PGY-2 Residents
Bogdan Anton, MD
University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine
Academic Interests: Addiction psychiatry, social determinants of health, holistic medicine
Personal Interests: Good books, racquetball, video games, movies
Why UMass: I was looking for a residency that would assist me in becoming an excellent psychiatrist. At UMASS, I have access to faculty who are leaders in their field, a diverse and complex patient population, and research projects to which I can contribute. UMASS also offers great neuropsychiatry training for both combined and categorical psychiatry residents, which is exceedingly rare across the country but best for patient care. Once here, I’ve come to appreciate the high level of academic and personal support, protected didactics, and great faculty to resident ratios.
Location: I was nervous leaving the Midwest for the East Coast, but I have found the community of Worcester to be very welcoming and friendly. Traffic is fairly light and there are plentiful green spaces to enjoy. The restaurant and bar scene is excellent.
Dipavo Banerjee, DO
Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine
Academic Interests: Treatment-resistant mood disorders, child and adolescent psychiatry, psychedelic psychiatry, ketamine, ECT
Personal Interests: Martial arts, kickboxing, trivia, baseball, football, gaming, memes
Why UMass: I love that UMass is education-focused and emphasizes the development of academic interests. Senior residents and faculty encourage mentorship and check-in frequently. Resident feedback is asked for and acted upon quickly.
Location: Not being from the area, I wasn’t sure what Central MA would be like. It has been a pleasant surprise! The area has an abundance of restaurants, breweries and outdoor spaces including the new Woo Sox stadium. Worcester is the second largest city in New England and a convenient drive to Boston and other cities.
Danielle Clifford, MD
Adult/Child
SUNY Upstate Medical University
Academic Interests: child and adolescent psychiatry, college mental health, women’s mental health, mindfulness, education reform
Personal Interests: hiking, camping, baking, yoga, exploring new restaurants, traveling
Why UMass: One of the many reasons why I chose UMass was the unique child psychiatry track. This track offers special faculty mentorship in child psychiatry, allows residents to rotate in pediatric subspecialties (peds neuro, genetics, adolescent medicine, etc), and guarantees a fellowship position in child and adolescent psychiatry.
Location: I appreciate that Worcester is conveniently located close to Boston, but far enough away from the hustle and bustle of the city. As someone that appreciates nature, I love going to Tower Hill Botanical Gardens and the nearby state parks!
Gili Menashe, DO
Neuropsychiatry
Nova Southeastern University
Academic Interests: TBI/Concussions, vascular neurology, underserved mental health, general mood disorders
Personal Interests: Traveling, music, meeting new people, napping, chocolate
Why UMass: There are so many things I love about this program--the endless opportunities to explore your interests, diverse patient population, receptive faculty, etc etc-- but ultimately it was the people that solidified my decision. Every person I have met so far has been genuinely kind, curious, passionate and supportive. Super grateful to learn and grow within the UMass community!
Location: I was a bit worried about moving from Miami to Worcester, but so far I have been pleasantly surprised! The people here are warm and funny, the food is surprisingly delicious and the scenery is absolutely stunning (so much green!). I am, however, still taking recommendations for surviving my first northeastern winter…
Gina Savella, MD
University of Maryland School of Medicine
Academic Interests: women’s mental health, first break psychosis, college mental health, family therapy, mental health stigma
Personal Interests: Baking (and sharing the results), hiking in New England, playing tennis, gardening, going to the beach
Why UMass: A few things I love about UMass Psychiatry are the supportive faculty and leadership’s responsiveness to resident feedback. The program offers a healthy balance of supervision and independence, and values resident education as demonstrated by one full day of didactics each week.
Location: Central Massachusetts is a great location for me because I can easily visit family and friends who live in Boston and RI. There are also plenty of beautiful parks, lakes, breweries, vineyards, hiking trails, and great restaurants nearby!
Emily Slominski, MD
Adult/Child
Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Academic Interests: child and adolescent psychiatry: LGBTQ+ mental health, community psychiatry, first episode psychosis, autism, vocational rehabilitation
Personal Interests: Hammocking, drawing, doing puzzles or playing board games, as well as road trips and camping!
Why UMass: I was looking for a close-knit, supportive program that had a diverse array of clinical sites and opportunities, as well as psychotherapy teaching and opportunities to explore my own interests. I found a few programs that fit that description, but when I interviewed at UMass, there was that feeling of “fit” that I didn’t get as strongly anywhere else. I can’t put my finger on exactly what it was...perhaps it was the residents, the connection with faculty, encouragement for leadership opportunities, or interesting community initiatives. But whatever it was, I am beyond happy that I listened to my gut.
Location: As for Central MA, I love how there are both city and nature options! I like exploring the Worcester Public Market and local restaurants with my co-residents as well as going to a local park to play frisbee golf or hike, and then Boston is always within driving distance if I want to spend the day in a bigger city.
Naillil Torres-Moreno, MD
Ponce Health Sciences University
Academic Interests: Child-Adolescent psychiatry, Consultation-liaison psychiatry, Student mental health and ECT.
Personal Interests: watching movies/series, road trips, crafting, interior design and my dog: kiwi :)
Why UMass: I ranked UMass because the program offers a lot of opportunities for residents to explore and expose themselves to different areas of psychiatry. I wanted to train in a program where residents have the opportunity to treat and learn about a variety of diagnosis and a diversity of patients. Also, co-residents and staff are very friendly, motivated and ready to help and teach.
Location: What I like about Central Mass is the lake views, the many hiking trails and the food! Also it’s just an hour away from Boston!!