Please join us in congratulating the six energetic and talented residents who have been selected as the J. Willis Hurst Internal Medicine Residency Program’s 2021-2022 Chief Residents. They were selected from an exceptionally strong class based on input from residents, faculty, and stakeholders across the Department of Medicine. Each year, our chiefs serve as exemplary resident role models who exude intellectual curiosity, inspire curiosity in others, provide top-notch patient care, and invest in our program and our people. This group’s outstanding leadership and enthusiasm for resident education will enrich the legacy of our training program.
Please see below for additional information and hospital assignments for the 2021-2022 Chief Residents.
Dylan Baker
Title: Ambulatory Chief Resident
Medical School: St. George’s University of London Medical School
College: McGill University in Montreal, Canada
Hometown: Lausanne, Switzerland
What are you most excited about for Chief Year?
“Clinic is consistently one of the most challenging residency experiences. I’m looking forward to streamlining solutions to make the system work better for both residents and patients. I’m also very much looking forward to developing the primary care didactic curriculum to focus on key topics that we could all use a refresher on.”
Why did you choose to train at Emory?
“During my away rotations at Emory as a fourth-year, I saw first-hand how enthusiastic both the attendings and residents were in delivering comprehensive and thoughtful patient care. I knew I wanted to be a part of a community that would continually challenge me to grow in my clinical skill set. I was also thrilled at the prospect of learning more about HIV medicine at the one-of-a-kind Ponce Clinic and SIS services.”
Tell us a fun fact about yourself.
“I’ve lived in seven cities in six countries, and used to be trilingual until my seven-year-old self decided knowing German wasn’t as important as French and English.”
Lakshmi Katta
Location: Emory University Hospital Midtown
Medical School: University of Missouri – Kansas City
College: University of Missouri – Kansas City
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Why did you choose to train at Emory?
“I fell in love with Emory because of the people. I had the opportunity to do an away rotation in Preventive Cardiology at Emory Hospital and meet some of the amazing faculty we have. Their strong advocacy for me and my learning blew me away. I wanted to continue to train in that supportive environment and luckily I was able to.”
What’s been your favorite residency experience?
“On my most recent Grady wards month, we had a gentleman with failure to thrive who was feeling a bit sour due to his prolonged hospital stay. When we asked him what he enjoyed to eat, he replied with “Honey Bun.” He was so ecstatic when I brought him his first Honey Bun. To my chagrin, he finished the whole bun within minutes! It’s a bit silly, but it’s those little things that elevate my relationship with the patient that keep me going.”
Tell us a fun fact about yourself.
“I am a self-proclaimed amateur photographer. My DSLR was gifted to me as a surprise for my 19th birthday by close friends. So sweet, right?”
Melroy D’Souza
Location: Emory University Hospital
Medical School: Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
College: Lafayette College
Hometown: Howell, NJ
What is your favorite thing about our program?
“Cliché as it might be, my favorite aspect of our program is the people. Everyone from program leadership to attendings and (most of all) my co-residents have made these years truly enjoyable. This year’s unique challenges have shed light on the selflessness, humility, and grit that is embedded in the culture of our program. Coming in a close second…cookies ‘n cream popsicle from King of Pops.”
What are you most excited about for Chief Year?
“I am looking forward to teaching residents and creating initiatives that will become a part of our training program.”
Tell us a fun fact about yourself.
“I have eaten at the oldest restaurant in the world, which is in Madrid.”
Sarah Wondmeneh
Location: Atlanta VA Medical Center
Medical School: Washington University in St. Louis
College: University of Toronto
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
What’s been your favorite residency experience?
“I am proud of the community we have built this year with CDIC (Churchwell Diversity and Inclusion Collective) and the role it has played in the residency program. I am excited to see its continued growth in the years to come!”
Why did you choose to train at Emory?
“I was drawn to Emory’s strong global and public health presence. I wanted a public health system like Grady to be a core part of training due to its mission to serve the undeserved. And the diversity in leadership was unique to almost any other program I interviewed at.”
Tell us a fun fact about yourself.
“I have an ongoing art project painting black and white acrylic portraits of public figures.”
Matt J. Brown
Location: Grady Memorial Hospital
Medical School: Wright State University
College: Ohio State University
Hometown: Dayton, OH
Why did you choose to train at Emory?
“Growing up, I heard many stories about the experiences my father had when he was here at Emory for his internal medicine training. Though always encouraging me to follow my own ambitions, I found my calling in medicine as well. Wanting to experience what Emory Medicine was like first-hand, I did an away rotation my fourth year of medical school and from the first time I set foot here, I felt part of the family. It was that sentiment, along with a strong scholarly atmosphere, breadth of pathology, opportunity to provide medicine to the underserved, fantastic leadership, and so much more that made me chose Emory for my clinical training.”
What is your favorite thing about our program?
“If I had to sum it up in one word, diversity. Diversity in clinical training by working out of four different hospital systems and patient populations. Diversity in my colleagues who hail from across the nation and around the world, all of whom I truly consider my family. Diverse opportunity to pursue your passions. Emory has just about everything for anyone.”
Tell us a fun fact about yourself.
“Wayne Brady kind of paid for my honeymoon (I was on Let’s Make a Deal)!”
Layal Sayegh
Location: Grady Memorial Hospital
Medical School: Emory University School of Medicine
College: Franklin & Marshall College
Hometown: Westwood, MA
What is your favorite thing about our program?
“Definitely the people. My co-residents are constantly helping each other and the leadership is so supportive of us. All of these things have been highlighted even more this year during this unprecedented time. My other favorite thing is Grady. There is something really special about the patients and the people who work there.”
What are you most excited about for Chief Year?
“I’m excited to work with the other chiefs on continuing to improve our program and being a support system and advocate for the residents.”
Tell us a fun fact about yourself.
“I like to make very over the top charcuterie boards in my free time.”
We would also like to reintroduce the 2020-2021 Chief Residents, who will assume their positions in July. We are excited to see how they lead and grow in their new roles!
Liz McCord – Ambulatory Chief Resident
Amalia Aldredge – Emory University Hospital Midtown
Chris Massad – Emory University Hospital
Patrick Zakka – Atlanta VA Medical Center
Hima Veeramachaneni and Eli Wilber – Grady Memorial Hospital
Top row (L-R): Liz McCord; Amalia Aldredge; Chris Massad
Bottom row (L-R): Patrick Zakka; Hima Veeramachaneni; Eli Wilber
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