Current Neurology Residents
PGY1 Residents (Class of 2026)
Byron Cheon, MD
Medical School: USF Health Morsani College of Medicine
About Me
I grew up in the suburbs of Northern Virginia and lived around the Washington metropolitan area for much of my life. Prior to attending medical school, I worked with biotechnology and pharmaceutical patents in the intellectual property industry. Professional interests include neuroimmunology, epilepsy, and vascular neurology. I enjoy weightlifting, jogging, video/board games, documentaries, and exploring local attractions.
Why I Chose Memorial Healthcare System
I was very impressed with how much care this program placed in its design and curriculum to prepare its graduates for the real world. Whether I decide to pursue a fellowship afterwards or work straight out of residency, there’s a certain peace of mind in knowing that I am in good hands here. I could also tell from my early interactions that the faculty were exceptional. There was a palpable atmosphere of passion and dedication to providing a positive resident experience. Finally, I was thrilled at the prospect of living in South Florida with its sunny weather, vibrant culture, and abundant nearby beach access.
Miguel Gomez Rodriguez, DO
Medical School: Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine
About Me
I am originally from Colombia, but call South Florida my home away from home. I developed a love for neurology while volunteering in hospice care. I have major interests in behavioral neurology and movement disorders. Although, epilepsy continues to pique my interest. Otherwise, I enjoy mountain biking, a variety of video games, and horticulture.
Why I Chose Memorial Healthcare System
I could quickly sense a strong fit during the meet-and-greet and interview process. The residents and staff felt very personable and spoke fondly of each other and the program. I also could not have found a better fit having lived 10 minutes away from the hospital most of my life. I care about and understand the population here. It is such a diverse and lively world here that I simply had to come back to. I am also very confident that the program will make me well prepared neurologist thanks to its very dedicated staff and the wide variety of educational opportunities available.
Lawrence Pierce, DO
Medical School: Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine – Auburn Campus
About Me
I was born and raised on the gulf coast of Alabama. I am a proud first generation college graduate. I attended VCOM in Auburn, Alabama for medical school. In my free time I enjoy weightlifting, dining at restaurants, and traveling when there is extended time off.
Why I Chose Memorial Healthcare System
I chose Memorial for several great reasons. I believe in the capability of the leadership at this program and the curriculum they implement here to create well rounded neurologists. I also love the South Florida area. It’s perfect for those that enjoy warm weather year round, big city life, beaches, and endless things to do.
Amanda Sellers, MD
Medical School: Poznan University of Medical Sciences Center for Medical Education
About Me
I'm from El Dorado Hills, CA and completed my undergraduate studies at Baylor University (sic 'em bears!). I attended medical school in Poznan, Poland. When I'm not studying, I enjoy traveling, drinking coffee, and partaking in beach activities.
Why I Chose Memorial Healthcare System
Supportive faculty and resident well-being are huge priorities for this program. I felt like I would not only become a competent neurologist, but really be able to thrive and develop into the type of neurologist I want to be during my time here. Almost as importantly, we have year-round warmth and outdoor activities here in South Florida.
PGY2 Residents (Class of 2025)
Elizabeth Baumann, MD
Medical School: American University of Antigua College of Medicine
About Me
I'm from Inverness, FL and I did my undergraduate studies in Microbiology and Biomedical Sciences with a minor in Public Health at the University of South Florida in Tampa, FL. I worked in cancer drug research with Moffitt Cancer Center prior to attending American University of Antigua for medical school. I did my clinicals in South Florida through FIU. When I'm not working or studying, I enjoy bowling, trivia, board and card games, movies, the beach, exploring new areas and trying new cuisines.
Why I Chose Memorial Healthcare System
I chose Memorial Healthcare System for Neurology because of the supportive training environment and desirable geographic location. The MHS Neurology program has done an excellent job of creating a desirable culture within the program that fosters neurology training to serves patients, residents, colleagues and more.
Tyler Kendall, MD
Medical School: American University of Antigua College of Medicine
About Me
I'm from a small town called Estevan, SK Canada. My field of interest is in Vascular Neurology and plan on pursuing a fellowship upon graduation. I'm an avid sports fan including hockey, baseball, basketball and football and often partake in events within the Miami area.
Why I Chose Memorial Healthcare System
The close knit community feel it offered. Working in a smaller program we work directly with our attending's, and have the autonomy to truly excel as training Neurologists. It has been the best decision and have enjoyed becoming parts of its family.
Ricardo Ramos, MD
Medical School: Faculdade de Medicina de Bahia, Universidade Federal da Bahia
About Me
Before joining the Neurology Residency, I practiced medicine as an ENT physician in Brazil treating patients with vestibular disorders. I have always been interested in neurology as well as sleep disorders, headaches, and movement disorders. When I am not working I like cooking, watching a good movie, and spending time with my family.
Why I Chose Memorial Healthcare System
The residency program is small and promising with familiar and supportive atmosphere. An extra bonus is the location, South Florida!
Sydney Shaffer, MD
Medical School: American University of Antigua College of Medicine
About Me
I am interested in stroke this far in my training. Hobbies include running, lifting weights, playing basketball, and spending time with friends and family.
Why I Chose Memorial Healthcare System
The family-like atmosphere the residents and facility have. I wanted to be a part of that so bad, it was exactly what I was looking for.
PGY3 Residents (Class of 2024)
Alexander Besser, DO, MS
Medical School: Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine
About Me
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Undergraduate: University of California, Santa Barbara
Graduate: New York University
Interests/Hobbies: Traveling, Hiking, photography, snowboarding, cooking, reading, paddle boarding, spending time at the beach.
Why I Chose Memorial Healthcare System
I had a fantastic experience rotating on the Neurology service as a medical student. It was a welcoming environment and I learned so much from the residents and attendings. I knew Memorial would be a positive environment to complete my residency. The hospitals are a safety net for Broward County, and there is a very wide range of patient populations and pathologies. South Florida is a great location for residency with beautiful weather year-round, beaches, restaurants, and no shortage of things to do outside of the hospital.
Nezar Khatib, MD
Medical School: International University of the Health Sciences
About Me
I am married with four children. We escaped the frigid Midwest to be in sunny Florida. I have a wide range of interests including (but not limited to) DIY projects, playing almost any sport, working on my car, landscaping, and fixing things (yes, I am an old man). What I enjoy most is spending time with my family, even if we're just hanging out at home watching annoying YouTube videos, lounging by the pool, or doing puzzles. Though I'm not completely certain about my future plans, I am leaning towards a neurohospitalist position after completing my training.
Why I Chose Memorial Healthcare System
I appreciate the flexibility offered to residents who wish to pursue a variety of career paths anywhere on the spectrum between academic and clinical. Our program director is very supportive in helping us achieve our career goals. Furthermore, a variety of specialists and general neurologists are well represented in our teaching faculty, and they are always willing to share their knowledge/expertise. Finally, if that isn’t enough, you can always fall back on the year round warm weather that South Florida provides.
Hassnain Rizvi DO, MSc
Medical School: Lincoln Memorial University-DeBusk COM
About Me
I love spending time with my wife and children. Playing with my daughters and watching them grow is truly the highlight of my life. We enjoy our time at home, visiting nearby parks, malls, and beaches. I also occupy my free time by watching basketball and new TV series on Netflix, HBO, Amazon.
Why I Chose Memorial Healthcare System
After spending five years in rural Tennessee to complete my master's and medical degree, going back home to south Florida for residency was my number one priority. During medical school, I had the opportunity to rotate with the neurology department at the MHS. I was impressed by their approachability and enthusiasm to teach. Meeting with and working with several neurology attendings at MHS made it easy to rank this program highly. The hospital staff is also down-to-earth and helpful, creating a healthy working and learning environment. The program curriculum is well-designed. Our program director has done an exceptional job creating a balanced mix of inpatient and outpatient neurology rotations. We have plenty of exposure to the various neurology subspecialties. Additionally, we have several rotations dedicated to learning and refining our procedural skills in EEG/EMU, EMG, and headache interventions which will help us become well-rounded clinicians. Being in a large and diverse community exposes us to common and rare pathologies. Finally, living in South Florida has its own set of perks, and is a blessing in and of itself.
Aakashi Shah, MD
Medical School: B.J. Medical College
About Me
I like cooking because it's the best stress buster for me. I like to learn new languages so I enrolled in a three month Spanish course when I first moved to Miami in 2018 as a research volunteer, and that has come a long way when interacting with Spanish patients (hospitals do have translator services so you don't have to necessarily know Spanish). Lastly, I love the weather down here and on a day off, you can find me relaxing at the beach or in the streets of Brickell exploring different food and drinks.
Why I Chose Memorial Healthcare System
This program was amongst my top choices for several reasons. The neurology program has been warm and welcoming from the start (interview experience, interaction with the PD and other staff members) What I like about the program is that you get the autonomy, responsibility and learn way more as compared to well established program with a larger number of trainees. The environment here is really motivating, there is no pressure and everyone around are friendly that provides a terrific working environment. Lastly, I love the weather here and I am glad to have chosen Memorial Healthcare as my home for the upcoming years into my training.
PGY4 Residents (Class of 2023)
Samir Al-Ghazawi, MD
Medical School: Hashemite University Faculty of Medicine
About Me
I was born and raised in Basrah, Iraq, before I move to my second home in Amman, Jordan. After medical school, I did a research fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh Center for Clinical Neurophysiology. I have special interests in epilepsy, interventional neurology and neurocritical care. I am an avid Manchester United fan. In my spare time I like cooking, exploring different restaurants with my wife, movies and TV series, and bowling.
Why I Chose Memorial Healthcare System
The friendly and encouraging atmosphere of teaching. In addition, it’s the largest hospital system in Broward County, therefore a great exposure to a wide variety of pathologies, plus the great weather through the year.
Saleem Al Mawed, MD, MS
Medical School: University of Damascus Faculty of Medicine
About Me
I am not originally from Florida but was interested in exploring new places to live and was quickly lured in by the warm weather, beautiful beaches, and the very friendly people. I grew up in Lebanon and the beach was steps away from my home. I like living in Florida because it reminds me of home. During my free time, I enjoy spending time with my lovely wife and 6-year old daughter at the beach, nature centers, and finding wildlife in our backyard (including gators!). I am a huge fan of the Liverpool soccer team and enjoy playing soccer. I also love traveling to new places and taking impromptu road trips.
Why I Chose Memorial Healthcare System
I was very amazed by how well the Neurology Residency program is constructed. Being one of the largest healthcare systems in South Florida, MHS covers a diverse patient population and there are great opportunities for learning and research. The program leadership is clearly very interested in building a great program. They are very keen on making this the best learning experience for residents and are always receptive to resident needs. The faculty is very friendly and invested in resident education.
Gaurav Kathuria, MD, MBA
Medical School: American University of Antigua College of Medicine
About Me
I am interested in all aspects of neurology with special interests in stroke, headache medicine, and neurophysiology and electrodiagnostic medicine. My hobbies include playing sports and running outdoors.
Why I Chose Memorial Healthcare System
The people here. The GME team does a great job of supporting, motivating and guiding us through this step in our careers. Being in South Florida is another great perk!
Amardeep Saund, MD
Medical School: St. Matthew's University School of Medicine (Grand Cayman)
About Me
I was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. Growing up I had always been active with being on the soccer team, playing hockey, track team. I am an audiophile and love good quality music.
Why I Chose Memorial Healthcare System
It was a new program and I knew I would get more one-on-one training from my attendings and I felt this would give me the most robust training and since MHS is a comprehensive stroke center this would provide me with the best training for my future goals of becoming an Interventional Neurologist. If I could go back, I would pick MHS again.
