Residents

Mujahid Anwar, M.D.

Hometown: Brooklyn, NY

Medical School: Shifa College of Medicine

How do you feel this residency is preparing you for your future practice: It has expanded my medical knowledge, enhanced leadership skills, promoted good medical decision-making and critical thinking, commitment and discipline towards patient-centered care.

Hobbies: Basketball, swimming and spending time with family and friends.

Natalie Thompson, M.D.

Hometown: Gladstone, MI

Medical School: Michigan State University College of Human Medicine

How do you feel this residency is preparing you for your future practice: This residency has pushed me to teach myself the skills I need to manage my work effectively and make medical decisions more independently as well as to find confidence within myself.

Hobbies: Watercolor painting, rock tumbling/polishing for jewelry making, reading, fishing, taking walks and video games.

Chandler Grier, M.D.

Hometown: Linwood, MI

Medical School: Michigan State University College of Human Medicine

How do you feel this residency is preparing you for your future practice: I feel residency is giving me good exposure to a variety of pathology in both inpatient and outpatient medicine, and gives a good breadth of skills to prepare me for post-residency practice. 

Hobbies: Guitar and banjo playing, boating, golfing and fishing.

Dylan Haas, M.D.

Hometown: Gunnison, UT

Medical School: St. George's University School of Medicine

How do you feel this residency is preparing you for your future practice: Being part of the rural track has shaped the way I practice medicine. Training in Alpena means you don’t just focus on one specialty area, you learn to take care of whatever walks through the door. I’ve come to appreciate the value of continuity and the trust that builds when you care for patients and their families over time. This experience has pushed me to grow into a physician who is flexible, resourceful, and comfortable managing a wide range of conditions, which I know will carry into my future practice. 

Hobbies: Lifting weights, fitness, camping, fishing, hiking, cooking, gardening, reading and spending time with family and friends. 

Eric Kopel, M.D.

Hometown: Newport Beach, CA

Medical School: St. George's University School of Medicine

How do you feel this residency is preparing you for your future practice: MyMichigan Family Medicine Residency is getting me ready for life as an attending by giving me hands-on experience with the full range of patient care - everything from acute and chronic issues to preventative care and procedures. The program pushes me to manage complex cases, work with different specialties, and adjust to a variety of settings, whether it's inpatient, outpatient, or community medicine. With more responsibility each year and strong support from faculty, I'm learning how to take ownership of patients care, make decisions, and follow through as the primary physician. The wide scope of training at MyMichigan means I'm gaining the skills and confidence to handle undifferentiated problems, pick up on red flags, and know when to refer - exactly what I'll need in independent practice.

Hobbies: Music, travel, racing/automotive and outdoor sports. 

Ashton Lewandowski, M.D.

Hometown: Freeland, MI

Medical School: Wayne State University School of Medicine

How do you feel this residency is preparing you for your future practice: As part of the rural practice, I have had the opportunity to have unique hands-on experiences which many other residents don't get the opportunity to have. From practicing my casting and first aid skills on Mackinac Island, to flying to the UP with our town's local eye doctor, to caring for patients who haven't seen a doctor in years, I have had numerous opportunities to hone my diagnostic skills and take real responsibility over my patient's health. Moving forward, I feel that I have the confidence to be successful and thrive as I pursue a career in rural medicine. 

Hobbies: Gardening, biking, building terrariums, anything horror-related and video games. 

Rishi Patel, M.D.

Hometown: Galloway Township, NJ

Medical School: Ross University School of Medicine

How do you feel this residency is preparing you for your future practice: This residency is preparing me for future practice by offering ample opportunities to acquire and master the skills needed for success.  Being in an unopposed program, we are exposed to a variety of encounters, unique cases, and many procedures.  The faculty physicians guide and provide resources to help us achieve our goal of becoming a family medicine doctor practicing outpatient, emergency, urgent care, obstetric or hospitalist medicine.  Attendings are great with feedback, letting you know what you do well, how you can improve your clinical decision-making, or how to come up with a differential diagnosis.

Hobbies: Hiking, traveling, video games and photography.

William Yang, M.D.

Hometown: Dublin, CA

Medical School: St. George's University School of Medicine

How do you feel this residency is preparing you for your future practice: Being a part of this residency has allowed me to see, work with, and get used to an increasingly expansive patient panel. 

Hobbies: Reading books, evening walks, playing Pokémon trading card game.

Suha Abuaita, M.D.

Hometown: Flushing, MI

Medical School: St. George's School of Medicine

What is the best thing you have experienced in residency: Building meaningful relationships with patients and their families through continuity of care, while embracing the diversity of learning and experiences that continue to shape me into a compassionate and broadly skilled physician 

Hobbies: Cycling, Crafting, Drawing, Spending time with family 

Zeid Al-Abed, M.D.

Hometown: Dearborn, MI

Medical School: Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University

What is the best thing you have experienced in residency: The best thing I have experienced in residency is the relationships I have cultivated thus far - whether that be getting my patients diabetes to an acceptable level of control for elective surgery, learning from the amazing faculty and getting to know them better, or learning alongside my co-residents and appreciating how far we have come as clinicians. 

Hobbies: I enjoy playing online video games with my friends, working out, and spending time with my family. I'm very passionate about living a healthy lifestyle and advocate for everyone around me to make healthier life choices.

William Hardy Gatlin, D.O.

Hometown: Magnolia, TX

Medical School: Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine

What is the best thing you have experienced in residency: The wonderful patient populations, particularly rural patients.

Hobbies: Carpentry/Woodworking, Luthiering, Gardening, Spending Time with Family. There are many great child-(friendly/oriented) places in Midland and Alpena that I like to take my daughter for an afternoon or day of fun!

Ellen Reter, M.D.

Hometown: Sterling, IL

Medical School: University of Illinois College of Medicine - Rockford

What is the best thing you've experienced in residency: The people. Everyone here has been wonderfully welcoming and supportive.

Hobbies: In my spare time, I enjoy reading, gaming, singing, listening to podcasts, exploring national parks, trying new foods, and playing soccer.

Garrett Richardson, M.D.

Hometown: Gaylord, MI

Medical School: Central Michigan University College of Medicine 

What is the best thing you've experienced in residency: The Christmas party

Hobbies: Spending time with my wife and dogs, working on our house together, being with family, hockey, cycling, reading up on literature.

Amanda Riley, M.D.

Hometown: Sylvania, OH

Medical School: University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences

What is the best thing you've experienced in residency: Being able to grow my skills as a physician in an environment that is supportive of learning with a group of friendly and knowledgeable people.

Hobbies: Reading, Video Games, Board Games, Crafting

Jake Sattelberg, D.O.

Hometown: Caro, MI

Medical School: Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine

What is the best thing you have experienced in residency: Getting to see the positive impact I can have on my patients.

Hobbies: Golf, motorcycle riding, working out, time with family & friends.

Zahrah Shakur, M.D.

Hometown: Minneapolis, MN

Medical School: University of Minnesota Medical School

How do you feel this residency is preparing you for your future practice: I really appreciate my attendings that support and advocate for health equity and address social determinants of health care on a local level and on a global scale are involved in initiatives on raising awareness of the healthcare needs of children affected by crises like genocide and apartheid.

Hobbies: Traveling and outdoor activities.

Christine Chang, D.O.

Hometown: Lexington, MA

Medical School: Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine

What are you most excited about in residency: Learning to be a competent, reliable and caring physician and colleague.

Hobbies: Cooking, going to concerts, exploring different restaurants.

Abrita Chowdhury, M.D.

Hometown: New York

Medical School: St. George's University School of Medicine

What are you most excited about in residency: I am most excited to grow into a well-rounded physician and to learn from mentors. Residency will allow me to strengthen my clinical skills while also deepening the human connections that make medicine so meaningful.

Hobbies: When I am not in the hospital, I enjoy weight training, Pilates, cooking, traveling and reading.

Greyson Gillett, M.D.

Hometown: Marshall, MI

Medical School: Central Michigan University College of Medicine

What are you most excited about in residency: What excites me most is the chance to care for patients from birth through end of life, being there through every stage, milestone, and challenge.

Hobbies: Spending time with my wife on our hobby farm with our goats, chickens, turkey, cats, and dog.

Wade Nolen, M.D.

Hometown: Michigan City, IN

Medical School: St. George's University School of Medicine

What are you most excited about in residency: I am most excited about taking on more responsibility with patient care and building long-term relationships with my patients.

Hobbies: Weight training, financial investing, trading equities and Chicago Cubs baseball.

Joshua Nowicki, D.O.

Hometown: Gaylord, MI

Medical School: University of Pikeville - Kentucky, College of Osteopathic Medicine

What are you most excited about in residency: I am most excited about building relationships with my patients and becoming more competent and confident as a physician while also seeing the impact I have on patient's lives.

Hobbies: Spending time with my wife and daughter, fishing, hunting, reading, snowboarding and playing guitar.

Ammon Pontious, M.D.

Hometown: Canon City, CO

Medical School: Ross University School of Medicine

What are you most excited about in residency: I am most excited about practicing medicine, and improving and building my skills. 

Hobbies: Reading, basketball and opera.

Efrain Rodriguez, M.D.

Hometown: Birmingham, AL

Medical School: St. George's University 

What are you most excited about in residency: My research background will allow me to approach medical problems with the same curiosity and problem-solving skills I used in the lab, but with the reward of seeing how my effort improves someone's life. Residency is the opportunity to bring together all the parts of my professional journey into one purposeful role. 

Hobbies: I enjoy spending time with my family through outdoor activities and community events. I also practice woodworking, which allows me to be creative, patient and detail-oriented while building something with my hands. In addition, baseball remains a lifelong passion. 

Deirdre Saunders, M.D.

Hometown: Port Washington, NY

Medical School: St. George's University 

What are you most excited about in residency: Family Medicine excites me because it blends continuity, prevention and the chance to care for the whole person and family. I'm especially interested in women's health and I'm committed to equitable, relationship-centered care. I'm also focused on honing communication and teaching skills, expanding my office-based procedures, and partnering with community resources to address social drivers of health.

Hobbies: When I'm not in the hospital, you'll probably find me experimenting in the kitchen, singing with my choir, or belting out one-woman renditions of my favorite Broadway numbers while driving. I love hunting down Midland's hidden gems, rowing away stress on the erg, and getting lost in my newest read.