Internal Medicine Residency

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Internal Medicine Residency

Welcome to the White River Health (WRH) Internal Medicine (IM) Residency Program. We are an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accredited program taking ten (10) residents per year. The WRH IM Residency Program is located at White River Medical Center in Batesville, Arkansas 90 miles north of Little Rock, Arkansas and 120 miles west of Memphis, Tennessee.

Our program is a traditional three-year Categorical Internal Medicine Residency Training. Our WRH community-based residency program partners with the College of Medicine at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.  Residents have the unique opportunity to train in a vibrant, relational community and hospital with the advantages of training with a recognized academic medical center.


Vision

Graduate highly qualified internists ready to practice in any clinical setting and/or pursue further subspecialty training. The Internal Medicine program seeks to provide quality healthcare to medically underserved counties.

Mission

Provide high-quality and holistic competency-based medical education to the residents of our program. Training them to provide evidence-based and compassionate care. Inspiring residents to desire to practice in medically underserved communities.

Conference Schedule

TitleTimeDaysDescriptionSupervision

PGY1

Ragda Ahmed


PGY1
GMEC Representative

Karla Cano


PGY1
​Community Engagement, Critical Care (ICU), Transfusion, Wellbeing

Kimberley Ho


PGY1
Pharmacy & Therapeutics, Scholarly Activity

Esther Kabaswaga


PGY1
Pharmacy & Therapeutics, Wellbeing

Alena Malik


PGY1
​Community Engagement, Critical Care (ICU)

Raheel Qureshi


PGY1
​Program Evaluation Committee, Scholarly Activity

Maruf Sarwar


PGY1
Program Evaluation Committee

Kristen Soberay


PGY1
Wellbeing

Keith Stoltzfus


PGY1
Community Engagement

Priya Sunkara


PGY1
GMEC Representative, Scholarly Activity

PGY2

Keren George


PGY2
Community Engagement, Program Evaluation Committee, Quality Control, Scholarly Activity

Anupriya Gupta


PGY2
Critical Care (ICU), Patient Safety & Outcomes

Aakash Hans


PGY2
Antibiotic Stewardship, Critical Care, GMEC Representative, Program Evaluation Committee, Scholarly Activity

Vallerie Jain


PGY2
Infection Control, Transfusion, Wellbeing

Michael Johnson


PGY2
Infection Control, Program Evaluation Committee, Scholarly Activity, Wellbeing

Henna Khan


PGY2
Community Engagement, GMEC Representative, Pharmacy & Therapeutics

Joseph Markey


PGY2
Interdisciplinary Team (IDT), Quality Control

Sanket Nayyar


PGY2
Interdisciplinary Team (IDT), Transfusion

Dushka Riaz


PGY2
Antibiotic Stewardship, Infection Control, Pharmacy & Therapeutics

PGY3

Tyeler Barker


PGY3

Community Engagement, Pharmacy & Therapeutics, Quality Control

Deanna Cochran


PGY3

Antibiotic Stewardship, Community Engagement, Program Evaluation Committee, Wellbeing

Neelima Gonugunta


PGY3

Chief Resident, GMEC Representative, Patient Safety & Outcomes

Nathanael Hall


PGY3

Chief Resident, Critical Care (ICU), Infection Control

Silpa Kumar


PGY3

Antibiotic Stewardship, Chief Resident, Scholarly Activity, Transfusion

Jackson Musuuza


PGY3

Patient Safety & Outcomes, Scholarly Activity

Dheeraj Kumar Posa


PGY3

GMEC Representative, Quality Control, Scholarly Activity, Transfusion

Sagarika Ranga


PGY3

Critical Care (ICU), Interdisciplinary Team (IDT), Pharmacy & Therapeutics, Wellbeing

Joey Sanders


PGY3

Community Engagement, Interdisciplinary Team (IDT), Program Evaluation Committee

John Clark Shell


PGY3

Community Engagement, Infection Control, Program Evaluation Committee

Gilbert Roy Kamoga

Program Director
Hospital Medicine, Internal Medicine

Kalyan Gonugunta

Associate Program Director, Clinical Competency Chair
Hospital Medicine

Caleb Oster

Associate Program Director
Hospital Medicine

Janani Baskaran

Core Faculty, Chair of Education, Curriculum Development and Program Evaluation
Hospital Medicine

K. Raman Desikan

Core Faculty
Hematology, Oncology

Doreen Kamoga

Core Faculty
Internal Medicine

Mahesh Anantha


Cardiology

Michael Andryka


Hospital Medicine

William "Skip" Baker


Emergency Medicine

Roger Hill


Cardiology

Mitchell Keel


Internal Medicine

Shoaib Khan


Hospital Medicine

Anil Kumar


Hospital Medicine

Wyatt Lydolph


Hospital Medicine

Nathan McLaughlin


Hospital Medicine

Devi Nair


Cardiology/Electrophysiology

Shahla Gul Naoman

Pulmonology
Pulmonology, Sleep Medicine

Morgan Norton


Hospital Medicine

Edwin Suarez


Hospital Medicine

Robert Walton


Hospital Medicine

How to Apply

We are looking for enthusiastic, hard working physicians with a passion for serving a rural community.

Positions are offered through the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP).  Submit an application through the Electronic Residency Application Service®. The link is provided below for your convenience. 

Start Your Application

Qualifications

Eligibility Qualifications for the White River Health ACGME Accredited Internal Medicine Residency Program

  • Graduation from a medical school in the United States or Canada, accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) or graduation from a college of osteopathic medicine in the United States, accredited by the American Osteopathic Association Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (AOACOCA).
  • Graduation from a medical school outside of the United States or Canada, and meeting one of the following additional qualifications:
    • Current valid certificate from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) prior to appointment or; 
    • Full and unrestricted license to practice medicine in the state of Arkansas.
  • Successful passage of USMLE/COMPLEX Step 1 & Step 2. 
    • No minimum score for Step 1. 
    • Step 2 minimum score is 225 (USMLE) or 500 (COMLEX).
  • Successful passage of USMLE/COMPLEX Step 3 is strongly recommended (not required) if graduation date was five years prior or more to application.

Visa Requirements

Our program sponsors only ECFMG J1 visas. A minimum USMLE Step 2 score of 230 is required. 

 Additional Information

  • Applications are reviewed and invitations to interview are sent through ERAS. Applications received via email will not be considered.
  • Due to the volume of applications, we are unable to communicate with you regarding your file status nor respond to individual inquiries about White River Health's IM Residency Program. Additional information about the organization and links to community information may be found on this website. 
  • Virtual Interviews are conducted beginning in late October and ending in early December. Candidates have an opportunity for a site visit in January.  Site visits do not determine Resident rank.  
  • Our program offers (10) PGY1 positions. Pre-match offers will not be made. The program participates in NRMP SOAP for unfilled positions.
  • We do not offer positions for observership, externships, or volunteer research.


Jody Smotherman, PharmD

Designated Institutional Official


Gilbert Roy Kamoga, MD, FACP, CPE

Internal Medicine Program Director


Maggie Williams, PharmD

Assistant Designated Institutional Official


Ashley Johnson, C-TAGME

Internal Medicine Program Coordinator


Our Graduates

 WRH Internal Medicine Residency Program provides residents with quality education through access to a professional learning environment in an engaging community. WRH offers a high quality, innovative, and unique Graduate Medical Education experience. Residents at WRH, mentored by an outstanding faculty, develop the skills to provide excellent medical care to patients from diverse backgrounds. 

We wish our residents the best in their professional careers. Our graduates and their last known professional career locations are listed below.

2023

Stephen Deji Adedokun, MD

Cardiology Fellowship, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN

Soubhi Alhayek, MD

Infectious Disease Fellowship, University of California Davis Health, Sacramento, CA

Omar Alkhatib, MD

Nocturnist, Southeast Health, Dothan, AL

Jero Bean, MD

Hospitalist, St. Francis Health System, Cape Girardeau, MO

Steffie-Ann Dujon, MD

Outpatient Medicine, Norman Regional Health System, Norman, OK

Raman Kutty, MD

Pulmonary & Critical Care Fellowship, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI

Sean Salonga, MD

United States Army Physician

Kemuel Telemaque, MD

Hospitalist, BJC Medical Group Memorial, Belleville, IL

Sara Whyte, MD

Hospitalist/Nocturnist, Samaritan Albany General Hospital, Albany, OR

2022

Salem Al Rabadi, MD

Hospitalist, Abrazo West Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ

Surya Boopathy, MD

Sleep Medicine Fellowship, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY

Christiana Jeukeng-Wang, MD

Hospitalist Mobile Infirmary, Mobile, AL

Mitchell Keel, MD

Hospitalist/Outpatient Care Provider, GME Faculty, White River Health, Batesville, Arkansas

Isaac Dodd, MD

Hospitalist, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS

Khalid Sawalha, MD

Cardio-Metabolic Fellowship, Kansas City, MO

Parth Shah, MD

Barnes Jewish Alton Memorial Hospital, St. Louis, MO

Philip Sobash, MD

Hematology and Oncology Fellowship, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA

Edwin Suarez, MD

Hospitalist/ GME Faculty, White River Health, Batesville, Arkansas

Shiyu Wang, MD

Rheumatology Fellowship, Cooper University Hospital, Camden, NJ

2021

Michael Andryka, MD

Hospitalist/GME Faculty, White River Health, Batesville, Arkansas

Ankitha Antony, MD

Faculty/Primary Care Physician, University of Connecticut Internal Medicine Residency, Farmington, Connecticut

Sai Desikan, MD

Leukemia Fellowship, MD Anderson, Houston, Texas

Ebonee Dikas, MD

Palliative Care Fellowship, UAMS, Little Rock, Arkansas

Igor Dykan, MD

Nocturnist, Reid Health System, Richmond, Indiana

Shoaib Khan, MD

Nocturnist, GME Faculty, White River Health, Batesville, Arkansas

Eddie Liu, MD

Internal Medicine Primary Care, Tennova Healthcare System, Cleveland, Tennessee

Wyatt Lydolph, MD

Hospitalist/GME Faculty, White River Health, Batesville, Arkansas

Krishna Vedala, MD

Internal Medicine Primary Care, Norman Regional Health System, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Shifang David Wang, MD

Hospitalist, Mobile Infirmary, Mobile, AL

2020

Machel Germain, MD

Internal Medicine Primary Care Provider, Family Care Partners, Jacksonville, Florida

Lili Hanefeld-Fox, MD

Hospitalist, St. Francis Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee

Rebecca Heflin, MD

Critical Care Hospitalist, Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, Baton Rogue, Louisiana

Bryan Huang, MD

Nephrology Fellowship, George Washington University, Washington, D.C.

Lissette Jimenez, MD

Hospitalist & Faculty, Sparrow Health Systems Internal Medicine Residency Program, Lansing, Michigan

Doreen Kamoga, MD

Faculty & Outpatient Clinic Preceptor, Primary Care Provider, White River Health, Batesville, Arkansas

Anthony Kunnumpurath, MBBS

Hospitalist

Neal Mehta, MD

Hospitalist, Ballard Health, Kingsport, Tennessee

Ron Thomas Varghese, MD

Endocrinology Fellowship, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, Maryland

Writing informative healthcare articles for area residents is a very fruitful and rewarding aspect of the White River Health Internal Medicine Residency program. One of the key components of our residency curriculum is community outreach. We believe in prioritizing resident physicians developing competent clinical skills, and in helping them understand the importance of talking to their patients and reaching out to their community. A significant issue in our society today is the rise in a mistrust of science. While the reasoning is multifactorial, a lack of evident outreach from the medical community may contribute to the uncertainty between providers and patients. Our hope with this project is to play our part in alleviating the spread of misinformation and allow our residents to earn the trust of our community.

All of our residents are accepting patients at White River Health Internal Medicine.

"Avoiding “Swiss Cheese Bones”: Ways to Strengthen and Prevent Holes in Your Bones"


This article discusses Osteoporosis

Read More

Keren George, MD is a second-year internal medicine resident at White River Health. Dr. George is accepting adult patients at White River Health Family Care - Harrison Street Internal Medicine in Batesville. 

Follow the link for more information.


Keren George, MD

Hospice Demystified

This article discusses Hospice Care.

Read More

Vallerie Jain, MD is a second-year internal medicine resident at White River Health. Dr. Jain is accepting adult patients at White River Health Family Care - Harrison Street Internal Medicine in Batesville. 

Follow the link for more information.


Vallerie Jain, MD

Sleep Tips!!!

This article discusses Sleep tips and how White River Health provides treatment for sleep issues. 

Read More

Sanket Nayyar, MD is a second-year internal medicine resident at White River Health. Dr. Nayyar is accepting adult patients at White River Health Family Care - Harrison Street Internal Medicine in Batesville. 

Follow the link for more information.


Sanket Nayyar, MD

You take my breath away, OSA!

This article discusses Obstructive Sleep Apnea and how White River Health provides treatment. 

Read More

Akaash Hans, MD is a second-year internal medicine resident at White River Health. Dr. Hans is accepting adult patients at White River Health Family Care - Harrison Street Internal Medicine in Batesville. 

Follow the link for more information.


Aakash Hans, MD

Mental Health: a focus on Suicide Prevention

This article discusses mental health and how we can provide support for those in need. 

Read More

Henna Khan, MD is a second-year internal medicine resident at White River Health. Dr. Khan is accepting adult patients at White River Health Family Care - Harrison Street Internal Medicine in Batesville. 

Follow the link for more information.

Henna Khan, MD

Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)


This article discusses the effects of GERD and how we can prevent it.

Read More

Sagarika Ranga, DO is a third-year internal medicine resident at White River Health. Dr. Ranga is accepting adult patients at White River Health Family Care - Harrison Street Internal Medicine in Batesville. 

Follow the link for more information.

Sagarika Ranga, DO

Don’t get ticked off this summer!

This article discusses the effects of Ehrlichiosis and how we can prevent it.

Read More

John Clark Shell, MD is a second-year internal medicine resident at White River Health. Dr. Shell is accepting adult patients at White River Health Family Medicine in Batesville. Follow the link for more information.


John Clark Shell, MD

Exercise

This article discusses Exercise as a vital component of a healthy lifestyle.

Read More

Joey Sanders, MD is a second-year internal medicine resident at White River Health. Dr. Sanders is accepting adult patients at White River Health Family Medicine in Batesville. Follow the link for more information.


Joey Sanders, MD

Five basic principles that promote healthy living

This article will discuss five main principles of a healthy life style. 

Read More

Jackson Musuuza, MD is a second-year internal medicine resident at White River Health. Dr. Musuuza is accepting adult patients at White River Health Family Medicine in Batesville. Follow the link for more information.


Jackson Musuuza, MD

Celebrate Self Love this Valentine’s Day


This article will discuss the importance of routine checkups from a Primary Care Physician.

Read More

Silpa Kumar, MD is a second-year internal medicine resident at White River Health. Dr. Kumar is accepting adult patients for primary medical care at White River Health Family Medicine in Batesville. Follow the link for more information.


Silpa Kumar, MD

Caffeine☕️ Is it good or bad? 

This article will discuss the origins of caffeine and help us decide whether it's good or bad for us. 

Read More

Dheeraj Kumar Posa, MD is an internal medicine resident at White River Health. Dr. Posa is accepting adult patients for primary medical care at White River Health Family Medicine in Batesville. Follow the link for more information.



Dheeraj Kumar Posa, MD

Short-term Pleasures Can Lead to Long-term Consequences: Discussing the Effects of Smoking and Using Various Screenings to Detect Illnesses Caused by Smoking in Their Early Stages

This paper will be discussing the ill effects of smoking and how to screen for smoking-related diseases and how to quit smoking.

Read More

Neelima Gonugunta, MD is an Internal Medicine Resident at White River Health. Dr. Gonugunta is accepting adult patients for primary medical care at White River Health Family Medicine in Batesville. Follow the link for more information.


Neelima Gonugunta, MD

Make Sweet Dreams a Top Priority

Is sleep apnea really that big of a deal? I’m here to explain that yes, it is! Obstructive sleep apnea is a medical condition where the throat muscles partially collapse while you sleep. 

Read More

Deanna Cochran, MD, is an Internal Medicine Resident accepting patients at White River Health Internal Medicine.  Internal Medicine physicians serve adults patients as their primary care provider. To schedule an appointment, call 870-262-1530.

The Short and Sweet of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus is a disorder in which your body does not process glucose (sugar) the way that it should, largely due to insensitivity to a hormone called Insulin. All cells in your body require glucose to function normally, and insulin is the hormone that tells your cells to absorb the glucose that is floating in your bloodstream. In individuals with Type 2 diabetes, cells have lost their sensitivity to insulin, and therefore, require greater amounts of insulin hormone in order to absorb glucose from their blood. Initially, this is a small favor to ask of the body. However, over time, the body will lose the ability to accommodate this favor, and the excess glucose circulating in the blood will begin to cause significant and irreversible damage to nearly every organ in the body.


Read More

Tyeler Barker, MD, is accepting patients at White River Health Internal Medicine. To schedule an appointment, call 870-262-1530.

Families of Healthcare Workers During COVID-19

During this COVID-19 Pandemic, families of healthcare workers have faced major changes in their physical, psychological, and social wellbeing. While healthcare workers were on frontlines treating COVID patients, their spouses single-handedly dealt with household chores, running errands, helping with online schooling, keeping the kids entertained, and trying to maintain a sense of normalcy and stability when in the back of your mind there’s a constant fear of losing loved ones to this horrible virus.

Read More

Dr. Neelima Gonugunta is Resident Physician at White River Medical Center. She is from Hyderabad, India and graduated from Gandhi Medical College. Her hobbies include reading, listening to different genres of music and cooking different types of cuisines.

Rotations are on a 4+1 block schedule with a four week rotation followed by a one week continuity clinic.

Post-Graduate Year - 1

Rotation NameParticipating SiteLength of RotationClassification
Internal Medicine WardsWhite River Medical Center20 weeksInpatient
Continuity ClinicWhite River Medical Center10 weeksOutpatient
ElectiveWhite River Medical Center2 weeksElective (Holiday Rotation)
NeurologyWhite River Medical Center4 weeksInpatient/Outpatient
RheumatologyWhite River Medical Center4 weeksInpatient/Outpatient
Pulmonary DiseaseWhite River Medical Center4 weeksInpatient/Outpatient
Hematology/OncologyWhite River Medical Center4 weeksInpatient/Outpatient
CardiologyWhite River Medical Center4 weeksInpatient/Outpatient

Post-Graduate Year - 2

Rotation NameParticipating SiteLength of RotationClassification
Internal Medicine WardsWhite River Medical Center12 weeksInpatient
Continuity ClinicWhite River Medical Center10 weeksOutpatient
ElectiveWhite River Medical Center10 weeksElective (2 week Holiday Rotation)
Critical CareUAMS Medical Center*8 weeksCritical Care
GeriatricsUAMS Medical Center*4 weeksInpatient/Outpatient
GastroenterologyUAMS Medical Center*4 weeksInpatient/Outpatient
Night FloatWhite River Medical Center4 weeksInpatient

Post-Graduate Year - 3

Rotation NameParticipating SiteLength of RotationClassification
Internal Medicine WardsWhite River Medical Center8 weeksInpatient
Continuity ClinicWhite River Medical Center10 weeksOutpatient
ElectiveWhite River Medical Center10 weeksElective (2 week Holiday Rotation)
Critical CareWhite River Medical Center4 weeksCritical Care
EndocrinologyUAMS Medical Center*2 weeksInpatient/Outpatient
Infectious DiseasesUAMS Medical Center*4 weeksInpatient/Outpatient
Night FloatWhite River Medical Center6 weeksInpatient
NephrologyUAMS Medical Center*4 weeksInpatient/Outpatient
Emergency MedicineWhite River Medical Center4 weeksEmergency Medicine

*Housing will be provided at no cost to the Resident during rotations performed at UAMS Medical Center.

Salary & Benefits

PGY LevelAnnual Salary