Meet our Residents
Methodist Family Medicine Residents
Physician-graduates of the Methodist Health System Family Medicine Residency Program often cite five factors for their successful transition to private practice:
- The diversity of a fast-growing patient population in the Dallas service area.
- Exceptional hands-on experience in a progressive community care clinic
-
Broad-based inpatient care in a busy acute-care hospital without competition
from specialty residency programs
(Family Medicine is the only residency program at Methodist Charlton) - Support of a committed, knowledgeable faculty and staff in a progressive, evidence-based, research-focused family medicine program
- The opportunity to work among a diverse group of allopathic and osteopathic physicians, which mirrors real-world practice.
Below are the physicians currently completing their Family Medicine residency at Methodist Charlton in Dallas:
Class of 2023
Left to right:
- Jacob Heuring, DO
- Kshma Kulkarni, DO
- Rajani Shresthra, DO
- Abigail Rosales, MD
- Olivia Demarta, DO
- Patrick Brennan, DO
Rajani Shrestha, DO
Hometown: From Kathmandu, Nepal to Grand Prairie, TX
Hobbies: Hanging out with family and friends, reading fantasy novels, watching movies and tv shows, playing board games, photography, traveling.
Why Methodist Charlton? Most of my family are in Dallas, and I wanted to be close to them. I did my 3rd and 4th year family medicine rotation here and really liked the atmosphere and the camaraderie between the residents, faculty and staff. Everyone was very nice and helpful, and I always felt welcome and included. I wanted an unopposed residency program that fostered learning in a supportive environment. There is also variety of tracks that can be tailored to your interest.
Career Goals: I want to do outpatient medicine in DFW and incorporate international mission trips
Abigail Rosales, MD
Hometown: Fort Worth, Texas
Hobbies: kayaking, going on road trips, hiking, spending time with family and friends, food adventures, watching 90 day fiancée
Why Methodist Charlton? From the moment I interviewed I was super impressed by the training opportunities this residency offered. I was impressed by the opportunity to learn OMM to some extent as an MD. I loved the idea of being part of the Agape clinic and being involved in the community. There was also a welcoming feeling from the residents, faculty, and staff. I could really tell that people supported and cared for each other which was the kind of environment I was looking for.
Career Goals: I would love to work in education at some point and teach future residents and students. I also have an interest in sports medicine and hospice care.
Patrick Brennan, DO
Hometown: Albany, NY
Hobbies: I’m a bit of a foodie, so I love trying new restaurants and foods. I also love baseball and visiting various zoo’s and state parks with my family!
Why Methodist Charlton: a few years before medical school, I found myself in the Metroplex
and loved it. I really wanted to be back in an area I felt a connection to. When I visited Methodist, I instantly felt at home. It is a perfect blend of academic medicine in a community oriented program. The faculty and residents really mesh together like a family, and the opportunities abound for whatever path you decide to follow!
Career Goals: I want to continue my education with a Sports Medicine fellowship. After that, I see myself practicing general family and sports medicine in Texas.
Jacob Heuring, DO
Hometown: Wichita Falls, TX
Hobbies: Spending time with my wife & two sons, hanging out with my dog, hiking, fishing, camping, golfing
Why Methodist Charlton? After auditioning at Methodist Charlton, I knew that it was where I wanted to be for residency. The faculty, staff, and residents are all friendly and supportive of each other. This has created an ideal atmosphere to learn and grow as a resident physician. The other big reason this program was alluring is its flexibility with the many different opportunities it provides to explore future interests.
Career Goals: Outpatient medicine
Kshma Kulkarni, DO
Hometown: Born in Karnataka, India; Grew up in Louisville KY
Hobbies: dancing, hiking, kayaking, writing, laying around outside, sitting around in coffee shops, trying new places to eat, pottery/3D art
Why Methodist Charlton: Everyone here is wonderful. You feel it immediately. It’s such a great environment to train in. When you add to that, the breadth of the faculty experience in different fields like women’s health, OMT, international medicine, addiction, integrative health, behavioral health, I really felt I would get the essential foundations to have the kind of practice I want to offer for my patients.
Career goals: I’d like to have an integrative practice with strengths in OMT/sports medicine, women’s health, nutrition and behavioral health. I’d also like to get involved with health informatics and teaching.
Olivia Demarta, DO
Hometown: Las Vegas, NV
Hobbies: traveling, trying out new restaurants, hanging out with my family and my sweet puppy, and watching Netflix
Why Methodist Charlton? I completed an audition rotation at Methodist Charlton during my 4th year of medical school and immediately knew it was where I wanted to be. The residents, faculty, and staff were so nice and welcoming, always willing to help me or answer any questions that I had. I also really liked that this was an unopposed program and that there were multiple tracks to tailor your education to your specific interests. I also loved the fact that I could live near down town Dallas and have an easy commute to the hospital.
Career Goals: My interests include women’s health, geriatric medicine, and integrative medicine
Class of 2024
Left to Right
- Katherine Deagan, DO
- Gabrielle Russell, MD
- Chelsea Shine, DO
- Carli Joy Beyer, DO
- Nidhi Patel, DO
- Brandon Sivoravong, DO
Carli Joy Beyer, DO
Hometown: Kansas City, Missouri
Hobbies: Traveling, drinking coffee, playing piano, binge watching Netflix, shopping, interior design, and game nights
Why Methodist Charlton? This program is small, unopposed, and filled with the most incredible people! It is such a welcoming, supportive environment which is exactly what I was looking for in my residency training. The educational tracks are a great opportunity to customize your residency experience to your personal interests. My husband and I couples matched and Dallas was an amazing place for us to match together. I could not be happier that I matched at Methodist Charlton!
Career Goals: I am passionate about geriatrics and integrative medicine. I would love to work in an outpatient family medicine setting and incorporate nursing home/hospice care into my daily practice.
Brandon Sivoravong, DO
Hometown: Fort Worth, TX
Hobbies: I enjoy working out and watching Netflix shows during the week. On the weekends, I love watching Formula One races and hanging out with friends and family. When I have more time, my girlfriend and I enjoy trying new restaurants and traveling.
Why Methodist Charlton? While going to school in DFW, I always heard great things about this program and after I got to see it for myself, it was obvious why. All of the residents and faculty are extremely friendly, approachable and happy to teach. Having multiple faculty with broad scopes of training allows us to get excellent training in whatever our interests be. Being able to stay close to home while serving the community at an unopposed residency program has been a dream come true.
Career Goals: I’m interested in OMT, Sports Medicine and Geriatrics and plan to go into academic medicine teaching residents and students.
Katherine Deagan, DO
Hometown: Canton, OH
Hobbies: traveling, time with friends and family, fashion, foodie, pilates, yoga, music/sports outings
Why Methodist: Methodist was my first choice because of its osteopathic recognition and integrative medicine track! I was really drawn to having a female D.O. in leadership who was also involved in expanding the integrative medicine program here! Everyone was so kind and I was able to feel comfortable and at home even through a zoom interview! I love big cities and wanted a change from Ohio as well.
Career goals: I see myself working in outpatient primary care focusing on preventative and integrative medicine. I’d love to one day have my own concierge or direct primary care practice!
Nidhi Patel, DO
Hometown: Gandhinagar, India and Fort Worth, TX
Hobbies: baking, hot yoga, exploring coffee shops and restaurants, interior design, traveling, finding good shopping deals
Why Methodist Charlton: Having moved to DFW from India, I really found a home and community in this city and did not wish to move away for training. Hence, location was a big factor for me. Charlton being a community based unopposed program, with a smaller class size was an appealing aspect as well. The leadership and faculty at the program really do put the residents at the forefront of everything they do! Not to mention that anyone within the family medicine sphere that I spoke to only had wonderful things to say about the curriculum organization, and training quality that this program provides!!
Career goals: My interests include women and children’s health, integrative medicine, and procedures! I hope to incorporate all of these in an outpatient clinic in DFW.
Gabrielle Russell, MD
Hometown: Washington, DC
Hobbies: grocery shopping, traveling, creating random art (miniature sofa making), swimming, bingeing on The Walking Dead, playing tag/hide-and-seek with my cats
Why Methodist Charlton? The faculty and residents have been warm and welcoming from the start. They go above and beyond to ensure that our patients receive the best care, but beyond just managing patient symptoms. As a physician coming from an allopathic background, it has been inspiring to be surrounded by so many doctors with osteopathic backgrounds. It challenges me to look beyond a patient's presenting illness and to think more about the whole person; their culture, spirituality, social determinants, emotions, and how these things contribute to their illness. Likewise, Methodist is one of the few programs that offers an integrative medicine track. Methodist just feels right!
Career Goals: I am passionate about global medicine and integrative medicine. I would enjoy the opportunity to work in multiple settings inpatient, outpatient, and globally.
Chelsea Shine
Hometown: Wichita Falls, TX
Hobbies: Gardening, yoga, exploring new cities with my husband, walking my dog, cooking
Why Methodist Charlton? I chose Methodist because of the awesome people, good work-life balance, and track opportunities. I liked that the program is small and Unopposed. During my audition rotation, I felt instantly welcomed and thought the residents were incredibly competent and well-supported by the faculty.
Career Goals: Outpatient Medicine
Class of 2025
Left to Right:
- Rohan Sebastian, MD
- Malak El-Sherif, DO
- Sarah Ahmed, MD
- Daeija Lewis, DO
- Rozen Gilerman, DO
- Kyle Yen, DO
Sarah Ahmed, MD
Hometown: Richardson, TX
Hobbies: Traveling, photography, true crime documentaries, reality TV, spending time with family and friends, interior design
Why Methodist Charlton? Methodist always had a special place in my heart as my family would always seek care at our local Methodist hospital. Being from the DFW area, it was very important for me to be back home and serve the community as a family medicine physician. My feelings for the program were confirmed during my interview as the residents, staff, and faculty were warm and welcoming. It was evident to me that Methodist Charlton would be the ideal place for me to conduct my training with the breadth of opportunities available, and that I would be supported and cared for while doing so.
Career Goals: I would love to have my own primary care clinic one day focusing on preventative and integrative medicine, and to also be able to perform a range of procedures for my patients. I would also like to be involved in academics teaching students and residents.
Malak El-Sherif, DO
Hometown: Plano, Texas
Hobbies: creating artwork- anything from a painting to redesigning shoes; collecting seashells along the beaches I visit globally; visiting international art museums; playing videogames- Uncharted, Kingdom hearts, Last of Us; hanging out with family & friends; binging Netflix and Marvel shows/movies
Why Methodist Charlton? When researching residency programs, Methodist caught my attention on many levels and then the interview was the final seal. The program checked every box I had in mind regarding what I wanted to get out my training and it was unique to find that all in ONE program, more so in one back home for me in Dallas. Having gone to med school out of state, I was striving to return to Texas to serve the community I knew growing up, so Methodist Charlton was the dream program, and I am grateful to have been blessed with this opportunity. Every person I have met starting way back in interview season has been more than willing to support me through my goals and to work with me to create unique opportunities that correlate with my desires.
Career Goals: I hope to focus in on women’s health, continue to do OMM, do global health, and do tons of procedures. I also would love to get the opportunity to teach medical students and lower-level residents as I go along my training as tutoring was a passion of mine years past.
Rozen Gilerman, DO
Hometown: Plano, Texas
Hobbies: Spending time with family, video games, and traveling
Why Methodist Charlton?: Throughout medical school I had always heard about Charlton as being a program that truly values it’s residents, it’s a place where you are treated like family. When I interviewed here, I felt that instant connection and saw how happy the residents were. I also wanted to join a rigorous program that offered a good work/life balance. On top of that, the program offers so many different tracks and opportunities that help you shape your future practice. Lastly, the benefits that the program provides for the residents are unmatched.
Career goals: I’d love to work in the field of Geriatrics and use Osteopathic manipulative medicine in my practice.
Daeija Lewis , DO
Hometown: Bay City, Texas
Hobbies: walking trails, reading, watching movies, singing, traveling, trying new restaurants
Why Methodist Charlton? It was during my interviews I realized this was the place for me. It was where I felt the most comfortable and could really let my personality show even though they were virtual interviews. I knew I wanted that to be in an environment that I felt safe in and felt like I was going to be part of a family. Every day I come in I know that Charlton was the best choice.
Future Goals: I’m interested in integrative medicine and teaching opportunities.
Rohan Sebastian, MD
Hometown: Oklahoma City
Hobbies: Sports, technology, business, stocks, spending time with family and friends, playing with my sister's golden retriever, trying new restaurants, watching movies.
Why Methodist Charlton?: I chose Methodist Charlton because it was clear from my interviews that this program offered a well-established, high volume clinic and I was confident that at the end of my training, I would become a strong clinician and be exposed to wide-ranging pathologies. I also found that the Program Director, residents, and all the staff were extremely approachable and ready to help foster my many interests. As an MD, I was also excited to get exposure to OMM and have the resources to pursue sports medicine, learn procedures, and be exposed to administration- all while living in the great city of Dallas!
Career goals: I hope to pursue sports medicine, perform wide-ranging outpatient procedures, and become adept with ultrasound. I also hope to be involved with new medical technology and utilize my MBA to become involved in healthcare administration.
Kyle Yen, DO
Hometown: Plano, TX
Hobbies: Escape rooms, basketball, running 5k's to half marathons, playing the piano and violin, and spending time with my family, friends, and golden retriever.
Why Methodist Charlton? During my 3rd year of medical school, I kept hearing great things about Methodist Charlton from my mentors and how I would become an excellent family medicine physician if I entered this program. I attended an info session hosted by the program and was immediately impressed with the quality of education the residents received here. It is a small, community-based, and unopposed program that has been established for more than 40 years and offers multiple tracks to suit whichever area of family medicine you are interested in. The attendings on faculty here absolutely love to teach and have been such an invaluable and approachable resource to all of us. The program also has a great work-life balance, incredible benefits, and a friendly group of residents that make it enjoyable to come into work every morning.
Career goals: I would like to work at an outpatient clinic in DFW located near a college or medical school where I would be able to teach pre-meds who shadow me or medical students who do their family medicine rotation with me.