Our Residents - 2023-2024

Our Chief Residents

We believe that our program offers the perfect blend of educational opportunities and patient interactions that will foster the development of successful physicians. The internal medicine residents at Houston Methodist Hospital receive an excellent educational experience, which consists of a combination of structured academics, daily conferences, varied clinical exposure, devoted faculty and superb instruction in evidence-based medicine, quality-improvement methods and research. The department fosters career development through the support of scholarly activity and attendance at local, regional, national and international conferences. Residents have the rare opportunity to work one-on-one with world-renowned faculty in every discipline at one of the highest-ranked hospitals in the nation. You will be part of a multidisciplinary team that consists of medical students, residents and fellows and will be guided, tutored and mentored by leaders in different subspecialties. While residency is rigorous, we foster a good work/life balance to promote resident wellness, prevent burnout and create the opportunity for social events and long-lasting friendships.

Thank you for considering our program.

2023-2024
Co-Chief Residents

Zhihao Zhu, MD
PGY-4

Egor Sukharutski, MD
PGY-3

Cat Wiechmann, MD
PGY-3

Zhihao Zhu is from Corpus Christi, TX and went to college at Duke University before returning to Texas, attending Medical School at UTMB Galveston. Zhihao has loved his time at Houston Methodist and is honored to be serving as this year's PGY-4 Chief! He is especially excited to continue teaching and contributing to the growth of our residents. He plans to specialize in cardiology with specific interest in adult congenital heart disease. Outside the hospital, you will find Zhihao playing volleyball and tennis, watching Formula 1 and trying out new restaurants or boba tea in Chinatown (best in the country!).

Egor Sukharutski was born in Belarus and moved to Louisiana at a young age. After finishing medical school at LSU Shreveport, he chose Houston Methodist as his home for the next three years. He plans on pursuing a career in Academic Hospital Medicine (unless Nephrology tempts him away). Outside the hospital, Egor can be found lifting weights, running, biking, playing volleyball and being a proud cat dad!

Catherine (Cat) Wiechmann was born and raised in Lubbock, TX. At Wayland Baptist University Cat continued her passion for volleyball where she helped lead her team to the national tournament three years in a row! Like a true Red Raider, she returned to Lubbock for medical school at Texas Tech Health Science Center. In her free time Cat likes to bake cookies for the residents, play sand volleyball, enjoys trying new restaurants with friends and is currently on the hunt to find the perfect chips and queso.

IM Residents Social

PGY-1 Class of Internal Medicine Residents (2023-2026):

	S. Muneeb Ajaz, MD Hometown: Arlington, TX Undergrad: UT Southwestern Medical School: The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School An interesting fact about yourself: I have a twin sister.
	Alwin Alias, MD Hometown: Missouri City, TX Undergrad: Texas A&M Medical School: Texas A&M HSC College of Medicine An interesting fact about yourself: In 6th grade, I was unfortunately passed up for the role of Aladdin in the school play for being "too brown".
	Andrew Chung, MD, PhD Hometown: Los Angeles, CA Undergrad: University of California Berkeley Medical School: Texas A&M HSC College of Medicine An interesting fact about yourself: I can make my own Korean bbq, but I am not a fan of all you can eat Korean bbq.
	Elia El Hajj, MD, PhD Hometown: Mansourieh, Lebanon Undergrad: Loyola Medical School: Louisiana State University School of Medicine, New Orleans An interesting fact about yourself: When we were 13, my twin brother and I raised chickens and sold fresh eggs in our small town.
	Noah Giese, MD, MEng Hometown: College Station, TX Undergrad: UT Austin Medical School: Texas A&M HSC College of Medicine An interesting fact about yourself: I love to host social gatherings like Friendsgiving and White Linen Night!
	Brianna Hamilton, MD Hometown: Bronx, NY Undergrad: Temple University, Philadelphia Medical School: Drexel University College of Medicine An interesting fact about yourself: I love to travel! The last place I traveled to was Bali, Indonesia
	Deepak Jagannath, MD Hometown: Sugar Land, TX Undergrad: UT Austin Medical School: Baylor College of Medicine An interesting fact about yourself: I have broken the same tooth three times!
	Drew Levy, MD Hometown: Houston, TX Undergrad: Duke University Medical School: Texas A&M HSC College of Medicine An interesting fact about yourself: When I'm not at the hospital, you can find me playing golf with family and friends, enjoying a good book or playing pickleball with my co-interns, especially Freddie.
	Jessica Lowe, MD Hometown: Austin, TX Undergrad: Washington University, St. Louis Medical School: The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School An interesting fact about yourself: Sat front row at a presidential debate.
	Hannah O'Neill, MD Hometown: Smithton, IL Undergrad: Purdue University Medical School: Southern Illinois University School of Medicine An interesting fact about yourself: My R&R activities are painting and running.
	Ashmi Patel, MD, MEng, MS Hometown: New Albany, Ohio Undergrad: Southern Methodist University (SMU) Medical School: Texas A&M HSC College of Medicine An interesting fact about yourself: Between medical school and residency, I summited Mauna Kea, the tallest mountain in Hawaii at an elevation of 13,800 feet!
	Rishi Patel, MD Hometown: Muenster, TX Undergrad: Texas A&M Medical School: The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School An interesting fact about yourself: I am writing a sci-fi book!
	Yousf Radwan, MD Hometown: Houston, TX Undergrad: University of Houston Medical School: Texas Tech University HSC Paul L. Foster School of Medicine An interesting fact about yourself: I really enjoy cooking complex dishes.
	Chandni Vashee, MD Hometown: Kitwe, Zambia Undergrad: Southwestern Oklahoma State University Medical School: Texas Tech University HSC Paul L. Foster School of Medicine An interesting fact about yourself: I made my international TV debut at age 12 on KTV, with my face stuffed in a bowl of flour. This was for a competition to see who can find the most hidden M&Ms. I came in second place and wore my KTV gear everywhere I went as a badge of honor.
	Lien Vu, MD Hometown: New Orleans, LA Undergrad: University of New Orleans Medical School: Louisiana State University School of Medicine New Orleans An interesting fact about yourself: I like to experiment with Asian fusion cuisine during my free time.
	Frederick Wang, MD Hometown: Amarillo, TX Undergrad: UT Dallas Medical School: Texas A&M HSC College of Medicine An interesting fact about yourself: I own Raising Cane's pajamas and absolutely love getting Canes; Caniac Combo, no coleslaw, extra sauce, Dr. Pepper no ice. Also, I can eat 3 Popeye's chicken sandwiches in one sitting.
	Kenneth Williams, DO Hometown: Georgetown Undergrad: Texas A&M Medical School: University of North Texas HSC at Fort Worth - Texas COM An interesting fact about yourself: My wife and I love trying new food at all the diverse restaurants Houston has to offer.

PGY-2 Class of Internal Medicine Residents (2022-2025):

	Shayan Amini, MD Hometown: Tehran, Iran Undergrad: University of Houston-Main Campus Medical School: Texas A&M HSC College of Medicine An interesting fact about yourself: I got stung by a scorpion and took it with me to the ED to show the doctor.
	Neal Bhachawat, DO Hometown: San Antonio, TX Undergrad: Southern Methodist University Medical School: University of North Texas HSC at Fort worth-Texas COM An interesting fact about yourself: I like coffee.
	Alexandra Cloutet, MD Hometown: Mandeville, LA Undergrad: Louisiana State University Medical School: Louisiana State University School of Medicine Shreveport An interesting fact about yourself: I used to be a competitive swimmer.
	Siddharth Das, DO Hometown: Spring, TX Undergrad: University of Texas Medical School: University of North Texas HSC at Fort Worth-Texas COM An interesting fact about yourself: I enjoy swing dancing - mostly lindy hoop and east coast but a little of shag, blues, etc. I randomly picked it up in undergrad and continued learning at Houston Swing Dance Society, a nonprofit, where I occasionally volunteer. I recently tried picking up country swing with some co-residents. I'm always down to go social dancing!
	Ameesh Dev, MD Hometown: Lubbock, TX Undergrad: Texas Tech University Medical School: The University of Texas HSC at San Antonio, Joe R and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine An interesting fact about yourself: One of my life long goals is to travel to all 7 continents. I'm currently at 2/7.
	Helene DiGregorio, MD Hometown: Dallas, TX Undergrad: Texas A&M Medical School: McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas HSC at Houston An interesting fact about yourself: I love traveling! My favorite recent travel destinations are Makarska Croatia, Jamaica and the US Virgin Islands. I am planning to visit Australia some time this year!
	Alexsandra Drinnon, MD Hometown: San Antonio, TX Undergrad: Trinity University Medical School: Texas Tech University School of Medicine An interesting fact about yourself: I've written two novels in my spare time, neither of which will likely ever see the light of day, but still fun nonetheless!
	Robert Jameson, MD Hometown: Austin, TX Undergrad: Texas A&M University Medical School: Texas Tech University HSC School of Medicine An interesting fact about yourself: I love iced tea. Sweet, unsweetened or a refreshing arnold palmer.
	Meera Khosla, MD Hometown: Austin, TX Undergrad: University of Texas at Austin Medical School: Texas A&M HSC College of Medicine An interesting fact about yourself: I moved to New Delhi India when I was 7 years old and attended an international school.
	Kirsten Killough, MD Hometown: Boerne, TX Undergrad: Abilene Christian University Medical School: McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas HSC at Houston An interesting fact about yourself: I've been in the Guinness Book of World Records.
	James Kurian, MD Hometown: Houston Undergrad: UT Austin Medical School: The University of Texas HSC at San Antonio Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine An interesting fact about yourself: I like to build computers.
	Patrick Nguyen, MD Hometown: Fort Worth, TX Undergrad: The University of Texas at Dallas Medical School: The University of Texas HSC at San Antonio Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine An interesting fact about yourself: Milk first, then cereal.
	Jerrin Philip, MD Hometown: Houston, TX Undergrad: University of Texas at El Paso Medical School: University of Texas Medical Branch School of Medicine An interesting fact about yourself: I am a first generation US citizen and was originally born in the UAE.
	Jacqueline (Jackie) Rios, MD Hometown: Sugar Land, TX Undergrad: Rice University Medical School: Texas Tech University HSC School of Medicine An interesting fact about yourself: I have never ridden a horse. I was born in Mexico.
	Jean Michel Saad, MD Hometown: Byblos, Lebanon Undergrad: Lebanese American University LAU for Biolocy Medical School: LAU Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine An interesting fact about yourself: Learning to recreate some of my favorite Lebanese dishes on my own. Can make a mean tabouli. Not as good as my mom's though - not sure it's possible!
	Amir Saeed, MD Hometown: Houston, TX Undergrad: Texas Tech University Medical School: Texas Tech University HSC Paul L. Foster School of Medicine An interesting fact about yourself: I've spent time as a football coach and plan on coaching part-time after residency.
	Fadl Zeineddine, MD Hometown: Beirut, Lebanon Undergrad: American University of Beirut Medical School: American University of Beirut Faculty of Medicine An interesting fact about yourself: I have a keen interest in boxing.

PGY-3 Class of Internal Medicine Residents (2021-2024):

	Sneha Ajit, MD Hometown: Trivandrum, India Undergrad: Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Medical School: Kasturba Medical College Manipal An interesting fact about yourself: I almost died by "dry drowning" as an infant and was saved by a neighbor who happened to be a doctor. Whenever I complain about how difficult life is, my mom reminds me I was literally given a second chance at this life!
	Dipesh Bhakta, MD Hometown: Waxahachie, TX Undergrad: Drexel University Medical School: Texas A&M University HSC College of Medicine An interesting fact about yourself: I decided to fine-tune my culinary skills during my Night Float rotations (although some may argue the food is too spicy). My specialties are cashew nut chicken and, surprisingly, banana bread pancakes. There's no better place to learn about delectable cuisine than the many authentic restaurants in Houston, which I personally believe is the food capital of Texas.
	Winnie Chen, MD Hometown: Kaohsiung City, Taiwan Undergrad: University of Southern California Medical School: Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University An interesting fact about yourself: I make jigsaw puzzles with the best photos I took during my travels.
	Nihan Farooq, MD Hometown: Islamabad, Pakistan Undergrad: O.P.F. Girls College, Islamabad, Pakistan Medical School: Rawalpindi Medical College An interesting fact about yourself: I love birds. I would take a parrot over cats/dogs for a pet any day!
	Kelly Gee, DO Hometown: Dallas, TX Undergrad: University of Michigan Medical School: University of North Texas HSC College of Osteopathic Medicine An interesting fact about yourself: Coffee enthusiast, making my own espresso and pour over coffee.
	Hala Hassanain, MD Hometown: Amman and New Jersey Undergrad: Alfaisal University Medical School: Alfaisal University College of Medicine An interesting fact about yourself: I've been practicing yoga for the last 9 years.
	Amna Khan, MD Hometown: Houston TX & Islamabad, Pakistan Undergrad: Georgia Tech Medical School: Texas A&M University HSC College of Medicine An interesting fact about yourself: I've worked as a process improvement engineer at a number of places including Wonderful Pistachios, NYU and IKEA.
	Roshni Mandania, MD Hometown: Dallas, TX Undergrad: UT Dallas Medical School: Texas Tech University HSC School of Medicine An interesting fact about yourself: Ben Stiller once read a book to me when I was 8 years old.
	Rohith Reddy, MD Hometown: The Woodlands, TX Undergrad: UT Dallas Medical School: Texas A&M University HSC College of Medicine An interesting fact about yourself: Diehard Lakers fan.
	C. Nick Roy, MD Hometown: Moss Point Undergrad: Ole Miss Medical School: University of Mississippi School of Medicine An interesting fact about yourself: I've wrestled an alligator. I also may be Vladimir Putin's long-lost son.
	Aayush "Ash" Shah, MD Hometown: Sugar Land, TX Undergrad: University of Houston Medical School: Texas Tech University HSC School of Medicine An interesting fact about yourself: I was chased and bitten by a stray dog once when I was 9, but now I have a furry friend of my own who I chase all the time.
	Mark Suh, MD Hometown: Dallas, TX Undergrad: Carnegie Mellon University (Post bacc at UTD) Medical School: University of Texas Medical School at Houston An interesting fact about yourself: Former software engineer, travel hacker with 2 kids.
	Yahor "Egor" Sukharutski, MD, Chief Resident Hometown: Sulphur, LA Undergrad: LSU Medical School: Louisiana State University School of Medicine Shreveport An interesting fact about yourself: After moving to the US at age 8, I learned English in 3 months almost entirely by watching the Cartoon Network. Teen Titans > Duolingo.
	Braden Thomas, MD Hometown: Baton Rouge, LA Undergrad: LSU Medical School: Louisiana State University School of Medicine Shreveport An interesting fact about yourself: I spend most of my free time hanging out with my black lab, Winston.
	Erin Tullis, MD Hometown: New Orleans, LA Undergrad: LSU Medical School: Louisiana State University School of Medicine New Orleans An interesting fact about yourself: Went bungee jumping in Zimbabwe, one of the highest in the world.
	Rajdeepsingh "Raj" Waghela, MD Hometown: Houston, TX Undergrad: University of Houston Medical School: St. George's University School of Medicine An interesting fact about yourself: I enjoy playing tennis and am looking forward to attending the US Open to watch it live this year.
	Catherine "Cat" Wiechmann, MD, Chief Resident Hometown: Lubbock, TX Undergrad: Wayland Baptist University Medical School: Texas Tech University HSC School of Medicine An interesting fact about yourself: A month into anatomy class I adopted an adorable fluffy cat and named him Fibula.