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Department Celebrates 2020 Graduates and Teaching Excellence

2020 Graduating Residents

Department of Anesthesia 2020 Graduating Residents
(From left) Justin Norvell, Jacob Whiting, Khalid Sharif-Sidi, Matthew Sanders, Asad Hashmi, Paige Keasler, Shilpa Chouhan, Mark Turner, Michelle Riesselman, Richard Russillo, Emma Swanson, Karl Loth, Daniel Jacobs, Robert Sand, Jordan Hill.

The COVID-19 pandemic presented graduating Department of Anesthesia residents and fellows with plenty of unexpected challenges during the last part of their training, but the class of 2020 met those challenges with aplomb and determination.

Department Chair Cynthia Wong, MD, quoted early 20th century politician Frank Clark in her remarks to the graduates during virtual ceremonies Saturday, June 20:

“‘If you find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere.’ I know you’ve faced a lot of challenges and obstacles throughout your formal education, and particularly this past year,” Wong said. “I hope you’ll find it was worth it.”

Fifteen residents and 10 fellows will complete their Department training as of June 30. A few of them will stay with the Department for the next chapter in their careers:

  • Graduating CA-3 Shilpa Chouhan, MBBS, will be one of the Department's Regional Anesthesia and Acute Pain Medicine fellows for 2020-2021.
  • Graduating CA-3 Asad Hashmi, MD, will be one of the Department's Pain Medicine fellows for 2020-2021.
  • Graduating CA-3 Jake Whiting, MD, will be the Department’s Adult Cardiothoracic Anesthesia fellow for 2020-2021.
  • Graduating Critical Care Fellow Brad Johnson, MD, will be one of the Department’s Pain Medicine fellows for 2020-2021.

Our other resident graduates are pursuing a variety of next steps in numerous locations:

  • Jordan Hill, MD, accepted a Regional Anesthesia and Acute Pain Medicine fellowship at Stanford University in California.
  • Daniel Jacobs, MD, accepted an Adult Cardiothoracic Anesthesia fellowship at the Texas Heart Institute in Houston, Texas.
  • Paige Keasler, DO, accepted an Obstetric Anesthesia fellowship at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
  • Karl Loth, MD, enters private practice with Bellingham Anesthesia Associates in Bellingham, Washington.
  • Justin Norvell, MD, will serve at the Naval Hospital in Bremerton, Washington.
  • Michelle Riesselman, MD, enters private practice with the McFarland Clinic in Ames, Iowa.
  • Richard Russillo, MD, enters private practice with Linn County Anesthesiologists in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
  • Robert Sand, DO, enters private practice with Envision Physician Services: Anesthesia Associates in Tallahassee, Florida.
  • Matthew Sanders, MD, accepted a Pain Medicine fellowship with Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
  • Khalid Sharif-Sidi, MD, accepted a position with Northwestern Medicine Huntley Hospital in Huntley, Illinois.
  • Emma Swanson, MD, enters private practice at Sanford Health in Fargo, North Dakota.
  • Mark Turner, MD, enters private practice with Associated Anesthesiologists in Des Moines, Iowa.

Likewise, our fellow graduates are moving on to new opportunities:

  • Adult Cardiothoracic Fellow Sung Kim, MD, enters private practice with Associated Anesthesologists in Des Moines, Iowa.
  • Critical Care Fellow Aaron Tyagi, accepted a position at the University of Kentucky.
  • Pain Fellow Arpan Patel, MD, enters private practice with the Iowa Clinic in West Des Moines, Iowa.
  • Pain Fellow Derik Scribner, DO, enters private practice with St. Rita’s Medical Center in Lima, Ohio.
  • Pain Fellow Ryan Thompson, DO, enters private practice with Providence St. Vincent Hospital in Portland, Oregon.
  • Pain Fellow Bhavana Yalamuru, MBBS, accepted a position with University of Massachusetts.
  • Pediatric Anesthesiology Fellow Chad Vasser, DO,  enters private practice at Billings Clinic in Billings, Montana.

As part of the graduation ceremony, exceptional teachers also were recognized:
William (Kirke) Rogers, MD, was named Teacher of the Year by the graduating class.
Yatish Ranganath, MBBS, Rakesh Sondekoppam, MBBS, and Sudhakar Subramani, MBBS, FASE, received Excellence in Teaching awards from the entire resident group.

Date: 
Monday, June 22, 2020