Fellowship Programs
Archana Sridhar, M.D.
Internal Medicine Residency Program alumna set for prestigious fellowship
As a child, Archana Sridhar, M.D., was spellbound by her mother’s stories about being a nurse, helping to save lives and improve health in their Southern India community. When it came time to choose a career, she only had one option in mind: becoming the first physician in her family.
“As my mother came from an underprivileged background, she didn’t have the means to become a doctor,” said Dr. Sridhar, who graduated from medical school in Coimbatore, India. “She and my father worked to give me ample opportunities that helped me get to where I am today.”
Dr. Sridhar is one of 68 resident and fellow physicians from around the world who graduated June 21, 2025, during our 46th annual commencement ceremony at Hilton Scranton & Conference Center.
After medical school, physicians can continue their postgraduate training through medical residencies – intensive, hands-on clinical experiences that last three to seven years, depending on the specialty. These programs are designed to shape newly minted doctors into skilled, confident, and compassionate caregivers under the guidance of experienced mentors.
Our graduate medical education programs have been a key part of this journey for more than 1,100 physicians since we launched our Internal Medicine Residency Program in 1976, then known as the Scranton-Temple Residency Program. Today, our residency and fellowship programs focus on preparing doctors to meet the evolving needs of patients and communities across the country.
For Dr. Sridhar, a recommendation from a friend led her to our Internal Medicine Residency Program – and ultimately helped her discover her passion: endocrinology, the field of medicine focused on hormones and the glands that produce them.
“I was overjoyed to get an interview from a program as prestigious as the National Institutes of Health (NIH),” said Dr. Sridhar, who will begin a three-year endocrinology fellowship at the NIH in Bethesda, Maryland, soon after graduation. “My husband encouraged me to apply for the program and supported me in presenting my strengths throughout the application and interview process.”
She is one of 14 Wright Center resident and fellow physicians advancing into specialized fellowship programs across the country.
“Fellowships allow doctors to dive deeper into their areas of interest and refine their expertise,” said Dr. Jumee Barooah, our senior vice president of education and designated institutional official. “We’re incredibly proud of our graduates and the impact they will make on health care.”
Dr. Sridhar began her medical journey in Coimbatore, India, where she completed a clinical rotation at a rural health center, gaining valuable experience while managing a high volume of patients.
“It opened my eyes to how limited access to health care can be,” she said. “I’ll never forget a woman who came in seven months pregnant – her first medical visit. She only came because she was experiencing pain.”
During her residency, Dr. Sridhar found herself drawn to the strong patient relationships fostered in primary care – and even more so during two endocrinology rotations.
“The experience was very similar to the kind of patients we see in primary care, because we treat patients with diabetes, metabolic disease, and thyroid disease,” she said. “But endocrinologists see patients again and again, sometimes for a patient’s whole life. It allows us to develop stronger relationships, which can lead to better care.”
Beyond clinical work, Dr. Sridhar is energized by the prospect of research. Before starting her residency with us, she spent a year as a research volunteer in the neurosurgery department at Methodist Dallas Medical Center in Texas. There, she discovered a love for data analysis, patient recruitment, literature review, and writing.
“Research is how medicine moves forward,” said Dr. Sridhar, who moved to the United States with her husband, Vignesh Maheswaran, in 2019. “I’m especially interested in studying obesity and diabetes and how they affect cardiovascular health. My time at The Wright Center sparked my curiosity about this topic.
“I am looking forward to being a part of cutting-edge research in endocrinology and working alongside some of the greatest minds in the field. Looking at the future, I want to be in an academic setting that allows me to see patients and continue pursuing research.”
Archana Sridhar, M.D., center, a 2025 graduate of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s Internal Medicine Residency Program, is flanked by colleagues, from left, Satish Ahuja, M.D., Internal Medicine resident physician; Arun Kumar, M.D., Geriatrics fellow physician; and Medical Assistants Lavondra Armstead and Telease Holman in the resident room at The Wright Center for Community Health Scranton. Dr. Sridhar has been accepted into a prestigious endocrinology fellowship at the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, Maryland.
The following resident and fellow physicians at The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education will pursue fellowships after graduation:
● Richard Bronnenkant, M.D., Geriatrics, infectious disease fellowship at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital
● Taibah Chaudhary, M.D., Internal Medicine, endocrinology fellowship at Allegheny Health Network
● Yash Deshpande, M.D., Internal Medicine, rheumatology fellowship at Houston Methodist Hospital
● Stephanie Farah, M.D., Geriatrics, obesity medicine fellowship at West Virginia University Ruby Memorial Hospital
● Faryal Haider, M.D., Internal Medicine, endocrinology fellowship at the Southern Illinois School of Medicine
● Aimen Iqbal, M.D., Internal Medicine, endocrinology fellowship at the University of Minnesota Medical Center
● Lavleen Kaur, M.D., Internal Medicine, hematology oncology fellowship at Wayne State University
● Ravleen Kaur, M.D., Internal Medicine, endocrinology fellowship at the University of Toledo Medical Center
● Arathi Prabha Kumar, M.D., Internal Medicine, infectious disease fellowship at the University of Wisconsin Medical Center
● Anand Maligireddy, M.D., Internal Medicine, cardiovascular disease fellowship at the University of Kansas Medical Center
● Samurna Sabir, M.D., Internal Medicine, pulmonary critical care fellowship at Cook County Health
● Nischay Shah, D.O., Cardiovascular Disease, electrophysiology fellowship at Deborah Heart and Lung Center
● Amninder Singh, M.D., Internal Medicine, cardiovascular disease fellowship at The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education
● Archana Sridhar, M.D., Internal Medicine, endocrinology fellowship at the National Institutes of Health
