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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!
Class of 2026
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.
J. Fernando Ortiz Aguirre, MD
Hometown: Quito, Ecuador
Medical school: Universidad San Francisco de Quito
Why did you choose Spectrum Health for your residency/fellowship? I choose Spectrum Health because Grand Rapids is a magnificent place to live. Inside the hospital is a very warming - teaching environment. Level 4 epilepsy center with huge volume of stroke cases. Beyond that, the leadership of Dr. Abbas is what impressed me the most about the program.
What are your clinical interests? My biggest interest is doing a fellowship is vascular or neurocritical care
Hobbies: As a good Latino, I play soccer and dance Salsa. In addition, I play golf if I have the time. I also have a podcast on Spotify, tune in and listen Neuro Talks Internation if you like neurology as much as I do.
Class of 2025
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!
Class of 2024
Dania Mallick
Hometown: Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
Medical School: Aga Khan University Hospital, Pakistan
Why did you choose Spectrum Health? Great facilities, wonderful faculty and the residents I had interacted with, and the opportunity to couples match with my husband!
What do you like most about your program? Looking forward to developing new relationships with faculty, peers, and seniors and learning from them! Also looking forward to expanding my skill sets and helping deliver the best care to patients!
Clinical Interests: My clinical interests are stroke/vascular neurology, Tele-Neurology, Global Health.
Living in West Michigan: This is my first time living in Michigan, and so far I am enjoying the lakes, trails, and the parks! I hope to be able to learn to fish, ski, and ice skate (at least!) during my time here in Michigan!
Hobbies: I enjoy travelling, hiking, exploring new coffee shops, outdoor activities, trying out new restaurants, and cooking!
Lauren Offerle, MD
Hometown: Van Wert, OH
Medical School: Indiana University School of Medicine
Why did you choose Spectrum Health? I chose Spectrum Health because the people are sincere, the system is impressive, and the city is an awesome place to live.
What do you like most about your program? I am most looking forward to working with some incredible people to learn how best to improve our patients' lives.
Clinical Interests: I am interested in neurocritical care.
Living in West Michigan: I enjoy the outdoor/active lifestyle and West Michigan offers that!
Hobbies: My hobbies include hiking, biking, skiing, tennis, cooking, and sewing.
Darla Wheeler, MD
Hometown: Detroit, MI
Medical School: Indiana University School of Medicine
Why did you choose Spectrum Health? I chose to do my Neurology Residency at Spectrum Health because I was impressed with the tremendous impact that this program has had on neurological care in West Michigan. The attending have a clear passion for teaching, and the residents have great procedural, academic, and private practice experience. Coming to Grand Rapids was also a good way for me to be closer to home and still experience a new city.
What do you like most about your program? I am most looking forward to developing relationships with my patients, colleagues, and staff, and learning how to become a great neurologist!
Clinical Interests: My clinical interests are stroke, dementia, and movement disorders.
Living in West Michigan: I love the art and food seen here, the festivals, and its proximity to the Lake Michigan beaches.
Hobbies: My hobbies are playing the flute, speaking German, reading, eating good food, hanging out with friends and family, and spending time by the water.
Brian Wideman, DO
Hometown: Dearborn Heights, MI
Medical School: Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Why did you choose Spectrum Health? The faculty have a passion for teaching and a clear desire to ensure that the program and it's residents excel. The residents seemed to have a great working relationship with one another, and seemed genuinely happy to be working and learning here.
What do you like most about your program? I'm excited to expand my knowledge and clinical skills, and can't wait to apply what I've learned to serve the community.
Clinical Interests: Neurology is a fascinating field with a lot of variety, and I feel that general neurology will suit me well. At this stage in my career I'm looking forward to further exploring the many subspecialties that neurology has to offer.
Living in West Michigan: I've never lived in West Michigan before, but I'm very excited to move there and get to know the area and it's communities.
Hobbies: I love the outdoors, especially hiking and kayaking. I love animals, and have two dogs that keep me on my toes.
Class of 2023
Anvita Potluri, MD
Hometown: Hyderabad, India
Medical School: Gandhi Medical College
Why did you choose Spectrum Health? Spectrum Health comes encompassed with a great faculty, diverse resident class, tremendous research potential and clinical learning opportunities.
What do you like most about your program? The residents share comradery and are true friends even outside of work which gravitated me to the program. I felt a sense of belonging quite early on in residency unbeknownst to me even though I had no former ties to the city or to the people
Clinical Interests: I am interested in neuromuscular but I'm keeping an open mind as I navigate through different fields of neurology in my second year.
Living in West Michigan: West Michigan is a beautiful place with the warmest people I've met. Grand Rapids has a lot to offer and it's a vibrant city filled with good food, music and life. It has a surplus of outdoor activities with hiking trails, beaches and national parks.
Hobbies: Reading, hiking, binge watching TV shows and gardening with a daily struggle to keep my indoor plants alive.
Kostika Mulo, DO
Hometown: Novi, MI
Medical School: Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine
Why did you choose Spectrum Health? When my fiancée Robin and I were going through the couples match, we were expecting to make tough choices and concessions in order to train together in OB/GYN and Neurology, respectively. However, that choice was made easier by Spectrum Health. After spending a month as visiting students, we were both very impressed by the quality of the respective programs, the welcoming and professional spirit of everyone we encountered, the ever-expanding resources and dedication towards graduate medical education when other programs are heading in the opposite direction, and the excellent training opportunities that only a regional leader in healthcare can provide. One year in, I have no regrets regarding my choice for residency training. Every day, I feel my clinical acumen improve and my confidence and skills are nurtured by the support of my fellow residents and attendings. I am greatly looking forward to the rest of my training with the knowledge and guarantee that I will leave this program a confident and competent neurologist, as demonstrated by all the seniors graduating this year.
What do you like most about your program? Although I am just joining the neurology program after a year of internal medicine, I can already tell the cohesiveness of the department. Everyone works together to improve the learning and training experience of the residents. All the attendings are renowned experts in their fields, and they are very involved in resident teaching and their passion for training young neurologists is evident. I also highly value Spectrum Health and the breadth of resources, pathology, and learning opportunities it provides for a resident.
Clinical Interests: I have enjoyed all subspecialties of Neurology I have been exposed to thus far. They each offer tremendous specialized care to patients with complex disorders. Thus far, I am interested in vascular neurology and endovascular/interventional neurology. I had the opportunity to be in a hands-on rotation in interventional neurology as a medical student and enjoyed the acuity of care and technical challenges of each case. am looking forward to exploring this interest more during residency.
Living in West Michigan: I really cherish the outdoor activities and beautiful nature that surrounds us in West Michigan. Beyond the many parks, lakes, and trails available within the city limits of Grand Rapids, there are so many more beautiful landscapes a short drive away waiting to be discovered. If you run out of things to do nearby, which is near impossible, there are further destinations just a few hours away, that are worth a visit, such as Mackinac Island, Traverse City, Detroit, and Chicago.
Hobbies: As all those that know me can attest, one of my biggest hobbies is coffee and everything that revolves around it. I enjoy brewing specialty cups at home and have slowly amassed a tiny coffee shop inside my kitchen. I also enjoy putting together inventive craft cocktails for my fiancée Robin and I to enjoy with friends. I also like to spend as much time as possible outdoors, occupying my little free time playing soccer, tennis, or taking walks by the river or Reeds Lake.
Maria Samaniego, MD
Hometown: Quito, Ecuador
Medical School: Universidad de las Americas, Quito-Ecuador
Why did you choose Spectrum Health? Spectrum Health caught my attention as soon as I started exchanging emails to arrange my interview. The work ethics is great and professionals are strategic in nature. From a personal perspective they are caring, warm and welcoming. I felt like home since the very first days. It is an amazing experience
What do you like most about your program? The thing I like the most about my program is the diversity among colleges and the interest of the faculty members to teach residents.
Clinical Interests: I haven't made up my mind regarding a specific sub-specialty. However, my inclination is toward inpatient sub-specialties such as neuro-critical care.
Living in West Michigan: West Michigan has a combination of outdoor and indoor activities to enjoy during my free time. Landscapes are amazing through all 4 seasons and residents here made me feel safe and very welcomed.
Hobbies: In my free time I enjoy hiking and playing Volleyball.
Yao Cheng, MD
Hometown: Suzhou, China
Medical School: Suzhou, China School of Medicine
Why did you choose Spectrum Health? Spectrum Health provides all the opportunities that I was looking for as a learner in pursing my career in Neurology and Medicine.
What do you like most about your program? As I am a new resident/fellow, I am looking forward to working and training in a supportive program. My program has provided all the support that I need, from senior residents, attendings and faculties. They are always there and constantly helping and guiding me through the training process.
Clinical Interests: I am interested in Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology
Living in West Michigan: I enjoy the vibe of both big city and small town living in Grand Rapids. The summer is the most beautiful time in West Michigan.
Hobbies: My hobbies include hiking, cooking, playing the piano.