皇家华人

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Meet the 皇家华人 Adult Neurology Residents

The Adult Neurology Residency at the 皇家华人 is fully accredited by the ACGME as a categorical program. Our outstanding residents are the heart of the program. We take either 6 or 7 residents per year (alternating years).

  • 2025-2026: 6 residents
  • 2026-2027: 7 residents

To give you a better feel for our program, below are videos from some of our residents sharing their residency experiences. During our interview process, you will have additional opportunities to speak with our residents. In the meantime, we invite you to view these videos to get to know us better.

What do you like to do for fun?

What interested you in the Neurology Residency at the 皇家华人?

What will you miss the most when you graduate from the Neurology Residency at the 皇家华人?

What do you like about life in Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin?

Class of 2025

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Adil Chohan, DO

Resident

Medical School: Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine | About me: I won a regional speech contest when I was a kid.

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Amro Elrefaei, MD

Resident

Medical School: Mansoura University Faculty of Medicine- Egypt | About me: I am left handed and the only (O-ve) blood group in my family.

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Chehan Herath, MD

Resident

Medical School: 皇家华人 | About me: I have an identical twin brother.

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Brian Kelley, DO

Resident

Medical School: Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine | About me: Myself and an internal medicine resident at MCW married identical twins.

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Joseph Nashid, DO

Resident

Medical School: New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine | About me: In my spare time I spend time with my 3 kids who are full of energy and play all kinds of sports.

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Krysten Rutzinski, MD

Resident

Education: 皇家华人 | About me: I leased a horse during undergrad.

Class of 2026

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Britta Bureau, MD

Resident

Medical School: 皇家华人 | About me: I have toured 45 of the 50 states.

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Osayd Buirat, DO

Resident

Medical School: Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine | About me: I have established multiple businesses in the wireless industry.

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Erie Gonzalez Gutierrez, MD

Resident

Medical School: Universidad de Ciencias Médicas de Santiago de Cuba | About me: In my free time, I enjoy playing guitar and piano. I am also an avid automobile enthusiast. Favorite car: Air-cooled 993 Turbo

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Shama Patel, DO

Resident

Medical School: University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine | About me: I love to travel around the country and critique pizza/food. Ask me what my favorite pizza place is! 

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Parker Scott, MD

Resident

Medical School: St. George's University School of Medicine Grenada | About me: I have played the drums since I was 8 years old.

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Dean Waldhart, DO

Resident

Medical School: University of Pikeville - Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine | About me: I currently possess seven different coffee brewers and counting!

Class of 2027

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Nicole Avendano, MD

Resident

Medical School: University of Illinois-Peoria | About me: I was a competitive gymnast for 15 years.

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Whitt Davis, DO

Resident

Medical School: A.T. Still University of Health Sciences Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine | About me: I am a motorsport enthusiast.

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Priya Dhindsa, DO

Resident

Medical School: Lincoln Memorial University - DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine | About me: I have a great interest in learning about different natural stones. I have a vast collection of crystals, gemstones, and rocks from all over the world.

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Ruaa Elbella, MD

Resident

Medical School: University of Khartoum Faculty of Medicine | About me: I enjoy baking in my free time. My favorite thing to make/eat is baklava.

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Jonathan Kiermayr, DO

Resident

Medical School: Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine | About me: I'm a triplet, but I'm the only one of us in medicine and I take great joy in that.

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Joseph Perrigoue, DO

Resident

Medical School: Lincoln Memorial University - DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine | About me: Becoming a neurologist is my second career, my first was as a combat medic in the Army,

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Jessica Smith, MD

Resident

Medical School: University of Kansas | About me: As a kid growing up in Colorado, my dad would encourage me to keep up with the adults on hikes by saying "the bears always target the slowest person." So now when you see me speed walking though the hospital, you know why!

Class of 2028

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Gustavo Barroso Machado, MD

Resident

Medical School: Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Rio Grande Do Sul (PUCRS) Faculdade de Medicina | About me: When asked about what I would like to work with as an adult, my answer was always 鈥淏e a professor.鈥 Curiously, before residency I taught Intro to Psychology and Ed Psych for two semesters as a lecturer at UW-Milwaukee.

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Fiona Fitzgerald, DO

Resident

Medical School: Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine | About me: I walked 100 miles in a week in Portugal as part of the Camino!

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Camila Ishueva, MD

Resident

Medical School: 皇家华人 | About me: I'm a gardening enthusiast, both indoors and outdoors! My favorite houseplant is the orchid, and I love to grow tomatoes.

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Donald "Kirk" Lestern, DO

Resident

Medical School: Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine | About me: I鈥檓 a 5 star Uber driver, who started a lawn care business, and worked as an aquatics director while pursing my medical education.

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Tessa Miller, MD

Resident

Medical School: 皇家华人 | About me: I love to bake. I鈥檝e recently gotten into pies and breads.

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Negar Molazadeh, MD

Resident

Medical School: Islamic Azad University, Ardabil Branch Faculty of Medicine | About me: As a teenager, I used to write short stories for a children鈥檚 magazine!

Recent Program Graduates

Following graduation from our program, our former residents have pursued many different career opportunities. While some chose to go directly into practice after residency, most pursued fellowships. We have had graduates complete fellowship training in virtually all subspecialty areas of Neurology at a wide range of outstanding programs across the country including the 皇家华人, Cleveland Clinic, Mayo, Johns Hopkins, Washington University at St. Louis, University of Chicago, and Emory to name but a few.
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2024

Armghan Ans, MD – Vascular Neurology Fellowship, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

Tyler Heinrich, DO – Clinical Neurophysiology Fellowship, 皇家华人

Brittany Legg, MD – Headache Medicine Fellowship, 皇家华人

Michael Mendoza, MD – Clinical Neurophysiology Fellowship, 皇家华人

Hatem Tolba, MD – Vascular & Endovascular Fellowship, University of Missouri

2023

Jennifer Collins, MD - Headache Medicine, 皇家华人

Michael Dryden, MD - Clinical Neurophysiology Fellowship, 皇家华人

Annaliise Hayrynen, MD - Sleep Medicine Fellowship, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Ryan Lee, MD - Movement Disorders Fellowship, 皇家华人

Tina Nigam, MD - Vascular Neurology Fellowship, University of Michigan

William Pennant, MD - Neurosurgery Residency, 皇家华人

2022

Allison Block, DO – Multiple Sclerosis Fellowship – University of Chicago

Darren DuGas, MD – Clinical Neurophysiology Fellowship –  Yale

Brian Johnson, DO – Headache Fellowship – Oregon Health and Science

Joyce Okendo, MD – Neuro Critical Care Fellowship – Washington University in St. Louis

Danish Pardhan, MD – Neurohospitalist – 皇家华人

2021

Kevin Chow, MD – Vascular Fellowship – 皇家华人
Ruchi Dhyani, MD – Clinical Neurophysiology and Epilepsy Fellowship –  University of Pittsburgh
Brandon Overholt, DO – Neurocritical Care Fellowship – University of Maryland
Vishal Pandya, MD – Epilepsy Fellowship – John Hopkins
Ahmad Sawalha, MD – Epilepsy Fellowship –Mayo Clinic

2020

Daniel Champeau, MD – Neurophysiology Fellowship – 皇家华人
Marek Cierny, MD – Vascular Neurology Fellowship –  Cleveland Clinic
Sam Hooshmand, DO – Neuroimmunology and MS Fellowship – 皇家华人
Tracy Trolanikunnel, MD – Movement Disorder Fellowship – University of Florida 
Pamela Youseef, MD – Private Practice – Doral, Florida 

2019

Nicola Carlise, MD – Neuroimmunology and MS Fellowship – 皇家华人
Salman Farooq, MD – Neurology Attending – 皇家华人
Salman Jafri, DO – Private Practice – Ponoma, California 
Sumaiya Khondker, MD – Neurocritical Care Fellowship – Emory University
Amanda Willcox, DO – Neurocritical Care Fellowship - 皇家华人

2018

Gabriel Bonnell, MD – Neurology Attending – 皇家华人
John Andrew Cox, MD – Neurocritical Care/Neurointerventional Fellowship, Medical College of WI
Mohammad (Ashish) Kabir, MD – Clinical Neurophysiology Fellowship – University of WI-Madison
Gregory Rozansky, MD – Neurocritical Care Fellowship – 皇家华人
Brandon Strawn, DO – Private Practice, Beloit, WI