Sayyida Abdus-Salaam, M.D. Wright State University

Hometown: Baltimore, MD
Undergraduate School: Spelman College Atlanta, GA
Marital Status: Sharif Abdus-Salaam, MD, (Orthopedic Surgery), 2 children (Amirah and Sidraah)
Interests & Tidbits: I enjoy makeup artistry as a hobby

Jeremy Crider, M.D. Louisiana State University-New Orleans

Hometown: Monroe, LA
Marital Status: Married to Robin Crider- a veterinarian here in Memphis. Our children are our dog and cat.
Interests & Tidbits: LSU athletics, food, community development, fighting poverty. I am a national powerlifting champion.

Carley Fox, M.D.Albany Medical College

Hometown: San Diego, CA
Undergraduate School: University of California, Berkeley
Marital Status: I am married to another UT resident (different program). We have two spoiled Pit Bulls that we rescued when we moved to Memphis.
Interests & Tidbits: I am training to run the St Jude Half Marathon in December 2012. I am an advanced open water SCUBA diver and I have been diving all over the world--my favorite was in the Galapagos. I'm a big sports fan (especially baseball-Go Padres!). I am learning to crochet, sorry if that makes me sound like an old lady, but one of the nurses taught me while I was on night float last year!
Why I chose UT-Saint Francis Family Medicine for my residency training: I applied to UT St Francis because I was looking for a "single residency hospital" that had the benefits of being affiliated with a big university. I am very interested in women's health, including OB care and I also wanted a place that I would see a wide variety of patients and diseases. I stayed here because of the way they made me feel during my interview. It's always important to like the people you work with. I have lived in Southern California, Northern California, DC, New York, and Pennsylvania. Why not Tennessee?

Eric Gifford, M.D.Medical University of the Americas

Hometown: Burleson, TX
Undergraduate School: University of Texas at Arlington
Marital Status: Married to Jennifer, two children
Interests & Tidbits: Adrenaline junkie; if it involves going fast or being airborne, I’m probably going to like it. Planning to do sports medicine.

Brian Lindsey, D.O.Pikeville College School of Osteopathic Medicine

Hometown: Indianola, MS
Undergraduate School: Millsaps College
Marital Status: Not Married, 0 Children
Interests & Tidbits: Emergency Medicine, session/studio musician, tennis, animals, outdoors

Saroja Medidi, M.D.Kasturba Medical College, Manipal

Hometown: Tampa, FL
Interests & Tidbits: : I wanted to be a ninja when I grew up, but my parents thought otherwise and I ended up being a doctor instead. Lol! I love all forms of martial arts. I used to train in Shotokan karate. Now I'm currently into fitness kickboxing and yoga. Basketball is my next favorite sport and yes, I am still a Magic fan.

Katosha Muse, M.D.Ross University

Hometown: Memphis, TN
Undergraduate School: Tennessee State University
Marital Status: Married, one child Karmyn
Interests & Tidbits: Amateur landscaping
Why St. Francis FMR: I chose the program mainly because of the opportunity for the advanced training in women’s healthcare, in addition to the renewed leadership and optimistic attitude of faculty and residents. Still counting my blessing and would not change if given the chance to do so.

Collins Rainey, M.D.UT Health Sciences Center

Hometown: Memphis, TN
Undergraduate School: Washington & Lee University
Graduate School: Candler School of Theology at Emory University
Marital Status: Just celebrated my 5th wedding anniversary to the wonderful Lessie Rainey, who works as an assistant district attorney downtown at the notorious 201 Poplar. We are like the Cosby's except with better sweaters and far less Jello and children, of which we have none. We have two dogs and a killer Christmas party.
Interests & Tidbits: I run a local scotch tasting club that meets every six weeks or so. My favorite is a Rosebank 25. I play trivia every Tuesday at Huey's on a team named Overrated Tsunami; we have made the city finals 3 years in a row. And you might say I have slightly more than a passing interest in Christian Theology and its relation to modern healing.
Why St. Francis FMR: As a UT graduate I know that this program trains and produces competent, well- rounded physicians who are respected in the medical community both locally and nationally.

Ankit Sharma, M.D.Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore

Hometown: Bareilly, India
Marital Status: Single. No kids, not even dogs and cats.
Interests & Tidbits: Love movies, music, medicine, golden retrievers, walking. I try to do my bit in the fight against hunger.
Why I chose St. Francis: Great colleagues and very approachable faculty members.

Richard Antonio, M.D.Ross University

Hometown: Born and raised in Orlando, FL but I have spent a good amount of time living in Brooklyn, Chicago and Atlanta.
Family Info: Two Morkie dogs, Archaeus and Aria. My immediate family is spread all over the Southeastern coast.
Interests & Tidbits: I like fast cars and being able to modify them. I cruise around town mainly, but I have been over 170 mph in a car and over 140 mph on a motorcycle (on a racetrack of course). I like to eat at local foodie spots, and I am willing to try anything new. At home, I play with my dogs, and we kick back our paws to watch what’s on TV. Occasionally, I’ll turn on the XBOX 360 and jump on LIVE to run some “Call of Duty”. I also enjoy getting pedicures on a regular basis, such a great way to relax!
Why St. Francis FMR: I was stuck on deciding if I wanted to be in an opposed or unopposed program, as both have their benefits. I decided to go with a university-supported unopposed program because I felt that it was the proper environment for me to learn and also be able to “do more”. During my selection process, I was looking for a program that was located close to a major city. Memphis is known for Beale Street, BBQ, and Blues. In addition, I like to know that outside of residency duties, I would be able to escape to some local foodie spots, shopping malls, movie theaters, and nightlife. Lastly, the Memphis Int’l Airport is growing and it’s easier for my friends and family to visit.

Sonya Chehardy, D.O.Oklahoma State University

Hometown: Carthage, Texas
Family Info: Married to Scott Chehardy, Father Extraordinaire and Civil Engineer, for the past 16 yrs
Mother of 3 gloriously remarkable boys:
Reis (sounds like REES), age 12, who really likes girls and iphones but somehow still manages to make straight A's in his advanced placement classes;
Andre', age 7, who never fails to make me smile and simultaneously leave me dumbfounded with his highly philosophical questions about God and the afterlife that I can never answer;
Maddox, age 20 months, bearer of the world's most stunning eyes and a constant source of simultaneous joy, delight and exhaustion
Hobbies/Interests: Despite raising 3 kids and being a resident, I still manage to maintain my skills as a trapeze artist. That's a joke. Who are we kidding? I'm too busy to have any hobbies. If I did, they would include cooking, traveling and reading. I did just come back from Chicago - took my kids by train. That was fun.
Why I Chose St. Francis: I thought it would give me what I most desired in a residency: solid training, opportunities to learn procedures well, do lots of OB and pediatrics, and to be in a program with great camaraderie among residents and faculty. Plus, the Southern hospitality was a big draw. We just do things right in the South.
Something Surprising about Me: I grew up in Norway. And I earned my MA in English literature before I went to medical school. And I bet I can peel crawfish faster than most people you know . . .

Attri Datta, M.D.University of Alabama

Undergraduate: Johns Hopkins University
Hometown: Sugar Land, TX
Family Info: Single, no children
Interests and Tidbits: Basketball, clarinet, movies, Led Zeppelin, electronics
Why I Chose St. Francis: Unopposed university affiliated program, congenial work environment, proximity to family.

Mitesh Kathrotia, M.D.Akademia Medyczna

Natalie King, M.D.University of Toledo

Hometown: Payne, OH
Marital Status: Single, no children
Interests & Tidbits: Playing piano, playing games with family and friends, worshipping, Bible study, hiking/being outdoors. I spent a few summers working at a job with duties that included cleaning dead animals off of the road and fixing broken sewage tiles.
Why St. Francis FMR: St. Francis gave me the opportunity to be involved in its International and Urban Medicine Track with Christ Community Health Services. Christ Community is made up of health professional and others who live in the inner-city of Memphis and have hearts to serve the Lord and effectively care for their neighbors who have limited resources. The opportunity to live and train with them is very exciting to me because I desire to live and serve in a low-resource community in the future. This, combined with the personable faculty and broad-spectrum training at St. Francis, makes me very glad to be here!

Lawrence LeBlond, M.D.St. George’s University

Hometown: Memphis, TN
Undergraduate School: CBU
Marital Status: Not married
Interests & Tidbits: I am a fellow of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine and actively involved in creating the practice guidelines of the Wilderness Medical Society. I enjoy spending my Tuesday evenings playing trivia. I have eaten 49 of the 50 things you must eat before you die according to the BBC. I spent 15 years with YMCA sailing and SCUBA diving the English Channel, North Sea, Caribbean Sea, Great Lakes, Australia and 4 of the 5 oceans.
Why St. Francis FMR: Being a Memphian, it was great to return home after living away for over 10 years. I was looking for an unopposed program which would allow me the freedom to still pursue my interests with opportunities for further training after residency in fellowships.

Josh Lundberg, M.D.University of Texas

Undergraduate: Duke University – Biomedical Engineering
Family Info: Happily married
Interests and Tidbits: Woodworking and theoretical physics
Why I Chose St. Francis: Christ Community/International Health Track
Career Plans: Considering international medicine

Joe Samuel, M.D.Kasturba Medical College

Hometown: Dublin, GA
Undergraduate School: University of GA. Go Dawgs!
Marital Status: I’ve been married to my lovely wife for 8 years!
Interests & Tidbits: I enjoy running, working out, and staying fit. I’ve also dabbled in plumbing, carpentry and electrical work for our fixer-upper house. I like playing the piano, guitar, and also fiddling around with my banjo and ukulele.
Why St. Francis FMR: I loved the fact that the program was unopposed and that it provided a comprehensive medical training curriculum. I was extremely impressed by the amount of obstetric hands-on-experience I could get also.

Zech Smith, M.D. Marshall University

Hometown: Huntington, WV
Interests & Tidbits: Soccer, woods, running, mountains, skating rinks, reading, rivers, sports, community events. I also have 6 sisters and 2 brothers.
Why St. Francis FMR: I chose to work at Christ Community because of their dedication to living Christ-centered lives while caring for the poor of the world.

Ricky Walker, Jr. M.D.Ross University

Hometown: Albany, GA
Marital Status: Single, no children
Interests & Tidbits: Travel & Sports
Why St. Francis FMR: I chose St. Francis because I felt the environment was the best for helping me to reach my potential as a physician.

Jessica Cox Univ of Missouri, Columbia

Hometown: Sikeston, Missouri
Undergraduate School: University of Missouri-Columbia (Bachelor of Science in Biology)
Graduate School: Saint Louis University (Master of Public Health in Epidemiology)
Marital Status: I am currently unmarried and do not have children.
Interests & Tidbits: I am an avid professional boxing and basketball fan. The Boston Celtics are my absolute favorite NBA team, and Sergio Martinez is my favorite boxer. I love music (especially rhythm and blues), long road trips, and spending time with my family and friends.
Why St. Francis FMR: I chose UT-St. Francis because the program’s emphasis on full spectrum family medicine. Residents at UT-St. Francis get excellent exposure to obstetrics, outpatient medicine, and inpatient service-all of which, I know that I will need in the future as a rural family practitioner.

Donald Dickert Med Univ of South Carolina

Hometown: Augusta, Georgia

Randall FeatherMed Univ of the Americas

Hometown: I’m originally from a small farm town in Southern Illinois. Downtown consist of a 3 way stop that is surrounded by a John Deere parts store, a local bank, gas station and diner. It’s the kind of place where everyone is a neighbor and each September we have the Bean Days festival to celebrate our town’s heritage.
Undergraduate School: LSU - I bleed Purple and Gold
Interests & Tidbits: I have a Victorian Bulldog named Chaucer. I drive a Jeep. I like all things sports. I play the guitar, bass and the Djembe. I prefer reading to watching television.
Why St. Francis FMR: I chose UT Memphis because it is an unopposed university program with multiple fellowship opportunities. Because UTHSC is only a quick drive downtown we also have ample opportunities to rotate through the Children’s Hospital or any of the other subspecialty fields of medicine.

Scout Grabenstein The Univ of Tennessee

Hometown: Clarksville, TN
Undergraduate school: University of Notre Dame
Other: I love Memphis and our food, music and people! I enjoy traveling and reading and spending time with my fiance.
Why I chose UT St Francis: Great program with helpful, approachable faculty. The residents are all very close and friendly. The family medicine program is unopposed but residents have access to the wide network of UT residency programs throughout the city of Memphis for specialty electives. We also have an OB fellowship, which means there are always OB fellows around who are eager to help teach OB principles and procedures. In addition, working alongside the urban track residents allows us to learn how to better address social issues and healthcare problems associated with poverty. Overall UT St Francis provides its residents with a close-knit group of colleagues and a wide range of opportunities.

Erin James Ross University

Hometown: Atlanta, GA
Undergraduate School: Mercer University
Interests & Tidbits: Trying new restaurants, meeting new people, outdoor activities, traveling and working out.
Why St. Francis FMR: I chose UT because I wanted an unopposed program with a strong ED experience. The work environment also has intelligent yet down to earth people that are fun to work with.

Alexander KieuUniv of Kansas

Hometown: Wichita, KS

Andrew KimState Univ of New York

Hometown: Ardsley, NY
Undergraduate School: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
Marital Status: Not married, no children
Interesting Tidbit: One of my life goals is to write a children's book.

Brett MaloneUniv of Kansas, Wichita

Hometown: McPherson, KS
Undergraduate School: Greenville College (Greenville, IL)
Marital Status: Single with no kids.
Interests & Tidbits: Soccer, running and traveling
Why St. Francis FMR: I desire to serve the poor through medicine, and St. Francis and the Christ Community track will provide me with the best training for that career.

Sarah MetcalfKansas City Univ of Medicine

Hometown: Fridley, MN

Shawn Naranjo American Univ of the Caribbean

Hometown: Texas City, TX
Undergraduate School: De Paul University
Interests & Tidbits: Outside of medicine, I really enjoy travel, cooking, live music, biking and relaxing at the pool.

Reena Patel American Univ of Antigua

Hometown: Memphis, TN
Undergraduate School: Christian Brothers Univ.
Marital Status: Married to Chirag Patel. No kids.
Interests & Tidbits: Running, gym, travel, spending time with family & friends, reading baking.

Christopher Peoples Loma Linda University

Hometown: Englewood, CO
Undergraduate School: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Biomedical Engineering
Marital Status: I’m not married.
Interests & Tidbits: I love playing worship music on my guitar, hiking and climbing mountains, and baking bread from scratch.

Marla PotterUniv of Arizona, Phoenix

Hometown: Gilbert, Arizona
Undergraduate School: University of Pennsylvania
Marital Status: Married, no children
Interests & Tidbits: I used to be a professional balloon twister
Why St. Francis FMR: I was drawn by the excellent clinical faculty, the extensive inpatient/Ob experiences, and the Christ Community track.

Drew Scott University of Tennessee

Hometown: Bartlett, TN
Undergraduate School: Rhodes College
Marital Status: Married on 6/2/12
Interests & Tidbits: Musician, enjoy golfing and bowling, STL Cardinals fan.
Why St. Francis FMR: I did an M3 rotation in family medicine and really liked the program. The residents were very friendly and great to work with. It also allowed me to stay near mine and my wife’s family.

Victoria Rupp, Pharm D