GULFPORT, Miss. (WLOX) – Memorial Graduate Medical Education (GME) with Memorial Health System honored its new physicians Wednesday at the 2024 White Coat Ceremony at the Great Southern Club.

Memorial said 10 family medicine and 10 internal medicine resident physicians received their white coats — the largest class GME has had to date.

Some of the new physicians said they will stay on the coast.

Memorial says the goal of the program is to bring more doctors to South Mississippi. The health system hosts the only civilian residency on the Coast and currently has 46 residents in its program.

GULFPORT, Miss. – June 26, 2024 – Memorial Health System welcomed 20 new medical residents to its Graduate Medical Education (GME) program during its White Coat Ceremony held on June 26 in Gulfport, representing the largest to date at Memorial. White Coat Ceremonies are a rite of passage to emphasize the importance of compassionate patient care at the very start of training.

This ceremony celebrates the fourth class of Family Medicine residents and the second class of Internal Medicine residents for the program, aimed to train and graduate well-balanced, compassionate physicians who are willing and dedicated to practice the highest level of medicine.   

Family Medicine residents include:

• Dr. Ali Alherimi
• Dr. Manisha Bandamede
• Dr. Caleb Bowen
• Dr. Carl DiBlasio
• Dr. Fabio Lugo
• Dr. Emmanuel Ogunleye
• Dr. Kayla Price
• Dr. Luis Selles Ramos
• Dr. Tejasvitaa Ravilla
• Dr. Hrishita Tiwari

Internal Medicine residents include:

• Dr. Salman Bari
• Dr. Logan Boutwell
• Dr. Bradley Lassiegne
• Dr. Joshua Luke
• Dr. Nikhil Mardhekar
• Dr. Jacob Rovira
• Dr. Naga Sunkara
• Dr. William Walker
• Dr. Saeeda Yasmin
• Dr. Hamid Anam (PGY2)

With the addition of these classes, Memorial now boasts 46 medical residents. There is a significant economic impact to sponsoring a residency program, including job creation, stronger hospitals, and research.

“We are excited to welcome our largest group of Family Medicine and Internal Medicine residents to date to Memorial Health System and the Mississippi Gulf Coast,” says Dr. Wayne Latack, Memorial GME Designated Institutional Official. He continues, “We have a talented group of residents joining us who are looking forward to becoming part of our community.”

Memorial Health System has been the premier medical center for the Mississippi Gulf Coast for more than 75 years, with over 300 physicians on its medical staff. Specialty providers offer comprehensive, progressive services and care to a thriving community.

Residents will begin rotations on July 1, 2024.

Joining us in studio is Dr. Gretchen Holmes, the designated Institutional Official for Memorial Hospital’s graduate medical education program.

Dr. Holmes is here to tell us about Match Day which takes place today at 2 p.m. at the Memorial Medical Office Building Atrium.

India, Puerto Rico, Texas, and California are just some places where Memorial Health System is expecting new residential physicians over the next three years.

“When they come to us, they are physicians, we call them resident physicians and when they are done after their three years, then they will graduate, take their boards, and go into private practice,” said Dr. Gretchen Holmes.

Dr. Holmes is excited about the incoming group. These candidates will land in three departments: family medicine, internal medicine, and pharmacy. Internal medicine received more candidates this year than in previous years and this is something that Dr. Holmes is looking forward to.

“Their applications were so strong, they wanted to take advantage of having those applicants this year, so we expanded it by a couple of seats,” said Dr. Holmes.

“Whenever they come in their first year, they will do a few rotations in pediatrics, and internal medicine as well as some specialties in psychiatry, cardiology, and sports medicine,” Dr. Eugide Othepa said.

Dr. Othepa and Dr. Travis Webster are a part of the family medicine department. They say the candidates will get hands-on experience from the beginning of their shift. They also remember their first time being a resident physician.

“You go from being a student to being a provider and that transition can be a little nerve-wracking, but you always have a supporting team around you,” said Dr. Othepa.

“My first rotation I was a pediatrician. Dealing with little kids and newborns from day one was a little strange but there is a good support system here,” said Dr. Webster.

All three doctors say while they are all excited for the candidate’s future, they want to make sure they can provide the best treatment for them no matter what their decision is once they graduate.

“So, with the program here, we’re growing that number of future primary providers and hopefully some of them will stay here and continue to serve the community,” said Dr. Othepa.

“We’re fulfilling a couple of goals here, but the main thing is we want to create really good doctors and that’s what we are doing,” said Dr. Holmes.

The incoming employees will begin on July 1.

The graduate medical education program at Memorial was awarded funds to help educate physicians.

Physicians doing a residency work closely with the hospital to gain real-world experience.

During this time, they can also study upcoming research as well as do their own.

The Office of Mississippi Physician Workforce awarded more than $10,000 to fund the education of physicians in this program.

With this money, Memorial Hospital will be able to provide books, journals, and send physicians to conferences.

Wayne Latack, internal medicine program director at Memorial Hospital said, “90% of education and development comes from seeing patients, but this other 10% is so important. To get these materials, to present your findings at conferences, to get good at speaking in front of other people, promoting your residents, and learning how to critically appraise information, all of that plays into you being a better person and a better physician.”

The donation was divided up between different practices.

Wednesday at the Great Southern Club, the new medical residents completed a rite of passage by receiving their white coats. For the next three years, these medical school graduates will continue their training as physicians at Memorial Health System.

The new Family Medicine residents include:

• Dr. Ornella Saborido Battaglia
• Dr. Heriberto Casanova, Jr.
• Dr. Alex Cole
• Dr. Hunter Cooper
• Dr. Shawn Friedland
• Dr. Charles Furlan, Jr.
• Dr. Giannina Rodriguez-Golderos
• Dr. Abraham Gobel
• Dr. Sana Jaffery
• Dr. Kyle Strickland
• Dr. Praseeda Akella

The inaugural class of Internal Medicine residents includes:

• Dr. Rahila Ali
• Dr. Taylor Brewer
• Dr. Bolos Gerges
• Dr. Ryan Moses
• Dr. Ansh Purohit
• Dr. Deepak Raj

Dr. Hunter Cooper, a new Family Medicine resident, told WLOX the road to being a medical professional has been long, but worth it.

“You know, Mississippi is last in a lot of things, and our physician numbers- our disparities- are some of the worst in the nation, so I felt like it’s worth it,” Dr. Cooper said. “To be able to work back in Mississippi… I’m really glad Memorial opened a residency where I can train and eventually practice where I want to be- which is the Mississippi coast.”

With the addition of these classes, Memorial now boasts 36 medical residents.