General Surgery Residents

Isabella Angeli Pahim, M.D.

Swatika Butey, M.D.

Dwayne Cole, M.D.

Laura Gorenshtein, D.O.

Jacob Hirth, M.D.

Mallika Joshi, M.D.

Laila Khoury, M.D.

Medical School: Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine

Additional Degrees/Training: N/A

Value-Added Year: N/A

Fellowship: N/A

Elysia Mcdonald, M.D.

Matthew Mendoza, M.D.

Jorge Sanchez Garcia, M.D.

Cody Stalnaker, D.O.

Rodrigo Alterio, M.D.

Medical School: Universidad Central de Venezuela Escuela de Medicina Luis Razetti

Additional Degrees/Training: UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX

Value-Added Year: Planned for 2026-2027

Fellowship: Undecided

Spencer Berman, D.O.

Medical School: Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine - California

Additional Degrees/Training: N/A

Value-Added Year: Planned for 2026-2027

Fellowship: Undecided

Caitlin Marquis, M.D.

Medical School: Florida State University College of Medicine - Ft. Pierce Campus

Additional Degrees/Training: N/A

Value-Added Year: Planned for 2026-2027

Fellowship: Undecided

Natalie Miller, D.O.

Medical School: Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine

Additional Degrees/Training: Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Portsmouth, VA

Value-Added Year: N/A

Fellowship: N/A

Joseph Policarpio, M.D.

Medical School: Carle Illinois College of Medicine

Additional Degrees/Training: N/A

Value-Added Year: Planned for 2026-2027

Fellowship: Undecided

Ronny Samra, M.D.

Medical School: University of Florida College of Medicine

Additional Degrees/Training: N/A

Value-Added Year: Planned for 2026-2027

Fellowship: Undecided

Jennifer Stein, M.D.

Medical School: University of Florida College of Medicine

Additional Degrees/Training: University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL

Value-Added Year: Planned for 2026-2027

Fellowship: Undecided

Fauzi Feris Jassir, M.D.

Medical School: Xaverian Pontifical University, Bogotá, Colombia

Additional Degrees/Training: Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami, FL

Value-Added Year: Planned for 2025-2026

Fellowship: Undecided

Michelle Freeman, M.D.

Medical School: University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine

Additional Degrees/Training: N/A

Value-Added Year: Planned for 2025-2026

Fellowship: Undecided

Why 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.

Matthew Gatewood, D.O.

Medical School: Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine - Auburn Campus

Additional Degrees/Training: N/A

Value-Added Year: Planned for 2025-2026

Fellowship: Undecided

Ruben Prado, M.D.

Medical School: Indiana University School of Medicine

Additional Degrees/Training: M.B.A., Indiana University Kelley School of Business

Value-Added Year: Planned for 2025-2026

Fellowship: Undecided

Omer Sadeh, M.D.

Medical School: Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion Israel Institute of Technology

Additional Degrees/Training: N/A

Value-Added Year: Planned for 2025-2026

Fellowship: Undecided

Stephanie Yakoubovitch, M.D.

Medical School: State University of New York Downstate Medical Center College of Medicine

Additional Degrees/Training: N/A

Value-Added Year: Planned for 2025-2026

Fellowship: Undecided

Athina Yoham, M.D.

Medical School: Ross University School of Medicine

Additional Degrees/Training: University of Miami Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, FL

Value-Added Year: Planned for 2025-2026

Fellowship: Undecided

Sana Aksas, M.D.

Medical School: Université Elhadj Lakhdar Batna Faculté de Médecine, Batna, Algeria

Additional Degrees/Training: Cardiac Surgery, Algiers, Alergeria; Larkin Community Hospital, Miami, Florida

Value-Added Year: Planned for 2024-2025

Fellowship: Undecided

Laura Christopher, M.D.

Medical School: Indiana University School of Medicine

Additional Degrees/Training: N/A

Value-Added Year: Planned for 2024-25

Fellowship: Undecided

Why 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!

Justin Dourado, M.D.

Medical School: University of Florida, College of Medicine

Additional Degrees/Training: General Surgery, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC

Value-Added Year: Colorectal Surgery Research, Cleveland Clinic Florida

Fellowship: Colorectal Surgery

Why 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 and skilled surgeon.

Alex Dunham, M.D.

Medical School: Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine

Additional Degrees/Training: N/A

Value-Added Year: Vascular Surgery Outcomes Research, Florida Atlantic University/Baptist Health

Fellowship: Undecided

Roni Garbar, D.O.

Medical School: Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine

Additional Degrees/Training: N/A

Value-Added Year: Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship, Florida Atlantic University

Fellowship: Undecided

Why 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

Kendra Batey, M.S., M.D.

Medical School: MS, Med Sci., Indiana University School of Medicine

Additional Degrees/Training: N/A

Value-Added Year: Surgical Critical Care, Navicent Health

Fellowship: N/A

Why FAU

Catherine Donat, M.D.

Medical School: University of Texas Medical Branch

Additional Degrees/Training: General Surgery, Orlando Health. Orlando, Florida

Value-Added Year: N/A

Fellowship: Transplant Surgery

Why 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

Anelia Kassi, M.D.

Medical School: University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine

Additional Degrees/Training: N/A

Value-Added Year: Breast Cancer Immunotherapy Research, Arizona State University

Fellowship: Breast Surgery

Why 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.

Sasha Thiel, M.D.

Medical School: Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University

Additional Degrees/Training: N/A

Value-Added Year: N/A

Fellowship: MIS/Bariatric Surgery

Why FAU

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.

Lauren Thompson, D.O.

Medical School: Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine

Additional Degrees/Training: N/A

Value-Added Year: Trauma/Critical Care Research, University of Miami

Fellowship: Trauma/Critical Care

Why FAU

Michelle Dugan, M.D.

Medical School: Georgetown University School of Medicine

Additional Degrees/Training: Advanced GI and Hepatobiliary Surgery Research, Advent Health, Tampa

Value-Added Year: Surgical Oncology Research Fellowship, Moffit Cancer Center

Fellowship: Surgical Oncology

Why 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

Maria Herrera Rodriguez, D.O.

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 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, M.D.

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 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

Sara Lee, M.D.

Medical School: Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine

Additional Degrees/Training: M Eng, in Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University

Value-Added Year: Planned for 2024-2025

Fellowship: Undecided

John Nguyen, D.O.

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 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.

General Surgery Residents

PGY 1

PGY II

PGY III

PGY IV

PGY V

Value Added Year