Current Residents
Our Residents
First Year Residents
Name: Adebolanle Ayinde, MD Hometown: Lagos, Nigeria Medical School: Grodno State Medical University Fun or Interesting Fact About Me: I absolutely love reality TV shows and solo trips! Why I love my residency in Longview: I love Longview for its calmness and serenity, and it's a great place to raise a family. What I love most about my program aside from the well-rounded curriculum and the tremendous faculty is the really supportive culture! You're never really lost; there's always someone happy to guide you until you become a master yourself! |
Name: Ravi Bulusu, MD Hometown: Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, India Medical School: Maharajah's Institute of Medical Sciences Fun or Interesting Fact About Me: I'm a cricket enthusiast - love to play and watch! I enjoy swimming (particularly after long duty hours (jk!)) and love hanging out with friends. Why I love my residency in Longview: The culture of the CHRISTUS Good Shepherd IM program is always supportive, encourages initiatives and builds camaraderie among residents. Dr. Egbe always has an open door policy and she's resident oriented which is really important as it gives residents a free space where they can express themselves. |
Name: Fatima Hassan, MD Hometown: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Medical School: Fatima Jinnah Medical University Fun or Interesting Fact About Me: Afraid of lizards Why I love my residency in Longview: Longview is an excellent location to raise a family and enjoy nature. The program has an ideal work-life balance. The outstanding mentorship and the collegial environment facilitates learning. |
Name: Siima Kavuma, MD Hometown: Kampala, Uganda Medical School: Makerere University School of Medicine Fun or Interesting Fact About Me: In the second grade, I won best actress award at my elementary school. |
Name: Menkeoma Okoli, MD Hometown: Nigeria Medical School: Ebonyi State University Fun or Interesting Fact About Me: I have a love and passion for seeking adventures. On a good day, I can be found sky diving or paragliding. Why I love my residency in Longview: Why Longview? What’s not to love about Longview. The weather, the community, the wide roads and the amazing residency program itself. |
Name: Juliet Pham, DO Hometown: Austin, TX Medical School: University of North Texas Health - Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine Fun or Interesting Fact About Me: I was raised on somewhat “Victorian” feminine ideals when it comes to hobbies. As a result, I am a writer, an artist, and a pianist. I grew up loving classic romance novels, poetry, foreign films, photography, interior design, and music. I’m also an athlete (specifically, tennis) because my parents wanted me to be a well-rounded proper lady, as they would say (haha). Why I love my residency in Longview: I wanted to be part of a program that provided structured didactic sessions, a challenging, comprehensive hands-on curriculum, and exposure to unique and diverse pathology across various care settings. I was also passionate about becoming part of a community-based program that offered a multitude of volunteering opportunities which were deep rooted in capturing overlooked and neglected populations. |
Name: Nagavalli Pillalarmarri, MD Hometown: Khammam, India Medical School: Kakatiya Medical College Fun or Interesting Fact About Me: I am a friendly and fun-loving person with lots of interest in reading and understanding different cultures. My childhood dream to drive a car finally came true in Longview; I've never even ridden a bike in my life so far! Why I love my residency in Longview: We have such an amazing, lovely program led by a highly-dynamic, energetic and friendly PD, Dr. Egbe. The faculty and senior residents are very knowledgeable and approachable. It is also obvious that the program is greatly supported by hospital management and infrastructure. Longview is a wonderful place to live - not too big to even comment on the commute and not too small to complain about. I am very proud to be part of this residency family; it's a completely well-organized and beautifully-balanced program. |
Name: Poonam Rao, MD Hometown: Gurgaon, India Medical School: SGT Medical College, Hospital and Research Institute Fun or Interesting Fact About Me: I run five miles most days. Why I love my residency in Longview: I decided to train in Longview, because of the people we have. Everyone is so approachable and supportive. |
Name: Aatif Rashid, MD Hometown: Srinagar Kashmir, India Medical School: Government Medical College Aurangabad Fun or Interesting Fact About Me: I am a co-founder of an online skin consultation app "Skin Consult." Why I love my residency in Longview: This residency program's strengths include a highly-dedicated program director, Dr Egbe. |
Name: Jenna Haney, DO Hometown: San Antonio, TX Medical School: University of the Incarnate Word School Fun or Interesting Fact About Me: I love to garden, and I was a server at Cracker Barrel for 4 years! Why I love my residency in Longview: My fiance (now husband) and I took this opportunity to train in East Texas because of the people! As members of both Tyler and Longview communities, we saw the need to address the health concerns of this part of Texas. |
Name: Shahryar Syed, MD Hometown: Houston, TX Medical School: University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston Fun or Interesting Fact About Me: I love cleaning. Why I love my residency in Longview: Longview is full of kind people. |
Name: April Walnofer, DO Hometown: Sioux Falls, SD Medical School: A. T. Still University Kirksville Fun or Interesting Fact About Me: I was a volleyball coach and cardio kickboxing instructor for 5 years. Why I love my residency in Longview: Why I chose Longview? Hands down had to stay in Texas and didn’t want to live in a big city (I’m from South Dakota, I hate traffic). East Texas reminded me of home and I valued being in an unopposed residency program. |
Second Year Residents
Name: Ogechi Agogbuo, MD Hometown: Imo State, Southeastern Nigeria Medical School: University of Port Harcourt College of Medicine Fun or Interesting Fact About Me: I believe life is beautiful and we reap what we sow. I love COLORS! The world wouldn't have been so beautiful without colors. Why I love my residency in Longview: I am close to family in this program, and I was thrilled to hear the testimonies of residents and attendings. The diversity of culture in the program and variety of pathologies and medical cases managed in the hospital enrich my training. |
Name: Zain Ali, MD Hometown: Austin, TX Medical School: Texas Tech University Health Sciences Fun or Interesting Fact About Me: I learned how to drive before I learned how to ride a bike! And it wasn't just because of the gas prices. Why I love my residency in Longview: Residency in Longview is great because it allows you to take care of some of the most unique patient presentations in the nation while receiving great support and guidance from faculty and co-residents in your career goals. |
Name: Marlena Alosi, MD Hometown: Houston, TX Medical School: University of the Incarnate Word School Fun or Interesting Fact About Me: I’m an avid traveler and outdoor enthusiast. Why I love my residency in Longview: The culture here is lovely, the people are so friendly. Plus I love the weather and how this region of Texas experiences four seasons. |
Name: Nnamdi Amachukwu, MD Hometown: Anambra State, South Eastern Nigeria Medical School: Imo State University College of Medicine Fun or Interesting Fact About Me: I love to play chess and I typically watch soccer in my free time. Why I love my residency in Longview: Our program at CHRISTUS is a great place to train with frequent exposure to a wide variety of cases. Very approachable and supportive faculty - and excellent workplace culture. Longview in general is about the perfect-sized town; everything is interconnected and very easy to navigate. Whatever you need is typically less than 12 minutes of driving. The people are very friendly and polite. It's difficult not to love Longview! |
Name: Onyema Chido-Amajuoyi, MD Hometown: Jos/Abuja, Nigeria Medical School: Oba Okunade Sijuade College of Health Fun or Interesting Fact About Me: I am a Chelsea FC and SuperEagles fanatic. Why I love my residency in Longview: Longview and East Texas as a whole boosts a wide array of richly-diverse clinical pathologies which makes for a fantastic environment for clinical education. |
Name: Henrietta Ebomah, MD Hometown: Asaba, Nigeria Medical School: All Saints University School of Medicine, Dominica Fun or Interesting Fact About Me: My name is Henrietta, and I am a CHOC-O-HOL-IC! Why I love my residency in Longview: I am grateful for my co-workers, supportive GME faculty/staff and how involved our PD is in our day-to-day activities. The residency program's curriculum is very well structured and we are set up for success from Day 1. Longview is a fast-growing city but still has some small town vibes. All your essentials are literally a 10-minute drive. There are many places to relax, have a cup of coffee, people watch or simply walk around and enjoy the scenery, hiking trails, parks, etc. |
Name: Leah Gatdula, MD Hometown: Zambales, Philippines Medical School: De La Salle Health Sciences Institute Fun or Interesting Fact About Me: I grew up on a tropical island that is surrounded by both ocean and mountains. I enjoy shallow water spearfishing, camping, grafting fruit bearing trees and taking care of domesticated animals. Why I love my residency in Longview: My husband and I were brought to Longview because of career opportunities. It is a great town with friendly people! We gained a lot of friends who we consider family and we plan to stay here forever. |
Name: Mofoluwaso Ibiwoye, MD Hometown: Lagos, Nigeria Medical School: Obafemi Awolowo College of Health Fun or Interesting Fact About Me: If I can fit it in a pot, I'd whoop it. Cooking and trying out new recipes is one of my favorite past times. Why I love my residency in Longview:I love the numerous academic and leadership opportunities, educational didactics, and the diverse pathologies we get to see in this region of Texas - all components needed to succeed as an internal medicine resident physician. Bonus, we have an amazing program director who listens to our concerns and is passionate about promoting a healthy culture that hones self-confidence, medical competence and professionalism. |
Name: Camryn Middleton, DO Hometown: Jacksonville (Orange Park), FL Medical School: University of the Incarnate Word School Fun or Interesting Fact About Me: I am super interested in pickle-ball and anime. Most of the time for an interesting fact, I tell people I'm a doctor. Why I love my residency in Longview: Why train in longview? For me, there are a ton of reasons. First off, living in San Antonio made me miss greenery, and this city reminds me of the town I grew up in. Second, cost of living is great, and from the medical side of things, a lot of pathology is available to learn. Finally, it embodies the kindness and support that only a smaller town can provide. |
Name: Brandon Norton, MD Hometown: Houston, TX Medical School: McGovern Medical School UTHealth Houston Why I love my residency in Longview: Longview provides a great community and patient population with various and interesting pathologies for education and training. |
Name: Priscilla Ozueh, MD Hometown: Houston, TX Medical School: American Univ. of Antigua College of Medicine Fun or Interesting Fact About Me: I love couponing in my free time. I was an RN before medical school. I enjoy braiding hair. I enjoyed traveling before I had my kids! Why I love my residency in Longview: Close proximity shopping, dining, and fulfills most of the needs that a larger city would. |
Name: Luis Salinas, DO Hometown: Portland, TX Medical School: University of the Incarnate Word School Fun or Interesting Fact About Me: I am a graduate of the inaugural class of the University of the Incarnate Word School of Medicine in San Antonio. Outside of medicine, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, watching football, hunting and fishing. Why I love my residency in Longview: Longview is home to an excellent training program and camaraderie shared among fellow residents. |
Third Year Residents
Name: Fibha Arshad, MD Hometown: Karachi, Pakistan Medical School: Dow Medical College Fun or Interesting Fact About Me: On a personal level, I am easy going, friendly, and fun-loving. I love to travel and enjoy spending time with family and friends. I grew up in Karachi, which is the largest city in Pakistan, with the nation's best educational institutions. Why I love my residency in Longview: I have family that lives close by. I enjoy outdoor activities and Longview is famous for its beautiful trails and lakes. |
Name: Yumna Ghouri, MD Hometown: Islamabad, Pakistan/Doha, Qatar Medical School: Baqai Medical College Fun or Interesting Fact About Me: I love traveling, photography and videography. I also love cats and somehow always end up rescuing them. Why I love my residency in Longview: East Texas has such beautiful lakes and hiking trails/State parks. I love its proximity to my family in nearby Dallas. |
Name: Mohamed Ghoweba, MD Hometown: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Medical School: Suez Canal University Faculty of Medicine Fun or Interesting Fact About Me: I could have been an actor. I won two acting awards during medical school. Why I love my residency in Longview: Learning about the program graduates' success of obtaining fellowships attracted me to Longview. |
Name: Jason Gnasigamany, DO - Chief Resident Hometown: Austin, TX Medical School: University of North Texas Health - Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine Fun or Interesting Fact About Me: I have a degree in trombone performance and loved my time studying music. Why I love my residency in Longview: I chose this program because of the educational didactics and the teaching faculty I met. No regrets! |
Name: Gurleen Kaur, MD Hometown: Sherman, TX Medical School: Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences Fun or Interesting Fact About Me: I love dancing, watching endless shows, spending time with family friends. I love traveling. Why I love my residency in Longview: I love the nature, the greenery, and the peace. So little traffic and wonderful people, especially my residency family. |
Name: Arthi Kovvali, DO Hometown: Lufkin, TX Medical School: University of North Texas Health - Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine Fun or Interesting Fact About Me: I have traveled to about eight countries including Egypt, Turkey, Greece, Spain and Italy during middle school and high school with my family. Why I love my residency in Longview: I chose this program because the day I started my medical school rotations in Longview, the program director, the program coordinators, along with the faculty and residents were so welcoming. They became my second family and I could not leave. I also have my family close by in Lufkin. I wanted to continue my training in East Texas. I was fortunate to be able to stay back in Longview for residency and I have no regrets! It has been a memorable and wonderful experience. |
Name: Vijay Kuppurajan, MD Hometown: Dallas, TX Medical School: American University of Antigua College of Medicine Fun or Interesting Fact About Me: I love playing sports, especially tennis and basketball. Ever so often, I like to do adventure sports like bungee jumping and white water rafting. Why I love my residency in Longview: Longview is a unique place that offers all the benefits of a small town (like minimal traffic!) however also has close proximity to bigger cities like Dallas that you can visit on the weekends. It’s a great place to meet people and make new friends. |
Name: Kavya Parasa, MD - Chief Resident Hometown: Machilipatnam, India Medical School: Andhra Medical College Fun or Interesting Fact About Me: I shaved my head to bald beauty 2 years ago. Why I love my residency in Longview: I just love the commute, proximity of everything and my residency family. |
Name: Nisargi Patel, MD Hometown: Ahmedabad, India Medical School: GSC Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre Fun or Interesting Fact About Me: I am passionate about both my work and enjoying life. I try to balance my professional interests along with enjoying life to the fullest extent through culture and nature. In my free time I paint or go somewhere and hike (it's like meditation to me). Why I love my residency in Longview:Being a nature lover, I knew that this is my spot to be after visiting and interviewing. Major attractions for me are the state parks and lakes and their proximity to the city. Weekend trips to Dallas also provides a good change. Everyone in the hospital, program and any other place that I have been to in Longview are very welcoming and friendly. |
Name: Jaya Pitchika, MD Hometown: Pedana, India Medical School: Andhra Medical College Fun or Interesting Fact About Me: I love traveling and have visited 30 states among 50 in the USA. Why I love my residency in Longview: Being a small-town girl, living in Longview makes me feel close to home. The people here are friendly. I love being part of the tight-knit family of the residency program and hospital where we take care of each other. |
Name: Chaitanya Undavalli, MD - Chief Resident Hometown: Khammam, India Medical School: Mahadevappa Rampure Medical College Fun or Interesting Fact About Me: I love spending time with my kids, long road trips, jogging, shopping, and meditation. Why I love my residency in Longview: We moved to Longview after staying almost 12 years in snowy winters, and love Longview for all the accessibility and affordability. It takes less than 15-20 mins to get to work from anywhere in town. One of the important thing I like about this program is wellness program and wide variety of pathology we see on day to day basis, which are unique. |
Name: Donald Wilkinson, DO - Chief Resident Hometown: Wichita Falls, TX Medical School: Touro University Nevada College of Osteopathic Medicine Fun or Interesting Fact About Me: If you want an interesting fact in general, I'll go with "the head of a sea slug can grow an entire new body." But if you want an interesting fact about me, I lost my last baby tooth when I was 21 and it was pulled because I was getting braces. Why I love my residency in Longview: I went to med school in the desert of Las Vegas. Lots of traffic and everything is brown. Here everything is green and there is no traffic. It's peaceful, without noise or light pollution. |