About Us

About Us

The South Pointe Hospital General Surgery residency program has obtained ACGME accreditation and Continued Osteopathic Recognition. The training program provides educational depth, which makes our program unique. The faculty place enormous trust and confidence in the residents selected for our program.

As a resident, you are given a solid foundation in basic science along with every opportunity to learn and perform surgical procedures. As the years progress, you will be given more responsibility in patient care. At the end of the five-year program, you will have the confidence to perform surgical procedures. You will also be prepared to take and pass your surgical boards.

South Pointe Hospital is a busy community hospital that features a $40 million leading-edge surgery center with a 24-bed ICU that houses some of the most modern equipment available today. An education center was part of the recent addition. This area provides our residents, medical students and faculty with access to a full-service medical library, skills lab and multiple conference rooms for educational conferences, meetings and individual study.

The residents work with our osteopathic faculty in their offices several times per week, which provides them the opportunity to have continuity of care with their patients.

Our faculty is extremely dedicated to the didactic and clinical education of our residents. They keep abreast of new and innovative surgical procedures, so they may teach the most up-to-date procedures. You will receive the knowledge to deliver the best possible care to adult and pediatric patients.

The residents must obtain and maintain BLS, ACLS, and ATLS certifications throughout their five years of training.

Please see how to apply for a two- or four-week audition rotation at Cleveland Clinic South Pointe Hospital.

If you have any questions regarding the general surgery residency program, please contact the Chief Resident, Caitlin Finelli, DO, at FINELLC2@ccf.org.

Diversity & Inclusion

Discover the role diversity and inclusion plays at Cleveland Clinic and at its Graduate Medical Education program, as well as our diversity and inclusion efforts.

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Curriculum

Curriculum

PGY-1

During the first year of this five-year residency, the resident will complete rotations in:

  • General surgery (5 months).
  • Vascular surgery (2 months).
  • Medical intensive care (1 month).
  • Pediatric surgery at Akron Children's Medical Center (1 month).
  • Surgical critical care at Cleveland Clinic (1 month).
  • Robotics (bedside) at Southwest General Health Center (1 month).
  • Selective (1 month), which may include:
    • Anesthesia.
    • Cardiovascular thoracic surgery.
    • ENT.
    • Gastroenterology.
    • Orthopaedic surgery.
    • Plastic surgery.
    • Radiology.
    • Trauma.
    • Urology.
    • Vascular surgery.

The first-year resident will spend one half-day per week, for up to 46 weeks, in a clinic or physician's office.

PGY-2

During the second year of training, the resident is introduced to more in-depth patient management. The resident will manage surgical patients on the floor, make rounds and report the patient's course to the attending physicians. They will take more responsibility for surgical procedures. The second-year residents take on responsibility for teaching the medical students. During the second year, the resident will complete the following rotations:

  • General surgery (9 months).
  • Vascular surgery (2 months).
  • Trauma/critical care at MetroHealth System Glick Center/Case Western Reserve University (1 month).

The resident will spend one half-day per week in a surgical clinic or faculty office for continuity of care.

PGY-3

During the third year, residents have the ability to rotate at our various affiliate hospitals for specialty rotations. They will rotate as follows:

  • General surgery (4 months).
  • Vascular surgery (2 months).
  • Pediatric surgery and burns at Akron Children's Medical Center (3 months).
  • Colon and rectal surgery at Cleveland Clinic (1 month).
  • Endocrine surgery at Cleveland Clinic (1 month).
  • Thoracic surgery at Cleveland Clinic (1 month).

The resident will spend one half-day per week in a surgical clinic or faculty office for continuity of care.

PGY-4

During the fourth year, residents are given the opportunity to expand their knowledge in general and vascular surgery. They are expected to take more responsibility in all aspects of the residency program, including teaching of junior residents and medical students. They will complete the following rotations:

The resident will spend one half-day per week in a surgical clinic or faculty office for continuity of care.

PGY-5

The final year of the program gives the residents the opportunity to help develop the didactic portion of the program. As chief residents, they will work with the General Surgery Curriculum Committee to develop the didactic curriculum for the academic year. They will take full responsibility for the surgical cases assigned to them. Their rotations will include:

  • General surgery (10 months).
  • Vascular surgery (1 month).
  • Selective (1 month).

The resident will spend one half-day per week in a surgical clinic or faculty office for continuity of care.

Didactics

Didactics

The residency program has a very active didactic program throughout the academic year. We use the DeckerMed Surgery Curriculum online software as our primary source of board review.

Weekly conferences:

  • Board review using surgery curriculum modules.
  • Morbidity and Mortality Conference (M&M).
  • OMT rounds.
  • Cleveland Clinic’s main campus general surgery lectures, held virtually.

Bi-weekly conferences:

  • Tumor board.

Monthly conferences:

  • Staff lectures (various local physicians lecture on their specific areas of expertise).
  • Book cub (April through June).
  • Oral board review.
  • OMM review.
  • Town Hall.

Bi-monthly conferences:

  • Journal club.

Quarterly conferences:

  • Osteopathic OMT education seminars (for all South Pointe trainees).

Skills Labs:

  • General Surgery residents participate in laparoscopy labs using FLS box trainers and FES with a simulator in preparation for certification. Depending on the level of education, the attending preceptor will review all aspects from safety and patient positioning to performing procedures.
  • The residents have an opportunity to gain robotics skills while at main campus.
  • Throughout the academic year, the residents are able to develop many labs with the assistance of the skills lab coordinator. The labs vary depending on the interest and need of the residents.
  • The senior residents are called upon to assist with the medical student skills labs, which gives them the experience to develop a program and teach.
  • The residents participate in a bi-annual OMT procedural skills lab with the Director of Osteopathic Education and dedicated osteopathic teaching faculty.
Faculty

Faculty

Kristen Conrad-Schnetz, DO
Kristen Conrad-Schnetz, DO, Program Director
Medical School: Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Cleveland
Residency (General Surgery): South Pointe Hospital, Warrensville Hts., Ohio
Fellowship (Trauma and Surgical Critical Care): MetroHealth System, Cleveland, Ohio

Matthew Allemang, MD
Matthew Allemang, MD
Medical School: The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Public Health, Columbus
Residency (General Surgery): University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio
Fellowship (Advanced Gastrointestinal Minimally Invasive and Endoscopic): Cleveland Clinic, Ohio

Mary Carneval, DO
Mary Carneval, DO
Medical School: Kansas City University of Medicine & Biosciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Mo.
Residency (General Surgery): South Pointe Hospital, Warrensville Hts., Ohio

Andrew Grubic, DO
Andrew Grubic, DO
Medical School: Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Erie, Penn.
Residency (General Surgery): South Pointe Hospital, Warrensville Hts., Ohio
Fellowship (Minimally Invasive Foregut Surgery): Allegheny Health Network Esophageal Institute, Pittsburgh, PA

Abhiram (Abhi) Kondajji, DO
Abhiram (Abhi) Kondajji, DO, Associate Program Director
Medical School: A.T. Still University of Health Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Mesa, Ariz.
Residency (General Surgery): South Pointe Hospital, Warrensville Hts., Ohio

Christian Massier, MD
Christian Massier, MD
Medical School: Carol Davila University of Medicine, Bucharest, Romania
Residency (General Surgery): Cantacuzino, Bucharest, Romania
Residency (General Surgery): Huron Hospital, East Cleveland, Ohio

Nicole Ramon, DO
Nicole Ramon, DO
Medical School: Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Athens
Residency (General Surgery): South Pointe Hospital, Warrensville Hts., Ohio
Fellowship (General Surgery): South Pointe Hospital, Warrensville Hts., Ohio

Thomas Santoscoy, MD
Thomas Santoscoy, MD
Medical School: Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, Mo.
Residency (General Surgery): Cleveland Clinic, Ohio
Residency (Cardiothoracic Surgery): Cleveland Clinic, Ohio: Cardiothoracic Surgery
Fellowship (Congenital and Acquired Heart Disease): Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

Jeffrey Stanley, DO
Jeffrey Stanley, DO
Medical School: Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Athens
Residency (General Surgery): Brentwood Hospital, Warrensville Hts., Ohio
Fellowship (Vascular Surgery): Lutheran Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio

Jared C. Storck, DO
Jared C. Storck, DO
Medical School: Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Erie, Penn.
Residency (General Surgery): South Pointe Hospital, Warrensville Hts., Ohio
Residency (Plastic & Reconstruction): South Pointe Hospital, Warrensville Hts., Ohio

Current Residents

Current Residents

PGY-5

Caitlin Finelli, DO
Caitlin Finelli, DO - Chief Resident
Medical School: Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Athens

Nichole Black, DO
Nicki Black, DO
Medical School: Kansas City University of Medicine and Bioscience, Mo.
Residency: Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine, Stratford, NJ
Fellowship: Accepted to Breast Surgery Oncology, University of Arkansas, Little Rock

Soon Moon, DO
Soon Moon, DO
Medical School: Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery, Iowa
Fellowship: Accepted to MIS/Bariatrics, Houston Methodist Hospital, Texas

PGY-4

Monica Khattak, DO
Monica Khattak, DO
Medical School: Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine, Stratford, NJ
Residency: Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine, Stratford, NJ

Hannah Niehaus, DO
Hannah Niehaus, DO
Medical School: New Mexico State University Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine, Las Cruces

Angelina Trovato, DO
Angelina Trovato, DO
Medical School: Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Athens

PGY-3

Grace Kim, DO
Grace Kim, DO
Medical School: A.T. Still University of Health Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Mesa, Ariz.

Rachel Oppenheim, DO
Rachel Oppenheim, DO
Medical School: New York College of Osteopathic Medicine of NYIT

PGY-2

Noah Belkhayat, DO
Noah Belkhayat, DO
Medical School: Edward Via College of Medicine, Blacksburg, Vir.

Justin Foreman, DO
Justin Foreman, DO
Medical School: Lincoln Memorial University - DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine, Harrogate, Tenn.

PGY-1

Tyler Finkenthal, DO
Tyler Finkenthal, DO
Medical School: Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine, Dothan, Alabama

Grace Young, DO
Grace Young, DO
Medical School: A.T Still University of Health Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Kirksville, Missouri