A Message from the Program Director

For over 20 years our geriatrics fellowship includes training and mentorship by experienced faculty across our partner programs, which extends to the VA. Our program has graduated over three dozen specialists, most of whom have continued their careers in academic programs. We aim to produce new clinical and academic leaders and inspire careers that share our vision to improve the quality of lives of older adults.

-Aman Nanda, MD

The Brown Geriatric Medicine Fellowship offers a one-year ABIM-accredited clinical track, a two-year advanced academic track and a three-year research-intensive program that includes a 2-year MPH program, in close collaboration with Center for Gerontology and Healthcare Research of the Brown School of Public Health.

Graduates of the Brown Geriatric Medicine Fellowship program will be able to demonstrate the ability to:

• Deliver expert clinical care of ill older persons in the continuum of care, including acute care hospital, ambulatory care, long-term care, geropsychiatry, hospice, home care and rehabilitation.
• Understand the health care delivery system relevant to older adults, including funding, long-term care, and how health policy is made.
• Effectively understand and participate in aging research – in basic, clinical, or health services investigations.

Fellowship Program Highlights

• We offer several educational tracks: A one-year clinical ABIM track, a two-year track for advanced academic careers, and a three-year research-intensive program.
• Our Division is diverse, equitable and mutually respectful; the culture is supportive and family friendly. In addition to our experienced physician faculty, fellows learn and work in collaboration with experienced geriatrics and palliative medicine nurse practitioners, who hold Brown faculty appointments.
• Nationally eminent Co-management programs with Orthopedics (fracture and joint replacement), Trauma surgery, and Colorectal surgery.
• A highly structured research program with both didactics as well as project mentorship, led by our Division Chief, Stefan Gravenstein, MD, MPH, David Dosa, MD, MPH, James Rudolph, MD, and other faculty. Opportunities abound for fellows to take on research projects based on clinical questions, yielding a poster and/or manuscript by the end of year 1 of fellowship. For example, currently, 4 funded NH Covid-19 projects are available for fellow participation.
• Fellows learn and collaborate closely with Palliative Medicine and Geriatric Psychiatric faculty and fellows in weekly education-driven 3-hour sessions.
• The founder of our Division, Dr. Richard Besdine is still working as faculty, teaching, doing research and mentoring of fellows and faculty.
• Highly structured both Block and longitudinal nursing home experience, mentored by experienced faculty and nursing home Medical Director.

Fellowship Tracks

1-Year Track:
The training program, as specified by ACGME, is one clinically intensive year; all fellows have the same didactic and clinical curriculum, as well as Medical Directorship in nursing homes and Research Skills course

2-Year Track:
Fellows have the option of additional training; a second year emphasizes learning to teach and scholarship to pursue a faculty career as educator-clinician.

Each fellow undertakes a scholarly project in year 2. The balance among research, teaching, and administrative training in year 2 is determined individually, depending upon career goals.

3-Year Track:
For fellows pursuing research-intensive careers, a 3-year program includes master’s in public health at the Brown School of Public Health.

Past Fellows – Where are they now?

2022
Brinda Basida, MD – Rheumatology Fellowship, Augusta, GA
Ciera Leeder, MBBS – Rochester, NY
Aaron Nepaul, MD – Kent Hospital, RI
Nishay Tariq, MBBS – Lifespan Physician Group, Providence, RI

2021
Sohaib Mannan, MD – Nocturnist, Tower Health Reading Hospital, Reading, PA
Haseeb Siddique, MD – Nocturnist, Tower Health Reading Hospital, Reading, PA
Rachel Sluder, DO – Geriatric Medicine, Maine Medical Partners, Norway, ME

2020
Salah Elhamamsy, MD – Milford Regional Medical Center, Milford, MA
Ashna Rajan, MD – Faculty, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI
Thomas Bayer, MD – Faculty, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI
Marilyne Cadieux, DO – MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Washington DC

2019
Rama Krishna Vura, MD – Attending at Akron Medical Center, Akron, OH
Philip Tsoukas, MD – Rheumatology Fellowship at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA

2018
Syed Ashad Abid, MD- Geriatrician and Palliative Medicine specialist, GA

2017
Yasin Abul, MD – Faculty, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI
Matthew Levin, MD – Geriatrician, Laureate Medical Group, Atlanta, GA

2016
Bradley Minter, MD – Hospitalist, Port Jefferson, NY
Stelley Smith, MD – Geriatrician and Palliative Medicine, Geenboro, NC

2015
Manoj Bhattarai, MD – Private Practice, Belle Glade, FL
Iva Neupane, MD – Faculty, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI

2014
Erkan Ozturk, MD- Geriatrician, Medstar Health, Baltimore, MD
Yusuf Konuk, MD – Hospitalist, Southcoast Physician Group, New Bedford, MA

2013
Sevdenur Cizginer, MD – Faculty, MGH, Boston, MA
Sylvester Sarfraz, MD – Faculty, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University; Hospitalist, The Miriam Hospital, Providence, RI
Ramesh Adhikari, MD – Hospitalist, Terre Haute, IN

2012
Stephanie Chow,MD – Faculty, Mount Sinai Health System, New York, NY
Christina Rincon,MD – Geriatrician, Santa Cruz, CA

2011
Mriganka Singh,MD – Faculty, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI

2010
Kapil Sharma, MD – Faculty, University of Maryland Medical System, Bel Air, MD
Yew-Xin Teh, MD – Faculty, Eastern Maine Medical Center, Bangor, ME
Nadia Mujahid,MD – Faculty, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI

2009
Anne-Halli-Tierney, MD – Faculty, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL
Anna Troncales, MD – Geriatrician, Hallandale Beach, FL

2008
Gary Blanchard, MD – Faculty, UMass Medical School, St. Vincent’s Hospital, Worcester MA2008
Mia Tomas, MD – Geriatrician, Portland, OR

2007
Rebecca Starr, MD – Medical Director, Geriatrics, Cooley Dickinson Health Care, Northampton, MA
Timothy Farrell, MD – Faculty, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT
Porpon Rotjanapan, MD – Faculty, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand

2006
John Kleckley, MD – Geriatrician, Mount Pleasant, SC
Deepak Thiagarajan, MD – Chair – Division of Medicine, San Bernardine Medical Center, San Bernardino, CA

2005
Ana Tuya, MD – Faculty, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, RI

2004
Michael Gerardo, DO, MPH – Mercy Clinic Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, St. Louis, MO
Terri Lee Spencer, MD – Brockton, MA

2003
Sourya Mahapatra, MD – Geriatrician, Nashua, NH
Ramona Rhodes, MD, MPH – Faculty, UT Southwestern Med Center, Dallas, TX

2002
Rollin Wright, MD, MPH – Faculty, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
Howard Nachamie, MD – Geriatrician, Bedford, MA
Steven LaFond, MD – Geriatrician, Kaiser Permanente, San Diego, CA

Eligibility criteria for Geriatrics program: Preference will be given to applicants who have strong letters of reference; who have demonstrated excellence in residency training in Internal Medicine or Family Medicine; and whose personal statement demonstrates interest in and commitment to geriatrics.

The Brown Geriatric Medicine Fellowship Program participates in the National Residency Matching Program. Applications are accepted through the ERAS system at www.aamc.org/eras. Completion of a U.S. internal medicine / family medicine residency program is required. To request additional information, please contact our Program Coordinator, Kimberly Chanlatte or (401) 444-5248 or Dr. Aman Nanda, Program Director.

Fellow Benefits: Benefits include four weeks of vacations per year, CME allowance, funding to attend one national meeting, health and dental insurance (individual or family), disability insurance, and life insurance. Details can be obtained through the Rhode Island Hospital Graduate Medical Education office.