July 1, 2008
We are pleased to introduce you to the new GI fellows for July 2008, each of whom is an
outstanding physician, teacher, investigator, and humanitarian:
Ranjeeta R. Bahirwani, MD- Ranjeeta received her undergraduate
degree from Knox College in Illinois with a major in Chemistry and
Biochemistry and graduating Phi Beta Kappa. She conducted research
in the photochronic labeling of chemical compounds at Northwestern,
and also at Oak Ridge National Labs examining the effects of new
insulin sensitizing drugs. She then completed her medical degree at
Northwestern University, where she graduated with Alpha Omega
Alpha Honors, and received the Golden Stethoscope Award for
Academic Excellence, Indian American Medical Association
Scholarship for Public Health Research, and the Stenn Award for
Humanism and Compassion in Medicine. While at Northwestern,
Ranjeeta worked for a non-profit organization involved in providing health care nationally and
internationally to the underprivileged. Ranjeeta has completed her internal medicine residency
training at Penn and during that time, with Dr. Raj Reddy, has examined the progression of renal
dysfunction after orthotopic liver transplantation in patients with chronic renal insufficiency in
an attempt to determine which patients would benefit from combined liver and kidney
transplantation.
Rotonya McCants Carr, MD- Rotonya, a native of Charleston, SC,
graduated Cum Laude from Harvard University where she received her
Bachelors of Arts in Biology. She was a Harvard Faculty and Radcliffe
Scholar and National Achievement Scholar. She went to medical school
at Cornell University Medical College where she was a National Health
Service Corp Scholar, Hartford fellow and National Medical Fellow. Her
research led to a publication in Endocrinology. She graduated with
honors and received the David Gladys Drusin Memorial Prize for
scholastic achievement and qualities of a good physician. She did her
Internship and Residency in Internal Medicine at Massachusetts General
Hospital and received the Partners in Excellence Award for Innovation
for creating and chairing a hospital-wide minority housestaff organization. Since residency, she
has been a board certified attending physician in Internal Medicine at Ferguson Medical Group
in Sikeston, MO where she has received several honors, including the key to Sikeston,
outstanding physician award and volunteer recognition awards. She was a Clinical Assistant
Professor for the University of Missouri, Columbia Medical School where her work with medical
students resulted in a recent publication of a review of Cat Scratch Disease in Infections in
Medicine. Through local organizations and providers, she has also been working to improve
screening for patients with Hepatitis C. Rotonya will be joined by her husband, Tyree.
David S. Goldberg, MD- David received his undergraduate degree
from Brown University in Judaic Studies. He then completed his
medical degree from Mt. Sinai Medical School where he was elected
into Alpha Omega Alpha, and received several other awards,
including the Barry Coller award for excellence in clinical medicine,
the outstanding service award for first the first year class and was
elected into the Armold P. Gold Humanism in Medicine Honors
Society. David was elected to serve as a teaching assistant in the
Physiology and Anatomy courses. David then completed his internal
medicine residency training at Columbia Medical School (New YorkPresbyterian-Columbia University Medical Center) where he also
conducted research in celiac disease, therapy of SBP, and HIV. David received the intern
teaching award as well, and was the residency program housestaff representative to the GME
committee.
Carolyn L. Kerner, MD- Caroline received her undergraduate degree
from Dartmouth College with a major in Geography where she was
involved heavily with the academic affairs of that department as well and
conducted research to study immigrant health issues using qualitative
health research methods (supported by the NSF). She then completed her
medical degree from Wake Forest Medical School, where she was elected
into Alpha Omega Alpha, and received the Glasgow-Rubin achievement
award and the American Medical Women’s Association’s Martin and
Sandra Award for Excellence in Internal Medicine. She served in several
voluntary capacities both on and off campus. Caroline then completed her
internal medicine residency at University of California at San Francisco
(UCSF) with election into the PRIME program that involves lectures and journal clubs (Caroline
served as journal club leader) focusing on clinical research methodologies. In addition, Caroline
conducted a research study to assess quality of care in the San Francisco VA patients with
chronic kidney disease.
Pari M. Shah, MD- Pari received her undergraduate degree from
Brown University with majors in Biology and Political Science. She
received an undergraduate teaching research assistantship (UTRA)
grant and was elected into the Sigma Xi Honor Society. Pari then
completed her medical degree at Brown University Medical School.
This was distinguished by volunteer work, and serving in different roles
for the AMA (including as executive board member of the Brown
Medical School Chapter). She conducted research in HIV drug therapy
and also, neurocognitive sciences. Pari then completed her internal
medicine residency training at Washington University Medical School,
where her research has been in HIV and also, a retrospective study to
evaluate factors that precipitate liver allograft injury following treatment of chronic hepatitis C.
She has presented at meetings.
Syed M. Abbas Fehmi, MD- Syed is our Advanced Endoscopy Fellow for July 2008-June
2009. He received his medical degree (MBBS) from the Aga Khan University in Karachi,
Pakistan, for which he received the Al Habib Medical Education Trust Scholarship. He then
completed his internal medicine residency training at the University of Texas Medical Branch in
Galveston, Texas. He has completed his GI fellowship at the University of Michigan, which also
included a Robert Wood Johnson supported Master’s degree in health and health care research
(RWJ-HHCR). Syed has received travel awards and honors through the American Society of GI
Endoscopy, American College of Gastroenterology, and endoscopic workshops. He has
conducted clinical research and presented at national meetings.