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The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education celebrates Class of 2024 during 45th annual graduation ceremony
The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education Class of 2024
The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education recognized 65 resident and fellow physician graduates during its 45th annual commencement ceremony Saturday, June 22, 2024 at Mohegan Pennsylvania Convention Center in Plains Township.
The Wright Center honored and recognized graduates from six disciplines: internal medicine, 32; national family medicine, 16; regional family medicine, 14; cardiovascular disease, one; gastroenterology, one; and geriatrics, one.
About 350 family members, staff, and others attended the ceremony.
Dr. Humza Quadir, of Philadelphia, a hospitalist and clinical instructor at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center who graduated from The Wright Center’s Internal Medicine Residency in 2022, delivered the keynote address. He also serves as an instructor at Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine and received his medical degree from Ziauddin University in Karachi, Pakistan, in December 2014.
At The Wright Center, Dr. Quadir served in several leadership roles, including chief resident, vice president of the house staff council, a voting member of the Graduate Medical Education Committee (GMEC), and a member of GMEC’s Quality and Safety Committee.
Peter Iskander, M.D., a member of the Internal Medicine Residency Program’s Class of 2024, takes a selfie with his fellow classmates at The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s 45th annual commencement ceremony on Saturday, June 22, at Mohegan Pennsylvania Convention Center.
In his keynote address, Dr. Quadir stressed the importance of primary care, community health, and serving at-risk populations. He encouraged the graduates to create a supportive health care environment.
“As physicians, our calling isn’t just about the diagnosis and treatment of diseases; it is also about fostering a culture of compassion, equity, and service with every interaction,” he said. “Each patient who walks through our doors is not just a case to be treated but a member of a larger community — a community that relies on us for care, compassion, and support. Whether we practice in urban or rural areas, let us remember our responsibility to serve and uplift the communities we call home.”
Family Medicine Residency graduate Omar Saeed, M.D., poses for a picture next to an image of his diploma.
Other speakers included: Linda Thomas-Hemak, M.D., president and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education; Jumee Barooah, M.D., senior vice president of education and designated institutional official for The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education and a 2013 alumnus of its internal medicine residency program; and Chief Resident Chilsia Shafi, M.D., a 2024 graduate of The Wright Center’s internal medicine residency program.
“The Wright Center’s journey began in 1977, with our inaugural class of six internal medicine resident physicians,” Dr. Barooah said in her speech. “The noble goal was to address the shortage of primary care providers here. Since those humble beginnings, we have grown to provide graduate medical education in communities from coast to coast, with residents and fellows expanding their knowledge and abilities in our Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited programs.”
Challenges in graduate medical education and the delivery of primary care continue, including the American Medical Association’s forecasted shortage of up to 48,000 primary care physicians by 2034 and its associated misdistribution of physicians that limits access to care for many individuals, she said.
“Health Professional Shortage Areas are also prevalent, including here in our region, affecting the health and quality of life of our neighbors and friends,” Dr. Barooah said. “These are daunting issues, but ones The Wright Center is working to address thanks to our more than 1,000 alumni, including our 65-member strong Class of 2024.”
Dr. Thomas-Hemak thanked the graduates for their dedication and countless contributions in the delivery of The Wright Center’s noble mission: To improve the health and welfare of our communities through inclusive and responsive health services and the sustainable renewal of an inspired, competent workforce that is privileged to serve.
Timothy Burke, D.O., FACOI, associate program director for the Internal Medicine Residency, presents Chilsia Shafi with her diploma.
“As healers, we must always strive to be beacons of hope and forces for positive change,” she said. “I am deeply humbled and profoundly grateful that you have shared a part of your life path, energy, and immense talent with us at The Wright Center.”
This summer, 51 residents and seven fellows will participate in The Wright Center’s ACGME- accredited residency and fellowship programs.
Graduates honored include:
Internal Medicine Residency
Udit Asija, M.D.; Maria Rose Dominic, M.D.; Jawahar Khan Durrani, M.D.; Sadaf Fatima, M.D.; Kyle D. Fistner, D.O.; Naeem Ijaz, M.D.; Peter Iskander, M.D.; Ayushi Jain, M.D.; Apeksha Kakkar, M.D.; Gursharan Kaur, M.D.; Abhaya Khatiwada, M.D.; Aishwarya Krishnaiah, M.D.; Aamir Makda, M.D.; Sandeep Mandal, M.D.; Sajeel Qayum Mirza, M.D.; Mohammed Musa Najmuddin, M.D.; Sarasija Natarajan, M.D; Lakshmi Priyanka Pappoppula, M.D.; Preya Patel, M.D.; Aniqa Raheem, M.D.; Khadijah Sajid, M.D.; Chilsia Shafi, M.D.; Ali Shah, M.D.; Sabeeka F. Shah, M.D.; Sumnima Shrestha, M.D.; Mashu Shrivastava, M.D.; Shila Simkhada, M.D.; Aayushi Sood, M.D.; Omar Syed, M.D.; Lekha Tejaswi Yadukumar, M.D.; Syed Muhammad Hussain Zaidi, M.D.; and Jiayi Zheng, M.D.
National Family Medicine Residency
Jacob Darnell, D.O., MA; Stephanie Nkiruka Egwuatu, D.O.; Joshua K. George, D.O.; Sandya George, D.O.; Katlyn Jones, D.O., MPH; Joshua Ryan Lloyd, D.O.; Hsuan-Chieh Jasper Luoh, D.O.; Leonardo Ivan Mejia, D.O.; Fatema Osama Nassar, D.O.; Leon Nguyen, D.O.; Alisa Pham, D.O., MS; Dunal Richard Riveland, D.O.; Enne Shah, D.O.; Emily Beth Silberstein, D.O.; Mary Grace Tabakin, D.O.; and Wei-Jen Chua Yankelevich, D.O., Ph.D.
Regional Family Medicine Residency
Tony AbdelMaseeh Tanagho AbdelMaseeh, M.D.; Neil F. Espiritu, M.D.; Vivek Gautam, M.D.; Ruhi Goraya, M.D.; Aniq Rahibul Hakim, M.D.; Anitesh Jaswal, M.D.; Amatus Aria-Ona Legbedion, M.D.; Edwin Nyamwaya Mogaka, M.D., Ph.D.; Mohana Preesha Partheeban, M.D.; Nirshanthika Raviendren, M.D.; Omar Saeed, M.D.; Ankit Sethi, M.D.; Sahil Sharma, M.D.; and Safwaan Suleman, M.D.
Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship
Yaser Khalid, D.O.
Gastroenterology Fellowship
Fouzia Oza, M.D.
Geriatrics Fellowship
Muhammad Ishaq, M.D.
The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education was established in 1976 as the Scranton-Temple Residency Program, a community-based internal medicine residency. Today, The Wright Center is one of the largest U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration-funded Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Safety-Net Consortiums in the nation.
Together with consortium stakeholders, The Wright Center trains residents and fellows in a community-based, community-needs-responsive workforce development model to advance their shared mission to improve the health and welfare of communities through inclusive and responsive health services and the sustainable renewal of an inspired, competent workforce that is privileged to serve.
The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s residency and fellowship programs are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.
