This June, the Department of Surgery celebrated the 2022-2023 graduation of four urologic surgery chief residents and three fellows at the Charles F. Knight Executive Education & Conference Center on Friday the 23rd.
Congratulations to Chief Urologic Surgery Residents Katheryn Agamawi, MD, Shilpa Argade, MD, Grant Henning, MD and Laura Lee, MD; Society of Urologic Oncology (SUO) Fellow Cayce Mawaf, MD; Minimally Invasive/Endourology Fellow Susan Talamini, MD; and Post-Graduate Urology Nurse Practitioner Fellow Maria Smith, DNP, FNP-C.
This year’s graduation ceremony kicked off with a cocktail hour and dinner, followed by opening remarks and an introduction of four new interns – Liddy DiValerio, MD, Shiv Kabra, MD, MS, Faizan Khawaja, MD, and Sajya Singh, MD – from Holekamp Family Endowed Chair of Urology Sam Bhayani, MD, MS and a toast to the graduates delivered by Associate Professor of Surgery Michael Johnson, MD.
Following introductions, a series of awards was presented to residents, graduates, and faculty.
For her outstanding dedication to patient care and safety, Laura Lee, MD, was recognized as Patient Safety Champion by Patient Safety leaders Vicky Peck, RN, and Lewis Thomas IV, MD and presented with a gift as a token of appreciation.
Two scholarship awards were presented by Residency Program Director Erica Traxel, MD: rising PGY-3 resident Kendrick Campbell, MD, earned the Junior Scholarship Award, and graduating chief resident Grant Henning, MD, was presented with the Senior Scholarship Award.
Traxel also presented the Resident Research Awards to rising chief resident Nicholas Pickersgill, MD, and rising PGY-4 resident Daniel Wong, MD.
The graduating chiefs then gathered at the podium to present the Charles Manley Teaching award to Assistant Professor of Surgery Ken Sands, DO, MBA, for his tireless dedication to trainee education.
After awards, the celebration continued with presentations of the graduating fellows and residents. Urology Nurse Practitioner Fellowship Graduate Maria Smith, NP, and SUO Fellowship Graduate Cayce Nawaf, MD, were welcomed to the podium and received their certificates and gifts from Nurse Practitioner Fellowship Mentor Gilbert Comola, NP, and SUO Fellowship Program Director Zachary Smith, MD, respectively. Minimally Invasive/Endourology Fellowship Graduate Susan Talamini, MD, was introduced by and received her certificate from Program Director R. Sherburne Figenshau, MD, and Assistant Professor of Surgery Charles Nottingham, MD, MS.
The chief residents were then introduced and welcomed to the stage by faculty mentors to deliver speeches commemorating their time in the program and looking forward to the future. Katheryn Agamawi, MD, was introduced by Assistant Professor Woodson Smelser, MD; Shilpa Argade, MD, and Grant Henning, MD, by Associate Professor Eric Kim, MD; and Laura Lee, MD, by Assistant Professor Jason Frankel, MD.
“Doctors Agamawi, Argade, Henning and Lee: congratulations on finishing your residency. And doctors Mawaf, Talamini and Smith: congratulations on completing your fellowship training,” Traxel said of the graduates. “Each of you bring so much potential to the field. With your integrity and devotion, I know you’ll go far.”
At the end of an evening full of nostalgia and gratitude, Bhayani took to the podium once more to deliver closing remarks and words of advice to the graduates in the next chapter of their lives as surgeons.
“I am honored to congratulate this year’s graduates on this next step in their careers. It has been a privilege watching you grow into the accomplished surgeons you are today,” said Bhayani. “As you advance in your careers, keep your patients at the center of your focus. Your reputation is made while the patient is looking at you for your leadership and your compassion.”
