UH Med Now

Nestled within the lush, green Koʻolau mountain range, the University of Hawai‘i Obstetrics and Gynecology (UH OB/GYN) Residency Program celebrated the 6 residents at its Annual Graduation and Awards Ceremony on Friday, June 18 at Koʻolau Ballrooms. Faculty presented the new graduates, Drs. Ingrid Chren, Reema Ghatnekar, Samantha Kaiser, Wenhao Cedric Kuo, Alyssa Malley and Theresa Myers. The program also celebrated the graduation of two fellows: Complex Family Planning Fellow Dr. Marit Pearlman Shapiro, whom completed medical school at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and her residency at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York; and Maternal Fetal Medicine Fellow Dr. Melanie Maykin, whom received her MD at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California Los Angeles and completed her residency at the University of California San Diego. Maykin will be joining the UH Department of OB/GYN as a faculty member.

The hybrid Zoom and in-person ceremony also honored several faculty members, including Dr. Gareth Yokoshi, welcomed the incoming residents and recognized the winners for resident, fellow, faculty and department awards.

See the Flickr photo album by Deborah Dimaya:

List of those recognized:
Gareth Yokochi, MD was honored at the beginning of the ceremony for his years of service and contributions to the program.

Faculty Awards for Resident Teaching:
• Council on Resident Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology (CREOG) National Faculty Award: Gareth Yokochi, MD
• Society for Academic Specialists in General Obstetrics and Gyneocology (SASGOG) National Faculty Award: Lynne Saito-Tom, MD

Faculty Awards for Medical Student Teaching:
• Colin C. McCorriston, MD Master Teacher Award: Jeffrey Killeen, MD
• UH Excellence in Teaching Award: Ian Oyama, MD
• APGO Excellence in Teaching Award: Stacey Tsai, MD

Fellow Awards for Medical Student Teaching:
• Fellow Excellence in Teaching Award: Cathlyn Sullivan, DO

National Organization Awards for Residents:
• Outstanding Resident for Excellence in Medical Student Teaching Award, first year: Mary Tanner, MD
• Outstanding Resident for Excellence in Medical Student Teaching Award, second year: Yixin Chen, MD
• Outstanding Resident for Excellence in Medical Student Teaching Award, third year: Kelsi Chan, MD
• Outstanding Resident for Excellence in Medical Student Teaching Award, fourth year: Reema Ghatnekar, MD
• Outstanding Resident for Excellence in Medical Student Teaching Award, overall winner: Avery Olson, MD

Resident Awards for Medical Student Teaching:
• Resident Award for Excellence in Female Pelvic Medicine/Reconstructive Surgery (sponsored by the American Urogynecologic Society): Michelle Ichikawa, MD
• SMFM Resident Award for Excellence in Obstetrics (sponsored by the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine): Elizabeth Mercer, MD
• Outstanding Resident in Gynecologic Oncology Award (sponsored by the Society of Gynecologic Oncology): Alyssa Malley, MD
• Outstanding MIS Resident Award (sponsored by the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons): Reema Ghatnekar, MD
• Special Resident in Minimally Invasive Gynecology Award (sponsored by the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists): Michelle Ichikawa, MD
• Resident Award in Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility (sponsored by the Society of Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility): Reema Ghatnekar, MD
• Ryan Program Resident Award for Excellence in Family Planning: Lucia Xiong, MD
• SASGOG Rising Star Award (sponsored by SASGOG): Kelsi Chan, MD
• ASCCP Resident Award (sponsored by the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology): Lauren Ing, MD
• NASPAG Best Resident Award (sponsored by the North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology: Megan Stevenson, MD
• ACOG Resident Advocacy Award (sponsored by the Hawaii Section of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists): Samantha Kaiser, MD and Theresa Myers, MD.

Department Awards:
• Best PGY-2 Teaching Resident Award (selected by first-year residents): Megan Stevenson, MD
• The Philip I. McNamee, MD Award in Obstetrics and Gynecology: Lucia Xiong, MD
• UH Ob/Gyn Department Award for Excellence: Reema Ghatnekar, MD

By Deborah Dimaya, Interim Communications Director

(L to R): Four out of the six graduating residents including Drs. Alyssa Malley, Samantha Kaiser, Reema Ghatnekar and Ingrid Chern. Deborah Dimaya photo.