Get to know our residents
Our residents are a diverse group from a variety of backgrounds with unique experiences and interests. We look forward to getting to know you as well!
PGY 1
Kassem Al Asaad, MBBS
Hometown: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Medical School: Alfaisal University
What excites you about your residency/fellowship at Corewell Health in West Michigan? My seniors, peers and directors who are always there for help. With the family atmosphere and the hospital's commitment to patient-centered care and innovative medical practices, I believe this is ground to fostering accomplished physicians prepared to treat and lead.
Clinical Interests: Being the dopamine to a patient's Parkinson.
Hobbies: My hobbies include reading and baking.
Kawther Nasser Elsouri, DO, MS
Hometown: Troy, MI
Medical School: Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine
What excites you about your residency/fellowship at Corewell Health in West Michigan? I am most excited about working with my colleagues and attendings at Corewell Health in West Michigan. Every person I have interacted with has been so friendly and willing to teach. I believe this is essential in any residency program and will set me up for success in the future. I am so eager to learn and improve my medical knowledge at one of Michigan's top hospitals!
Clinical Interests: My clinical interests within neurology are behavioral neurology/neuropsychiatry, interventional neurology and neuroimmunology/MS.
Hobbies: My hobbies are painting, reading, hiking and watching movies.
Darla Wheeler, MD
Hometown: Canton, MI
Medical School: Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine
What excites you about your residency/fellowship at Corewell Health in West Michigan? I am extremely excited about working at a diverse tertiary center with cutting-edge resources. I believe the plethora of complex cases to work on and learn from will have a life-long impact on my clinical skills and knowledge. I also had the wonderful opportunity of rotating with the neurology department during medical school, and I am enthusiastic about getting the chance to work with such a supportive team once again. Additionally, I look forward to living in Grand Rapids and exploring all the exciting experiences the city offers.
Clinical Interests: My clinical interests include neurocritical care and vascular neurology, however, I am eager to explore all the various subspecialties of neurology.
Hobbies: I enjoy playing hockey, hiking and basically anything outdoors. I am also a foodie and like to explore new restaurants and cuisines. Lastly, I am a big fan of Detroit and Michigan State Sports.
PGY 2
Ayla Barakat, MBBS
Hometown: Aleppo, Syria
Medical School: Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
What excites you about your residency/fellowship at Corewell Health? During my time as a medical student, I had the opportunity to participate in a rotation at Corewell Health in West Michigan. It was an exceptional month where I collaborated closely with the neurology department's residents and attending physicians. The atmosphere at Corewell Health in West Michigan is truly unique, characterized by the friendly demeanor of the doctors and the abundance of knowledge I was able to acquire. I must emphasize the approachability of Dr. Abbas, who consistently made himself available to address any concerns or questions raised by the residents. Overall, my experience at Corewell Health in West Michigan was remarkable and immensely valuable to my medical education.
Clinical Interests: I am interested in pursuing a career that provides a combination of hospital-based and clinical-based as a neurologist. However, as an incoming intern, I am looking forward to exploring more of the field before deciding on a subspecialty.
Hobbies: I have a strong passion for exploring various countries and immersing myself in diverse cultures worldwide. When I have free time, I find great joy in engaging in physical activities such as running or going to the gym.
Ryan Bean, DO
Hometown: Troy, MI
Medical School: Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine
What excites you about your residency/fellowship at Corewell Health? I am very excited to train in a program where I am able to interact with so many diverse patients. The faculty care about you and I know my education is valued here. Additionally, being in Grand Rapids there is so much to do in the city and surrounding areas.
Clinical Interests: I am currently interested in neurocritical care and vascular neurology.
Hobbies: I am an avid Michigan State and Detroit sports fan. I also enjoy going to the gym, golfing and traveling both throughout Michigan and internationally.
Naser Haj Aissa, MBBS
Hometown: Ma'arrat Misrin, Syria
Medical School: Alfaisal University, Saudi Arabia
What excites you about your residency/fellowship at Corewell Health? I got the opportunity to work with and learn from the majority of the staff while completing my neurology elective at Corewell Health in West Michigan as a medical student. In addition to the state-of-the-art facilities, the family-like atmosphere and the faculty's tremendous support have truly piqued my interest. The final thing that made me incredibly happy was couples matching with my wife in lovely Grand Rapids!
Clinical Interests: My clinical interests are stroke and vascular neurology. Nevertheless, I would like to explore the different fields of neurology during my residency.
Hobbies: I like exploring new places, being outside and tasting new foods.
Shayan Marsia, MBBS
Hometown: Karachi, Pakistan
Medical School: Dow Medical College
What excites you about your residency/fellowship at Corewell Health? I am excited because the city is beautiful, the faculty is supportive, the network is enormous, the facilities are multi-disciplinary, the residents and alumni are welcoming and the program director is energetic. .
Clinical Interests: I would like to pursue a career in neurocritical care, however, public health, data analysis and epidemiology excites me too.
Hobbies: I enjoy public speaking, water sports, history and world affairs, dancing, cricket and poetry.
PGY 3
Hassan Khanzada, DO
Hometown: Troy, MI
Medical school: Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Why did you choose Spectrum Health for your residency/fellowship? I rotated in Spectrum Health in my 4th year after hearing about the scope and patient population that Spectrum serves. I soon realized that the inclusive learning environment, benefits, and the Grand Rapids experience was unique and perfectly in match with what I hoped to accomplish as a physician. In addition, I learned that many of the graduating residents chose to stay at Spectrum as full time attendings which really spoke to me about the great environment.
What are your clinical interests? I would like to pursue a career that offers both in hospital and clinical experience as a Neurologist.
Hobbies: I love to travel short and long distances. I take trips around Grand Rapids and Michigan as well as out of state as my schedule allows. In addition, I love to play cricket, read, catch up on business news, including new and exciting technologies from electric vehicles to innovative gadgets.
Sweta Komanduru, DO
Hometown: Okemos, MI
Medical school: Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Why did you choose Spectrum Health for your residency/fellowship? Spectrum Health sounded like a very supportive place to do my residency. I was impressed by how motivated and determined everyone was to make this the best possible training site. Everyone sounded really approachable during the interview and it was clear that they took resident education very seriously. Plus, Grand Rapids is a fun city to live in!
What are your clinical interests? I appreciate the variety that Neurology as a field has to offer. At this stage, I am open towards exploring the field more before deciding on a subspecialty.
Hobbies: I enjoy cooking and spending time with my family. I love exploring nature, with a special emphasis on national parks and state parks.
PGY 4
Katherine Dorsett, MD
Hometown: Federal Way, WA
Medical school: Indiana University School of Medicine
Why did you choose Spectrum Health for your residency/fellowship? I chose Spectrum Health because I wanted to train with a group of people who care about me as a person and will prepare me for my future career as a neurologist.
What are your clinical interests? My clinical interests include a broad range of neurological diseases and I am especially interested in neurocritical care.
Hobbies: In my free time, I enjoy spending time in nature, watching tv with my two cats, cooking and catching up with family and friends.
Jordan Gates, DO
Hometown: Novi, MI
Medical school: Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Why did you choose Spectrum Health for your residency/fellowship? I chose to train at Spectrum Health because of their world class faculty and facilities. My wife, a PA at Spectrum Health, is from Grand Rapids and I love the tight knit community here.
What are your clinical interests? I have several clinical interests including behavioral neurology, movement disorder and dementia.
Hobbies: I love many outdoor activities including biking, hiking and boating. I also enjoy reading and video games.
Beenish Javaid, MBBS
Hometown: Multan, Pakistan
Medical school: Nishtar Medical University Pakistan
Why did you choose Spectrum Health for your residency/fellowship? Spectrum Health is like a home to me. I was inspired by the professionalism and friendly environment to work in here. I will be able to learn and have diverse hands-on clinical experience here.
What are your clinical interests? I am interested in epilepsy.
Hobbies: I love Zumba. It keeps me motivated, fresh and active. I love cooking and try new dishes when I am free. It is like a canvass and you can add different colors according to your mood.
Ronak Patel, DO
Hometown: Ann Arbor, MI
Medical school: Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Why did you choose Spectrum Health for your residency/fellowship? One of the ways I evaluated programs was on the basis of the people in the program. During the interview process, I found my attending and resident interviewers to be among the most personable and approachable. In addition, Spectrum Health being a large medical presence in West Michigan was a big draw. I believe it will lead to a greater variety and higher acuity of patients seen, which will only enhance my education.
What are your clinical interests? I am looking forward to exploring the vast variety of fields present within neurology during residency. My general interests include vascular neurology, critical care or a career as a neurohospitalist.
Hobbies: I am nearly obsessive about anything University of Michigan sports related. I am always looking for a new cuisine to try my hand at cooking as well, and I'll never say "no" to a new restaurant. I look forward to seeing what Grand Rapids has to offer!