Internal Medicine Program

Overview

The South Pointe Internal Medicine program is one of our institution’s oldest and distinguished programs. It is a three-year program accredited by ACGME with Osteopathic Recognition. Cleveland Clinic Main Campus is our sponsoring institution.

Since 1959, we have developed a program built on the application of osteopathic principles and practice. The program uses an evidence-based approach to educate our trainees. We foster an individualized, personal, and patient-centered approach to healthcare. We emphasize the biologic, social, and emotional components of wellness, along with their effects on disease processes.

The resident learns an interdisciplinary team approach to the delivery of healthcare. We provide appropriate exposure to procedures and the opportunity to interpret recommended studies. We incorporate the ACGME Core Competencies into each aspect of the program to ensure the graduation of a well-trained general osteopathic internist.

The residents staff a Primary Care Residency Continuity Clinic, where they are the “attending” physician for a panel of patients throughout their three program years.

Rotations are scheduled in two or four-week blocks and take place in both the inpatient and outpatient settings.

Residents must maintain ACLS and BLS certifications throughout their residency.

Please see the audition rotation tab to apply for a 2-week audition rotation.

If you have any questions regarding the South Pointe Internal Medicine program, please contact: Katherine Westbrook, DO, Co-Chief Resident at westbrk@ccf.org or Nathan Reynolds, DO, Co-Chief at reynoln6@ccf.org.

Welcome

Dear Prospective Internal Medicine Residency Candidate,

South Pointe’s Internal Medicine program has an established morning report curriculum with strong attending physician participation, as well as daily noon lectures, critical care rounds, M&M conferences, board review, and monthly journal clubs.

We also participate regularly in state-of-the-art skills lab sessions dedicated to procedures specific to internal medicine. Through our use of SimMan, we are able to train our residents on ACLS protocols beyond taking the class.

Furthermore, because Cleveland Clinic main campus is our sponsoring institution, our residents enjoy opportunities for elective rotations there. We also have access to Cleveland Clinic IM Board Review, IM Grand Rounds, Hospitalist Grand Rounds, Ambulatory Grand Rounds, and Wellness Grand Rounds.

There has never been a better time to train in internal medicine at South Pointe. Interest in our program continues to grow every year. I invite you to read further and find out more details about our program. Please feel free to contact our program coordinator, Stephanie O’Rourke, at 216.491.7818 or orourks@ccf.org for additional information.

Sincerely,

Jane D’Isa, DO, FACOI
Program Director, Internal Medicine Residency Program

Curriculum

All rotations are two or four weeks

All residents will spend at least 36 half-days per year in the ambulatory IM Resident Clinic for continuity of care.

PGY-1

• Internal Medicine/Hospital Wards: 4.5 blocks.
• Outpatient Medicine: 0.5 blocks.
• ICU: 2 blocks.
• Cardiology: 1 block.
• Emergency Medicine: 1 block.
• Geriatrics: 1 block.
• Electives: 3 blocks (including pulmonology, gastroenterology, neurology, nephrology, hematology/oncology, infectious disease, and OMM).
  
  

PGY-2, PGY-3

• Internal Medicine/Hospital Wards: 9 blocks (4.5 per year).
• Outpatient Medicine: 0.5 blocks.
• ICU: 3-3.5 blocks (2 in 2nd year, 1-1.5 in 3rd year).
• Cardiology (MC): 1 block.*
• Endocrinology: 1 block.*
• Gastroenterology: 1 block.*
• Hematology/Oncology: 1 block.*
• Infectious Disease: 1 block.*
• Pulmonology: 1 block.*
• Nephrology: 1 block.*
• Neurology: 1 block.*
• Rheumatology (MC): 1 block.
• Electives: 5 blocks (2 per year).

*Of the eight required electives above, four completed per year.

The PGY-3 will spend a minimum of 36 half-days per week per year in the ambulatory IM clinic with their established panel patients.

• View block diagram

Didactics

Every morning, in addition to morning report, consists of the following didactics: attending physician lectures from various subspecialties, medical student/resident-run case presentations, outpatient and inpatient guidelines, Grand Rounds, Journal Club and Tumor Board. More details are as follows:

• Board Review.
• Outpatient lectures.
• Medicine cases.
• ICU progressive cases.
• ICU grand rounds.
• M&M.
• Rapid Response/ACLS lectures.
• MKSAP questions.

Journal Club is once a month and resident-led. Often-times other ancillary services (e.g., critical care, OMT, general medicine, pharmacy residents and our OPP attending) will participate.

Once a month, one internal medicine resident will present a different oncology topic at Tumor Board Conference, which is also attended by general surgery attendings and residents, a pathologist, a radiologist, and a hematologist/oncologist. Following, a review of various cases will be presented by the general surgery residents.

Committees for resident participation

• Patient Experience.
• Sepsis.
• Transfusion.
• Documentation.
• Hospital-Acquired Infections.
• Opiate Use.
• ICU Medication Reconciliation.
• Quality Improvement.
• Diversity and Inclusion.
• Patient Experience.
• Peer Review.
• Readmission Reduction.
• Stroke.
• Utilization Review.

Faculty

Jane D’Isa, DO
Program Director, Internal Medicine
Education: Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Athens
Residency: Brentwood Hospital, Warrensville Hts., Ohio

Andrea Fischione, DO
Associate Program Director, Internal Medicine
Education: Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Erie, Pennsylvania
Residency: University Hospitals, Richmond Hts., Ohio

Ari Garber, MD
Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology
Education: University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington
Residency: Cleveland Clinic, Ohio
Fellowship: Cleveland Clinic, Ohio

Elizabeth Habjan, DO
Core Faculty, Internal Medicine
Education: Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Athens
Residency: Brentwood Hospital, Warrensville Hts., Ohio

Hardeep Rai, MD
Core Faculty, Critical Care and Pulmonary Disease
Education: Tver State Medical University,  Russia, Russian Federation
Residency: Western Reserve Care System Youngstown, Ohio
Internship: Government Multi Specialty Hospital Chandigarh, India
Fellowship: Cleveland Clinic, Ohio

Eberechi Agwa, MD
Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology, Hematology
Education: Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
Residency: Hospital of University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
Fellowship: Cleveland Clinic, Ohio

Samir Abraksia, MD
Clinical Faculty, Hematology & Oncology
Education: Damascus University, Syria
Residency: Huron Hospital, Cleveland, Ohio
Fellowship: University Hospitals of Cleveland, Ohio

Ann Awadalla, DO
Internal Medicine, Outpatient Clinic
Education: Touro University Nevada, Henderson
Residency: South Pointe Hospital, Warrensville Hts., Ohio

Jennifer Lazor, DO
Internal Medicine, Nephrology
Education: Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Athens
Residency: South Pointe Hospital, Warrensville Hts., Ohio
Fellowship: Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois

Do Gyun Kim, MD
Internal Medicine, Geriatrics
Education: Korea University, Seoul, South Korea
Residency: Flushing Hospital and Medical Center, New York
Fellowship: Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York

Erin Rocchio, DO
Internal Medicine, Outpatient Clinic
Education: Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Pennsylvania
Residency: South Pointe Hospital, Warrensville Hts., Ohio

Ryan Miller, DO
Internal Medicine, Infectious Disease
Education: Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine, Yakima, Washington
Residency: South Pointe Hospital, Warrensville Heights, Ohio
Fellowship: Cleveland Clinic, Ohio

Pratibha Rao, MD
Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism
Education: University Hospitals of Cleveland, Ohio; Bangalore University Medical College, India
Residency: Montefiore Medical Center Bronx, New York; JIPMER Pondicherry, India
Grant Medical College, University of Mumbai Maharashtra, India

Sana Hasan, DO
Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism
Education: Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine Athens
Residency: Summa Health System Akron, Ohio
Fellowship: University of Nebraska Medical Center Omaha

Julia Bucklan, DO
Internal Medicine, Neurology
Education: Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine Athens
Residency: Cleveland Clinic, Ohio
Fellowship: Cleveland Clinic, Ohio

Katrina Rakowsky, DO
Osteopathic Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine
Education: Michigan State College of Osteopathic Medicine, East Lansing
Residency: South Pointe Hospital, Warrensville Hts., Ohio

Korrie Beverley-Waters, DO
Osteopathic Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine, Director of Osteopathic Education
Education: Ohio Univresity College of Osteopathic Medicine, Athens
Residency: Summar Health System Family Medicine Residency Program, Akron, Ohio
Fellowship: Eastern Maine Medical Center, Bangor

Melina Aguinaga Meza, MD
Cardiovascular Medicine
Education: Universidad Nacional Mayor De San Marcos, Lima, Peru
Residency: British American Hospital, Lima, Peru
Residency: Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, Michigan
Fellowships: Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, Michigan

Taylor Stang, DO
Internal Medicine
Education: Midwestern University Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine
Residency: Cleveland Clinic South Pointe Hospital, Warrensville Heights, Ohio

Current Residents

PGY-3

Lauren Munoz Tremblay, DO
Medical School: Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine at New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM
Fellowship: Critical Care, University of Washington, Seattle, WA

Nathan Reynolds, DO - Co-chief
Medical School: Ohio University, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Athens. OH
Fellowship: Hematology/Oncology, Wright State University, Dayton, OH

Yu Xin "Tiffany" Tian, DO
Medical School: Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
Fellowship: Hospitalist Fellowship, St Michael's Unity Health, Toronto, ON, Canada

Katherine Westbrook, DO - Co-chief
Medical School: Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine, Dothan, AL
Fellowship: Gastroenterology, Louisiana State University, New Orleans, LA

PGY-2

Sulman Khan, DO
Medical School: Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine, Dothan, AL

Chaitanya Maddukuri, DO
Medical School: Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Kansas City, MO

Dao Nguyen, DO
Medical School: Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Kansas City, MO

Mark Zemanek, DO
Medical School: Ohio University, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Athens, OH

PGY-1

Joseph Abdalla, DO
Medical School: New York College of Osteopathic Medicine of NYIT, Old Westbury, NY

Deepika Mannem, DO
Medical School: Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine, Fort Smith, AR

Peter Oro, DO
Medical School: AT Still University of Health Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Mesa, AZ

Riley Smith, DO
Medical School: West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, Lewisburg, WV

Wellness

Burnout is a common concern of physicians, and at South Pointe we want to make sure our residents feel supported and have fun experiences throughout their residency. Monthly wellness activities are planned, with a variety of events scheduled during the year. Past wellness events include TopGolf, cooking classes, go-carting, orchestra concerts, escape rooms, Cleveland Cavaliers games, apple picking, canoeing and kayaking on the lake, barbecuing, and other activities. In addition, Cleveland Clinic offers numerous options available for psychiatry, psychology, and therapy appointments, including virtual visits and evening opportunities. Our program strives to make work-life balance a priority that allows our trainees to enjoy their time during residency.