Current Residents

Philip Giorgino

I came to ECU Internal Medicine through a bit of a roundabout pathway.  I grew up hunting and fishing in eastern North Carolina, and always envisioned myself practicing in my home state. The time I spent in rural eastern NC exposed me early on to the unique healthcare challenges faced by this region.  I ended up being accepted to medical school in south Florida.  While I was initially apprehensive about moving away from my family, this was an important period of personal growth for me.  I have been blessed to be able to return to NC and give back to the wonderful people of this state.

My goal in residency has always been to become the best internist that I can be.  Our community faces unique healthcare challenges, especially a high burden of late stage diseases. From my experience, patients with chronic or end stage kidney disease are among the most complex. For this reason, I am pursuing a fellowship in nephrology, so that I may continue to provide the best medical care that I can for eastern NC.  It has been a privilege to be a part of the ECU and Greenville communities and to work alongside my fellow residents!

Sachi Patel

Becoming a doctor has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember, but as an immigrant daughter, building a life far from the place I once called home, away from the family and loved ones who have always been my greatest source of strength, has been anything but simple. There have been moments of doubt, loneliness, and sacrifice, but through all of it, I have held on to the dream that little girl had growing up, playing with her toy stethoscope.

Through med school, my love for physiology and internal medicine deepened, and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to care for patients, learn, and grow at ECU Health’s Internal Medicine Program. For me, ECU represents the kind of medicine I always dreamed of being part of—medicine that is academically strong, compassionate, hands-on, and rooted in service. Along the way, ECU has also taught me what it means to be a part of a community and to find a sense of home even when I am far from my own.

As a PGY-2 resident, I find myself reflecting on how far I have come. Every long shift, difficult day, and small victory is a reminder of the road that brought me here and everyone that has supported me throughout the way. This journey is a long one, but every day I am grateful I get to live the dream I once hoped for.

Amy Chang

Medical School: Wake Forest School of Medicine

Hometown: Taipei, Taiwan

Hobbies: Ceramic pottery, water colors

Interesting Fact(s): My favorite part of the NC state fair is the chicken display!

Senad Fazlioglu

Medical School: Kocaeli Universitesi Tip Fakuiltesi, Turkey

Hometown: Turkey

Hobbies: chess, weight lifting and drumming

Interesting Fact(s): I love watching anime and telling dad jokes that only I laugh at. I have one little yorkie.

Saloni Rampal

Medical School: St. George’s University School of Medicine

Hometown: Durham, North Carolina

Hobbies: reading, running, dancing, traveling and trying new foods!

Interesting Fact(s): – I’ve helped break 2 world records – former record for the most number of people playing monopoly at once and current record for the largest skin cancer screening event!

Christina Santana

Medical School: Eastern Virginia Medical School

Hometown: St. Cloud, Florida

Hobbies: Reading and watching my husband’s houseplants grow

Interesting Fact(s): I love checking out new nurseries and local botanical gardens when I visit a new city.

Abdelrahman Farag Abdelwahed

Medical school: MAHSA University, Malaysia

Hometown: Cairo, Egypt

Hobbies: Playing and watching soccer, practicing martial arts (Karate, boxing, and Muay Thai), hiking, and video games

Interesting fact: First doctor in the family

Manahil Agha

Medical school: Nova Southeastern University

Hometown: Cary, NC

Hobbies: Reading fiction, racket sports, baking, travel, anything to do with cats

Interesting fact: I make and sell art based on my favorite novels

Lara Alrubaye

Medical school: Babylon University College of Medicine

Hometown: Iraq

Hobbies: fishing, traveling, biking, cooking, watching Turkish series

Interesting fact: “I have three chickens, two roosters, and two ducks. I’m planning to have a little farm at my  future home.”

Rami Basmaci

Medical school: Istanbul Cerrahpasa university

Hometown: Syria – Turkey

Hobbies: music – video games – math (a nerdy hobby)

Interesting fact: I have an obsession with escape rooms, I went to an escape room in every town I have visited

Deniz Coskuner

Medical school: Dokuz Eylul University

Hometown: Izmir, Turkey

Hobbies: Hiking, games, traveling, languages, going to the beach

Interesting fact: I played the potions master for several in-character terms (and real-life years!) on an online Harry Potter RPG-by-text website.

Clarimar Diaz Lopez

Medical school: American University of Antigua

Hometown: Guaynabo, Puerto Rico

Hobbies: Drinking coffee 😄, Watch True Crime Shows, and Go to the beach

Interesting fact: I love taking 15-minute power naps to recharge 😄 .

Mohamed Elganainy

Medical school: Alexandria School of Medicine.

Hometown: Alexandria, Egypt.

Hobbies: Fitness, Basketball, and Travelling.

Interesting fact: My first ever job was as a Fitness Trainer.

Khaled Elhusseiny

Medical school: Al-Azhar Faculty of Medicine, Cairo, Egypt

Hometown: Damietta, Egypt

Hobbies: I enjoy outdoor activities, especially soccer and beach outings. However, my greatest joy comes from spending time with family and close ones.

Interesting fact: I have found a new passion for road trips—my longest was between Jacksonville, FL and Washington, DC, and back to Greenville, NC.

Abdallah Fahmawi

Medical school: Jordan University of Science and Technology

Hometown: Amman, Jordan

Hobbies: Road trips, Board games, watching anime and series.

Interesting fact: I once went on a 10-hour drive with my friends, without a destination in mind, and it turned out to be the best road trip I’ve ever had.

Alina Faheem

Medical school: Fatima Jinnah Medical University, Lahore, Pakistan

Hometown: Melbourne, Australia

Hobbies: I enjoy working out, going on road trips and having deep conversations.

Interesting fact: I am a chai enthusiast and I also write poetry

Philip Giorgino

Medical school:  Nova Southeastern University College of Allopathic Medicine

Hometown:  Raleigh, NC

Hobbies:  Going to the gym, playing video games, cooking Italian food, fishing, hunting

Interesting fact:  I love visiting national parks!  My favorite is Denali National Park in Alaska; on one trip my family and I drove from Anchorage to Denali in an RV.

Adnan Hajjar

Medical school: Alfaisal University

Hometown: Aleppo, Syria – Isparta, Türkiye

Hobbies: Paddle Tennis, Specialized coffee brewing, and Soccer.

Interesting fact: My wife and I have the same birthday.

Abdulmalek Al Jafari

Medical school: Saint James School of Medicine

Hometown: Tikrit, Iraq.

Hobbies: Soccer, chess, table tennis, and video games.

Interesting fact: Since I was 12 years old, I have become addicted to reading a specific type of ancient Arabic poetry that was developed between the sixth and eighth centuries A.D.

Sarah Jahangir

Medical school: Dhaka Medical College

Hometown: Dhaka, Bangladesh

Hobbies: Going on scenic road trips, traveling, photographing sunsets, and baking.

Interesting fact: I have a growing collection of souvenirs from different cities with my name on them.

Parnita Kesar

Medical school: Teaching University Geomedi, Tbilisi, Georgia

Hometown: Greensboro, NC

Hobbies: Trying to cook food from every cuisine, reading, hiking and taking pictures of my dog

Interesting fact: My name is technically Parineeta but it was written incorrectly on my birth certificate. I’m double-jointed and can recite almost every Taylor Swift song.

Romina Nomigolzar

Medical school: Ross University

Hometown: Toronto, Canada

Hobbies: Playing volleyball, building puzzles, and playing the guitar

Interesting fact: I have a black belt in Taekwondo and make elaborate Halloween and balloon decors

Najiullah Omar

Medical school: Nangarhar University Faculty of Medicine

Hometown: Kabul, Afghanistan

Hobbies: Cricket, Reading, Watching Documentaries

Interesting facts: Can Speak 6 languages

Diana Puicea

Medical School: Xavier University School of Medicine

Home town: Montreal, Canada

Hobbies: Baking sourdough bread

Interesting fact: My late cousin is a vampire

Ryan Restrepo

Medical school: Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine

Hometown: South Bend, IN

Hobbies: 5k races, half marathons, skiing, auto mechanic work, motor racing

Interesting facts: During my free time I love to work on and race my turbo Mazda Miata race car!

Shiza Sarfraz

Medical school: Quaid-E-Azam Medical College

Hometown: Multan , Pakistan

Hobbies: Gardening, cooking , thrifting vintage items, watching crime documentaries

Interesting facts: As a kid, I won a competition for writing a children’s story in a kids’ magazine, using one of my nightmares as the plot.

Adolfo Velasquez

Medical school: UCIMED

Hometown: Honduras

Hobbies: Watching/Playing Soccer, reading manga, playing video games

Interesting fact: I’ve had 8 surgeries on my left arm, and also had a subarachnoid hemorrhage (it was the worst headache of my life!)

Ashna Alam

Medical school: American University of Carribean (AUC)

Hometown: Shelby, North Carolina

Hobbies: Baking, chess and making unique coffee drinks

Interesting fact: My younger sister, cousin and I all have the same birthday.

Briannae Theodore

Medical school: University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

Hometown: St.John’s, Antigua, and Barbuda

Hobbies: I mainly love baking, drawing, gardening, photography and reading!!!

Interesting fact: I have a pet bunny named Pablo!

Caleb Bayona

Medical school: American University of Carribean (AUC)

Hometown: Chesapeake, Virginia

Hobbies: Playing sports, reading, playing video games

Interesting fact: I can dunk

Colin Wyatt

Medical school: West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine

Hometown: Fairfax, Virginia

Hobbies: Board games, trivia, computer building, magic the gathering, watching star trek

Interesting fact: I once nearly lost a finger to a nerf gun.

Deepak Kumar

Medical school: Liaquat University of Medical & Health Sciences

Hometown: Karachi, Pakistan

Hobbies: I enjoy playing Pickleball and learning about technical analysis in my free time. I have a strong interest in documentaries and historical subjects.

Interesting fact: My everyday breakfast is always an egg avocado toast and I could happily eat for the rest of my life if I had this choice only.

Ercilia Hernandez Garcia

Medical school: Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine

Hometown: Cary, North Carolina

Hobbies: Sewing, Sketching and Painting, Practicing hot yoga, Cheering for the NC State Wolfpack and the Carolina Hurricanes

Interesting fact: I started riding a bike again after 20 years – turns out you don’t forget.

Hasan Albasha

Medical school: University College Dublin

Hometown: Dublin, Ireland

Hobbies: Weightlifting, Automotive Work, and Strategic Gaming

Interesting fact: I’ve lived across three continents over three decades

Haywood Meeks

Medical school: Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine

Hometown: Fayetteville, North Carolina

Hobbies: Fishin’, hunting, anything on the water / with my wife

Interesting fact: I love to sail! I’ve been sailing the Pamlico sound since I was 7

Jana N Satma

Medical school: St. George’s University

Hometown: United Arab Emirates

Hobbies: Tennis, gym/fitness, runs/hikes

Interesting fact: I bake the best apple pie ever!

Loai Abdullah

Medical school: Southeast university

Hometown: Amman, Jordan

Hobbies: Video games, ping pong, reading

Interesting fact: Graduated from China

Mahmoud Zhour Adi

Medical school: University of Aleppo School of Medicine

Hometown: Aleppo, Syria

Hobbies: Basketball, Soccer, Weight lifting, Reading about history, Watching period dramas, learning new languages, travelling

Interesting fact: I’m very interested in leading a career in academic medicine with a focus on basic science research

Maryam Ali

Medical school: Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine – Georgia Campus

Hometown: Karachi, Pakistan and Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Hobbies: Exploring local ice cream shops and bean-to-bar chocolate makers, scrap-booking, practicing calligraphy, reading, hiking, and relaxing by the beach.

Interesting fact: I’m an ice cream connoisseur and keep a running list of the best flavors I’ve tried across different cities

Mayank Patel

Medical school: Medical University of South Carolina

Hometown: Georgetown, SC

Hobbies: Fishing and Golf

Interesting fact: My four loves in life are family, friends, food, and Clemson Football. Earlier this year, I played golf at the Old Course in St. Andrews but don’t ask me my score

Nihar Parikh

Medical school: New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine

Hometown: Cary, NC

Hobbies: Hockey, Pickleball, soccer, board games, hanging out with friends. I also enjoy cooking and trying new recipes.

Interesting fact: If I could eat one thing for the rest of my life, it’d be pasta. I think I was Italian in a previous life.

Peter Cheng

Medical school: USF Morsani College of Medicine

Hometown: Cary, NC

Hobbies: Soccer, video games, reading, sci-fi movies/shows

Interesting fact: I have a three-legged cat called Tipsy

Pirapat Rerkpattanapipat

Medical school: UNC Chapel Hill School of Medicine

Hometown: Hickory, NC

Hobbies: Soccer, preparing weekly newsletters for fantasy football league, following motorsports.

Interesting fact: I thought I was exclusively a dog person until my wife and I adopted our wonderful cat Mora

Prashant Simkhada

Medical school: Kathmandu Medical College

Hometown: Kathmandu, Nepal

Hobbies: DIY projects (electronics), Guitar, History, Astronomy, Coding, Traveling and Soccer (this is a new one I started after coming to Greenville)

Interesting fact: In 2022, I did an unplanned solo motorbike trip through the dirt roads of Nepal’s Himalayas. Over seven days, I rode from Kathmandu to Pokhara, Jomsom, and Muktinath (12,500 ft.), staying in the homes of strangers in remote villages and receiving unexpected kindness from locals and fellow travelers along the route. Just miles away from my final destination, Lo Manthang (last village before reaching China) I felt the adventure had already given me more than I’d imagined. So I stopped, turned my motorbike around in the middle of the road, and headed back home.

Ritvik Peesapati

Medical school: Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine

Hometown: Atlanta, GA, USA

Hobbies: Grappling and Golf

Interesting fact: I am vegetarian

Sachi Patel

Medical school: American University of Antigua

Hometown: Brampton, Canada

Hobbies: Dancing, cooking, traveling, finding unique coffee shops.

Interesting fact: I trained in a form of Indian classical dance for 10 years, am a choreographer and once performed in front of thousands of people at a cultural event in Toronto.

Vishnupriya Selvaraj

Medical school: Saveetha Medical College & Hospital, Chennai, TamilNadu, India.

Hometown: Coimbatore,India

Hobbies: Tennis, Gardening, Astrology, Listening to Music & Podcasts.

Interesting fact: I was honored to be part of a dedicated team from my Medical school that achieved a Guinness World Record by training the most individuals in CPR in 24 hours, where I supported the effort as a trainer and facilitator.

Aakash Gandhi

Medical school: Windsor University School of Medicine

Hometown: Greenville, NC

Hobbies: Travel, pop culture, (some) video gaming, dance, and side-questing new hobbies (currently learning pistol/marksmanship)

Interesting fact: My first healthcare experience of any kind was volunteering at ECU Health (when it was Pitt County Memorial Hospital – even before Vidant)

Amanda Brugh

Medical school: Mercer University School of Medicine

Hometown: Canton, GA

Hobbies: Yoga, cycling, strength training, outside walks/runs, gardening, cooking, reading, cleaning/organizing, art history, making coffee (an art form in and of itself).

Interesting fact: I am left-handed, but I do everything else either right-handed or with both. Also, I have a very niche obsession with film scores, oftentimes only listening to the film score, skipping the movie entirely.

Andrew Garman

Medical school: Ross University School of Medicine

Hometown: Pine City, MN

Hobbies: Olympic Weightlifting, Creative Writing, Reading Fiction

Interesting fact: Previously won North Dakota’s Strongest Man

Arathi Ponugoti

Medical school: Duke University School of Medicine

Hometown: Cary, NC

Hobbies: Ceramics (wheel throwing and hand-building), hosting dinner parties, exploring restaurants and reading menus, deep-diving reality TV (Bravo historian), driving in circles as a legitimate thinking strategy.

Interesting fact: I keep a Christmas tree up year-round and consider this a valid life choice.

Arti Bhalani

Medical school: Campbell University Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine

Hometown: Mission Viejo, CA

Hobbies: Reading, game nights, and road trips

Interesting fact: I can’t resist a sweet treat

Arvind Ramesh

Medical school: Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute

Hometown: Bangalore, India

Hobbies: Playing the guitar, singing, playing soccer and tennis, gaming, learning card tricks

Interesting fact: I can speed solve the 3 by 3 Rubik’s cube and my personal record is 17 seconds!

Connor Crull

Medical school: Campbell University Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine

Hometown: Georgetown, SC

Hobbies: 3d printing, hiking, paddle boarding, biking, skiing, and automotive enthusiast

Interesting fact: I helped rebuild a 2000 Jeep Wrangler from the ground up in high school with my parents.

Daniel Wohl

Medical school: Campbell University Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine

Hometown: Chapel Hill, NC

Hobbies: Swimming, petting my cat Leorio, and playing video games

Interesting fact: I was challenger in TFT double up in set 16.

Hamide Meryem Gokturk

Medical school: Istanbul Medeniyet University

Hometown: Istanbul, Turkiye

Hobbies: My biggest hobby is trying a new hobby every year!  This year I’m training for Half Marathon (It’s going poorly), videography, creative scrapbooking, coffee art, board games, anime, reading manga, discovering banger albums, pilates, journaling, traveling, solving math problems…

Interesting fact: I’m currently reading 11 different books across different genres at the same time, and I can pick up each one exactly where I left off without losing continuity. I love diving deep into different perspectives and stories. (Martin Eden is a recent favorite I would highly recommend)

Ian Kania

Medical school: University of Pikeville-Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine

Hometown: Louisville, KY

Hobbies: Basketball, Fishing, Outdoor Activities

Interesting fact: I can juggle for about 30 seconds before I lose coordination.

Jasmine Williams

Medical school: Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine – Carolinas Campus

Hometown: Portsmouth, VA

Hobbies: Laughing! Spending time with my family, Everything fitness, Gardening, Archery, Sewing

Interesting fact: Laughter is literally my medicine for life!!!

Ju Oh

Medical school: Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science

Hometown: Edmonds, WA

Hobbies: Cooking, Kendo, Hiking, Camping

Interesting fact: Some of the most interesting classes I took in college were French literature courses on science fiction and travel writing.

Kainat Aslam

Medical school: University of North Carolina School of Medicine

Hometown: High Point, NC

Hobbies: I love cooking, trying out new coffee recipes and traveling!

Interesting fact: My favorite travel activity so far has been glacier hiking!

Khushmi Shah

Medical school: Campbell University Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine

Hometown: Matthews, NC

Hobbies: Baking, pilates, watching football, and making my fiancé go on walks with me!!

Interesting fact: As a kid, I won our county Christmas card contest—my hand-drawn design was sent all over town, and yes, I make sure to remind everyone of it every holiday season

Maya Hashmi

Medical school: Dow International Medical College

Hometown: Karachi, Pakistan

Hobbies: Baking, painting, reading and traveling

Interesting fact: 16 countries, 3 cruises so far, and I’m just getting started!

Neel Patel

Medical school: Campbell University Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine

Hometown: Fayetteville, NC

Hobbies: Cooking and eating, watching sports, and going on walks with my fiancé

Interesting fact: I have an identical twin brother who is also starting IM residency. He’s the smarter one, I just explain things better.

Sakshika Vakiti

Medical school: Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine

Hometown: Atlanta, GA

Hobbies: Dancing, pencil art, hiking, and cooking

Interesting fact: I have been a professional dancer for about 20 years now!

Samantha Mills

Medical school: Campbell University Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine

Hometown: Providence, NC

Hobbies: Exploring new areas with my friends/ family and watching my little sister dance.

Interesting fact: I have the cutest dog named Birdie!

Shaaf Ahmad

Medical school: King Edward Medical University, Lahore

Hometown: Chapel Hill, NC

Hobbies: Technology, trekking, and spending time with my Cavapoo

Interesting fact: I run a small computer repair business

Surya Tumbapura

Medical school: Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine

Hometown: Raleigh, NC

Hobbies: Soccer, Computer/Board games, Anime

Interesting fact: My brother and I compete with each other to predict NFL games every season. We call it Tumba Picks!

Valentina Marginean

Medical school: Brody School of Medicine

Hometown: Blaj, Romania

Hobbies: Gardening, rugby, sewing

Interesting fact: Between my husband and I, we have 13 siblings – so our son is a very spoiled only child.

Yara Abumohsen

Medical school: University of North Carolina School of Medicine

Hometown: Lumberton, NC

Hobbies: Traveling, Playing Board Games, Solving Puzzles, Natural Walks, and Cooking

Interesting fact: I once traveled to 4 countries within 24 hours.