‘An obligation to give back:’ Alumni mentors share experience with next generation of physicians
When Khaled Elghonemy, M.D., M.Sc., FACP, first arrived in Scranton, Pennsylvania, to begin his Internal Medicine residency with The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education, he purchased a Mini Cooper to get around town.
No one warned the Cairo, Egypt, native about Northeast Pennsylvania winters. He soon realized he should have chosen a vehicle with all-wheel drive to navigate the snow and ice.
Fifteen years later, Dr. Elghonemy was among the first to volunteer for a new mentorship program launched by The Wright Center. The internal medicine physician, who is based in Seattle, Washington, will be paired with two current Internal Medicine resident physicians to offer career advice – and perhaps some of the practical advice he wishes he received during his residency.
“If something like this was available to me when I was a resident, it would have been highly appreciated,” said Dr. Elghonemy, a member of the Class of 2014. “I’m looking forward to giving back and sharing what I’ve learned with residents who are just starting out.”
Dr. Khaled Elghonemy
The Wright Center’s new mentorship program, along with a separate initiative that welcomes alumni back to teach at didactic sessions, took shape in 2026 when Dhruv Patel, M.D., became a chief resident during his final year in The Wright Center’s Internal Medicine Residency Program. He saw an opportunity to build on The Wright Center’s half-century of history by fostering stronger connections between established physicians and current residents.
He teamed up with Gina Lettieri, enterprise archivist at The Wright Center, to begin inviting alumni to participate in didactic sessions and serve as mentors.
Sunil Musinipally, M.D., M.P.H., a 2007 graduate of The Wright Center’s Internal Medicine Residency Program, signed up for the new mentorship program as a way of honoring the physicians who made an impact on his career during his residency. His experiences during a clinical rotation in the intensive care unit at Moses Taylor Hospital in Scranton inspired him to pursue pulmonary critical care. He now works for Orlando Health in Tampa, Florida.
Paired with Internal Medicine resident physicians who expressed interest in a similar career path, Dr. Musinipally said he looks forward to helping them navigate the challenges of residency and decide what comes after graduation.
“I want to give them insight and share my experience,” Dr. Musinipally said. “The residency program there is still very close to my heart, so whatever I can do, even just a little bit, I see it as my obligation to give back.”
“I signed up specifically because Dr. Musinipally is a pulmonary and critical care fellow, and that’s the path I hope to pursue after residency,” she said. “I’m hoping to learn how he positioned himself during residency to match into a pulmonary and critical care fellowship, what he wishes he had known earlier, and how to make the most of my training years.”
Ghazala Munawar, M.D., a first-year Internal Medicine resident physician at The Wright Center, looks forward to gaining that kind of firsthand expertise as she considers her own career path.
Dr. Elghonemy hopes to help his mentees get the most out of residency by sharing his experiences and offering advice on preparing for their futures. He remembers how difficult it was to choose between pursuing a fellowship in gastroenterology or joining the workforce as an internal medicine doctor.
He welcomed a daughter less than a year before graduating from The Wright Center’s Internal Medicine Residency Program, a milestone that helped solidify his decision to pursue a career in that field.
“I learned some things for myself over the years, and it could have saved a lot of time if I’d had someone with experience to offer advice,” he said, adding that he enjoys his career and hopes to pass on his passion for patient care.
Dr. Patel, who now works as a hospitalist at Baystate Health in Springfield, Massachusetts, agrees that residents can benefit from the insight of established specialists and The Wright Center alumni.
“Some residents come to the program, and they’re very committed to their chosen specialty, so having a mentor can help boost their career by finding interview opportunities, recommendations, and making connections with other doctors in the field,” he said. “And some residents who aren’t sure what they want to pursue, they can benefit from hearing more about the day-to-day work, the work-life balance, all of that.”
Dr. Dhruv Patel
Alumni give back by teaching
While serving as chief resident during his final year in The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s Internal Medicine Residency Program, Dhruv Patel, M.D., focused on finding new ways to connect residents with the many alumni who have wisdom and experience to share.
Inspired by The Wright Center’s 50th anniversary, he collaborated with The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education staff and Gina Lettieri, enterprise archivist at The Wright Center, to invite alumni from across the country to deliver didactic sessions to current residents. The response was overwhelmingly positive.
“Many doctors we spoke to were excited to teach a session, but they also enjoyed the opportunity to reminisce about doctors who taught them,” said Dr. Patel, a member of the Class of 2026. “We realized this was a way to connect with our alumni and give our residents new perspectives.”
Dr. Swapnil Surpur
Since August 2025, seven alumni have taught at didactic sessions for resident physicians of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s Internal Medicine Program, either virtually or in person. Lettieri and Swapnil Surpur, M.D., the chief resident physician who took over after Dr. Patel graduated, are working to compile a database to continue this popular program.
Dr. Surpur who is scheduled to complete his program in June 2027, is excited to participate in this ongoing effort because of the clear benefit to residents.
“Alumni bring a unique perspective because they have experienced the same training environment and have since built additional expertise through fellowship, clinical practice, research, leadership, and other professional experiences,” he said. “I hope residents can learn about different updated guidelines while gaining practical insight from physicians who have already navigated these transitions.”
