Resident Bios
Ali Aneizi
Hometown: Pennington, NJ
Undergraduate: University of Pittsburgh
Medical School: University of Maryland
Fellowship (chief) or Area(s) of clinical/research interest: Undecided
Why did you chose Maryland? I wanted to be at a program with great operative training, mentors, and camaraderie amongst the residents - so Maryland was the perfect fit for me!
Hobbies/Interests Outside Work: Basketball, spending time with family/friends
Favorite place you've traveled during residency: Vancouver
Advice to Applicants: Keep your head up, have a great attitude, work as hard as you possibly can, and trust the process. Whatever happens during the cycle is the best thing for you. Just go with it!
Brian De Palma
Hometown: Fair Lawn, NJ
Undergraduate: Lehigh University
Medical School: Rutgers University, Robert Wood Johnson
Fellowship (chief) or Area(s) of clinical/research interest: Working on narrowing that down
Why did you chose Maryland? The people, from faculty to residents and all the rest that we work with and alongside. Could not have asked for a better team to be a part of.
Hobbies/Interests Outside Work: Soccer is my game but all sports really, hiking and other adventures, good food and company
Favorite place you've traveled during residency: Hvar, Croatia
Advice to Applicants: Surround yourself with people willing and able to push you. That is the best way to move forward.
Tyler Edmond
Hometown: Coopersburg, PA
Undergrad: Colgate University
Medical School: University of Maryland
Fellowship (chief) or Area(s) of clinical/research interest: Undecided
Why did you chose Maryland? Maryland provides a great, all-around clinical experience with a group of residents and attendings that are second to none. The program has a great team atmosphere and our program directors are always looking for new ways to support and advance our education.
Hobbies/Interests Outside Work: Hiking, hunting, fishing, rock climbing, skiing, obstacle course racing
Favorite place you've traveled during residency: Wyoming
Advice to Applicants: Work hard, learn all you can learn and, above all just be yourself.
Kalin Fisher
Hometown: Wheeling, WV
Undergraduate: West Virginia University
Medical School: West Virginia University
Fellowship (chief) or Area(s) of clinical/research interest: Trauma, spine, joints, sports
Why did you chose Maryland? I chose Maryland because I felt like it was the best mix of a blue collar hard working environment and high research output.
Hobbies/Interests Outside Work: Hanging out with friends and family, traveling, outdoors stuff
Favorite place you've traveled during residency: San Diego
Advice to Applicants: Work hard and be nice to people. Good things will come if you do those two things.
Jessa Fogel
Hometown: Bow, NH
Undergraduate: Dartmouth College
Medical School: Vanderbilt University
Fellowship (chief) or Area(s) of clinical/research interest: Undecided
Why did you choose Maryland? Maryland's program offers incredible training and learning opportunities in a variety of practice settings. But more importantly, there is a strong culture of teamwork, support, and respect amongst residents and faculty. The people here are truly fantastic!
Hobbies/Interests Outside Work: Running, skiing, hiking, art, travel
Favorite place you've traveled during residency: Spain
Advice to Applicants: Work hard, be yourself, and approach applications/interviews with a positive mindset. The match can be really stressful, but everything will work out in the end!
Jake Hartline
Hometown: Knoxville, TN
Undergraduate: Rhodes College
Medical School: University of Tennessee
Fellowship (chief) or Area(s) of clinical/research interest: Patient and procedural factors influencing operating room efficiency, Factors affecting outcomes in RTSA, Disparities in healthcare utilization
Why did you chose Maryland? I was impressed by the incredibly collegial and supportive atmosphere here. Attendings, fellows, and senior residents are approachable and eager to teach. Maryland also provides you with exposure to a broad range of pathology and practice settings.
Hobbies/Interests Outside Work: Running, backpacking, Memphis Grizzlies basketball, and currently looking forward to hopping on the Baltimore Ravens bandwagon
Favorite place you've traveled during residency: Peru and Bolivia
Advice to Applicants: There are lots of great programs out there. Pay attention to how the residents interact with each other and faculty. Find an environment you can thrive in, both professionally and personally.
Leah Henry
Hometown: Arnold, MD
Undergraduate: The Catholic University of America
Medical School: University of Maryland School of Medicine
Fellowship (chief) or Area(s) of clinical/research interest: Sports
Why did you chose Maryland? I chose Maryland for residency because of my experience here as a medical student. The residents and attendings were always eager to teach and were absolutely excellent surgeons. The residents were very friendly and frequently saw each other outside of work, which is important to me. The culture is extremely welcoming and overall a great fit for me. I also really appreciated how well rounded the operative experience is at Maryland, particularly compared to many of the other programs where I interviewed. I know that I will be an excellent surgeon at the end of residency because of the training I will receive here at Maryland.
Hobbies/Interests Outside Work: Quilting/sewing, hiking, reading, going to see Broadway musicals/live theater, spending time with family and friends
Favorite place you've traveled during residency: Rome/Assisi, Taos, NM, Sanibel Island, FL
Advice to Applicants: I think the best thing you can do for your application particularly early in medical school is finding good mentors. I had medical students in the years ahead of me who were going into ortho, ortho residents at Maryland, and a few attendings who were invaluable resources. It is great to find attending mentors early on in medical school who will be willing to advocate for you and make phone calls for you when the time comes for residency applications. I would not be where I am today without all the mentors who helped me along the way.
Meghan Hughes
Hometown: Silver Spring, MD
Undergraduate: Brown University
Medical School: University of Maryland
Fellowship (chief) or Area(s) of clinical/research interest: Joints, F&A, Trauma
Why did you chose Maryland? As a med-student I really enjoyed working with the residents during events hosted by the Orthopaedic Interest Group and during my rotations. The early operative experience for junior residents is definitely one of the program's strengths that stood out to me. I also wanted the opportunity to work in a high volume trauma center, and you can't beat Shock Trauma!
Hobbies/Interests Outside Work: Madeira (island off of Portugal) and Lake Bled in Slovenia
Favorite place you've traveled during residency: Skopje, Macedonia
Advice to Applicants: Find a program whose residents work well together and support each other. You never know what life will throw at you during residency. Having the support of my co-residents has been invaluable!
Samir Kaveeshwar
Hometown: Bethesda, Maryland
Undergraduate: Washington University in St. Louis
Medical School: University of Maryland
Fellowship (chief) or Area(s) of clinical/research interest: Upper Extremity
Why did you choose Maryland? I chose Maryland because it offers a program with well-rounded exposure to all subspecialties along with a great resident culture in a good location.
Hobbies/Interests Outside Work: Basketball, golf, reading, a nice jog by the water
Favorite place you've traveled during residency: Bar Harbor, Maine
Advice to Applicants: Helpfulness and interpersonal skills are important during rotations. Prepare for cases by studying anatomy of approaches. There are many different services with differing environments so adaptability is important.
Logan Kolakowski
Hometown: Bethesda, MD
Undergrad: Wake Forest University
Medical School: University of Maryland
Fellowship (chief) or Area(s) of clinical/research interest: Shoulder elbow / upper extremity
Why did you chose Maryland? The faculty and residents. It was the group of people I wanted to work with and learn from every day.
Hobbies/Interests Outside Work: Tennis, yoga, travel. Otherwise you can find me and Nichole trying every restaurant in the city
Favorite place you've traveled during residency: Yosemite / San Fran
Advice to Applicants: Be honest with yourself about what is important to you in residency and life. There are so many different programs out there, all with different strengths. You have to know yourself to get what you want out of the process! Ask any questions - we're happy to answer anything.
Matthew Kolevar
Hometown: Ann Arbor, MI
Undergraduate: University of Michigan
Medical School: Case Western Reserve University
Fellowship (chief) or Area(s) of clinical/research interest: Trauma, joints, sports, cartilage 3D printing
Why did you chose Maryland? I chose Maryland for the operative experience and great group of residents. I wanted a work-hard program that was balanced in all the sub-specialties and where the residents seemed happy.
Hobbies/Interests Outside Work: Brewing beer, live music, skiing, golf, Michigan football
Favorite place you've traveled during residency: Zanzibar
Advice to Applicants: Pick a program where you feel comfortable with all the residents and attendings. Clinical training, research, location, and reputation are all important when choosing a program. Only you can decide what to prioritize. When it comes to making your rank list, go with your gut.
Sam Li
Hometown: Gaithersburg, MD
Undergraduate: Wesleyan University
Medical School: Case Western Reserve University
Fellowship (chief) or Area(s) of clinical/research interest: Undecided
Why did you chose Maryland? Early and plentiful operative experience, camaraderie, being able to train at the best places for each subspecialty all the while staying in Baltimore.
Hobbies/Interests Outside Work: Tennis, squash, hiking, home improvement, exploring new restaurants
Favorite place you've traveled during residency: Cuba, Portugal, UT/AZ/NV National Parks
Advice to Applicants: Find the program you fit in with. Look at operative experience because one day you'll be operating on your own! Consider necessary travel to other cities for rotations.
Michael Livesey
Hometown: Bryn Mawr, PA
Undergraduate: University of Richmond
Medical School: Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University
Fellowship (chief) or Area(s) of clinical/research interest: Shoulder/elbow
Why did you chose Maryland? As I sub-I I was impressed by the surgical skill and autonomy of the residents. The faculty were supportive and the residents felt like a family.
Hobbies/Interests Outside Work: Outdoors, lifting, reading, family/friends
Favorite place you've traveled during residency: Key West, FL
Advice to Applicants: Be proactive. Read. Know everything, but don't come across as a know-it-all. Be respectful to all staff.
Alexandra Lutz
Hometown: Orlando, FL
Undergraduate: Johns Hopkins University
Medical School: University of Central Florida
Fellowship (chief) or Area(s) of clinical/research interest: Sports- but I am open to changing my mind!
Why did you chose Maryland? The volume, breadth, and severity of cases at Maryland is hard to beat. Being able to train at a facility like Shock Trauma helps develop not only unique operative skills, but also confidence in managing complex problems. Some of the trauma we have the privilege of managing requires creative and novel surgical approaches. There is a certain element of "art in medicine" which is well maintained in the clinical planning and problem solving in these cases. I want to see everything I can while in residency so I can take the best care of my future patients- Maryland offered that to me. Not to mention, I lived in Baltimore previously and loved it. You wouldn't believe the foodie scene this city has!
Hobbies/Interests Outside Work: Teaching yoga, playing soccer, traveling, art history, trying out new restaurants in Baltimore, and walks with my golden doodle
Favorite place you've traveled during residency: South Africa for the 2010 World Cup
Advice to Applicants: Trust the process and be yourself! You will find somewhere that you fit in with the people if you are authentic- even when it feels very stressful. I put "curating charcuterie boards" in the hobbies section of my application and I talked about that in every single interview. It made the process more fun and allowed places to get to know me. Remember they are deciding if you are a good resident for them but don't forget you need to make sure they are a good fit for you and your passions!
Vinny Miseo
Hometown: Livingston, NJ
Undergraduate: Tulane University
Medical School: Drexel University
Fellowship (chief) or Area(s) of clinical/research interest: Spine / Trauma
Why did you chose Maryland? Maryland has a great group of down to earth, hardworking residents who are always approachable and willing to teach. The opportunity to work at a world class trauma center and the wide variety of experiences at the multiple hospitals we rotate through, adds to the diversity of procedures we see as well as the types of practices we work with.
Hobbies/Interests Outside Work: Cooking delicious food, playing guitar, and learning to play golf
Favorite place you've traveled during residency: Ecuador, Shanghai
Advice to Applicants: Take a deep breath...
Murty Munn
Hometown: Chalfont, PA
Undergraduate: Pennsylvania State University
Medical School: Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University
Fellowship (chief) or Area(s) of clinical/research interest: Everything!
Why did you chose Maryland? I choose Maryland because I had an awesome away rotation where I saw high level trauma, Big Ten sports, and a surgery center hand practice with residents that operated and were fun to be around. My wife's sister lives in Baltimore so we were aware of what the city was like on a practical level and felt very comfortable moving here with our daughter.
Hobbies/Interests Outside Work: Golf, sports, hiking, family, church
Favorite place you've traveled during residency: National Parks in Utah
Advice to Applicants: Being an applicant is a tough and uncertain spot. We all remember how it feels. Be prepared and hardworking during cases, outside of that be confident in yourself and have fun.
Brittany Oster
Hometown: Agoura Hills, CA
Undergraduate: University of Redlands
Medical School: Albert Einstein
Fellowship (chief) or Area(s) of clinical/research interest: Undecided
Why did you chose Maryland? I chose Maryland because I had a fantastic experience during my away rotation. Everyone I worked with was down to earth and hardworking, and the residents get great operative experience.
Hobbies/Interests Outside Work: Basketball, hiking, kayaking
Favorite place you've traveled during residency: Peru
Advice to Applicants: Don't be afraid to reach out to people who have been through the application process. Ask a lot of questions, and try not to get discouraged. It all works out in the end!
Hans Prakash
Hometown: Richmond, VA
Undergraduate: University of Virginia
Medical School: University of Virginia
Fellowship (chief) or Area(s) of clinical/research interest: Undecided
Why did you choose Maryland? During my interview, I realized the residents and faculty at Maryland were the ones I could see myself hanging out with both in and out of the hospital. Additionally, the department is strong across all of the orthopaedic subspecialties, and I knew the program would set me up for success as an academic orthopaedic surgeon in whatever area I end up choosing.
Hobbies/Interests Outside Work: Basketball, football, UVA sports, traveling, snowboarding
Favorite place you've traveled during residency: Iceland
Advice to Applicants: Try to pick the program where you think you'll be the happiest. Residency is a long and hard five years, and you will want to spend it with people that will help you learn and grow while still having fun.
Michael Raffetto
Hometown: Salisbury, MD
Undergraduate: Washington and Lee University
Medical School: Creighton University
Fellowship (chief) or Area(s) of clinical/research interest: Trauma
Why did you chose Maryland? For the people and for the training opportunities.
Maryland offers one of the most well-rounded operative and educational experiences in the country. We experience many different practice environments, with the added benefit of high patient volumes and early operative experiences. Resident camaraderie is second to none, and faculty are invested in our personal and professional growth.
Hobbies/Interests Outside Work: Hiking, running, kayaking, snowboarding, family
Favorite place you've traveled during residency: Tasmania, Australia
Advice to Applicants: Enjoy the process. Meet as many people as you can, whether co-applicants, residents, or attendings. Know what is important to you, find your fit, and trust your instincts.
Michael Rocca
Hometown: Westwood, NJ
Undergraduate: Johns Hopkins University
Medical School: University of Maryland
Fellowship (chief) or Area(s) of clinical/research interest: Sports, Trauma
Why did you chose Maryland? The orthopaedics residency at Maryland represents one of the most well rounded programs in the country. The program allows you to work and learn under well renowned faculty, while giving you an early operative experience where you understand the indications and implications of each case. Our group of residents are great to work with and spend time with. We have an extremely hardworking team environment whether it is in the hospital or on a kickball field.
Hobbies/Interests Outside Work: Sports - both playing and watching sports (NY Giants, NY Yankees!), working out/weight lifting, pick-up basketball, traveling, spending free time with my amazing girlfriend, friends and family
Favorite place you've traveled during residency: Cabo
Advice to Applicants: Find the program that feels like the right fit for you.
Alexander Ruditsky
Hometown: Sudbury, MA
Undergraduate: Northeastern University
Medical School: Boston University
Fellowship (chief) or Area(s) of clinical/research interest: Undecided
Why did you chose Maryland? I really liked Maryland's combination of excellent resident culture, emphasis on education, and early operative experience with ample opportunity to get involved in research.
Hobbies/Interests Outside Work: Yoga, meditation, video games, weight lifting, running, hiking/mountaineering, sailing, drones, craft beers
Favorite place you've traveled during residency: The Phoenix Islands Kiribati, I spent a semester at sea aboard a 150 sailboat
Advice to Applicants: Try to identify what you want in a program and what will make you happy while training, don't be afraid to let that change over the year.
Amil Sahai
Hometown: Frederick, MD
Undergrad: University of Maryland, College Park
Medical School: University of Maryland School of Medicine
Fellowship or areas of clinical/research interest: undecided!
Why'd you choose Maryland?: Maryland was a great fit in terms of having a breadth of clinical experiences as well as research experiences - I know I'll be able to explore the nuances of every specialty within this program. Coupling that with having a tight knit group of residents made Maryland a strong choice for me!
Hobbies/interests outside of work: Basketball (go Lakers), tennis, dancing, traveling, single malt whiskey tasting
Favorite place you've traveled: Greece! (pic from Santorini - highly recommend)
Advice to applicants: take a deep breath and give it your best shot, especially during sub-I season! Make sure you really explore your home program as well as you're a-ways to get a sense of what you like in a program.
Mario Sahlani
Hometown: Chagrin Falls, OH
Undergraduate: The Ohio State University
Medical School: University of Toledo
Fellowship (chief) or Area(s) of clinical/research interest: Sports, Shoulder, Elbow and Spine
Why did you chose Maryland? It's immediately evident how talented the faculty and residents are from the get go. The faculty love to teach, and the residents love to operate. There is no division between classes making Maryland an awesome place to train.
Hobbies/Interests Outside Work: 3D printing, hydroponic gardening, being business partners with my wife, cooking for friends, exercise
Favorite place you've traveled during residency: The Netherlands
Advice to Applicants: Ask yourself if you could be happy somewhere.
Matheus Schneider
Hometown: Tallahasee, Florida
Undergraduate: University of Florida
Medical School: Florida State University
Fellowship (chief) or Area(s) of Clinical/Research Interest: Trauma
Why did you choose Maryland? The faculty are truly invested in producing competent surgeons and the residents are a close-knit collegial group. Everyone seems happy to wake up and go to work.
Hobbies/Interest: Soccer, tennis, golf, blues guitar, and gardening.
Advice to Applicants: Trust the process and lean into the experience. It's a rollercoaster of a process but try to enjoy it!
Nichole Shaw
Hometown: Portland, OR
Undergraduate: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Medical School: University of Colorado
Fellowship (chief) or Area(s) of clinical/research interest: Spine and Pediatrics
Why did you chose Maryland? When I rotated here as a sub-I, I saw the graduated independence the residents had both and clinic and in the OR. Seeing senior residents walk juniors through cases showed just how much independence the residents get as well as showing how early operative experiences can develop into early teaching experiences.
Hobbies/Interests Outside Work: Baking and decorating cakes, Peloton, my dogs Obie and Tinker, and eating my way through Baltimore and DC with Logan
Favorite place you've traveled during residency: Maroon Bells, Colorado
Advice to Applicants: Find a program that fits YOU. As much as we are interviewing you, you should be interviewing the program to find somewhere you will thrive the next 5 years!
Brian Shear
Hometown: Trumbull, CT
Undergraduate: George Washington University
Medical School: Central Michigan University
Fellowship (chief) or Area(s) of clinical/research interest: Undecided
Why did you chose Maryland? I was looking for a well-rounded program that once finished Id have no doubt in my abilities to tackle just about anything. Coupled with the great culture and location near friends and family in Washington, D.C., it was an easy choice.
Hobbies/Interests Outside Work: Peloton, Brewing Beer, video games, hockey
Favorite place you've traveled during residency: St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands
Advice to Applicants: Pay particular attention to the current residents and don't underestimate the importance of the culture of the program. Applying is incredibly stressful but at the end of the day you'll end up exactly where you should.
Craig Shul
Hometown: Albuquerque, NM
Undergraduate: University of Nevada Las Vegas
Medical School: University of Nevada, Reno
Fellowship (chief) or Area(s) of clinical/research interest: Trauma and Joints
Why did you chose Maryland? When considering my rank list, the camaraderie among residents was incredibly important to me - going to work every day should be enjoyable. Also, the Shock Trauma experience on my sub-internship was very unique. I wanted elite trauma training whether I end up in that field or not. Another important factor was stable leadership who valued the opinion of the residents. I found all 3 at Maryland.
Hobbies/Interests Outside Work: Lifting, golfing, fishing, family time
Favorite place you've traveled during residency: Skopje, Macedonia
Advice to Applicants: Take a deep breath and enjoy this process. Take the opinion of others lightly, follow your intuition, rank where you feel that you will be well trained, will be welcome, and can enjoy grinding with your colleagues.
Andrew Tran
Hometown: Fountain Valley, CA
Undergrad: UCLA
Medical School: Georgetown University
Fellowship (chief) or Area(s) of clinical/research interest: Sports and joints
Why did you chose Maryland? A great early operative experience combined with the most down to earth residents I had met on my away rotations led me to choosing Maryland for residency. The resources and educational opportunities devoted to residents here are unparalleled, and the attendings always make resident learning a priority.
Hobbies/Interests Outside Work: Live concerts/music, vinyl collecting, photography, traveling, gaming
Favorite place you've traveled during residency: Bali, Indonesia
Advice to Applicants: Applying for residency can be a challenging time, but just remember to be yourself and work hard during sub-I season. Pick a place where you feel like you would be happy to spend the next 5 years!
Serge Tzeuton
Hometown: Silver Spring, MD
Undergraduate: University of Maryland, College Park
Medical School: University of Maryland
Fellowship (chief) or Area(s) of clinical/research interest: Upper Extremity
Why did you choose Maryland? I knew that at Maryland I would extensive operative experience and be able to work with a great, down-to-earth group of residents and faculty. The autonomy that residents have here is something I always placed highly on my list of things I sought in a residency program.
Hobbies/Interests Outside Work: Basketball, gaming, cooking, weight training, and spending quality time with loved ones
Favorite place you've traveled during residency: Paris, France
Advice to Applicants: Try your best to learn about the programs you're interested in. Otherwise, enjoy the process. Work hard, be positive, don't beat yourself up to hard, and things tend to work out. Good luck!
Ugo Udogwu
Hometown: New York
Undergraduate: Princeton University
Medical School: Icahn SOM at Mount Sinai
Fellowship (chief) or Area(s) of clinical/research interest: Undecided
Why did you chose Maryland? Maryland has excellent hands on experience with hybrid of team based services and apprenticeship learning which gives the residents the best of both worlds when it comes to education. Advanced practitioners help out a ton, allowing early operative experience.
Hobbies/Interests Outside Work: Biking, hiking, visual arts, tennis, basketball, wine, being outside as much as possible
Favorite place you've traveled during residency: Thailand
Advice to Applicants: Be yourself and be honest.
Tina Zhang
Hometown: Gaithersburg, MD
Undergraduate: University of Maryland
Medical School: Georgetown University
Fellowship (chief) or Area(s) of clinical/research interest: Biomechanics, Materials Science
Why did you chose Maryland? The program is filled with fantastic people who I absolutely looked forward to working with!
Hobbies/Interests Outside Work: Video games, martial arts
Favorite place you've traveled during residency: Tokyo, Japan
Advice to Applicants: Find a program that fits you in terms of personalities, work ethic, and culture. Do your best to adapt to this strange interview season!