Meet Our Residents

Dr. Elizabeth Cifuentes was born in Bogota, Colombia and moved to the suburbs of Philadelphia when she was 10 years old. She obtained her undergraduate degree in Neuroscience from Swarthmore College. After working closely with patients and physicians on a clinical research study, she was motivated to veer toward a career in medicine. She completed a post-bac at Thomas Jefferson University and then moved to the other side of PA to attend medical school at the University of Pittsburgh. She is ecstatic to be back in Philadelphia and to be close to family. Outside of medicine, she enjoys running with her dog, climbing, biking, spending time outdoors, and traveling. 

Dr. Ted Frederic was born in Brooklyn, NY but raised in south Florida for the majority of his childhood. He completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Florida and received a master’s in science at Johns Hopkins University. He then went on to complete his medical degree at Nova Southeastern University. He is potentially interested in regional and chronic pain but is still very open to exploring different fields of anesthesia. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, landscape photography, playing the piano, trying new restaurants, watching movies and hanging out with friends and family in general.

Dr. Brogan Galbreath is from the small town of Lititz, Pennsylvania. He completed an undergraduate degree in biology with a minor in Spanish at Villanova University, during which he worked as an EMT. He continued on to Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine for medical school and is completing an internal medicine intern year at Temple. During his days off, he mostly enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter, but also enjoys playing ice hockey and golf, cooking, and playing the guitar.

Dr. Chris Griesser was raised in the Philadelphia suburbs. He received his undergraduate degree from West Chester University. Prior to completing medical school at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, he spent several years serving in various roles in emergency services. Outside the hospital, he enjoys sports, travel and time with family.

Dr. Sarah Lee was born and raised in Seattle, Washington. She completed her undergraduate degree in Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology at Emory University. She worked as a lab manager at the Emory Genetics Lab before making her way up to Philadelphia for a post-baccalaureate degree at the University of Pennsylvania. Before starting medical school at Drexel College of Medicine, she was a medical scribe at the Scheie Eye Institute and conducted clinical research in strabismus. Outside the hospital, she enjoys the outdoors, whether it's biking, hiking, running or playing tennis. She plans vacations around the coolest dive spots around the world. She is a big foodie and can always find her at different restaurants around Philadelphia during her free time with her family and friends.

Dr. Michael McCarthy grew up in East Norriton, Pennsylvania. He attended the University of Scranton for his undergraduate education before returning home for medical school at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. His professional interests include neuraxial anesthesia, healthcare economics, and mentorship. Outside of the hospital, he enjoys playing golf, Philadelphia sports, stand-up comedy, and spending time with friends and family.

Dr. Kelly Montgomery grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia. She completed her medical school degree at Temple University and now is continuing on to become an anesthesiologist. She has a passion for global medicine and goes on medical mission trips every year. She is an avid pickleball player, and enjoys volleyball, swimming, skiing and tennis as well. Also in her free time, Kelly enjoys banh mi with her friends, game nights, and cooking.

Dr. Rushi Shah is a native of Connecticut. He studied physiology and healthcare policy at the University of Connecticut. He completed his medical school at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine and a transitional year internship at Inspira Health Network before joining Temple Anesthesiology. He is clinically interested in Point-of-care ultrasound and regional anesthesia as well as health equity and political advocacy. When not at the hospital, you can find him trying new restaurants in Philadelphia, playing tennis/pickleball with his twin brother, or traveling to one of his favorite beaches.

Dr. Patrick Araya was born in Gainesville, Florida but grew up mostly in Ambler, PA. He received his bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh and received his medical degree from Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University. He also completed his intern year at Temple University Hospital. (Temple made!) This year he is most looking forward to getting experience in each of the different fields of anesthesia. In his free time, he enjoys watching the Philadelphia 76ers, the Pittsburgh Steelers, running, history, spending time with friends and family, serving at his church, as well as watching and performing improv comedy.

Dr. Danielle Boateng is a Maryland native. She attended the University of Maryland, Baltimore County where she completed her undergraduate degree in Biology with a minor in Dance. She then went on to complete her medical training at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania where she served as president of the Student National Medical Association. She completed her internship in Internal Medicine at Temple University Hospital. She enjoys traveling, attending concerts, trying new restaurants and dancing.

Dr. Chidinma Ezeonu was born in Nigeria and came to the United States at the age of 7 with her parents and siblings. She grew up in Northern New Jersey and attended Rutgers University in New Brunswick for her undergraduate degree and during that time transitioned into the joint BA-MD program at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. She then completed an Internal Medicine Residency program at RNJMS in Newark, New Jersey. Following her training, this Jersey girl finally left the state to work as a Locum Tenens Hospitalist in Maine, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Minnesota. Outside of medicine, her interests include spending quality time with her very large family, cooking, exploring restaurants and international travel.

Dr. Ashley Haynes was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. She received her bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College where she was also a four-year track & field athlete. She obtained her medical degree from Tufts University School of Medicine. Her hobbies include traveling, cooking, playing basketball, watching sports, and spending time with friends and family.

Dr. Danick Joseph is originally from Cap-Haitien, Haiti. He moved to his hometown of Fort Lauderdale, Florida at the age of 8. He attended the University of Miami school of Medicine, and is excited to join the anesthesiology residency program at Temple. Outside of work his hobbies include most sports, but especially football, basketball, martial arts, and cycling. He enjoys reading and writing, and gaming with his friends online.

Dr. Candice McCloud was born and raised in the diverse Essex County in northern New Jersey. She attended Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio and completed a degree in Nutritional Biochemistry & Metabolism with a minor in music. For medical school, she attended Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C. Dr. McCloud is committed to providing holistic and compassionate patient care and views it as foundational for her training. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music, playing her flute, traveling and spending quality time with friends and family.

Dr. Whitney Melvin is from Wilson, North Carolina and obtained a degree in Exercise and Sport Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She then went on and completed medical school at East Carolina University. Outside of work she enjoys trying different restaurants in Philadelphia, reading, dancing, traveling, and spending time with her family. 

Dr. Aidan Pearigen was born and raised in San Diego, California. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degree in Bioengineering from the University of California, Los Angeles. He then received his medical degree from the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University. During medical school he also became a commissioned officer in the US Navy through the Health Professions Scholarship Program. His intern year was completed at Temple University Hospital in Internal Medicine. In his free time, he enjoys video games, trying new restaurants, cooking, and spending time with his family and friends.

Dr. Samantha (Sam) Pharo was born and raised in South Jersey.  She completed her undergraduate degree in Chemistry at Loyola University in Baltimore, MD and then went on to medical school at Rowan School of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed her intern year in Internal Medicine before joining the Temple Anesthesiology Department to finish her residency training. In her free time, she enjoys taking on home-improvement projects, building furniture, exercising, exploring different restaurants, trying new food, and playing with her two puppies, Rosie and Poppy.

Dr. Michael Stelmach grew up in Reading, PA. He went to school at the University of Pittsburgh for his undergraduate degree in Biology and obtained his Doctorate of Medicine at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine. He completed his intern year at Inspira Mullica Hill. Dr. Stelmach enjoys spending time with family, golfing, cooking, and rooting for Philadelphia sports teams.

Dr. Dhruv Vasant was born in Bronx, NY but was raised in Central Jersey. He completed his undergraduate degree in Biomedical Engineering at Rutgers University in New Brunswick. He then went on to complete his medical education at Saint George’s University in True Blue, Grenada. Dr. Vasant pursued a career in Internal Medicine and completed his residency at RWJ Barnabas Jersey City Medical Center. He then worked as a critical care hospitalist at Brown University; he also served as Clinical Assistant Professor for the Warren Alpert School of Medicine for a few years during which time he decided that his true passion lay in Anesthesiology. He worked as a hospitalist and was clinical faculty at Thomas Hospital in Mobile, Alabama for a year before returning to Philadelphia to complete his Anesthesia training at Temple University. Outside of work he enjoys cooking, traveling, watching movies and TV shows, and reading.

Dr. Nebiyat (Nebi) Zewdie was born and raised in Maryland. He attended University of Maryland, Baltimore County for his undergraduate education and Howard University for medical school. He completed my intern year in Internal Medicine at Temple. He likes to play basketball and soccer in his downtime. He is also a big gamer and anime fan.

Dr. Nisha Branch, is a dedicated professional providing compassionate care, with a goal to facilitate a positive operative experience for patients. She completed her undergraduate degree at The University of Virginia, and received a Masters of Public Health in Epidemiology from the George Washington University. She then went on to complete her medical degree at Howard University College of Medicine where she was also the National President of the Student National Medical Association. Dr. Branch completed two years of General Surgery training at Howard University Hospital, and before joining Temple, she worked in Orthopaedic Surgery at New York Presbyterian. Raised in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Dr. Branch has returned home to complete her Anesthesia training at Temple. She enjoys carpentry projects, traveling, watching movies, and spending time with friends, family, and her dog, BJ.  

Dr. Jil Decker is a New Jersey native who has taken the scenic route to their home in the Anesthesiology department at Temple. Jil spent almost a decade in Newark, New Jersey, where they attended college at New Jersey Institute of Technology and medical school at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. There, they were inspired by their patients and mentors to pursue research and advocacy in healthcare and education for underserved and minority populations. They spent a year pursuing a Distinction in Research at University of Minnesota, where they concentrated their efforts on the care of transgender youth. They completed an intern year in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, followed by two years in General Surgery at University of Connecticut. They couldn't be more excited to be finishing their residency journey at Temple University, where they've now finished an intern year in Internal Medicine and look forward to completing their training in Anesthesiology. Outside of work, they enjoy spending time with friends, family, and their cat, Snoop.

Dr. Perfecto Guinto Galido III was born in Northeast Philadelphia and raised in North Wales, PA. He completed his undergraduate degree in biology at Drexel University in West Philadelphia. Before starting medical school at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Greensburg, PA, he worked as a medical scribe at an outpatient Hematology-Oncology clinic in Abington, PA while also working as an ER technician at level 1 trauma center at St. Mary’s Medical Center in Bucks County, PA. He completed his internship/transitional year with Rowan’s School of Medicine in New Jersey. He has joined Temple University Hospital this year to complete his three year anesthesiology training. Outside of the hospital he enjoys being with his family, traveling with his fiancee and dog, playing basketball, playing video games, going for hikes, watching anime, and working out. Fun fact: Temple University Hospital runs in his family! His father, Dr. Perfecto Galido Jr. completed his anesthesiology residency at Temple in 2002. His mother, Perla Galido, is a Temple PACU nurse that has been with the hospital for 20+ years. His aunt, Janet Guinto, is a Temple Pre-op nurse.

Dr. Andrew Harrison was born and raised in central New Jersey. He went to college at Rutgers University New Brunswick in New Jersey where he majored in physics and genetics. He then attended a joint MD-PhD program at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. His PhD was in clinical research. The subject of his doctoral dissertation was automated sepsis detection and intervention. This research was performed with Critical Care at Mayo Clinic. He then went on to continue clinical informatics research with Critical Care at Mayo Clinic in a postdoc. After this he worked in the biomedical device industry. His hobbies include reading, massive road trips, and submission grappling.

Dr. Eileen Jin grew up in Albany, New York. She went to Dartmouth College for her undergraduate degree in chemistry and completed medical school at Georgetown University. She did her preliminary internship at Temple. In her free time, Eileen enjoys brunch with her friends, working out, and her cat, Whiskers.  

 

Dr. Francis Navarra is a Los Angeles native, non-traditional, and first-generation in every sense. He had previous aspirations of pursuing a career as a skateboarder but got his act together and attended several community colleges prior to transferring to the University of California at Irvine majoring in Molecular Biology & Biochemistry. He packed up his flip flops, board shorts, and skateboards and attended medical school at Georgetown where he was involved in the mentorship of students coming from a similar background. He enjoys the technical and molecular aspects of anesthesia and is interested in academia. He enjoys exploring the many restaurants and parks in Philadelphia with his wife and toddler-aged daughter.

 

 

Dr. Louise Ngo was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA. She received her bachelor’s degree in Biology from Drexel University. She also completed the post-baccalaureate program Drexel Pathway to Medical School and, subsequently, received her medical degree at Drexel University College of Medicine. Her internship year was completed at Temple University Hospital in Internal Medicine. She enjoys playing video games, dancing, exploring new places and restaurants, as well as spending time with her family and two kitties.

 

 

Dr. Justin Penny is a native of Trinidad & Tobago and has lived most of his life in Indianapolis, Indiana. He earned a M.D.-M.B.A. dual degree at the University of Louisville in Kentucky. He completed his Internship in Internal Medicine at Temple University Hospital. His interests include Academic Medicine, Business Administration and Population Health. He enjoys problem-solving, financial derivatives, entrepreneurship, spending time with family, and travelling.

 

 

Dr. Hasan Rashid is a native of Chicago, Illinois. He attended Benedictine University for his undergraduate education and obtained his medical degree from Rush University Medical Center. He completed his intern year in General Surgery at Rush University Medical Center and John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County prior to beginning his training at Temple. His hobbies include video games, music, and cooking. 

 

 

Dr. Faith Robinson is a New York City native, raised in the diverse immigrant community of Queens, NY. She attended New York University, where she obtained her undergraduate degree in Global Public Health/Health Sciences before going on to pursue her medical degree at Virginia Tech Carillon School of Medicine. There she completed a robust 4 year clinical research project exploring the novel application of ultrasound for minimally invasive treatment of fibroids entitled “Histotripsy for the Treatment of Uterine Leiomyomas: A Feasibility Study in Ex Vivo Uterine Fibroids.” Most recently she completed her preliminary year in Internal Medicine at Temple University Hospital. Throughout her medical training, Dr. Robinson has maintained a keen interest in exploring the intersection between population health, epigenetics and healthcare utilization among underserved minority communities. When she is not thinking of ways to improve modern healthcare systems, she enjoys international travel, Pilates, aerial yoga, cooking and quality time with her miniature poodle.

 

 

Dr. Wilton Robinson, Jr. is a native of Atlanta, Georgia. After receiving his undergraduate degree in Psychology at Morehouse College and Masters in Public Health at Columbia University, he completed his medical degree at Georgetown University School of Medicine. Before joining us at Temple, he completed his preliminary internship year in Internal Medicine at Morehouse School of Medicine. In his free time, he enjoys quality time with his family, sports, and exploring restaurants around Philadelphia.

 

 

Dr. Sohan Warusha was born and raised in Sri Lanka and migrated to the US at age 12. His early exposure to poor healthcare in Sri Lanka motivated him to become a physician. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Maryland and completed his medical education at Georgetown University. Dr. Warusha loves growing orchids, maintains an aquarium, and runs a fantasy football league during his free time.

Dr. Juan Bedoya is passionate about delivering optimal patient care and ensuring patient safety in the operating room. He is interested in difficult airways and the use of ultrasound in anesthesiology. He completed his undergraduate degree from Davidson College in Davidson, NC and completed his medical degree at the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Erie, PA. He completed his internship year in Internal Medicine at Temple University Hospital.  

Dr. Anna-Kaye Brown takes pride in her work ethic and strives to promote teamwork and inclusivity amongst her team. Her years as a nursing assistant fostered a value for patient advocacy which further inspired her leadership in a student Hotspotting learning collaborative to identify and support medically complex patients who are high-utilizers of health care resources. She is a native of Jamaica who grew up in Maryland, and enjoys playing tennis, hiking, cooking, and learning to play the saxophone. After receiving her undergraduate degree in Biology at the University of Maryland she graduated from Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine and then completed her preliminary year in Medicine at Temple.  

Dr. Wayne Darisaw is a native of Louisville, Georgia. He attended Georgia State University for his undergraduate degree and Morehouse School of Medicine for his Medical Doctorate. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family, lifting weights, watching sports, and listening to music.  

Dr. Aloise Diedrich is a native of Maryland and completed her medical degree at University of Maryland School of Medicine. The foundations of her anesthesiology practice are her background in chemistry and enthusiasm for efficient, high-quality patient care. She obtained her undergraduate degree in chemistry at Towson University where she served as a lab instructor and biophysical chemistry researcher before starting medical school. She completed her preliminary internship in internal medicine at Greater Baltimore Medical Center. Outside of work, she enjoys playing sports, exploring the outdoors, and spending time with family.  

Dr. John Graffe grew up on a small island accessible only by ferry near Seattle and attended medical school at Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences in Yakima, Washington. After obtaining his undergraduate degree in psychology from Whitman College in Walla Walla, WA, he worked as a clinical research coordinator in many different specialties of medicine including pediatric infectious diseases, rheumatology, cardiology, and pulmonology. He also completed a post-baccalaureate pre-medical program at the University of Pennsylvania prior to beginning residency. Before arriving at Temple for anesthesia training, he completed a Transitional Year internship at Nazareth Hospital in North Philadelphia. His interests outside of medicine include domestic and international travel (he has been to 35 states and 40 countries), backpacking, biking, sailing, cooking, nature photography, and playing with his rambunctious dog.  

Dr. Tiashi Greer is a native of Nashville, TN where she attended the Tennessee State University for her undergraduate education. She obtained her medical degree from Northeast Ohio Medical University while simultaneously completing her MBA at Urbana University. Dr. Greer has spent some time in various countries throughout her career including China, Honduras, England, and the islands in Caribbean for mission work, business ventures, and expanding her medical knowledge. Her hobbies include cooking, traveling, dance, martial arts, outdoor activities and raising her two South African Mastiff pups.  

Dr. Kendarrious Lewis is from a small town on the Mississippi/Louisiana border known as Franklinton, LA. He attended Southeastern Louisiana University where he obtained his degree in Microbiology. He is a graduate of Meharry Medical College, and completed his internship in Internal Medicine at UAB-Montgomery. His hobbies include comic books, video games, and listening to music, particularly Mariah Carey.  

Dr. John Mekail is a California native who has spent the last 6 years in the northeast and is absolutely loving it! He is interested in regional and chronic pain as it encompasses his immediate and long-term goals for his patients. He went to graduate school at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, graduated from George Washington University School of Medicine and finished his intern year at Temple.  

Dr. Aldo Morante was born and raised in Perú. The altruistic profession of his father as a minister along with his own fascination with science drove him to pursue a career in medicine. He immigrated to the U.S. where he completed his undergraduate degree in biology at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. He obtained his medical degree from Rush University Medical College in Chicago and subsequently completed an Internal Medicine residency. He has a passion for overseas medical missions which has been a strong drive for him to pursue further medical education in the specialty of Anesthesiology  

Dr. Jonathan Scrobola is a Pennsylvania native hailing from the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area. He received his B.S. in Biology from King’s College, Wilkes-Barre, and his osteopathic medical training from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. He completed Medicine Internship at Temple University Hospital. Dr. Scrobola obtained his single-engine pilot’s certificate prior to his undergraduate studies and has maintained flight proficiency throughout his training. 

Dr. Terre is a native of Jacksonville, Florida who migrated to Philadelphia 7 years ago. He completed his undergraduate Biology degree with honors from the University of Florida. He obtained his Doctorate of Medicine from Temple University School of Medicine, and completed 2 years of General Surgery training before beginning his training in Anesthesiology. His hobbies include running, weightlifting, and cooking. 

Dr. Mohamed Yousif is a native of Scottsdale, AZ and completed his undergraduate training in Biological Sciences with a particular interest in Psychology from Arizona State University. He then went on to Florida where he obtained his medical degree from the University of Miami in Florida before joining us at Temple to pursue his Anesthesiology training. He enjoys traveling, participating in sports, and engaging with people from all walks of life.