The Division of Acute and Critical Care Surgery welcomes five new surgeons to the faculty. Alison Karadjoff, DO, and Stephanie Armocida, MD, are starting as assistant professors after completing the two-year surgical critical care and trauma/acute care surgery fellowship program, both of whom previously served as clinical instructors. Derek Benham, MD, Michelle Gary, MD, and Matt Schaeffer, MD, will be joining the division faculty as instructors while the complete their trauma/acute care surgery fellowship. They have all completed their surgical critical care fellowship training here at Wash U.
Armocida earned her medical degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in 2018. She pursued a research fellowship and clinical investigation certification at Johns Hopkins in 2021-2022, before completing general surgery residency training at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore in 2024. During her fellowship at Johns Hopkins, Armocida participated in the CLOTT-3 multi-center study, which is ongoing.
Karadjoff earned her medical degree at Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine in East Lansing, Michigan in 2019. She completed general surgery residency training at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, Michigan in 2024. Karadjoff has certifications in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS), and Advanced Surgical Skills for Exposure in Trauma (ASSET).
Benham earned his medical degree at University of Missouri School of Medicine in 2016 and completed general surgery residency training at Naval Medical Center in San Diego, California in 2022. He served as a general surgeon in the Navy before entering fellowship training at Wash U Medicine.
Schaeffer earned his medical degree from University of Illinois College of Medicine in 2020 and completed general surgery residency at Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine in 2025 before entering fellowship training at WashU Medicine.
Gary earned her medical degree from University of Missouri School of Medicine in 2020. She completed general surgery residency in University of Illinois College of Medicine in 2025 before entering fellowship training at Wash U Medicine.
“We are thrilled to have Drs. Armocida and Karadjoff joining the ACCS faculty as associate professors,” said Sara Buckman, MD, PharmD, who is the program director for the surgical critical care fellowship. “They will both be excellent additions to our division after having completed their fellowship training here.” We are also excited to welcome Drs. Benham, Schaeffer and Gary as clinical instructors as they continue their trauma and acute care surgery training.”
The Department of Surgery welcomes Stephanie Armocida, MD, Derek Benham, MD, Michelle Gary, MD, Alison Karadjoff, DO, and Matt Schaeffer, MD, to the Division of Acute and Critical Care Surgery clinical faculty.