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Lower Bucks Hospital’s Residency Graduation

Fifteen graduates to begin careers after completing three-year medical residency

Bristol, PA (06/17/2022) – On June 16, the Lower Bucks Hospital’s Residency Program celebrated its 2022 resident physicians’ graduates with a ceremony and reception at the Falls Manor Banquet Hall, in Bristol, PA.

When they stepped onto the Lower Bucks Hospital campus in the summer of 2019, the physician residents had no idea what would transpire within just a few months, and how profoundly it would impact their medical education experiences.

But by the end of that year, the SARS-CoV-2 virus was already spreading. Suddenly, everyone, medical degree or not, was studying virology. The virus that causes COVID-19 altered learning experiences as virtual learning replaced in-person lectures. It effected patient populations, with fewer patients in some areas, and more in others. Masks created challenges for those interacting with patients and families.

Despite those challenges, a total of fifteen resident physicians graduated this year, following three years of training at Lower Bucks Hospital and its physician practices.

“The Class of 2022 has shown immense resilience throughout the pandemic, and their capacity to adapt and excel in the most grueling circumstances will serve them well as they enter the next phase of their physician careers,” said Teresa D. Robinson, MSEd, administrative director and designated institutional official over Lower Bucks Hospital and Suburban Community Hospitals Residency Programs.

“Today is of course a celebration of your hard work and commitment to your patients and the community. But it’s also a great reminder of how by working together, we can truly change people’s lives.” Robinson added, “I am so proud of our graduates and know they will transform healthcare and always put patients at the center of their practice.’’

Members of the Class of 2022 include:

Lei Chen, DO- Hospitalist, Oregon

Susmita Dhakal, MD- Kaiser Permanente at Murrieta Medical, Southern California

Sean Duffy, DO-Feasterville Family Practice, Pennsylvania

Pejmahn Eftekharzadeh, DO- Staten Island University Hospital, New York

Claudy Gay, DPM- Exeter Foot and Ankle, Reading Hospital. Pennsylvania

Vikaram Gondara, DO-Outpatient Family Medicine Practice, Nevada

Presha Joyichen, MD- Hospitalist in Private Practice, Pennsylvania

Ruijing Liang, DO-Patient First, Pennsylvania

Mohammed Muntaser, DPM- Podiatric Surgeon, Ohio

Zachary Nevolo, DO- Traditional Inpatient/Outpatient, North Carolina

Ankit Patel, MD-Inpatient/Outpatient at Cleveland Clinic, Florida

Kishan Patel, MD-Internal Medicine Physician, Pennsylvania

Elena Sokolova, MD-Hospitalist at West Boca Medical Center, Florida

Allanda Williams, DO- Private Practice, New Jersey

Deepthi Yeturu, MD-Primary Care Physician, Connecticut

Each graduate will now begin a residency, a stage of graduate medical training where residents hold a medical degree and practice medicine under the indirect supervision of an attending physician. Successful completion of a residency program is a requirement to obtaining a medical license.

The residency program offers a learning environment across several settings, including hospital, ambulatory, emergency, and various specialty rotations. The rotations include training with community physicians specializing in pediatrics, behavioral health, wound care, podiatry, cardiology, geriatrics, dermatology, gynecology, obstetrics, general surgery, orthopedics, nephrology, urology, and pulmonology.

Each year, residents seek a graduate medical education program that is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. After completing a qualifying residency program, physicians are eligible to take an exam to become board-certified in the program specialty.

During this time, hundreds of applications are reviewed by the Residency staff for the limited number of spots. After interviews are conducted, both the Residency and applicant submit their ranking of preference (Resident to Residency) to The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Program. The ACGME computerized mathematical algorithm matches applicants’ preferences with program directors for training positions available at teaching hospitals nationwide. The matches are announced on Match Day – the third Friday in March.

The Lower Bucks Hospital Residency program is comprised of osteopathic, allopathic, surgical, and podiatric physicians. Throughout the years, the hospital has trained residents from universities across the Philadelphia region. On the educational side, residents benefit from exposure to a large, diverse patient population with a wide spectrum of disease states and clinical-social scenarios in both inpatient and outpatient settings.

To learn more about Lower Bucks Hospitals Residency Program visit www.lowerbuckshosp.com/education/

About Lower Bucks Hospital: Lower Bucks Hospital is a community hospital, serving the Lower Bucks County region with medical, surgical, and emergency care. Located in historic Bristol, Pennsylvania, the Hospital is well-known for its knowledgeable medical staff, including cardiology, orthopedics, radiology, wound care, and general surgery. The hospital has more than 200 physicians on staff, as well as another 700 employees. As part of Prime Healthcare Services, headquartered in Ontario, California, Lower Bucks Hospital is focused on becoming one of the leaders in technology. Prime Healthcare is an award-winning hospital management company operating 45 acute care hospitals in 14 states, including Roxborough Memorial Hospital in Philadelphia, Lower Bucks Hospital in Bristol, and Suburban Community Hospital in Montgomery County.

About Prime Healthcare and Prime Healthcare Foundation: Prime Healthcare is an award-winning health system operating 45 hospitals and more than 300 outpatient locations in 14 states, providing over 2.6 million patient visits annually. It is one of the nation’s leading health systems with nearly 50,000 employees and physicians dedicated to providing the highest quality healthcare. Prime Healthcare was founded by Dr. Prem Reddy, a physician with a mission to save hospitals, improve community healthcare and provide the very best care to patients. Fourteen of the Prime Healthcare hospitals are members of the Prime Healthcare Foundation, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit public charity. Based in Ontario, California, Prime Healthcare is nationally recognized for award-winning quality care and has been named a Top 10 and Top 15 Health System by IBM Watson Health. Its hospitals have been named among the nation’s “100 Top Hospitals” 58 times and have received more Patient Safety Excellence Awards from Healthgrades than any other health system in the past six years. To learn more, please visit www.primehealthcare.com