Meet Our Residents (2023-2024)

PGY-1

John Foley, MD, is a graduate of Tufts University College of Medicine and is from Natick, MA. He earned his dual BA from Vanderbilt University in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Spanish Literature and Language.  He is fluent in Spanish and has been working as a Medical Interpreter. 

In medical school, John partnered with a community health organization to lead medical missions in Lima, Peru. He enjoys outdoor activities and sports such as running, hiking, kayaking, and swimming.  He also paints both acrylic and oil paintings that he sells online and in various galleries in the greater Boston area.

Rosanna Gessel- Larson, MD is from Newton, MA.  She graduated from UMass Chan Medical School and earned her BA in English & American Literature from New York University College of Arts and Sciences.  Rosanna is passionate about promoting empathy, connection, and resilience among her peers through the humanities.

She is also committed to improving her own knowledge as well as others about LGBTQIA+ care.  She loves reading, travelling internationally as well as exploring locally. Even more exciting, Rosanna ran the 2023 Boston Marathon!

Kyle Hofer, DO is a graduate of Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine. Kyle grew up local in Fitchburg, MA and earned his BS in Biology & Chemistry from Fitchburg State University.  Kyle has shown a deep passion for community medicine and participated in many research projects.

He got into miniature painting in medical school and has since gotten quite good at it which helped him bond with the Fitchburg community during a contest where he won 3^rd place.  Kyle also loves reading, weightlifting, meditation, and is involved in a darts league. 

Srijesa Khasnabish, DO, is a graduate of New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine. Growing up in Lexington, MA, Srijesa earned a BA in Neuroscience from Boston University and worked as a Research Assistant for both BU and Brigham & Women’s.

She is someone who cares deeply about the issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the medical community.  Srijesa enjoys blogging, experimenting with new recipes, photography and singing. She is also involved in Orange Theory High Intensity Interval Training as well as yoga.

Venkata “Sai Sri” Penumetcha, MD is a graduate of the Chalmeda Anand Rao Institute of Medical Sciences. Since graduating, she has completed both Inpatient and Outpatient experience in the U.S.  Sai Sri has demonstrated to be a driven individual who is passionate about serving the community by her involvement in organizing and leading blood and rural health wellness camps. 

In her free time, hiking is one of her favorite pastimes as it allows for her unwind and re-energize.  She also enjoys kayaking with her family, reading, as well as cooking and baking various cuisines.

PGY-2

Emily Barr, MD graduated from Ross University and earned her BA in Biology: Neuroscience Concentration from Colby College, in Waterville, ME. A native of Wellesley, MA, Emily grew up in Lyme, NH.  She has been working as a medical assistant since graduating medical school and is fluent in Spanish.

Emily believes the key to a successful collaboration is enthusiasm. She stated: “Enthusiasm sparks cooperation and shared sense of purpose. The more spirit and zeal I can bring to the group the more likely we will succeed."

Florian Craan, MD graduated from Ross University and  earned his BA in Psychology from Duke University.  Florian is from Port-au-Prince, Haiti and currently lives in Medford, MA. He is fluent in Spanish, French, and French Creole and has experience as a formal interpreter.

Florian discovered the martial art of Aikido at 15 years old. He continues to study, attracted to the central philosophy of the discipline, which is not only focused on self-defense, but includes a strong emphasis on protecting an attacker from hurting themselves – like in medicine, he believes, it “espouses the ethical principle of non-maleficence.

Vishwa Patel, MD graduated from St. George’s University. She earned her BS in Public Health Services and Biochemistry from UMass Amherst.  Vishwa grew up in Windham, NH and is fluent in Gujarati. She is certified in Point of Care Ultrasound, Harvard Mechanical Ventilation for COVID-19, as well as Infection Control and Barrier Precautions.

Vishwa started yoga as an activity to initially relax but it has since become a lifestyle. She is also passionate about gardening - after starting with a few vegetables and herbs, she now has over 40 different plants!

Karin Darakananda, DO graduated as a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine. She earned her BA in Biological Sciences from Wellesley College. Karin is from San Francisco, CA and she maintains work-life balance through a long-term dedication to her taiko (traditional Japanese drumming) group, Shindaiko.

Shindaiko is a semi-professional contemporary group based in Concord, MA that performs at events across New England including Outside the Box Boston and the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

Varun Vadlapatla, DO graduated from University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine in May 2022. He earned his BS in Biology from Tufts University.  Varun grew up in Lawrence, MA and has worked as a Chief Medical Scribe. Varun is an avid fan of the Boston Red Sox, Boston Celtics, and New England Patriots. His love for sports led to an interest in advanced analytics, particularly Sabermetrics in baseball. Varun finds the practice of using empirical data to derive value in player performance to be fascinating. In his spare time, he also enjoys playing chess.

PGY-3

Abigail Gyamfi, MD was born in Ghana and is from Fitchburg, MA. She graduated from Atlantic Union College with a BS in Nursing. She then went on to graduate from  Ross University School of Medicine. She worked as an ICU nurse for UMass Memorial Medical Center for several years before attending medical school. Abigail loves to read, cook, travel, and sight-seeing.

She is an avid soccer fan and lives for the FIF World Cup Tournament. Her dream is to eventually be able to lend a helping hand to her local community as well as improve the state of healthcare in the Ghana. She is passionate about helping attain global goals in healthcare and wants to work with humanitarian organizations to provide services in areas with limited access to healthcare. 

Nicole Kiess, DO, Co-Chief Resident, is a New York native. She graduated from Villanova University with a BS in Comprehensive Science. Nicole graduated from Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine. She enjoys hiking, skiing, and golf. Additionally, she prides herself in living an active lifestyle and ran the Philadelphia Half Marathon.

Nicole has always been dedicated to getting involved in her community. Throughout medical school, she mentored high school students in her community and led an organization that was committed to tutoring inner-city children. Nicole also has a personal interest in Colon Cancer awareness where over the past 6 years, her and her family have raised over $200,000 for the Colon Cancer Alliance. 

Lisa MacVane, MD, Co-Chief Resident, is a Maine native. She graduated from Bowdoin College with a BA in Biology/ Environmental Studies. She then went on to graduate from American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine. Prior to medical school, Lisa worked as a paramedic as well as a firefighter.

She is interested in birdwatching, snowshoeing, traveling, and sailing. Lisa was attending medical school in Sint Maarten when Hurricane Irma hit. She organized and oversaw a group of first responder volunteers, while managing their health and safety. Additionally, she assisted with the evacuation of the students and their pets from the island.

Justine Monthony-Eaton, DO is from New York and now resides in Worcester, MA. She graduated from Union College with a BS in Biology/ Psychology and is a  graduate of the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine. Justine is the first in her family to obtain a Bachelor of Science and enter medical school. 

She enjoys running half marathons with her husband and ran her first half marathon in October 2018, where she raised money for St. Jude Children’s Hospital. She has since gone on to complete her first Olympic triathlon in 2019. Justine loves the outdoors, especially hiking, camping, and kayaking. She also crochets and during the pandemic, made mask ear savers for her essential worker friends and their colleagues. 

Kelsey Wood, MD is a New York native. She graduated from SUNY Geneseo with a BA in Music performance. and is a graduate of Albany Medical School. She is the 2020 AAFP Family Medicine Leads Scholarship recipient. In addition to her interest in Music Performance, she loves sketching, watercolor painting, and hiking. Kelsey is also passionate about both playing and teaching the cello.

She has worked as an Emergency Care Technician, Standardized Patient, and Medical Scribe. She is committed to service and during the pandemic, worked with South End Children’s Café, where she delivered groceries and hot meals to families on a weekly basis.