HAMMOND – North Oaks Health has welcomed sixteen physicians in training to North Oaks Medical Center’s Graduate Medical Education program, according to the health system’s Vice President and Designated Institutional Official, Saleta Costanza.
Eight physicians have joined the GME program’s internal medicine residency—now in its third year. At the same time, eight physicians have joined the GME program’s transitional year residency—now in its second year. The residents hail from eight states, including Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma and Texas.
The internal medicine residents are: Melissa Adamaley-Johnson, MD, from the University of Missouri—Kansas City School of Medicine; Noor Ali, MD, from Dubai Medical College for Girls in Al Mizhar, Dubai—United Arab Emirates; Nicholas Hudspeth, DO, from Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine—Louisiana Campus in Monroe; Martin Liu, MD, St. Matthew’s University School of Medicine on Grand Cayman in the British West Indies; Michelle Punsamie, MD, from Saba University School of Medicine in The Bottom, Saba in the Dutch Caribbean; Ludivine Tcheliebou, DO, from New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine in Old Westbury; and Elizabeth “Walton” Turnage, DO, and Connor Wilfawn, DO, from Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine—Louisiana Campus in Monroe.
The transitional year residents are: Whitney Main, DO, from Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine—Louisiana Campus in Monroe; Svetlana Bobkova, MD, from Krasnoyarsk State Medical University in Krasnoyarsk, Russia; Armand Cox, DO, from Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine—Louisiana Campus in Monroe; Meghasree Ganapuram, DO, from Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Conroe, Texas; Jaclyn Murphy, MD, from Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans; Eli Oldham, DO, from Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine in Tulsa; Lauren Smith, DO, from Lincoln Memorial University—DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine in Harrogate, Tennessee; and Matthew Winfield, MD, from Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans.
Both Internal Medicine and Transitional Year Residency Programs are led by Program Director, Dr. John Wuthrich.
The Internal Medicine residency is a three-year program training physicians in managing a wide range of common and complex medical conditions for patients. Residents gain extensive, direct experience in close collaboration with interdisciplinary teams to hone their diagnostic and care management skills.
Throughout the program, residents build their expertise in internal medicine and broaden their understanding of their chosen field through complimentary rotations in other medical specialties like cardiovascular and infectious diseases, critical care, endocrinology, gerontology, gastroenterology, hematology and oncology, neurology, nephrology, rheumatology, and emergency, pulmonary and ambulatory medicine.
The Transitional Year residency is a one-year program for medical graduates seeking broad clinical training experience before pursuing specialty residency or further training. Participants gain a well-rounded foundation through rotations in key medical specialties such as cardiovascular disease, emergency medicine, family medicine, otolaryngology, internal medicine and hospital medicine
The residents will train at North Oaks Medical Center and other North Oaks Health facilities, gaining vital experience and learning from expert physicians on the North Oaks medical staff.
By 2030, North Oaks Medical Center Graduate Medical Education plans to train up to 80 physicians at any given time.
To learn more about residencies at North Oaks Medical Center, visit northoaks.org/gme. You also may contact the program by calling (985) 230-6770 or emailing GME@northoaks.org.
About North Oaks Health
North Oaks Health provides advanced care with local expertise to the Northshore. North Oaks Health’s acute care hospital is home to a Level II trauma center, a primary stroke center and a STEMI receiving center. It’s also home to an award-winning rehabilitation hospital that delivers the best outcomes in the region. And with the region’s largest, community-owned multispecialty provider clinic, the Florida Parishes gain expanded access to specialty care. For more information, please visit northoaks.org.