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Categorical PGY-3

Rita Akumuo

Pronouns: She/ Her/Hers
Hometown: Camden, NJ

About Dr. Akumuo:

Rita Akumuo is a PGY-3 in General Surgery at Temple University. She recently completed 2 years as a research fellow at Fox Chase Cancer Center under the guidance of Dr. Jeffrey Farma, MD FACS and Anthony Villano, MD. She is interested in an academic career in surgical oncology. Her research interests include both translational research and outcomes-based research. Her current research efforts are focused exploring outcomes of various complex oncologic diseases, including pancreatic cancer, gastric cancer, and sarcoma. Rita’s other interests include improvement of access to care, surgical education, and Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) efforts. She currently sits as a member of the Program Evaluation Committee and as well as the resident co-Chair of the departmental DEI Committee. Outside of the residency, she serves as the professional board member(PBM) for the Student National Medical Association Region 8 and member of SSAT DEI committee.

Education:

  • Undergraduate Institution: Syracuse University
  • Medical School: Drexel University College of Medicine, 2016-2020

Fun Facts:

  • Hobbies/Interests: Brunch, lifting/gym, filling various online shopping carts, Real housewives franchise enthusiast
  • Favorite restaurant in Philly: Anywhere brunch is served. Bonus points for bottomless mimosas
  • Favorite Weekend Activity: Leg day, Target trips or sleeping.

 

Natalie DeWitte

Preferred Name: Natalie
Pronouns: She/Her
Hometown: Houston, TX

About Dr. DeWitte:

Dr. DeWitte is a PGY-3 resident who is interested in burn, trauma and ACS.

Education

  • Trinity University
  • Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine

Honors and Awards:

  • Health Professional Scholarship Program, US Navy
  • Alpha Phi Omega
  • Gold Humanitarian Society

Fun Facts:

  • Hobbies/Interests: hiking, working out, trying out new breweries and restaurants, watching trash reality shows
  • Favorite restaurant in Philly: Goat’s Beard

 

Terry P. Gao

Preferred Name: Terry
Pronouns: She/Her
Hometown: Cherry Hill, NJ

About Dr. Gao:

Dr. Gao is a PGY-3 resident at Temple University Hospital. She has just finished 2 years of research, during which time she obtained an MBA and focused her research on health systems. With a planned specialization in breast surgery and endocrine surgery, Terry hopes her unique perspective can bridge the gap between healthcare finance and patient care.

Education:

  • Undergraduate Institution: Penn State
  • Medical School: Sidney Kimmel Medical College
  • Additional Degrees: MBA

Honors and Awards:

  • Harwick Research Symposium, Top Presenter, 2024
  • Metropolitan Philadelphia Chapter American College of Surgeons, Top Presenter, 2024
  • Harwick Research Symposium, Top Presenter, 2023
  • Owl Ribbon for Excellence in Teamwork, 2022
  • The Women’s Board of TJUH, Finalist Grant Recipient, 2019
  • American Heart Association EmPOWERED to ServeTM Philadelphia, Grant Recipient, 2018
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology: Grand Hack Finalist         , 2016

Fun Facts:

  • Hobbies/Interests: Ballroom dancing, painting, sketching, making clothes, the beach
  • Favorite restaurant in Philly: Too many great ones! Maybe Kayala, Tulip, and most omakases

 

Simran Kripalani

Preferred Name: Simran
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Hometown: Edison, NJ

About Dr. Kripalani:

Dr. Kripalani is a PGY-3 General Surgery resident at Temple University Hospital. Prior to medical school, Simran was an EMT. She has performed research in colorectal surgery and surgical oncology, end-of-life and palliative care, and medical education. Simran is passionate about the humanities in medicine as well as combating healthcare disparities. She is interested in palliative care, emergency general surgery, and GI surgery. 

Education:

  • Undergraduate Institution: Villanova University (BS)
  • Medical School: Cooper Medical School of Rowan University (MD)

Honors and Awards:

  • Distinction in Research, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University
  • Excellence in Service Award, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University
  • Gold Humanism Honor Society

Fun Facts:

  • Hobbies/Interests: Acrylic painting, illustration, Singing Indian classical music, Puzzling, hot yoga
  • Favorite restaurant in Philly: Xiandu & via locusta
  • I am a dog and cat mom!

 

Jaina Lane, MD

Preferred Name: Jay
Pronouns: she/her
Hometown: Raleigh, NC

About Dr. Lane:

Dr. Lane is a PGY-3 in General Surgery at Temple University. She is interested in pursuing a career in plastic surgery. Her other interests include medical education and diversifying the physician workforce. 

Education:

  • Undergraduate Institution: Harvard University, 2014-2018 
  • Medical School: University of Virginia School of Medicine, 2018-2022 

Fun Facts:

  • Hobbies/Interests: movies, game nights, church
  • Favorite restaurant in Philly: Osteria

 

Sarah Macy Lawler, MD

Preferred Name: Macy
Pronouns: She/Her
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY

About Dr. Lawler:

Dr. Lawler is a PGY-3 resident. While she is currently undecided as to her future surgical specialty, she is potentially interested in breast surgery and endocrine surgery. Prior to residency, she performed research in value-based approaches to care in both orthopedic and colorectal surgery. She is currently involved in research projects in endocrine surgery.

Education:

  • Undergraduate Institution: Hamilton College
  • Medical School: Frank H. Netter, MD School of Medicine, Quinnipiac University

Fun Facts:

  • Hobbies/Interests: exploring Philly on long walks, trashy reality TV shows, reading fiction (when I have time!)
  • Favorite restaurant in Philly: Talula's Garden, LMNO, PHS Pop Up Garden

 

 

Shina Patel, MD

Preferred Name: Shina
Pronouns: she/her
Hometown: Ardsley, NY

About Dr. Patel:

Shina Patel is a PGY-3 in General Surgery at Temple University. She is interested in specializing after residency but is undecided as she has interest in several fields. She is passionate about medical education and equity in access to surgical care.

Education:

  • Undergraduate Institution & Medical School: The Sophie Davis Program at the CUNY School of Medicine, 2015-2022

Honors and Awards:

  • Summa Cum Laude, The Sophie Davis Program in Biomedical Education

Fun Facts:

  • Hobbies/Interests: Fencing, travelling, learning new languages
  • Favorite restaurant in Philly: Kalaya

 

 

Maryclare Taylor

Preferred Name: Mary 
Pronouns: She/Her
Hometown: Las Vegas, New Mexico

About Dr. Taylor:

Dr. Taylor is a PGY-3 resident at Temple University Hospital. She is interested in disparities research pertaining to Surgical Oncology and hopes to pursue an oncology based fellowship.

Education:

  • Undergraduate Institution: Loyola University Maryland
  • Medical School: University of Maryland

Honors and Awards:

  • David R. Gens, MD Shock Trauma Scholarship Recipient, 2020
  • Daisy Award Recipient, Mercy Medical Center, 2018

Fun Facts:

  • Hobbies/Interests: Skiing, Rec league soccer, Hiking, Kayaking, Reading, Watercolor Painting
  • Favorite restaurant in Philly: Caribou Cafe

 

 

Brienne Donovan, MD
Preferred Name: Brie
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA

 

 

About Dr. Donovan

Brienne Donovan is a PGY-3 resident in General Surgery at Temple University. She is interested in specializing after residency but is undecided as she has interest in several fields. She is currently completing two research years and working on bariatric and burn surgery research studies.

Education:

  • Undergraduate Institution and Years: Brown University, 2009-2013
  • Medical School and Years: LKSOM at Temple University, 2015-2019
  • Additional Degrees: Candidate for master’s in professional health education at Temple University

Fun Facts:

  • Hobbies/Interests: reading fiction, indoor cycling
  • Favorite restaurant in Philly: Helm
  • Favorite weekend activity: Reading a book

 

 
Aron Egelko, MD
Preferred Name: Aron
Pronouns: they/them
Hometown: Ventura, California
 

 

About Dr. Egelko

Dr. Egelko is a PGY-3 resident. They are interested in trauma, burns, and critical care with a specific focus on global surgery and health equity. They continue to be involved with disaster research and policy planning at the WHO Knowledge Center for Healthcare in Disasters located at Karolinska Institutet where they completed their research year.  

Education:

  • Undergraduate Institution: University of California, Berkeley 
  • Medical School:  State University of New York Downstate College of Medicine, 
  • Additional Degrees: Masters of Global Health, Karolinska Institutet  

Fun Facts:

  • Hobbies/Interests: Vegan baking, hiking, overpriced exercise classes 
  • Favorite restaurant in Philly: Monster Vegan 

 

 
Rebecca Green, MD
Preferred Name: Rebecca
Pronouns: she/her
Hometown: Wayside, NJ

 

 

About Dr. Green

Rebecca Green is a PGY-3 resident in General Surgery at Temple University. She is interested in pursuing a career in endocrine surgery. After her PGY-2 year, Rebecca performed two years of research that focused on outcomes and disparities in parathyroid and adrenal surgery.  

Education:

  • Undergraduate Institution: Tulane University, 2011 – 2015  
  • Medical School: Tulane University School of Medicine, 2015 – 2019

Honors and Awards:

  • First place award, Robert D. Harwick, MD Resident Research Symposium 

Fun Facts:

  • Favorite restaurant in Philly: K’Far (for brunch!) 
  • Favorite weekend activity: day trips to the beach 

 

 

Miranda Haslam, MD
Preferred Name: Miranda    
Pronouns: she/her
Hometown: Hamburg, PA

 

 

About Dr. Haslam
Miranda is a PGY-3 resident in General Surgery at Temple University Hospital. She is interested in pursuing a career in trauma surgery and critical care and is also pursuing fellowship training in palliative medicine. She is participating in research regarding palliative care in the burn ICU and trauma informed care. She is also interested in narrative medicine.  
 
Education:
  • Undergraduate Institution: The College of William & Mary 
  • Medical School: Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University 
Honors and Awards:
  • Alpha Omega Alpha 
  • Gold Humanism Honor Society 
  • Owl Ribbon for Excellence in Patient Care 
Fun Facts:
  • Hobbies/Interests: reading, hiking, pottery, visiting indie bookstores, exploring Philly’s coffee shops (some of my favorites are Reanimator Coffee and Vibrant Coffee Roasters) 
  • Favorite restaurant in Philly: Talula’s Garden 

 

 

Dylan Kahler, MD
Preferred Name: Dylan
Pronouns: He/His
Hometown: Middletown, DE

 

 

About Dr. Kahler

Dylan Kahler is a PGY-3 resident in General Surgery at Temple University. He is interested in pursuing a career in either plastic and reconstructive surgery or vascular surgery. He has performed research in plastic surgery and surgical oncology.

Education:

  • Undergraduate Institution and Years: University of Delaware, 2010 –2014
  • Medical School: University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 2015 – 2019

Honors and Awards:

  • United States Air Force Health Professions Scholarship, Recipient, 2015
  • Summa Cum Laude, University of Delaware, 2014

Fun Facts:

  • Hobbies/Interests: Exercise, Sailing, Hiking, Kayaking
  • Favorite restaurant in Philly: Zahav
  • Favorite weekend activity: Home Renovations (…if only I were kidding)

 

David Lin, MD
Preferred Name: David
Pronouns: he/him/his
Hometown: Queens, NY

 

 

About Dr. Lin

Dr. Lin is a PGY-3 resident interested in MIS/Bariatric surgery. He is conducting research with Dr. Soans looking into the pre-operative work up of patients undergoing weight loss procedures. He hopes to focus his practice on patients who don’t successfully lose weight after their initial surgery. 

Education

  • Boston University 
  • Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell 

Fun Facts

  • Hobbies/Interests: baseball, electronic music, baking 
  • Favorite restaurant in Philly: technically not a restaurant but Burrito El Feliz 

 

 
Malhar Parikh, MD
Pronouns: he/him/his
Hometown: Bloomfield Township, Michigan
 
 
 
 
 
About Dr. Parikh
Dr. Parikh is a PGY-3 resident at Temple University in General Surgery. He is unsure about what specialty he would like to pursue in the future but is open to suggestions. He’s just happy to be here! 
 
Education:
  • Undergraduate Institution: University of Michigan 
  • Medical School: Tulane 
Fun Facts:
  • Hobbies/Interests: Basketball, cats,  
  • Favorite restaurant in Philly: Don Barriga 
  • I got a puppy recently. 
 

 

Valeda Yong, MD
Preferred Name: Valeda
Pronouns: she/her
Hometown: Boca Raton, FL

 

 

About Dr. Yong

Valeda Yong is a clinical PGY-3 in General Surgery at Temple University. She is interested in pursuing a career in cardiothoracic surgery. After her PGY-2 year, Valeda completed two years of research in surgical education and healthcare disparities, including workforce disparities, in cardiothoracic surgery. She also obtained a MSEd in Professional Health Education during this time. 

Education:

  • Undergraduate Institution: Rice University, 2011 - 2015 
  • Medical School: Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2015 - 2019 
  • Additional Degrees: MSEd, Professional Health Education, Temple University, 2021 - 2023 

Honors and Awards:

  • Robert D. Harwick, MD Resident Research Award, Department of Surgery, Temple University Hospital, 2023 
  • Association for Academic Surgery (AAS) Ethics Committee Cover Art Winner, 2022 
  • Robert D. Harwick, MD Resident Research Award, Department of Surgery, Temple University Hospital, 2022 
  • The William Bligh-Glover, MD Award for excellence in commitment to teaching, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2019 

 

Fun Facts:

  • Hobbies/Interests: DIY and teaching myself new crafts, hiking all of the national parks, bargain shopping, family time 
  • Favorite weekend activity: hiking the Wissahickon with my husband, son, and dog or starting a new craft project