Family Medicine | Douglas Medical Center – Wellstar Graduate Medical Education Residency

Family Medicine Residency Update

Wellstar Atlanta Medical Center has moved inpatient rotations to Wellstar Douglas Medical Center. We are the only residency program in this hospital, and are an unopposed program. The ACGME has approved this move so we will be able to proceed with the excellent education we have always provided our residents.

Wellstar Douglas has welcomed us with open arms and is building a brand new clinic for us. We hope to move into that clinic in the summer of 2023. The clinic will be in close proximity to the hospital which will be much better than the 20-minute drive we have to our clinic now. While the transition is sure to be bumpy, this will take our strong program to the next level. We are very excited about this move.

Family Medicine

The Residency Program in Family Medicine welcomes dedicated medical school graduates committed to serving families and communities. Residents enjoy the respect of caring faculty members and daily opportunities for mentoring and collaboration. The focus is on learning by doing with the opportunity to treat patients with an extraordinary diversity of conditions.

Team-based approach, hands-on learning

Experience excitement, challenge and personal growth as you learn to practice medicine in a vibrant community setting without the feeling of being lost in a huge academic program. The Wellstar Family Medicine residency program is built on the belief that the best healthcare is a partnership between patient and provider.

Learn by Doing

Research shows that adults learn best by doing, and that's just what this program is all about. Residents treat a large number of patients with diverse and challenging conditions.

Coordinated Care

Residents hone their skills by working in a team-based environment. Collaboration is strong among physicians, pharmacists and other care providers. The result of this collaboration is enhanced perspective and learning for residents.

Family Medicine Center

This comprehensive clinic includes 22 examination rooms; 2 treatment rooms equipped with casting, splint, minor surgery supplies and other resources; a family counseling room and a conference room for lectures and meetings.

Curriculum

PGY-1

PGY-2

PGY-3

PGY-1

PGY-2

PGY-3

Clerkship (Medical Student Rotators)

Wellstar offers qualified third and fourth year medical students the opportunity to pursue a core or elective clerkship in Family Medicine. The focus is on hands-on training in an exciting urban healthcare environment with diverse and often complex patient conditions.

The clerkship program is affiliated with the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, Mercer University School of Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and Ross University School of Medicine. Students apply through their home medical school and are required to submit an application through the Alliance for Clinical Experience Matching and Placement Program (ACEMAPP). We also accept applications through the Visiting Student Application Service (VSAS) for the fourth-year rotations.

Clerkship participants work out of the main Wellstar Douglas Medical Center Campus. Students provide their own housing during the clerkship, often staying with friends or relatives in the Atlanta area or in nearby housing. Participants give the program high marks and benefit greatly from the opportunity to apply classroom knowledge to “real world” healthcare.

Requirements include:

A letter of good standing from your home medical school
Basic Life Support certification
Advanced Life Support certification
Copy of your transcript

Wellstar Douglas Medical Center welcomes interested medical students to learn more and apply for a rotation. For more information please contact Samantha Dance by email at [email protected] or via phone at (404) 265-4158.

Leadership & House Staff

George W. Brown, MD

Program Director

Dr. George Brown has been the program director of the Wellstar Atlanta Medical Center Family Medicine Residency Program since 2010. He received his medical degree from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill where he was an AOA graduate. Dr. Brown completed his family medicine residency at the University of Virginia Hospital, Charlottesville, where he received the Mead Johnson national award of excellence for family medicine residents. He has his boards in both family medicine and geriatrics. Dr. Brown has been voted “Top Doc” about 20 times in the past; most recently in “Atlanta Magazine” and “Medicine and Doctors” magazine.

Antonio A. Williams, MD

Associate Program Director

Dr. Antonio Williams grew up in South Georgia. He attended the University of Georgia and is a die-hard Bulldog fan. He attended medical school at Morehouse School of Medicine and completed his residency at Atlanta Medical Center. After residency, he went into private practice for five years. Dr. Williams joined the faculty at Atlanta Medical Center in 2011 out of a desire to give others the experience he felt while here. He loves the family atmosphere of the program that makes training in an intense environment enjoyable.

Gabriella Maris, MD

Clerkship Director

Dr. Gabriella Maris received her medical degree from the Medical University of South Carolina, College of Medicine in Charleston, SC, and completed her family medicine residency at University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA. She is passionate about LGBTQIA Primary Care, serving as the Medical Director for Wellstar’s LGBT+ Primary Care. She is also dedicated to medical student education, serving as WellStar Douglas Family Medicine’s Clerkship Director. She is mom of two, avid exerciser, lifelong vegetarian and loves teaching! “I love our program because of the people. We are truly like family, supporting each other over the years. We grow and work together in a way that supports the wellbeing of both our clinical practices and our personal lives. I can’t imagine working with another group of people!”

Lakeisha Borum

Program Coordinator

LaKeisha Borum joined the Family Medicine Residency Program as a coordinator in early 2023. She brings along with her a background in Pharmaceutical and Medical Marketing Research. She attended the University of Mississippi and as a Certified Project Manager, she has dedicated herself to organizing and leading our program on journeys to cultivate new ideals and innovations, to continue to improve upon the efficiency, growth, and quality of our program.

Cierra Allen, MD

Core Faculty

Dr. Cierra Allen has been with the Wellstar Family Medicine Residency since 2013. She served as Chief Resident of the program and ultimately decided to stay on as faculty after graduation due to her dedication to teaching and serving the community. She received her medical degree from Boston University School of Medicine. She is passionate about women’s health, pediatrics, and social determinates of health. Dr. Allen has been awarded the “New Faculty Award” by The Society of Teachers of Family Medicine. She was also recently voted “Top Doc” by Castle Connolly.

Alida Gertz, MD

Core Faculty

Dr. Alida Gertz is a one of the core physician faculty. She has additional training in HIV and family planning. She has an MPH and an MSc in epidemiology and completed fellowships in global health and leadership. She is a mother of two daughters, and a daughter to a wonderful mother. She’s worked in local public health (at King County Seattle), global public health (South America, Caribbean, and Southern Africa), and currently is employed at the CDC in Atlanta as a senior medical officer in the Division of Global Migration and Quarantine. Additionally, she works as faculty on the weekends as inpatient attending. She is currently pursuing a DrPH in order to improve her analytic and leadership skills so that she can continue to pursue her passion for improving the health of communities locally and globally. Ultimately, she would like to make this world a better place and be an example to her daughters hopefully inspiring them to do the same.

Lisa Le, MD

Core Faculty

Dr. Lisa Le served as chief resident and graduated from Wellstar Douglas (previously AMC) FM residency in 2021. She chose to continue working at this program because it satiates her dedication to teaching while also allowing her to provide excellent care for underserved populations alongside such passionate and knowledgeable faculty. Her clinical interests include providing comprehensive preventive care, treating acute and chronic conditions, as well as women’s health for medically underserved populations. Outside of medicine, she enjoys cooking, trying not to overwater her plants, and spending time with her children.

Patrice Pearson, MD

Clinic Medical Director

Dr. Patrice Pearson graduated from Emory University School of Medicine and completed her Family Medicine Residency here at Wellstar. She is currently serving as the Clinic Medical Director and is dedicated to providing a high-functioning Family Medicine clinic for our residents. She and her husband have four children – all UGA grads! She loves traveling and spending time with her family. “Our program is a perfect blend of diverse individuals who are all united in a common goal of providing the best medical education experience possible.”

Michele Smith, PhD

Core Faculty

Dr. Michele Smith received her PhD from the University of Georgia (Go Dawgs!) and completed her doctoral internship at Duke University Medical Center. She has worked as Behavioral Health faculty at Emory University and the University of California, San Diego. Dr. Smith coordinates the integrated behavioral health curriculum and provides supervision for residents and therapists in training. She loves teaching residents and one of the many reasons she chooses to be at WDHFM is the connection and compassion within the program.

Davon Thomas, MD

Core Faculty

Originally from Elmsford, NY, Dr. Davon Thomas received his medical degree from Morehouse School of Medicine where he was inducted into the AOA Honor Medical Society and graduated summa cum laude. He completed his medical training at Wellstar Atlanta Medical Center’s FM Residency Program and joined the faculty soon thereafter. He has earned the Faculty of the Year award from 2019-2022. In addition, he was peer selected as one of Georgia’s Top Doctors in Family Medicine for 2021 and 2022. Outside of work, he is an active member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and serves as the advisor to his former college chapter at Emory University. His most important positions, however, are husband to a beautiful lawyer/financial coach and dad to two busy boys. “I knew this program was home from the time I had my pre-interview dinner as a fourth-year medical student. I love the fact that we learn by doing – with a busy inpatient census and outpatient clinic – in such a comfortable learning environment. We work hard and play hard at this program. I can’t imagine working anywhere else.”

Angeline Ti, MD

Core Faculty

Dr. Angeline Ti received her medical degree from the University of Michigan (Go Blue!) and her Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She completed residency in Family and Community Medicine as well as a fellowship in Family Planning both at the University of California San Francisco. Prior to joining faculty at WDH, she worked on the contraception guidelines at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and provided family planning care through the Emory University Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics. She loves many things about being faculty at WDH, but the best thing is the amazing residents!

Amir Antonios, MD

PGY-3

American University of Antigua College of Medicine

Naomi Safiya Brown, MD

PGY-3

Ross University

Paula Valetta Bugg-Wrenn, MD

PGY-3

Meharry Medical College

Charles Eaddy II, MD

PGY-3

Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University

Tom John Mayuga, DO

PGY-3

Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine

Shalin Patel, MD

PGY-3

St. George’s University School of Medicine

Anantrantn Asthana, MD

PGY-2

Ross University School of Medicine

Shany Cohen-Sadan, MD

PGY-2

Sackler School of Medicine

Zihan Guo, MBChB

PGY-2

NUI Galway School of Medicine

Linda Nguyen, MD

PGY-2

Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine

Kentrez Thompson, MD

PGY-2

Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine

Lytani Wilson, MD, MPH

PGY-2

Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine

Sanisha Balsara, DO

PGY-1

Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine

Christina Dennis MD

PGY-1

Ross University School of Medicine

Jeane Khoo DO

PGY-1

Lincoln Memorial University DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine

Iana Malakian MD

PGY-1

Samara State Medical University

Alanna Perlin MD, MPH

PGY-1

University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

Najeeb Siddiq MD

PGY-1

American University of Integrative Sciences School of Medicine

How to Apply

Our interview schedule begins in late October and continues through January. Please note that interviews are by invitation and will be scheduled on Fridays during the time period listed. We welcome your interest in Wellstar’s Residency Program in Family Medicine!

Questions? Contact Program Coordinator LaKeisha Borum.

Wellstar Douglas Residents

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Family Medicine

Preparing the Next Generation of Family Health Physicians

Choosing a residency program is a big decision. You want to know you’re in the right place to prepare yourself for an extraordinary career as a family medicine physician. We understand.

As a Wellstar Kennestone resident, you’ll gain experience delivering care to a diverse population of patients. With the support of board-certified experts who are leaders in their fields, you’ll learn a family-centered, team-based approach to healthcare. These valuable insights will position you to provide next-level care to patients of all ages and at every stage of life in your own practice.

About Our Program

Our location in the metro Atlanta area helps you hone the skills you need to care for a wide range of patients, learning to provide exceptional care, tailored to the unique medical and emotional needs of people from all backgrounds.

Our family medicine residents rotate through a wide range of subspecialities, including:

Adult and pediatric emergency medicine
Inpatient pediatric care
Intensive care
Long-term care
Obstetrics and gynecology
Surgery
Ultrasound

You’ll also work through an administrative and professional curriculum that addresses topics including billing and coding, documentation, electronic health records (HER), HIPPA compliance and practice improvement.

Why Choose Wellstar Kennestone Hospital?

Our highly regarded program offers residents a rewarding opportunity to learn and thrive as physicians and as people.

Hands-on learning across the continuum of care

During our three-year program, you’ll provide care in outpatient and inpatient settings. Whether instruction takes place in our state-of-the-art continuity clinic or our high-volume regional hospital, you’ll gain hands-on experience from day one. Our curriculum mimics what you’ll find in real-life practice with longitudinal experience.

Here, you’ll have the opportunity to follow patients for up to six months as they seek care—care that you would provide as a family medicine physician. That includes supporting patients during pregnancies and as they manage chronic conditions, as well as delivering the complex, rewarding care geriatric patients need and deserve.

Kennestone family medicine residents also participate in our Community Oriented Primary Care (COPC), which is a monthly session that incorporates biostatistics, population health and preventative medicine.

We perform the following outpatient procedures:

Circumcision
Colposcopy
Corticosteroid injection
Cryotherapy
IUD insertion and removal
Nexplanon insertion and removal
Skin biopsy

As well as the following inpatient procedures:

Arterial catheter lines
Intubations
Joint reductions
Laceration repairs

Engaging and interactive didactic curriculum

We firmly believe the practice of family medicine is best learned through hands-on clinical care. However, we also recognize the importance of a high-quality didactic curriculum to supplement clinical learning.

As a family medicine resident, you’ll gain valuable experience developing, participating and completing a wide range of training, including:

Ambulatory and inpatient reports
Board review program
Grand rounds
Journal clubs
Morbidity and mortality
Research methodology and literature review
Wellness and longevity curriculum

To prepare you to manage highly complex medical patients, our curriculum also includes:

ACLS certification
PALS certification
Procedure labs
Simulation sessions
Weekly board reviews

A focus on research

As a physician, you are always learning. No matter your age or stage of career, we all become better when we’re constantly learning and growing. At Wellstar Kennestone, we consider research to be a cornerstone of that advancement and growth. That’s why we offer unique and fun research opportunities for all our students—wherever you are in your learning.

During PGY-1, you’ll participate in a case presentation competition amongst the interns at the end of their first year. This is an in-house research night. We also encourage all residents to partake in the local GAFP Poster presentations annually. We have presented multiple posters each year of interesting research and case reports.

And in PGY-2, you’ll be expected to complete a class-based project focusing on population health and prevention at the community level.

Finally, during PGY-3, you’ll complete a QI project based on a topic of your own interest.

Where your wellness matters

Accordion Content

Rotations

PGY-1

PGY-2

PGY-3

Electives

PGY-1

PGY-2

PGY-3

Electives

Frequently Asked Questions

At our residency program, you’ll find a supportive culture and endless opportunities for learning. Find out more about what to expect at Wellstar.

What can I expect on my interview day?

On interview day, you will participant in several individual interviews as we try to get to know you as a candidate. But because we also know you’re here to learn about us, we’ve carved out time for you to meet with our current residents, faculty and program leadership to ask questions and hear about their experiences. We’ll also make sure you receive a tour of both Wellstar Kennestone Hospital and the Family Medicine Clinic before you leave.

Do you prefer allopathic, osteopathic or internal medicine graduates?

We want to get to know you as a student and person, and learn as much as we can about your overall experience during your interviews. As long as you meet all application requirements, we have no specific preference in regard to your undergraduate focus.

Can I do away rotations?

Away rotations can be arranged at the program director’s discretion.

When will I have academic half days?

Family medicine residents are given academic half days every Wednesday from 1-5 PM. During this time, you’ll participate in board review, Journal Club, case reports, faculty-led academic reviews of EBM, and wellness activities, among other didactics.

Leadership & House Staff

Viktoria Nurpeisov, MD

Program Director

Tammy Hamm, C-TAGME

Program Coordinator

Paul Mathieu, MD

Core Faculty

Inpatient Hospital

Lucy Triana, MD

Core Faculty

Inpatient Hospital

Aileen Maner, MD

Core Faculty

Inpatient Hospital

William Nichols, MD

Core Faculty

Inpatient Hospital

Courtney Maclin, PhD

Core Faculty

Inpatient Hospital

Samina Fakhr, MD

Core Faculty

Inpatient Hospital

Alan Dever, MD

Core Faculty

Research

Guilherme Costa, MD

PGY-3

Morehouse School of Medicine

Jada Harris, MD

PGY-3

Morehouse School of Medicine

Michelle Kalejaiye, MD

PGY-3

Saba University School of Medicine

Mahvish Masood, MD

PGY-3

Windsor University School of Medicine

Nidhi Patel, DO

PGY-3

Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine

Connor O'Sullivan, MD

PGY-3

Medical College of Georgia

Jeffrey Reynolds, MD

PGY-3

Mercer University School of Medicine

Da Yoon, DO

PGY-3

Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine

Faraz Ahmed, MD

PGY-3

Premalatha Babu, MD

PGY-2

Chelsea Conrad, MD

PGY-2

Reja Emran, MD

PGY-2

Anh Le, MD

PGY-2

Edward Lee, DO

PGY-2

Stephanie Okeke, MD

PGY-2

Victoria Wright-Robinson, MD

PGY-2

Maria Cristina Buhl Leon, MD

PGY-1

Universidad de San Martin de Porres Facultad de Medicina Humana

Becky Choung, DO

PGY-1

Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine

Jenna George, DO

PGY-1

Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, Auburn Campus

Samuel Khair, DO

PGY-1

Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine

Sydney Lipskind, DO

PGY-1

Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine

Jordan Vaughn, DO

PGY-1

University of Medicine and Health Sciences, St. Kitts

Ready to Join an Exceptional Team?

Before applying, you must be registered to participate in the National Residency Match Program (NRMP); no program positions will be offered outside of the NRMP.

Once registered, you can submit your application through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS).