Merit Health Wesley Residency Programs Thriving

7/25/2018

Merit Health Wesley’s Graduate Medical Education residency program has seen great success since its inception in July 2015, recently holding graduation for 15 resident physicians and welcoming a new class of first-year residents.

Merit Health Wesley’s residency program was developed in 2015 with two areas of focus, Emergency Medicine and Internal Medicine. The Traditional Rotating Internship program (TRI) was added in 2017. This is the first full class to graduate since the program’s beginning. Over the three years prior, five additional residents have completed the program.

“Our programs continue to see growth,” said Sherry Turner, D.O., Director of Graduate Medical Education. “In only 3 years, we’ve grown from four residents to 53. This accomplishment is a testament to the hard work our hospital and community partners, like William Carey University, have put into supporting much-needed physician education.”

During the graduation ceremony, Derek Hunt, D.O., was named Emergency Medicine Resident of the Year. Sam Dabit, D.O., was named and Internal Medicine Resident of the Year. Emergency Medicine Intern of the Year was Jacob Fenster, D.O., and Internal Medicine Intern of the Year was Manish Mishra, D.O. TRI- Internal Medicine Intern of the Year was Lauren Corley, D.O., and Alexander Snodgress, D.O. was named TRI-Emergency Medicine Intern of the Year.

“We have already seen success in these rising physicians and look forward to their contributions as they move on to the next stages of their careers,” said Turner.

To date, Merit Health Wesley’s residents have a 100% pass rate for physician board exams. Residents graduating from the program this year will be moving on to positions in locations as far away as Washington State and Washington, D.C. and as close as Laurel and Jackson, Miss.

In July 2018, the hospital welcomed 25 new residents, for a total of 53 residents among the three programs. As the program grows, so does the local economy, as residents often bring with them spouses and families who will work, shop, eat, and take advantage of the area’s entertainment and recreational activities. The growing program also adds jobs in administration as well as in the clinical setting, as the Graduate Medical Education staff includes administrative positions, 15 core faculty, and more than 50 faculty members.

2018 Residency Program Graduates:

Emergency Medicine:
James Bronson II, D.O.
Samantha Yelley, D.O.
Brandon Larrington, D.O.
Troy Saline, D.O.

Internal Medicine:
Jonathan Reves, D.O.
Reid Melson, D.O.

Traditional Rotating Internship:
Guy Cooper, D.O.
Marshall Hutchinson, D.O.
Julia Kahn, D.O
Isaac Keel, D.O.
Lauren Corley, D.O.
Barry Dockery, D.O.
Mark Spears, D.O.
Alexander Snodgress, D.O.
Kerri West, D.O.

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