General Surgery Residents

PGY-I

BeckLauren 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.

 

CaselliMorgan Caselli, MD

Hometown: Peckville, Pa
Undergrad School: The University of Scranton
Medical School: Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine
What drew me to General Surgery: I enjoy the team dynamic, the diverse patient population, and the intricate procedures that allow for a hands-on approach to patient care.
What do I like to do in my free time: Going to spin class, practicing yoga, crocheting, reading, and spending time with my puppy, Lily.

 

ChaiSeungwoo Chai, MD

Hometown: Seoul, South Korea
Undergrad School: University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Medical School: St. Matthew's University of Medicine
What drew me to General Surgery: Through my clinical rotation, I realized the importance of surgery as a critical step that can drastically affect the rest of a patient's life and that of his/her family members as well. I believe that hospitals should serve as educational institutions that can enable patients to live better lives with proper treatment. My life's philosophy is to create value out of the time I spend with people, and as a doctor, I have worked hard to equip myself to achieve this in my practice. Although surgery covers a wide range of responsibilities, it is gratifying to help contribute to a healthy society, fulfilling my life-long efforts to serve our community.
What do I like to do in my free time: I enjoy running, skiing, and frequenting sculptural art exhibits.

 

ChoeRichard 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.

 

InamdarApurva Inamdar, MD

Hometown: West Chester, PA
Undergrad School: Penn State University, PA
Medical School: Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine
What drew me to General Surgery: Surgery integrates and applies knowledge of all different medical sciences ranging from anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, pathology, as well as procedural skills and medical equipment technology. Learning to apply this knowledge and skills to bring a patient's life quality to as normal as possible is a very rewarding experience.
What do I like to do in my free time: Reading, going on long walks, playing piano, spending time with family and friends.

 

LeeJieun 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.

 

Chris RobertChris Robert, MD

Hometown: India/UAE
Medical School: Father Muller MedicaI College
What drew me to General Surgery: I have always been enthralled by the duality of surgery as both art and science - a marriage of medicine and technology that forms a craft and a tool for good. I seek to engage the innovative spirit that drives medical progress while maintaining my focus on the vulnerable human person at the locus of care. It is my goal always to embrace that sacred commitment.
What do I like to do in my free time: Spending time with my family and traveling!

 

SaegFouad 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-II

BodenhornLindsey 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

 

SmithSierra 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.

 

TelliosNikoleta 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.

 

WilsonMichael 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-III

Bertram_CeydaCeyda 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.
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Carmac_AustinAustin 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.

 

Morocho_BryantBryant 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

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-IV

Amir Bashiri, MDAmir 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, MDRachel 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, MDDavid 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.

 

PGY-V

Jennifer Brown, MDJennifer Brown, MD

Hometown: Bethalto, IL
Undergrad School: Washington University in St. Louis
Medical School: Southern Illinois University School of Medicine
What drew me to General Surgery: The people. My surgery rotations were always my most enjoyable because the attendings and residents had such an incredible passion for their patients and their work.
What do I like to do in my free time: Cycling, painting, going out with friends, home improvement projects, and hanging out with my dogs.

 

Luke Dombert, MDLuke Dombert, MD

Hometown: Endicott, NY
Undergrad School: Wilkes University
Medical School: SUNY, Upstate Medical University
What drew me to General Surgery: I was drawn to General Surgery because I think medicine as a whole is fascinating and I enjoy being a part of active interventions.
What do I like to do in my free time: Enjoying the outdoors by playing soccer, fishing, hunting, canoeing, and skiing.

 

Swadha Das Guru, MDSwadha Das Guru, MD

Hometown: Ranchi, India
Medical School: Kasturba Medical College, India
What drew me to General Surgery: Surgery is a combination of clinical knowledge and technical skills. I love to take on the challenges that we get to experience on a daily basis and draw immense satisfaction from my work. It has a lot of scope for innovation and allows one to develop a style of their own.
What do I like to do in my free time: Listening to music, reading a book, hiking/biking, catching up with friends and family.

 

KellerHilary Keller, MD

Hometown: Ellicott City, MD
Undergrad School: University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)
Medical School: University of Queensland, School of Medicine, Ochsner Clinical School
What drew me to General Surgery: The opportunity for positive clinical outcomes in surgical patients, the technical demands, peri- and intra-operative decision-making, and the opportunity to participate in multi-disciplinary boards for the clinical management of patients drew me to choose General Surgery.
What do I like to do in my free time: Traveling to visit friends and family, going to the beach, swimming, running or boxing, reading, listening to music, streaming TV.

 

Xujun June Liu, MDXujun June Liu, MD

Hometown: Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
Undergrad School: Bard College
Medical School: SUNY Upstate Medical University
What drew me to General Surgery: The challenges and rewards brought by a career in surgery, as well as the ability and responsibility to help those in need.
What do I like to do in my free time: Reading novels; listening to music; traveling.