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PGY3 resident physicians Simra Kiran, MD, and Swetha Priyadarshan, MD, celebrated the next steps in their careers on November 29, 2023, during Fellowship Match Day. 

Dr. Kiran will join the University of Louisville School of Medicine’s Pulmonary / Critical Care Fellowship in Louisville, KY, in the summer of 2024. She came to Baptist North Mississippi’s Internal Medicine residency program from the University of Louisville in 2021, where she previously served as a clinical research professional and earned her Master’s of Science in Health Administration. 

Dr. Priyadarshan matched into the Endocrinology Fellowship Program at the University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville, VA. In the summer of 2023, she completed an away rotation with the program and enjoyed her time getting to know the leadership, trainees, and area.

Zachary Ellis, DO, received the honor of being accepted to the American Osteopathic Association’s Training in Policy Studies (TIPS) Program, with further distinction of being named as the inaugural Student Osteopathic Medical Association Foundation (SOMAF) David F. Hitzman, DO, Health Policy Fellow. 

Dr. Ellis is a second-year trainee at the Internal Medicine residency program at Baptist Memorial Hospital – North Mississippi, and was selected for his leadership skills, related experience, passion for service, and for his interest in public policy and health policy. 

“The SOMAF David F. Hitzeman, DO, Health Policy Fellowship was created in memory of Dr. Hitzeman to honor his life and legacy as a supporter for rural health, and for his health policy efforts for DOs at the national, state, and local levels,” according to the organization. “This Fellowship seat provides a SOMA alum the opportunity to build their health-policy expertise and find solutions to improve quality healthcare access for underserved and/or rural populations.” 

The TIPS program, funded by the AOA, is designed to develop in osteopathic physicians the skills they need to analyze, formulate, and implement health policy on the local, state, and national levels with the purpose of expanding access to affordable, quality health care in the communities. It provides participants with an understanding of current health care policy issues and facilitates leadership opportunities. Sessions over the year-long span will cover topics such as physician payment models, health care reform, social determinants of health, the opioid epidemic and current public health issues. Dr. Ellis and his cohort will gain experience by writing policy briefs and white papers, oral testimony, media training, and more. 

Trainees in the BMH-NM Internal Medicine residency program attained quite a few accomplishments in scholarly activity so far in 2023. 

Dr. Swetha Priyadarshan, Dr. Simra Kiran, and Dr. Bilal Abaid flexed their scholarly muscles at the 2023 American College of Physicians Alabama / Mississippi Chapter Meeting in Meridian, MS, in June. The organization selected Dr. Priyadarshan to provide an oral presentation on her abstract titled, “Mifepristone in Exogenous Cushing’s Syndrome,” while Drs. Kiran and Abaid were chosen to display their poster titled, “Takayasu Arteritis causing Subclavian Steal Syndrome and presenting as Syncope: A case report.” 

To close out the summer, Dr. Priyadarshan also traveled to Chicago, Ill., to present the aforementioned case at the Endocrine Society's ENDO2023 annual conference, the top global meeting on endocrinology research and clinical care. Her submission was accepted from entries across the globe. 

Kicking off the fall, Dr. Gabrielle Brewer presented “An Unusual Case of Non-Ischemic Cardiomyopathy and Alpha(1)-Antitrypsin Deficiency” on October 9 at the American College of Chest Physicians’ CHEST Annual Meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii. 

Four resident physicians traveled to Tampa, Florida, to represent the program and present the following cases at the American College of Osteopathic Internists’ ACOI 2023 Convention October 11-12: 

• “Foix Alajouanine Syndrome: An Unique Cervical Variant in a Rare Pathology” - Dr. Sajan Sarker and Dr. Swarna Sarker
  
  
• “Atrial Fibrillation Catheter Ablation Procedure: A Case Report” - Dr. Sajan Sarker and Dr. Swarna Sarker
  
  
• “Two Filter, or Not Two Filter: Rare Anatomical Variant of Inferior Vena Cava” - Dr. Zachary Ellis and Dr. Dakota White 
  
  

Rounding out October, several trainees competed at the annual University of Mississippi Medical Center Department of Medicine’s annual American College of Physicians Abstract Day on October 26. The projects on display and their presenters were: 

• “Spontaneous Lung Herniation: An Unusual Cause of a Pleural Effusion” - Dr. Kelley Bellia
  
  
• “Streptococcus Constellatus Meningitis Complicated by Pulmonary Abscess and Brainstem Infarct” - Dr. Thomas Rabadi
  
  
• “A Case of Gastric Adenocarcinoma in Remission with Nivolumab Immunotherapy” - Dr. Rejina Fahhoum
  
  
• “Ketamine Breaking Persistent V-Tach in the Setting of VT Storm” - Dr. Rejina Fahhoum and Dr. Michael Ghaly 

From left: Drs. Rejina Fahhoum, Kelley Bellia, Sam Harris, Michael Ghaly, and Thomas Rabadi competed at the annual ACP Abstract Day on Thursday, October 26, at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, MS.

Dr. Gabrielle Brewer presented at the American College of Chest Physicians’ CHEST Annual Meeting in Honolulu, HI, on October 9, 2023.

Dr. Swetha Priyadarshan presented at the Endocrine Society's ENDO2023 annual conference in Chicago, IL, in June 2023.

From left: Drs. Bilal Abaid and Simra Kiran presented at the 2023 American College of Physicians Alabama / Mississippi Chapter Meeting in Meridian, MS, in June 2023.

On the evening before interview days, a group of resident physicians host a dinner event to get to know their potential co-residents in a casual setting. On interview days, the prospective resident physicians spend the day in the hospital and in the Baptist Medical Group – Oxford Internal Medicine Clinic learning about day-to-day flow, curriculum, attending didactics, and interviewing with program faculty and leadership. After a welcome breakfast and Town Hall session, they break into groups to progress through their schedule that rotates between interviews, hospital and clinic tours, and resident physician roundtables. The goal for a typical interview day is to bring in 20 candidates per day. 

After the visit and interview days conclude, programs and applicants will submit their rank order lists to the National Residency Match Program (NRMP) by February 28, 2024. Match Week begins Monday, March 11, culminating in Match Day on Friday, March 15

The newest resident physicians in Oxford, MS, started their training off on a high note with an orientation that included education on critical topics, meeting hospital and community leaders, bonding time, and plenty of fun. Designed to set them up for success in their intern year, the two-week period held a mix of learning as well as social events to help welcome them to Oxford and Baptist Memorial Hospital – North Mississippi. 

Continuing a tradition established with the first class in 2021, core faculty members hosted a dinner with the 12 new resident physicians that focused on well-being during the trying times of residency training. Next, current residents and faculty members, along with their loved ones, enjoyed a night of fun, food, and games at Back Nine on the Oxford Square to get to know the new additions and their loved ones better. Finally, BMH-NM CEO and Administrator Brian Welton and his wife Hillary hosted the group and their significant others at a welcome dinner on the Oxford Square. 

The class includes individuals from diverse backgrounds who relocated from far and wide to complete their medical education. Throughout their first few weeks, the PGY1 class hit the ground running in their rotations on the academic hospitalist, clinic, and procedures teams, as well as in BMH-NM's Acute Rehabilitation Unit, Emergency Department, ICU, and Wound Care clinic.