First Resident Physicians Complete Training at Baptist Memorial Hospital

Baptist Memorial Hospital Celebrates a Milestone with Founding Resident Physicians in The Oxford Community

The 12 founding resident physicians of the inaugural medical residency at Baptist Memorial Hospital– North Mississippi have completed their training. This reputable group includes Alexander Crossett, MD, Mahmoud Elshawwaf, MD, Michael Ghaly, MD, Garrett Hadley, DO, Simra Kiran, MD, Joseph Kordsmeier, DO, Shravanti Muthu, MD, Juvarez Ogbuneke, MD, Swetha Priyadarshan, MD, Sajan Sarker, DO, and Swarna Sarker, DO. These elite candidates have encompassed the three-year comprehensive training undertaken within the hospital’s Internal Medicine department.

Formation of the Program

With a dedicated vision emerging several years prior, the training program was intended to create a cohesive team of competent professionals specialising in Internal Medicine. The initiative emerged from a strategic endeavor by Baptist Memorial Health Care to shape a more extensive graduate medical education program. Seger S. Morris, DO, the founding program director, was primarily hired to actualize and kick-start the program.

Following a rigorous selection process, the Class of 2024 teamed up with BMH-NM after getting matched in the National Resident Matching Program’s Main Residency Match in March 2021. The training journey essentially began with an orientation in June 2021 with clinical rotations commencing in July.

Into the Training

Throughout the period, the residents got exposed to varied experiences within Oxford’s community, inside the hospital, and at the nascent Baptist Medical Group – Oxford Internal Medical Clinic. The primary focus was on specific specialists’ areas, including but not limited to cardiology, emergency medicine, endocrinology, gastroenterology, and geriatrics

A testament to the strength of the team, Morris expressed his pride in the team’s cohesion, facilitating the achievement of the resident physicians’ personal and professional goals. The continuity of the program is assured with subsequent batches of resident physicians admitted in 2022 and 2023.

Impact of the Program

The completion of this program marks a significant step in the medical field, boosting both the physical and financial health of Oxford and the surrounding communities. According to Morris, the resident physicians catered to several patients each year, rendering an estimated economic impact exceeding $25M per annum. The pioneering spirit nurtured through the program stimulates continuous improvement in the quality of healthcare available to the local communities.

Several Oxford clinicians have willingly participated in the project, training the upcoming generation of physicians. The dedicated faculty played a vital role in setting up the program and making it successful.

Moving to Greater Heights

As the first batch of resident physicians transitions out of the program, each carries their unique experience. With confidence instilled in them by the practiced faculty members, the graduates now look forward to taking their medical professional practice to the next level. They are thankful for the growth opportunity and support received throughout their time at Baptist Memorial Hospital.

The completion of this defining program marks the beginning of an exciting era for BMH-NM, with many of the graduates choosing to continue their practice within the Baptist memorial ecosystem, retaining the quality of care for the people of Oxford.