Message from the Chiefs
Welcome All!
Our names are Michael DeMarco and Vinit Parekh, and we are both the Chief Residents for the 2026-2027 Academic Year. We are so happy that you are choosing to spend your time to learn more about our program. We both began our journey here at Pennsy, as we lovingly call it, as 4th-year medical students. We immediately fell in love with the hospital, the education, the training, and above all, the people. Now, a little over 4 years later, those feelings are only stronger. So much so, that we decided to stick around for a "victory lap" as Chiefs!
Pennsy is truly a special place - one that you cannot appreciate from any website, newsletter, or social media post. The relationships that form here persevere through the tests of time and distance. This includes not only the friendships forged within each class, but also across classes and specialties, and involving our attendings, mentors, students, nursing staff, and many more. People who work at Pennsy believe in its CULTURE. Our program prides itself on this, too. We don't just tell you how to do a task or work something up - we teach. We don't just call consults or take recommendations from specialists - we collaborate. We don't just leave things be if there is an opportunity to change for the better individually or at a hospital-level - we grow. We (residents, attendings, and staff alike), look out for each other both in and out of the hospital, whether it is communicating effectively within our teams, helping each other make it to life's big events, opening our homes for random dinners and board game nights, singing karaoke in Chinatown, or simply just checking in. Trust us, we have lived and continue to live it.
We value training focused on delivering high-quality care, evidence-based practice, and growth mindset. Our program equips you with the tools to be the best independent practitioner you can be, comfortable working anywhere, at any time, and with anyone. You will not only see, but learn to manage a wide spectrum of pathology and disease processes from the local bread-and-butter to the complex, ground-breaking science and medical advancement associated with a large health system like Penn. At the end of it all, you will leave here ready to care for the world.
As Chief Residents, our aim is to nurture and grow this culture AND you! We aim to support our house staff while being a shoulder to lean on during the hard times that are inevitably involved with any residency. We also strive to develop our own skills in mentoring, leading, and teaching. If you need us, we are there. Even if you don't need us, we are there rooting for you always.
Thank you for taking the time to read about Pennsy’s program. We hope this gives you a small piece of what life is like in our world. We look forward to your applications, and we can't wait to meet you on the interview trail!
Much love always,
Michael & Vinit
Chief residents
Michael DeMarco, DO
Medical School: Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Vinit Parekh, DO
Medical School: Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine
Categorical interns
Benyamin Alam, MD
Medical School: University of Manchester School of Medicine
Veronica Alday, MD
Medical School: Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine
Alberto Carturan, MD
Medical School: Universita degli Studi di Ferrara Facolta di Medicina e Chirurgia
Noah Feldman, MD
Medical School: Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Hasan Muhammad, MD
Medical School: University of Leeds School of Medicine
Deyari Azad Kareem Kassim, MD
Medical School: Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland - Medical University of Bahrain
Mina Khosravifar, MD
Medical School: Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences School of Medicine
Anissa Lukose, MD
Medical School: Philadelphia Col of Osteo Med, Philadelphia
Satvika Nimmagadda, MD
Medical School: Edward Via Col of Osteo Medicine-Virginia Campus
Jeremy Paparozzi, MD
Medical School: Nova Southeastern College Of Osteo Medicine
Yumna Salman, MD
Medical School: Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland - Medical University of Bahrain
Alexis Seery, MD
Medical School: Drexel University College of Medicine
Alex Sophabmixay, MD
Medical School: Philadelphia College of Osteo Med, Philadelphia
Fatima Talebi, MD
Medical School: Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine, New York
Prelim interns
Deanna Brown, MD
Medical School: Sidney Kimmel Med Col at Thomas Jefferson University
Ana Garcia, MD
Medical School: JS Weill Medical College, Cornell University
Madelyn Hansen, MD
Medical School: Perelman School of Med at The Un of Pennsylvania
Adam Hidad, MD
Medical School: Georgetown University School of Medicine
Erin Hollander, MD
Medical School: Perelman School of Med at The Un of Pennsylvania
Bryson Houston, MD
Medical School: Perelman School of Med at The Un of Pennsylvania
Kimberly Jin, MD
Medical School: University of Massachusetts Medical School
Alfredo Lucas Diaz, MD
Medical School: Perelman School of Med at The Un of Pennsylvania
Taiki Nishihara, MD
Medical School: Un of California, San Diego, School of Medicine
Ian Ong, MD
Medical School: Perelman School of Med at The Un of Pennsylvania
Nikhita Perry, MD
Medical School: Perelman School of Med at The Un of Pennsylvania
Denay Richards, MD
Medical School: Rutgers R W Johnson Med School
Ricardo Tochimani, MD
Medical School: New York Medical College
Stephanie Wang, MD
Medical School: Perelman School of Med at The Un of Pennsylvania
PGY-2
Ahmad Abdalla, MBBS
Medical School: Royal College of Surgeons
Tarek Azar, MD
Medical School: Poznan University
Peter Deraska, MD
Medical School: University of Buffalo
James Feng, DO
Medical School: Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Ahmed Gonnah, MBChB
Medical School: University of Liverpool
Neil Kelkar, MD
Medical School: University of Arizona
Aathmika Krishnan, MD
Medical School: University of Vermont
Usha Kumari, MBBS
Medical School: Dow University of Health Sciences
Shadi Memar, DO
Medical School: Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Ian Michelson, MD
Medical School: Sackler School of Medicine
Andrew Morgan, DO
Medical School: Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Mahhum Naqvi, DO
Medical School: Rowan University of Osteopathic Medicine
Amar Rai, MBBS
Medical School: Imperial College London
Dana Saba, MBChB
Medical School: University of Cambridge
PGY-3
Zuhdi Alkhatib, MBBCh
Medical School: Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland School of Medicine
Abdul elah Assi, MBBS
Medical School: College of Medicine Alfaisal University
Adam Mark Hawkins, DO
Medical School: Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Mohita Jariwala, DO
Medical School: Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine
Sabir Ahmed Khan, MBBCh
Medical School: University College Dublin School of Medicine
Tarek Khedro, MBBCh
Medical School: Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland School of Medicine
Yejin Kim, MBBCh
Medical School: University College Dublin School of Medicine
Alexandre John Lafond, DO
Medical School: Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine - New York
Anh N Le, DO
Medical School: Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Rachel Lisker, MD
Medical School: Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences
R. Seth Pinches, DO
Medical School: Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
James Rudolph, DO
Medical School: Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Nawaz Zubair Safdar, MBChB
Medical School: Leeds School of Medicine
Julia Wursta, DO
Medical School: Nova Southeastern University College Of Osteopathic Medicine