General Surgery Residents
PGY-I
Shannon Baron, MD
Hometown: Vestal, NY
Undergrad School: Susquehanna University
Medical School: Upstate Medical University
What drew me to General Surgery: I have been drawn to General Surgery since I first stepped foot in the operating room during my medical school surgical clerkship. The fast-paced, hands-on nature of surgery along with the intensity and teamwork that takes place in the OR have continued to draw me to the field. The vast amount of medical management and patient interaction involved in General Surgery will allow me to use all my skills and knowledge to best care for my patients.
What do I like to do in my free time: Spending time with friends and family, being outside, exercising and traveling.
Elliot Cha, MD
Hometown: Irvine, CA
Undergrad School: Carnegie Mellon University
Medical School: Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine
What drew me to General Surgery: Surgery is unique in that it provides opportunities to apply both surgical and medical treatments for patients. The streamlined process of the OR is second to none and highlights the power of teamwork and is an added bonus to the specialty
What do I like to do in my free time: Trail running, backcountry snowboarding, work on cars, visiting friends
Makayla Dearborn, MD
Hometown: Brackney, PA
Undergrad School: Syracuse University
Medical School: Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine
What drew me to General Surgery: I was drawn to surgery because of my love for the OR, the challenge of the field, and the chance to have a lasting positive impact on my patients lives. I like general surgery because of the ability to work on the whole body and work with a diverse set of patients.
What do I like to do in my free time: Hiking, backpacking, embroidery, and cuddles with my cat Luna.
Justin Meinert, MD
Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA
Undergrad School: University of Pittsburgh
Medical School: Drexel University College of Medicine
What drew me to General Surgery: From a young age I had worked for my father's family water well drilling business. I prefer to work in a significantly more hands on type of setting. As such, after finding my way to medicine, I have found that surgery allows me to maximize my passion for medicine and the amount of hands on application that I prefer to have in a career.
What do I like to do in my free time: I have been doing CrossFit for the last 5 years. It is a great way to decompress and involve myself in a community and health oriented environment in order to effectively mitigate the various stresses brought on by a rigorous work schedule.
Apar Patel, MD
Emma Satchell, MD
Hometown: Seattle, WA
Undergrad School: Colgate University
Medical School: Tulane University School of Medicine
What drew me to General Surgery: The ability to offer patients definitive solutions to complex problems and the camaraderie in the OR.
What do I like to do in my free time: Spending time with my husband and son, cycling, running, hiking, camping, traveling, and reading.
M. Taha Syed, MD
Hometown: Srinagar, India
Undergrad School: Tyndale Biscoe School
Medical School: Sheikh Zayed Medical College
What drew me to General Surgery: I have always been drawn to the field of surgery due to its fast-paced nature and the ability to make a significant impact on patients' lives. The OR life, the teamwork that is involved in treating patients with different ailments and the emotional rewards of resuscitating patients in emergencies inspires me.
What do I like to do in my free time: In my free time, I enjoy hiking and exploring new trails. I love cooking, watching movies, exploring restaurants and above all spending time with my family and friends.
Alexsandra Taylor, DO
Hometown: Jackson, New Jersey
Undergrad School: Wake Forest University
Medical School: Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine- Middletown, New York
What drew me to General Surgery: The OR is my happy place. It encompasses the epitome of medicine in real time: physiology, anatomy, pharmacology... There is no better preparation for a future in anesthesia than learning surgery my intern year to gain the perspective and appreciation of surgery from this side of the curtain.
What do I like to do in my free time: Enjoying the outdoors, gardening, playing tennis, traveling, visiting art museums, learning foreign languages, cooking, baking, and yoga and meditation.
PGY-II
Lauren Beck, MD
Hometown: Manchester, NJ
Undergrad School: Susquehanna University
Medical School: Cooper Medical School of Rowan University
What drew me to General Surgery: As a medical student, I was rapt during each surgery I had the privilege of attending. All specialties enjoy the satisfaction gleaned from caring for their patients, but none quite so intimately, definitively, and immediately as a surgeon. The OR's fast-paced yet serene environment, artistry, and manual dexterity drew me in. I enjoy the teamwork aspect, and appreciate surgeons' direct and efficient communication style. I admire general surgery's broad scope and diverse fellowship opportunities.
What do I like to do in my free time: Music-violin, trumpet, singing and most recently-ukelele; dance (ballet and tap); exploring the outdoors/hiking/biking/skiing; tennis; baking (ginger cookies are my specialty!); playing board games; home improvement projects; listening to podcasts; watching documentaries and Law and Order: SVU; chilling with friends, family, and my two cats.
Lindsey Bodenhorn, MD
Hometown: Highlands Ranch, Colorado
Undergrad School: University of Colorado at Denver
Medical School: Eastern Virginia Medical School
What drew me to General Surgery: What motivates me in medicine and surgery is impact. Surgery grants the opportunity to serve patients in one of their most vulnerable moments, to enhance their life in a meaningful way – a way that blends the principles of basic biomedical sciences into interpersonal interactions and transformative procedures. I value the high expectations surgeons have held me to over the years to bring out my best and deliver excellent patient care outcomes consistently when the stakes are high. I believe these expectations of surgeons are signs of the field’s deep investment in the personal and professional growth of the next generation – a legacy of impact I am honored to contribute to.
What do I like to do in my free time: Hiking, biking, camping, and playing tennis
Richard Choe, MD
Hometown: Great Neck, NY
Undergrad School: Wesleyan University
Medical School: Tufts University School of Medicine
What drew me to General Surgery: Surgery is an exciting, fulfilling field that is rapidly developing. I treasure the opportunity to work on a team with multiple different kinds of healthcare providers who share the common goal of patient care and optimizing patient outcomes.
What do I like to do in my free time: Writing and playing music, playing golf, and cooking.
Sahejpreet Kaur, MD
Hometown: Kleinburg, Ontario
Medical School: Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
What drew me to General Surgery: The ability to localize disease to a specific point and taking care of the underlying disease process whether it be symptomatic relief or curative. A surgeons care transcends from the operating room to the wards, and provides patients with holistic care.
What do I like to do in my free time: Painting, working out, trying out new recipes, shopping, hanging out with my friends and family
Jieun Lee, MD
Hometown: Orlando, FL
Undergrad School: University of Florida
Medical School: Nova Southeastern University - Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine (NSU MD)
What drew me to General Surgery: While I also love being in the OR and working with my hands, it is what I am doing with my hands and the meaningful difference I can make for a patient with them that makes me most passionate about surgery. I cannot imagine a better honor nor a more humbling experience than to be someone's surgeon and be trusted with such decisive and vulnerable moments in his or her life trajectory.
What do I like to do in my free time: Spending time with friends and family, watching movies, reading, learning foreign languages, having a good cup of coffee or tea.
Fouad Saeg, MD
Hometown: Los Angeles
Undergrad School: University of California, Los Angeles
Medical School: Tulane University School of Medicine
What drew me to General Surgery: My favorite aspect of general surgery is the opportunity to emergently save a patient's life. Clinically, resuscitating a patient following a motor vehicle collision, or emergently heading to the operating room in a patient with pneumoperitoneum is thrilling. The opportunity to develop better, more effective ways of managing these patients, such as evidence-based protocols and wound healing technologies, is stimulating. General surgery affords me the privilege to restore the lives of patients while also providing me with robust clinical material to support my interests in research and innovation.
What do I like to do in my free time: In my free time, I enjoy: starting new home improvement projects, gardening, camping, fishing, cooking, listening to music, and having fun with friends and family.
PGY-III
Sierra Smith, DO
Hometown: Richmond, Virginia
Undergrad School: Virginia Commonwealth University
Medical School: Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine - Virginia Campus
What drew me to General Surgery: Surgery allows me to do a little bit of everything! I really enjoy the challenging and fast paced nature of the surgical field.
What do I like to do in my free time: Hiking with my boyfriend and dog, hanging out with friends, and watching Netflix.
Nikoleta Tellios, MD
Hometown: Toronto, Canada
Undergrad School: Western University
Medical School: University College Cork - Ireland
What drew me to General Surgery: I enjoy the complexity and technical skill involved in surgery. I am also drawn to the unique ability of the specialty to provide immediate interventions and offer patients definitive treatments.
What do I like to do in my free time: Reading a good book, going for a hike, and getting together with friends for board games.
Michael Wilson, DO
Hometown: Lewisberry, Pennsylvania
Undergrad School: University of Delaware
Medical School: Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine - Virginia
What drew me to General Surgery: What drew me most to general surgery was the broad spectrum of opportunities it could provide to me as a resident and physician. It allows me to learn to be a healer with my hands in the OR while simultaneously teaching me to provide the best holistic and well-rounded care to my patients. To have the opportunity to learn to integrate many areas of medicine into one specialty, as a general surgery resident, I know will best serve my current patients and America's servicemen and women who I will eventually serve as a physician in the Air Force Medical Corps.
What do I like to do in my free time: Playing ice hockey; Reading historical non-fiction books; Fishing; Running and lifting weights; Participating in freelance railroad photography
PGY-IV
Ceyda Bertram, MD
Hometown: Rockford, IL
Undergrad School: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Medical School: Albany Medical College
What drew me to General Surgery: Most people look up at the sky and ponder how there are billions of stars encircled by planets that make solar systems, that make up galaxies that are all within a vast universe. They are looking too far. I look at the human body. Trillions of cells of various types are woven together in different patterns of tissue that look very different from each other yet live in harmony without falling apart. In surgery, I can see the masterpiece at work from the inside and the outside, experience the macroscopic, and still treat the microscopic.
What do I like to do in my free time: Rock climbing, playing my keyboard, gathering friends for a night of board games, and trying various cuisines.
Austin Carmack, MD
Hometown: Clatskanie, OR
Undergrad School: Eckerd College
Medical School: University of Central Florida College of Medicine
What drew me to General Surgery: Surgery was my first clinical rotation of medical school, and it was love at first sight. I enjoyed the camaraderie in the operating room and the importance of the surgical team. I have profound respect and appreciate the immediate effect surgery can have on the lives of our patients and their families. I have personally experienced the benefits of a successful surgical outcome but seeing the gratitude of others really stood out to me.
What do I like to do in my free time: Growing up in rural Oregon, I loved the outdoors and running. I traded the pacific northwest for the beaches of sunny Florida when I went away for college. I have enjoyed returning to my rural roots and experiencing all four seasons again here at Guthrie. I love being outside with my family and taking my two little boys to the numerous local parks with my wife. I also joined the Army during PGY2 so I have taken up running again, which has been nice.
Bryant Morocho, MD
Hometown: Wilkes-Barre, Pa
Undergrad School: Wilkes University
Medical School: Indiana University
What drew me to General Surgery: I love the complexity of surgical disease and to work with my hands to help a patient's problems.
What do I like to do in my free time: I like to bake, spend my time outside and spend time with friends with my free time.
Enoch Yeung, MD
Hometown: Hong Kong
Undergrad School: The University of Hong Kong
Medical School: The University of Hong Kong
What drew me to General Surgery: Being a surgeon has been my dream since childhood. To heal the disease with dedication of the knowledge and skills makes my dream come true.
What do I like to do in my free time: All kind of sports, hiking, reading, film, spending time with family.
PGY-V
Amir Bashiri, MD
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
Undergrad School: University of Toronto
Medical School: Central Michigan University
What drew me to General Surgery: As a medical student I was always passionate about the human anatomy and spent most of my days dissecting in the anatomy lab. I later became interested in the intricacies of surgical care from patient encounter during clinic hours, to surgeries and post-surgical management. To me, surgery is a true art performed on the human body and I am honored to be training in this field.
What do I like to do in my free time: In my free time, I play tennis, snowboard, play the piano, watch basketball/football/tennis, and play video games. If there is any time left, I try to read some books.
Rachel Hart, MD
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
Undergrad School: Queens University
Medical School: University College Cork
What drew me to General Surgery: I was drawn to General Surgery for its hands-on nature and the emphasis on teamwork within the specialty. I really enjoy the OR environment and I love the variety within General Surgery.
What do I like to do in my free time: Spending time with family and friends, going to the gym and watching hockey.
David Levine, MD
Hometown: Berkeley, CA
Undergrad School: Brown University
Medical School: University of Queensland-Ochsner Clinical School
What drew me to General Surgery: I loved studying anatomy in my pre-clinical years and I knew that I wanted to be in a procedural field. I also wanted to be able to provide definitive solutions to medical problems. Surgery fit all the criteria I had and, after my first day on my surgical rotation, I was hooked. I knew that surgery would be exciting for me and provide me the opportunity to continue learning and develop new skills.
What do I like to do in my free time: Riding my bike, running, cooking, listening to music, and being outdoors.
Michael Shields, MD
Hometown: Niskayuna, NY
Undergrad School: Providence College
Medical School: Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
What drew me to General Surgery: I appreciate working with a team dedicated to helping people. Learning new things everyday makes coming to work exciting and fresh on a daily basis. I look forward to being a lifelong learner in the constantly evolving field of surgery.
What do I like to do in my free time: Baseball, basketball, softball, golfing, snowboarding, visiting the lake and surrounding hiking trails.