Cheleng Brifkani always keeps his eye on the prize, and this strategy has served him well throughout life. As a graduate of the University of Ottawa with a degree in Biochemistry, he originally had hoped to matriculate into U. Ottawa for his MD. Yet when this didn’t come to pass (“Canada is notorious for having the odds being stacked against you when applying to medical school”) he didn't just give up and switch to a different career as so many of his peers did.
“For me, I didn't want to give up on my dream. I had a friend who introduced me to Saba and had a lot of good things to say about the school. Saba is very well known as a reputable school where they train you well and students get high USMLE scores”.
Cheleng continues, “Saba was the best decision I've made for my career. It's a secluded island, which is one of its strengths because this allows you to focus on your studies without any distractions. It's also a beautiful island where the weather is amazing, full of great hiking trails, and plenty of opportunities to learn how to scuba dive! The connections you make with your peers is also one of a kind. There's very much a 'we are all in this together' mentality and the camaraderie brings everyone together during basic science.”
He excelled in Basic Sciences, serving as a TA for Histology, Physiology, Biochemistry and Neuroscience.
“My clinical experience was largely positive. Another strength of Saba is the many facilities that the school is affiliated which allow for a ubiquitous experience during clinical rotations. I wanted to be in as many different hospital settings as I could, not only to learn about each novel aspect of residency programs but also to meet different faculty members and Program Directors. I felt this would give me a chance to figure out what to look for in a residency training program. This kind of experience is valuable when it comes to deciding how to rank different residency programs. If you opt to just stay at one hospital you don't get this information.”
Armed with an understanding of his preferences for a residency, Cheleng applied and matched into a three-year Internal Medicine Residency at Norwalk Hospital, a Yale University affiliate. It was his top choice.
“Norwalk was the only program to offer a global health elective and I knew I had to take advantage of that unique opportunity”. After completing his first year of his residency in Norwalk, he rotated at a Cho-Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City,Vietnam.
He observed, “I learned that the backbone of third world medicine is the patient's family. They would bathe, clean and walk patients while they are in the hospital. What was most striking were the limited vital resources and how they managed to get around these challenges, especially involving ventilators. There simply weren't enough to go around, so when a patient was intubated their family members would sit at the bedside all day and night and manually bag ventilate them". It was an eye-opening experience.
Back in Norwalk, Cheleng had a lightbulb moment about his next steps. Inspired by the fact that the vast majority of his patients are older, have complex social issues, and are dealing with multiple co-morbidities he grew to understand that Internal medicine and Geriatric medicine are inextricably intertwined.
With this he applied, and was accepted into a one year Fellowship in Geriatrics at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medicine. He will begin this summer.
He tells other students, “Use Saba as an opportunity to reach your goals. Find a way to make it happen for yourself”.
Additional Info
- Name Cheleng Brifkani MD Clinical Fellow- Geriatric Medicine
- Current Position Clinical Fellow- Geriatric Medicine
Throughout his four years at McMaster University, continuing through his time at Saba, and now as an MD at the University of Toronto, Alessandro Francella has always been a scholar-athlete. A strong interest in athletics and musculoskeletal medicine led him to complete a Fellowship in Sport and Exercise Medicine, and culminated in his appointment as a Sports Medicine Physician at the Cleveland Clinic Canada. Dr. Francella provides medical care to many varied teams in Canada, including rugby, lacrosse, basketball and hockey.
Always interested in medicine, Alessandro heard about Saba from his older cousin, a fellow Canadian who graduated from the school and went on to a career in orthopedics.
Alessandro regularly made the Dean’s List at Saba. For his clinical rotations, he sought different experiences including rotations at a wide range of medical centers in the US and Canada:
• Orthopedic surgery at Dalhousie University
• Radiology at Case Western Reserve University
• Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Georgetown University
• And a Medical Observership – at the University of Maryland R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore
Alessandro matched into the Family Medicine at St. Michael's Hospital (University of Toronto). This downtown hospital, known as the “urban angel,” prides itself on serving marginalized populations of the city. “It is very rewarding for me and I have a deep connection here.”
In his second year, Alessandro was named Chief Resident of the Family Medicine Residency. After his residency is completed, Alessandro plans to apply for a sports medicine fellowship in both Canada and the US.
Alessandro has always worked hard at balancing his many interests. In college, he volunteered at the McMaster Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Centre helping athletes in need of physiotherapy. He also took on leadership roles in organizing and raising money for many charitable events in support of cancer awareness and prevention. In his senior year, he was nominated for the prestigious Russ Jackson Award, given annually to the Canadian university football player who best exemplifies the attributes of football skill, academic achievement and citizenship.
At Saba, Alessandro maintained that tradition of balancing the rigors of academia (“Saba had a challenging course load”) with the joy of being physically active. “Many of us played basketball and football after class or on weekends.” He also got involved in extracurricular activities, such as the student government and athletic association, while developing a rock solid group of friends that he remains in close touch with to this day.
To those looking at medical school he offers this advice: “Enter medicine for the right reasons, and have a goal that you are striving for. Having a goal keeps you motivated during the tough times. My goal was to be a doctor doing what I love back home in Toronto and here I am.”
Additional Info
- Name Alessandro Francella, MD
- Current Position Sport and Exercise Medicine Physician Department of Family & Community Medicine University of Toronto
Dr. Keil Elliott, (Niagara campus) thoroughly enjoys his work, saying, “I’m in the position now where I’d previously only hoped to be, and I have to say it’s a good feeling”. A Canadian who did his undergraduate work at Brock University, Keil “looked at the USMLE stats, match rate, cost and class size and chose Saba. I felt well supported, as there was a large percentage of Canadians in my class; I was in good company”.
Keil excelled academically at Saba, yet managed to keep up with the volunteerism that he had started in his undergrad years. He served as a TA for Anatomy, Physiology, Neurology, Immunology and Microbiology and was named to the Alpha Omega Phi Honor and Service Society at the school.
He made the SUSOM Honor’s List and played intramural sports on the island. With characteristic modesty, Keil offers “I did quite well on the USMLE Step 1 because of how the core curriculum is set up at Saba. It prepared me well.” As he moved into his core rotations in the States, Keil at first had his sights set on Surgery and shared that with his Saba Clinical team. “I found that when I told them upfront of my interest in Surgery, they helped organize my rotations to put me in the best position to achieve what I wanted”. As he got deeper into the surgical experience, although he enjoyed the multitude of pathology, Keil realized that he was really more interested in the “theory” behind the medicine and the interaction with patients. Says Keil, “the puzzles are where I found the most joy” which in turn led him to the field of Family Medicine.
Regarding his strategy to prepare himself for a residency in Family Medicine, Keil states, “I spoke to a lot of students ahead of me for advice, as well as my Clinical Director. I tried to do as many different electives as possible to get the best overall experience.”
When it came to obtaining a residency position, Keil knew he wanted Ontario and successfully matched into his top choice, a residency in Family Medicine at the Niagara campus of McMaster University. When asked what he attributes this match to, he cites a combination of factors, namely his success on the Canadian exams and an interview in which the cultural fit was evident. In addition, he shares another thought: “I think going to a Caribbean medical school also shows a lot of persistence and determination. It’s a testament to your desire to want to be a doctor"
Additional Info
- Name Keil Elliott, MD
- Current Position Family Medicine
Prince Edward Island is the smallest province in Canada, located on the east coast, and is famous for red sand beaches, lighthouses and fertile farmland. It is also an island that knows Saba University School of Medicine well, with Saba graduates coming back to practice on the island and P.E.I students leaving for Saba for their medical education.
Says Dr. Stephen Morais, a P.E.I resident and recent graduate of Saba, “ Saba was fun. I came from a small island, which made the transition a bit easier, and at Saba I made some great friends and study groups. We played a lot of sports; hockey every Friday, scuba diving, tennis, and football. It is an intense curriculum; friends and social activities provided balance and helped make it an enjoyable experience”.
At Saba Stephen excelled, serving as a TA in both the Anatomy and Physiology classes. “I felt very well prepared for the USMLE Step One exam. I developed good study habits on the island, and was very happy with my score.
Stephen completed his clinical rotations in both the US and Canada, matching into an Internal Medicine Residency at Roger Williams Medical Center in Providence Rhode Island where he was named “Resident of the Year”. He completed a two year Rheumatology Fellowship at UMass Medical School and is currently doing an additional year of Fellowship training in Critical Care Medicine at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. Having completed his board certifications in both countries, Stephen plans to return to Canada to practice.
His advice to a Canadian student looking at medical school? “I’m really enjoying the career path I’ve chosen. The curriculum at Saba provided the opportunity to do very well on both the USMLE and MCCQE exams. It also provides flexibility and opportunities for clinical rotations that align with your career goals. It's a fun adventure.”
Additional Info
- Name Stephen Morais MD
- Current Position Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center
- Specialty Critical Care Fellowship
Dr. Reza Ronaghi has been winning accolades and honors for many years, graduating high school as the class valedictorian while earning two MVP awards as his team’s hockey team captain. In college at UC Berkeley, he was honored for his research work and graduated with a degree in Chemical Biology. At Saba, he made Dean’s list and excelled on his Step exams. Following graduation from medical school, he was named "Chief Resident” in his Internal Medicine residency at UCSF, and “Chief Fellow” in his Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship at USC.
Heavily involved currently in lung cancer research, Reza created an online calculator to help different infectious from malignant lung nodule. His research area of interest is lung cancer, and he have been doing a lot with genetic mutations in metastatic lung cancer, looking to see which micro-biomes allow certain cancers to metastasize.
With all these notable achievements, accolades and nominations Reza has also consistently found time to serve and help others. In his Internal Medicine residency, he completed a fourth year serving to teach medical students and residents. Currently at UCLA in an Interventional Pulmonary Fellowship, he is on the teaching faculty and helps to teach the fellows, residents and medical students on the team. He has collaborated with the Special Olympics to offer medical exams at their events, done food drives for the homeless at holiday time, traveled to Tanzania to work in infectious disease and develop a teaching curriculum, and given generously of his time to speak with those interested in the field of medicine.
Says Reza in an email, "Please let me know if I can do anything else. As always I am happy to mentor students, talk with students or attend any live sessions to speak with students about my positive experience at Saba”.
Additional Info
- Name Reza Ronaghi, MD
- Current Position Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship
At Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia he majored in Biology and participated in the Peer Mentorship Program during his undergrad years, beginning a career of service to others that was to continue through his time at Saba.
While at Saba he was inducted into the Honor and Service Society and served as a teaching assistant in Physiology and Neuroanatomy, as well as being the co-founder of the Clinical Connections club at Saba.
As he went through his clinical rotations David began to develop an interest in Interventional Radiology. With the Saba clinical team’s support, David did an elective at Providence-Park Hospital, Michigan State University College of Health and Human Sciences in Detroit where he then matched into a transitional year, and from there into a Diagnostic Radiology residency at Allegheny Health Network in Pittsburgh where he served as chief resident.
“I aided in developing the new Early Sub-specialization in Interventional Radiology (ESIR) curriculum for the residency at Allegheny Health Network. Interventional radiology has become a very competitive specialty and trainees are highly sought after”. David is in his final year of his four year residency and has managed to publish along the way, presenting on aneurysm treatment, CT guided lung biopsy, and catheter directed stroke therapy, among other topics at multiple scientific meetings and conferences.
He has been nominated “Chief Resident” in his program, and is planning for his anticipated upcoming fellowship in Interventional Radiology next July at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.
“Interventional Radiologists are vascular specialists that use minimally invasive techniques to diagnose and treat critically ill patients. The arteries and veins are the conduits I use to provide local therapies all over the body. I use vascular anatomy to treat a myriad of diseases, from acute bleeding, to uterine fibroids, to liver cancer. I am particularly interested in interventional oncology, for example treating liver cancer using an incision no bigger than a pink nail.”
Says David, “Saba is a great alternate pathway, and really helped me focus on my academic goals. The school prepared me well for the boards, and for a great career in a new and exciting field. I met many motivated students at Saba, most of who have gone on to be leaders in competitive disciplines in medicine”.
Additional Info
- Name David Petrov, MD
- Current Position Fellowship in Interventional Radiology
Kevin Kunzer, M.D., found himself at a crossroads when he graduated from Indiana University, Bloomington with his Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology. “I needed to decide between a 2 year Masters level program that hopefully would lead into a traditional U.S allopathic medical school, or a top international medical school. After doing exhaustive research, and talking to Saba grads practicing in the US I chose Saba for the small class sizes, cost effective tuition and small island perfect for focus and study”.
Particularly enjoying his Clinical Diagnosis and Pathology courses at Saba, Dr. Kunzer thrived during Basic Sciences, and felt that the accessibility of the professors, and their willingness to help was key to his success on the island. He also notes the teamwork among his classmates was an outgrowth of the small class environment. After passing his USMLE Step 1 Exam on the first attempt, Kevin enjoyed his clinical rotations. “Clinical rotations were well organized, efficient and high yield. The staff, and attending physicians were eager to teach and promoted autonomy.” Subsequently, Dr. Kunzer went on to complete both Step 2 and Step 3 exams with above average scores. This ultimately culminated in him passing his ABPN Board Exam on first attempt and becoming a Board Certified Psychiatrist.
Psychiatry and mental health had always sparked his curiosity, he pre-matched into his first choice, an ACGME Psychiatry Residency at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine /Kalamazoo Center for Medical Studies (MSU/KCMS). A born leader and mentor, Dr. Kunzer was nominated and appointed to Chief Resident during his program, and went on to become an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine where he served as a Consultation-Liaison Psychiatrist and was a psychiatry resident supervisor. He was awarded the “Excellence in Teaching Award Department of Psychiatry” in 2018.
Dr. Kunzer currently practices as a Board Certified Psychiatrist at Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services in Portage, Michigan. His advice to students looking at Saba is “Never give up on your dreams and always move forward! Stay curious and enter a specialty of Medicine that you enjoy reading about even on your time off. Saba gave me the opportunity to realize my dream”.
Additional Info
- Name Kevin Kunzer, MD
- Current Position Psychiatrist Portage, Michigan
Andrew Lingard earned an undergraduate degree in Anatomy and Cell Biology, and a Master's in Experimental Medicine both at McGill University in Montreal. “I specifically went to medical school because I wanted to do pathology, a non-clinical specialty so I was not your typical medical student. Saba was very supportive of this. During my clinical rotation years I rotated through Queen’s for a month of Pathology and loved the doctors and the city (the hospital is right on Lake Ontario) so that pretty much clinched it”. Andrew went on to match into Anatomical Pathology at Queen’s University in Canada.
“Saba gives you flexibility to rotate wherever you want to go, and take time to go to conferences. The Clinical Deans keep your specialty of interest in mind and suggested rotations accordingly. The RLRA is a great built-in way for students to delve into a topic of interest, which also gives them a chance to publish and have something academic to have on their resume to chat about during residency interviews.
Additional Info
- Name Andrew Lingard, MD
- Current Position Anatomical Pathology Queen’s University, Canada
Happily practicing medicine back in his Canadian hometown after matching into a two-year Family Medicine residency at Queens University, Stephen “works a stone’s throw from his old house” as a Family Physician in the Oshawa Clinic Group. He has also has stayed connected to Queens University, now serving as an Associate Professor in the Family Medicine Program.
“When I was looking at med schools I really wanted to travel and live somewhere different, so I didn’t apply to any med schools in Canada. I had a friend at Saba and I went to look at the school, and ended up meeting with the Dean. I decided it was the right school for me”.
“Saba was very, very rewarding. I made many good friends and I felt so well prepared for clinicals. It was a rigorous program.” While at Saba, Stephen made the time to help his fellow students as a TA for both the Anatomy and Physiology courses, while also making the Dean’s List and the Alpha Omega Phi Honor and Service Society.
After choosing the opportunity to see some different areas of the U.S during his clinical rotations, Stephen matched into his first choice back in his Canadian hometown. “Interestingly, four of us from Saba matched back into Queen’s University my year. Saba has a great reputation at Queens”. A true Canadian, he is never too far from his hockey stick and manages to enjoy some carpentry work on the side.
“From Saba all roads lead to becoming a doctor. Just put in the effort.”
Additional Info
- Name Stephen Bathe, MD
- Current Position Family Medicine, Queens University
Additional Info
- Name Sonia Dhawan
- Current Position Family Residency at Aultman Hospital
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Suy sen Hung Fong is a Biochemistry and Biophysics graduate of Hunter College in NYC, and a May 2018 graduate of Saba University School of Medicine. He is currently in a five year General Surgery Residency at HCA West Florida/Brandon Regional Hospital, affiliated with University of South Florida in Tampa.
Says Suy sen, “I originally thought I would be a Family Medicine doctor. Because of my not-so-good MCAT score, I was not able to get into a US medical school and so I decided to look into the Caribbean route. When I did my research into the four top Caribbean medical schools, I learned that Saba was the most affordable and had the least distractions on the island. When I came to the school I had all the resources that I needed; it was comfortable and I had a beautiful view. The island is peaceful and the people were always really nice. I actually liked everything about Saba.”
It was during his anatomy class in first semester that Suy sen began to develop an interest in surgery. “I really enjoyed working with my hands, and it was then that I start to have spark into pursuing a surgical residency”. Suy sen said that the anatomy professors were always available, often meeting over the weekend with students in the labs to review structures of the body and answer questions.” Very supportive of his burgeoning interest in surgery, he became an anatomy course teaching assistance (TA). “I love teaching and helping the other students, so my experience as a TA was very rewarding and consolidated my foundation of human anatomy”.
Suy sen says he knew how competitive it is to get a surgery residency and that he would have to do well on the USMLE Step one exam. Saba prepared us well for the USMLE Step One exam, he says. They were very on point with the prep materials and taught us great study habits and great discipline”. Suy sen scored 250+ on his Step exams, and after completing his general surgery rotation during his clinical years decided that he definitely wanted to pursue surgery. He did his surgical core and elective rotations at Saint Mary’s Hospital and Bridgeport Hospital, both in Connecticut, and Sinai Hospital in Baltimore. “I came to realize how proactive surgeons are and the amount of leadership skills that is required in the field attracted me the most". “Because of my surgical clerkships, I had a chance to truly experience what surgery residency was about and helped become a good candidate for my residency application”. He matched on his first attempt into a General Surgery Residency at Brandon Regional Hospital and began his training in July 2018.
In first year of his residency, Suy sen has held multiple leadership roles at Brandon Regional Hospital including Morbidity and Mortality Conference, Surgical Simulation Curriculum, Faculty Lectures, and Programmatic Activities. He has also won several awards, including winning first place at the Florida Chapter ACS (American College of Surgeons) Challenging Case Oral Podium Presentation and the Surgical Olympics Competition in March 2019. Because of the good study habits he developed at Saba, it helped him to score well on his ABSITE exam. Suy sen currently has an increasing interest in pursuing a vascular surgery fellowship after his residency. “Patients with vascular diseases are very sick people and I am attracted to the opportunity of a long continuity of care with my patients and forming great patient-doctor relationships”. Within his first year, Suy sen had accomplished multiple scholarly activities, presenting at the local and national level conferences and he is currently working on clinical outcome research studies in endovascular procedures and minimally invasive surgeries. He has also become a committee member of the Florida Chapter Resident and Associated Society (RAS) - ACS for his increasing interest in leadership roles and his desire to be an active member in ACS.
Additional Info
- Name Suy sen Hung Fong, MD
- Current Position General Surgery Resident
Saide Nakazi completed his Bachelor of Science degree at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada specializing in Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences. After graduating with Honors from McMaster University he came to Saba to pursue his medical degree. “I knew many of my classmates who spoke highly of Saba as one of the top Caribbean medical schools.”
Adjusting to life on Saba was seamless. “Once I got into the rhythm of the school it was easy and smooth sailing from there. One thing I really liked is that there weren’t a lot of distractions on the island, so I was really able to focus on my studies.” Saide’s time on the island was also spent actively volunteering and helping others, whether it was patient education at the Saba Annual Health Fair or serving as a teaching assistant for Neuroanatomy and Biochemistry. He enjoyed clinical medicine the most saying “I really enjoyed clinical medicine because it places the patient at the center of medical care while providing direct hands on experience, which for me was great.”
Saide matched into a three-year Internal Medicine Residency at Rochester General Hospital in New York, where he received the “Excellence Award” for two consecutive years. Saide’s main interests are Diabetes, Thyroid disease and Obesity. While at Rochester General Hospital he completed a presentation focusing on “Evolving Multidisciplinary Modalities for Treatment of Obesity”, as well as clinical research in Euglycemic Diabetic Ketoacidosis. He was also awarded a “Certificate of Merit” from the American College of Physicians for participation at local poster competitions. With clinical work and research in his area of interests, he is now getting ready to start a two-year Fellowship in Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism at the Lehigh Valley Health Network in Pennsylvania.
Additional Info
- Current Position Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism Fellowship
Jennifer came to Saba from Wolfville, Nova Scotia, where her family physician, Dr. Gunn, encouraged her to apply. His son, son-in-law, and partners in his practice, had all graduated from Saba and spoke very highly of the school. As an undergrad at Dalhousie she studied marine biology, graduated with honors, and worked briefly for the government before deciding to pursue a career in medicine.
“Saba was really great for me. I loved Saba, and for me I was happy from the beginning. I had no adjustment period, maybe because I had traveled a fair amount as a marine biologist." Jennifer was actively involved in the school while doing her Basic Sciences work, serving as a TA for Physiology, Neurology, and Psychology while also serving as Treasurer of the Women’s Medical Student Association. "I worked hard at Saba, and I never felt more prepared for an exam than for I did for the Step 1 exam.”
As Jennifer went through her clinical rotations she become enamored of surgery, until she said she spent some time talking with practicing surgeons. “ The surgeons I spoke with didn’t have very positive things to say about the specialty. The Anesthesiologists seemed happier”.
Choosing to do an Anesthesiology Residency at MetroHealth Medical Center in Ohio, Jennifer transferred after a year to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia to be near her fiancée and complete her anesthesiology residency there. She will shortly be embarking upon her one year Fellowship in Chronic Interventional Pain at the University of Florida in Gainesville.” I have always had an interest in pain, and did a lot of electives in pain management. Pain is the one field of anesthesia that is different. I find pain management procedure heavy, and you have the opportunity to stay connected to the patient. I really like this interaction with patients.”
“I tell students who are looking at medicine to be passionate about what they are doing, and keep all options open. Be realistic, but optimistic!"
Additional Info
- Name Jennifer Lee Harris, MD
- Current Position Chronic Interventional Pain Fellowship University of Florida, Gainesville
Dr. Harman Chawla has been teaching and mentoring others since he first came to Saba with a Neuroscience degree from the University of Lethbridge in Canada.
At Saba he was a TA in Physiology and Neuroscience, and served as Student Body President. In his Pediatric Residency Program at K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital he was nominated Chief Resident in his third year.
Harman just completed a three year Fellowship in Pediatric Critical Care Medicine at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. As he progressed in the Fellowship he spent time teaching Residents in the hospital. For this work he was recognized with the "Hospital Teaching Award” , selected from a field of hundreds of Fellows for this very special honor. Says Harman, “ When I was a med student I had a Fellow who was a mentor to me, and he told me to remember what it felt like to be at this stage in my medical career. I was scared and nervous. I never forgot what that felt like, nor his words to me, and for that reason i work to guide and help others through that same experience as he did for me.”
Now that his Pediatric Critical Care Fellowship has ended he has taken a job as a Pediatric Intensivist at Presbyterian Hospital Albuquerque, New Mexico. There is little question whether Dr. Harman Chawla will continue to teach and mentor those around him in his new position. Much continued success Dr. Chawla!
Additional Info
- Name Harman Chawla, MD
- Current Position Pediatric Intensivist, Presbyterian Hospital, Albuquerque, New Mexico
