MEET OUR INTERNAL MEDICINE RESIDENTS

Chief Residents
Third Year Residents
Second Year Residents
First Year Residents

I was born in Ghana and received my undergraduate degree and attended medical school at the University of Ghana, where I participated extensively in community service projects. Following medical school, I went on to complete several years of house officer training in Ghana and in Ireland. I have a Masters Degree in Public Health from the Harvard School of Public Health and my hobbies include tennis, soccer, and reading about African history.

I grew up in northwestern Pennsylvania and attended college at Franklin & Marshall College graduating with a degree in Chemistry. After college, I spent time working in biochemistry research at the National University of Singapore and after returning to the US taught 2nd grade in New Hampshire. I felt that a career in medicine was the most effective way for me to do something meaningful in other people's lives. I chose to go to osteopathic medical school in Chicago and was fortunate enough to rotate at large public hospitals such as Cook County where I was able to see first hand the extreme need of underserved populations. I also spent time in Mumbai, India during medical school. I was immediately attracted to Cambridge Health Alliance because it combines my interests of public and community health with a strong academic teaching program and a nurturing environment in which to learn. During my second year of residency I published an article in Community Oncology regarding cancer screening in underserved populations.
Outside of the hospital, I enjoy going to cultural and musical events, exercising, and spending time with my husband.

Charlotte Atiemo

I was born in Washington, DC and graduated from the University of Maryland College Park with a degree in physiology/neurobiology.After graduating college, I began my medical studies at the University Of Virginia School Of Medicine. While in school, I became interested in looking at medicine not just through a scientific approach, but in examining the relationship between health and the social world. My newfound interest spurred me to help bring forth an unprecedented student-led community health fair targeted at the underserved areas surrounding Charlottesville, Virginia. I later went on to produce and direct a documentary entitled "Access to Healthcare", which examined the need for healthcare within Southwest Virginia. I am very excited about the program here at Cambridge Health Alliance and enjoy being part of such a great community.

Arshiya Chhatwal

After volunteering with the Red Cross to help with the emotional and physical devastation caused by a major earthquake in India, I was introduced to the life of a health care provider. Two years later I entered medical school and continued to volunteer my time with adults and children living in the nearby slums. With the best practices and systems knowledge gained in my training, I hope to improve the system in India with backing from one or more non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

Cassie Frank

I was born in Detroit and graduated from the University of Michigan. I then went on to earn a Masters in Public Health from Emory University and a medical degree is from the University of Illinois, Chicago - College of Medicine. Before medical school I worked as a high school science teacher on Chicago's South Side. I have also worked for the Frontier Nursing Service in Appalachia and for the Public Health Service on the Navajo Nation. I have studied health in Ecuador, Mexico, and Cuba.

Eirini Iliaki

I was born in Greece and attended the University of Crete Medical School. After graduating, I came to the US to conduct research in the Mass Eye and Ear Infirmary and completed a preliminary medicine internship at St. Elizabeth's Medical Center. I then went on to earn a Masters in Public Health at the Harvard School of Public Health. While there, I worked on international and domestic projects with the HSPH and the World Bank. I am fluent in Greek and am currently learning Portuguese. My hobbies include running, cooking and theater.

Florian Koci

I was born in Tirana, Albania. A s a teenager, I took part in professional chess competitions. Later, I attended Medical School at the University of Tirana, Albania, but graduated from the medical school of the University of “Tor Vergata” in Rome, Italy. I immigrated to the Boston area in 1996, where I worked for several years providing direct patient care as a registered respiratory therapist at the CHA Somerville Hospital campus and Massachusetts General Hospital. Throughout my career in healthcare I have been part of a minority community, and I have developed an active interest in facilitating medical care for underserved minority populations. Therefore, Cambridge Health Alliance, with its well-established reputation for providing the best quality of care to a wide variety of minority communities, is the ideal environment for me to pursue training in Internal Medicine. My experience so far has definitely exceeded my expectations, especially with regard to the faculty's dedication to resident education. Outside of work, I love playing with my two boys. My hobbies include soccer and chess. I am fluent in English, Albanian and Italian.

Arun Mohan

I was born in Chicago and graduated from Swarthmore College, where I was Editor of the school newspaper. I then attended Emory University School of Medicine and at the same time, completed an MBA with a concentration in Leadership. I also co-founded "Health Students Taking Action Together", a student-led organization that seeks to increase collaboration and civic engagement among students in Georgia. My hobbies include cooking and basketball.

Carmen P. Mohan

I am a graduate of the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, GA. I came to CHA because I believe that primary care physicians play a critical role in reducing health disparities. To promote access to health care, I serve on the Board of Directors of the Community Campus Partnerships for Health (CCPH), which is working to increase civic engagement of health professionals. I have also served on the board of directors for several nonprofit organizations including Health Students Taking Action Together, Inc (Atlanta, GA), and The Third Wave Foundation (New York, NY). I received a Bachelor of Science in Biological Resource Engineering from the University of Maryland at College Park, and after college completed the Jane Addams-Andrew Carnegie Fellow at the Center on Philanthropy in Indianapolis, IN.

Tejpreet Kaur Nakai

Born and raised in the culturally rich settings of New York City and Long Island, I completed a combined Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine program at the New York Institute of Technology and New York College of Osteopathic Medicine. My family and diverse community surrounded me with examples of service, humility, and compassion; medicine seemed to be the most natural outlet for returning these teachings to all those who helped raise me. The Internal Medicine Program at The Cambridge Hospital provides a range of opportunities in a supportive and friendly environment of like-minded and spirited residents and faculty. During the last year I have worked with Dr. Robert Marlin and our Victims of Violence Program to help my clinic patients through the process of seeking asylum and with Dr. Prudence Lam to evaluate cancer health disparities and promote breast cancer screening within the Boston-area African immigrant population. Our Program Directors are our greatest asset; they support each resident in fully developing and exploring his individual interests and career goals. I am fortunate to be training at a progressive program that is both academically challenging and devoted to the welfare of its patients and broader community it serves. I have embraced the community of Cambridge as my own, and I look forward to sharing the principles and values that drove me to become a physician with my community during my phase as a physician-in-training.

Oladapo A. Adewuya

I am partly Nigerian and partly Ghanaian. After graduation and internship from the College of Health Sciences in Nigeria, I received a scholarship to study in Switzerland, where I acquired the Diploma in Health Care and Management in Tropical Countries (HCMTC) from University Of Basel. During this training in Switzerland, I participated in community-based research on Illegal Drugs in Adolescents. Since coming to the US, I performed biomedical research for 2 yrs in University Of Texas. I later completed an Internal Medicine preliminary internship in the Mount Sinai School of Medicine New York in June 2009, before coming to Cambridge Health Alliance. My two boys keep me grounded and young while playing soccer with them. My interests are youth and international soccer, meeting people, cutting edge medicine with research, and space travel.

Jay Bhatt

Jay was humbled and honored to serve as the Immediate Past President of the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) in 2006-2007. He was the first Osteopathic President in the association's 57 year history. In that position he has been an incredible advocate for the profession and medical students and he continues to realize his lifelong dream of mobilizing a cadre of health professionals who are committed to improving health care and the world around us and advocate for prevention.

Like AMSA, Jay takes his roots from Chicago, IL, where his heart still lies. Jay was an undergraduate at the University of Chicago majoring in Economics, earned a Masters in Public Health from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and a graduate of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. But he has traveled extensively both domestically and abroad to promote health and well being while empowering local communities to take charge of their lives, including a trip to El Salvador with Patch Adams to build a health clinic for the underserved. Jay served on the Board of Physicians for a National Health Program, and currently serves on the Board of Justice Speaks, and the Governing Council of the American Public Health Association while working with students to help them become active in the issues that affect their profession, health equity, conflict of interest, public health, students, and patients. Jay has been active in engaging others in state, federal campaigns and Presidential elections. Most recently this has been as a co-founder of South Asians for Obama and National Outreach Director for Doctors for Obama. Last November, Jay was honored with a prestigious award from the American Public Health Association (APHA), the Jay Drotman Memorial Award recognizing his work in challenging the public health issues of our time.

Jay has long promoted the integration of public health, public policy, and activism in medical training. His own career includes receiving a Masters in Public Health from the University of Illinois at Chicago, stints with well-known health care consulting firms including the Lewin Group and Mercer Consulting Group, and time on Capitol Hill in the Congressional Black Caucus Health Brain Trust with Congresswoman Donna Christensen, MD (D-VI). He also has the distinction of being a National Health Service Corps Scholar, and has committed to working in medically underserved areas after completing his medical training. He has led numerous community organizing projects around access to care, HIV/AIDS, and elections. He currently serves as an advisor to the Roosevelt Institute, the nation's first student policy think tank along with working for the Institute for Healthcare Improvement on their health professions education collaborative on patient safety and healthcare quality. He has contributed to his community through AIDS fundraisers, the Punjabi Cultural Society of Chicago and Habitat for Humanity. His peers have praised his work on behalf of many public health causes, including universal health coverage, underserved, poverty and HIV/AIDS awareness.

Jay wishes to bring sustained growth, passion, and most importantly, FUN to each and every future healthcare professional he comes in contact with! Jay is pursuing a Primary Care Internal Medicine residency program at the Cambridge Health Alliance/Harvard Medical School in which he can continue his mission of developing physician leaders in social justice and advocacy, practice prevention, take care of the underserved, and move public policy. I came to CHA because of my desire to train in a public hospital that stands behind its mission, interaction with a diverse population for clinical training, its amazing people and the community, and opportunities for engaging in important public health and policy issues with dynamic faculty.

Kristy Cahill

Kristy was born locally in Stoneham. She studied biochemistry at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where she participated in research on the mechanism of neurologic damage caused by Ecstasy. While attending the University of Massachusetts Medical School, she has been active as a peer tutor and also volunteered in a free clinic and soup kitchen. Throughout college and medical school, she worked as an ophthalmic technician. Kristy is recently married (congratulations!). Her hobbies take her to the outdoors and include jogging, hiking, basketball, and softball.

Malgorzata Dawiskiba

I was originally born in Poland but by the age of 2 we had transplanted to the United States and a few years after that my family relocated again and landed in the Virgin Islands. I enjoyed growing up there and then transitioned to Boston for college, originally studying Biopsychology at Tufts and Fine Arts at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts. I graduated and went on to spend some more time in the area working with amazing people through AmeriCorps in the afterschool system in the boston area. I finally made it back to school after a couple years, and found myself at Tufts again studying medicine. During my time there I was lucky enough to be able to participate in an HIV and nutrition project that brought me to India twice. Living in a tiny village near a rural clinic for 6 months was definitely one of my most enlightening experiences. I've grown to love Boston over the years that I've spent here and enjoy being able to take advantage of all that it has to offer… the advantages of a city with the warmth of a small town, beautiful beaches, parks and mountains only a short drive away. The city of Cambridge is incredibly special in itself and I'm so glad I've had a chance to stay and become a part of this community. The diversity of the patient population reflects so well on the diversity of the city as a whole.

Carole Demosthene

Carole was born and raised in Mexico City. She received her undergraduate degree in biology from the Universidad del Sagrado Corazon, San Juan, Puerto Rico and attended medical school at the Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana, Mexico. During medical school, she participated extensively in community-based research, presenting work at several international meetings of a WHO-affiliated non-governmental organization, "The Network: Toward Unity for Health." Her hobbies include piano playing, chorus singing, reading, and running. Carole is fluent in Spanish, French, and Haitian Creole.

Shonali Saha

Born in St. Louis, I spent my adult life in New York City. I majored in African American Studies at Columbia University with an emphasis on The War on Drugs and its impact on Black families. After college, I trained as a yoga instructor and health supportive chef, working briefly in yoga studios and kitchens. Before medical school, I also worked as an HIV/AIDS and substance abuse/harm reduction counselor and trainer both in New York and India. During my time at Mount Sinai, my interests developed in community based participatory research and adolescent medicine. I love being at CHA, because it is in alignment with me as a person who is passionate about universal healthcare, serving a multicultural population, and other aspects of social medicine. My colleagues have all done and continue to do very interesting things in and out of medicine while being fun and supportive people to work and hang out with. The faculty supports us in our work and educates us well. I have been able to use my elective time to work with the Boys and Girls Club of Boston at summer camp teaching healthy eating and relationships to teenagers. Being in such a healthy environment allows me to both enjoy my work and grow as a physician.

Margaret Seater

Margaret was born in Evanston, Illinois. She received her undergraduate degree in general science and chemistry from Grinnell College in Indiana where she was recognized as NCAA Academic All-Conference as a member of the Grinnell College Women's golf team. Prior to medical school, Margaret worked for two years as a laboratory technologist. She conducted community-based HIV research while studying for a Masters degree from the University of North Texas Health Science Center-Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, where she will also receive her DO degree this Spring. Margaret's hobbies include reading, golf, and travel.

Kinna Thakarar

I was born in Pennsylvania and graduated with a degree in Health and Societies from the University of Pennsylvania. During college, I studied abroad in East Africa, which is where my parents were born, and this experience strengthened my interest in international health. I attended the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM), which gave me a great foundation in primary care. During medical school, I returned to Tanzania to work for an organization that focused on malaria and HIV prevention. Between my third and fourth years of medical school, I took a year off to pursue a Masters in Public Health degree at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, where I studied Comparative Health Systems and Policies. While in Baltimore, I worked at the Infection Control department, which was also a great experience. In my free time, I enjoy playing racquetball, golf (not that I'm necessarily good at golf, but I'm trying), reading, and traveling. I am excited to be part of the Cambridge Health Alliance, particularly because of CHA's commitment to social justice and community health.

Nadir Khir

I was born and raised in Omdurman, Sudan. I studied at the University of Gezira, a renowned community-oriented medical school in Africa and Middle East, where I received awards for my work in primary care, rural development, and problem-based medical education. I also received scholarships from the World Health Organization to study Medicine in the Netherlands. After graduating from medical school, I was trained as a surgeon before coming to the US. I have always been interested in international health. My medical and multicultural background and language skills-English, Arabic, and Ethiopian-landed me at the Center of International Medicine at the Brigham and Woman's Hospital in Boston, where I worked as an international patient coordinator. I also volunteered as a public elementary school tutor in Boston. In my free time, I enjoy playing with my son and two daughters. I am excited to be part of CHA not only because Cambridge is a community and public hospital that serves a diverse and underserved patient population but also because it has a strong academic teaching program and a commitment to primary care medicine.

Sara King

Sara grew up in New Jersey and then Oregon. She completed her MD and MSPH at Tulane in New Orleans. Sara helped to found a student-run clinic after Hurricane Katrina, a community-wide health initiative in rural Louisiana and a primary care clinic in rural Kenya. She loves to color with kids and wade through rivers. Her favorite book is the Alchemist.

Nadine Palermo

I was born in Hershey, Pennsylvania and grew up in Pittston, a small town in northeastern Pennsylvania. I attended Boston College graduating with a degree in Biology and Minor in Chemistry. Following BC, I received a Masters from Boston University School of Medicine. For my Masters research I studied the effects of Vitamin D analogues as treatment for colon cancer. While at Boston University Medical Center, I also actively participated in studies to evaluate the prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency in adolescents. I attended medical school at the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine. The Internal Medicine Residency Program at CHA encompassed all of the components that I was looking for in a program, a strong academic teaching environment with physicians who are dedicated to serving the community. I am very excited to be part of Cambridge Health Alliance. Having lived in the Cambridge/Somerville area prior to medical school, I can truly appreciate the culturally rich and socioeconomic diverse patient population. I have studied dance for over 20 years I have instructed children's dance, choreographed and directed a dance organization in college. Some of my favorite hobbies include dance (ballet, jazz, hip hop), tennis, skiing, traveling, and spending time with my husband, family, and friends.

Kavita Sharma

I was born in India. I attended medical school at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Medical College in Jabalpur, India, where I participated in a number of community-based prevention programs in family planning and immunization. After graduation from medical school, I was a house officer at the Hindu-Rao Hospital and the RBTB Hospital in New Delhi. Before starting here at the Cambridge Health Alliance program, I volunteered time at various facilities and completed a transitional year at the MetroWest Medical Center in Framingham. CHA's active involvement in and advocacy for community health and social justice is what attracted me the most to the program. And needless to say the prospect of staying close to the beautiful Boston and Cambridge area was the clincher. A walk in the park, experiments in the kitchen and watching Hindi movies are some of the things I enjoy doing in my free time.

Kelly Sprawls

Kelly Sprawls was born and raised in Texas. Her early life was focused on helping care for her younger brother who had leukemia and down syndrome. His inspiration coupled with her fascination for the sciences, propelled her to pursue a career in medicine. She graduated with a dual-degree in chemistry/ biology from the University of Texas of the Permian Basin, and completed medical school at Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine. During her third year, she developed a newfound interest in evidence-based medicine and was awarded a research fellowship by the Primary Care Clinical Research Institute. She obtained a masters degree in clinical research, designed and performed a nested case-control study within an NIH funded cohort study, published a literature review in the Nuclear Medicine Communications journal, and is currently publishing her thesis "Sleep Quality, Chronic Disease, and TNF-alpha: Understanding Pathophysiologic Processes".

Since her move to Cambridge, she has discovered sports and other healthy lifestyle activities (jogging, yoga, etc.) are not only popular, but encouraged among the local communities. Her most recent interests include salsa dancing and exploring the diversities (foods, lifestyles, and languages) unique to each of the nationalities found in Cambridge/Boston area.

Kelly was attracted to CHA's perfect blend of outpatient/clinic experience and inpatient opportunities (including rotations at tertiary medical centers). The strong commitment to teaching and unwavering dedication by the staff help to provide an optimal learning environment that is unique to CHA and will enable their residents to mature into competent and skilled physicians.

Susan Swords

A native of western Massachusetts, I have lived and worked in New England my entire life. I graduated from Dartmouth College with a degree in biology. After college, I worked on a research study focusing on the prevention of acute exacerbations of childhood asthma requiring visits to the emergency department. This experience helped me to understand some of the practical barriers to the practice of preventative medicine; for example, the lack of adequate time for patient education in a typical primary care visit. I attended medical school at the University of Massachusetts in Worcester, MA with the goal of becoming a primary care physician. At UMass, I developed an appreciation and love for working with a multiethnic patient population with complex psychosocial and medical needs. I organized a student curriculum on complementary and alternative medicine, and received an Albert Schweitzer fellowship to teach yoga classes and meditation to medical students and to children and teenagers in a local community center. I value the practice of medicine as a holistic, patient-centered approach, and I chose CHA because of the institution's unique dual commitment to both community medicine and academic rigor.