Boston College Medical School: Drexel University Hobbies: Professional Guitarist, Recording Artist, spending time with family, friends and loved ones. I also enjoy seeing shows, dive bars, music and anything outdoors. Why you came to CMC: I decided to come to CMC to enjoy the wide breadth of surgical experience offered here, the enormous case volume and the weather in Charlotte, all unmatched. Surgical Fields of Interest: Vascular and Cardiac Surgery |
||
 |
Mike Fruscione, MBA, MD Hometown: New York, New York College: Columbia University Medical School: St. George’s University Prior Career: Mergers and Acquisitions Investment Banking in NYC Hobbies: Marathon Running, Rebuilding Classic Cars, Cooking, Spending time with wife and daughter along with our two pugs Why you came to CMC: Mentorship from senior residents, fellows and attendings has made a difference in my education, developing operative skills and planning a career after residency. As a PGY II, I had the opportunity to become involved in many research projects and have been supported in my academic interests through conferences and academic summits. As the major hospital in and beyond the city of Charlotte, we have the opportunity to see routine, complicated and rare diseases and use cutting edge technology for surgical intervention. My fellow residents are not only my colleagues, but also my friends. There is a unique camaraderie among the surgical residents that extends beyond the hospital. My wife and daughter enjoy Charlotte very much; on my days off we use every opportunity to enjoy Charlotte and nearby attractions. Surgical Fields of Interest: Transplant and Hepatobiliary Surgery |
||
 |
Benjamin Motz, MD Name: Benjamin Motz Hometown: Huntsville, Alabama College: Auburn University Medical School: University of South Alabama Hobbies: Hiking, camping, all sort of outdoor activities and trying out local breweries Why you came to CMC: I really like the camaraderie of the residents across all levels of training. I feel this fosters better communication between resident of different levels and allows lower-level residents to gain hard-learned knowledge from their superiors rather than having to make common mistakes themselves. We also have excellent working relationships with our attendings, oftentimes working 1-on-1 with them, which is great for gaining clinical expertise in the broad variety of subspecialties practiced here. Surgical Fields of Interest: HPB, Surgical Oncology and Trauma/SCC |
||
 |
William Sherrill III, MD Hometown: Davidson, North Carolina College: Clemson University Medical School: West Virginia University Hobbies: Clemson Football, Running, Cycling, Fishing, Cooking, Golf, Tennis and visiting the new breweries that continue to open in Charlotte. Why you came to CMC: From the moment I interviewed at this program, I could tell something was different. My fellow resident are one the greatest components of this program. Everyone treats each other with respect and is there to help no matter if the issues is work related or personal. I enjoy coming to work daily and interacting with my surgical family. Additionally, my goal from residency was to graduate as a competent surgeon with the surgical ability to move directly into my career if that is what i decided to do Residents here operate early and frequently, and gain autonomy quickly, which is exactly what I was looking for in a program. Surgical Fields of Interest: Robotics, Minimally Invasive Surgery |
||
PGY-5 Class of 2019 |
|||
 |
Thomas Gavigan, MD Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina College: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Graduate School: Medical College of Virginia (Masters of Science in Anatomy and Neurobiology) Medical School: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Hobbies: Skiing, Running, Road Biking, Golf, Tennis, Ballroom Dancing and Dog Training Why you came to CMC: CMC offered incredible surgical volume and diversity with the opportunity to learn from leaders in the field. Surgical Fields of Interest: Robotics, Minimally Invasive Surgery |
||
 |
David Hobson, MD Year: PGY 5 Hometown: Greenwood, South Carolina College: Wake Forest University Medical School: Wake Forest University Graduate School: MS Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at University of Georgia Hobbies: Fishing, Hiking, Backpacking, Hunting, Boats and Dogs Why you came to CMC: I chose CMC because of the impressive breadth and volume of the surgical division and the relative ease of access to those surgical resources for surgical residents. I was also attracted to the program’s receptiveness to resident input on the evolution of the curriculum. Surgical Fields of Interest: Cardiothoracic Surgery |
||
 |
Russell Kirks, Jr, MD Hometown: Savannah, Georgia College: University of Georgia Medical School: Medical College of Georgia Hobbies: Running, backpacking, sewing, Western movies, kayaking, axe throwing, Southwest history and ecology, vintage Toyota Land Cruisers Why you came to CMC: I was sold after meeting and talking with current residents at the interview dinner. Points that they mentioned and that have been confirmed through my time here include early and robust operative experience; optional research time; ability to pursue fellowship or private practice after residency; and an avant-garde Hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery service. Surgical Fields of Interest: Hepatobiliary Surgery |
||
 |
Patrick Lorimer, MD Hometown: Salt Lake City, Utah College: University of Utah Medical School: University of Utah Hobbies: Cooking, Charcuterie and Mountain Biking Why you came to CMC: Country Club locker rooms sealed the deal, but in all seriousness, it was the sense of community and the residents who operated a lot and actually work well together. Surgical Fields of Interest: Surgical Oncology |
||
 |
Quantel Rolle, MD Year: PGY 5 Hometown: Miami, Florida College: University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Medical School: University of Tennessee HSC Hobbies: Spending time with families Why you came to CMC: A city full of diversity in patient population and disease, not to mention a community that fosters education and personal life support. Surgical Fields of Interest: General Surgery |
||
Research |
|||
 |
Sean Maloney, MD Year: PGY 2 (Research) Hometown: Quincy, Massachusetts College: Lehigh University Medical School: University of Massachusetts Hobbies: Golf, Cooking and Video Games Why you came to CMC: I came to CMC for the people, the location and the benefits of the job. Surgical Fields of Interest: Pediatric Surgery |
||
 |
Ryan Pickens, MD Year: PGY 2 (Research) Hometown: Asheville, North Carolina College: Lee University Medical School: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Hobbies: Camping, backpacking, playing trains with my son Why you came to CMC: Strong history of residents being accepted to pediatric surgery fellowships from a hybrid program, with an incredible pediatric surgery faculty and case volume without fellows. High volume research opportunities in the surgery department. Finally, the collegial environment amongst faculty and residents. Surgical Fields of Interest: Pediatric Surgery |
||