The American Osteopathic Foundation (AOF) partnered with specialty medical organizations to recognize inspiring Osteopathic physicians (DOs) who excel within their residency program. Listed alphabetically below, they are:
Joseph Bush, DO, Outstanding Resident of the Year in Obstetrics & Gynecology
Presented in collaboration with the Medical Education Foundation of the American College of Osteopathic Obstetricians & Gynecologists
Dr. Bush graduated from Midwestern University/Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine (MWU/CCOM) in 2013, completed a traditional rotating internship at St. James Health in Chicago, Illinois, and is currently the recruiting chief resident in an obstetrics and gynecology residency through AMITA Health, and an adjunct faculty member at MWU/CCOM.
A participant in the Health Professions Scholarship Program, Dr. Bush served eight years in the United States Navy as a general medical officer, providing primary care for more than 4,000 marines and sailors on base and in deployment.
Athena Chatzigiannidis, DO, Outstanding Resident of the Year in Family Medicine
Presented in collaboration with the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians
Dr. Chatzigiannidis earner her medical degree from Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (OSU-COM) in 2020 and is now in a family practice residency in rural Oklahoma through OSU Cherokee Nation Family Medicine, where she is medical student coordinator.
She was elected as National Secretary on the ACOFP Student Executive Board, and she served a term as the student representative on the ACOFP Board of Governors. She is currently Chair of the ACOFP Resident Council.
Samantha DeMarsh, DO, 2022 Outstanding Resident of the Year in Pediatrics
Presented in collaboration with the American College of Osteopathic Pediatricians
An aspiring pediatric neurooncologist and palliative care physician, Dr. DeMarsh is a pediatric hematology/oncology/bone marrow transplant fellow at Children’s Hospital Colorado.
She earned her medical degree from Ohio University–Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2019. Dr. DeMarsh is the resident trustee on the ACOP Board and is a member of its membership and communications committees. Her published research includes a scoping review of pediatric Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine literature in Pediatrics and several case reports.
Iulian Dragusin, DO, Outstanding Resident of the Year in Radiology
Presented in collaboration with the American Osteopathic College of Radiology
Dr. Dragusin graduated from Midwestern University/Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2018. He completed an internship at San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium in 2019 and is currently chief resident in a diagnostic radiology residency program at San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium.
A Captain in the U. S. Air Force Medical Corps, Dr. Dragusin has contributed to several quality improvement programs on ultrasound-based scoring systems for breast cancer axillary metastases and improving ordering efficiencies for MR angiographic imaging, which was recognized as an exemplary project by the Military Health System High Reliability Organization Safety and Quality Improvement.
Frank Goodman, DO, Outstanding Resident of the Year in Osteopathic Medicine
Presented in collaboration with the American Academy of Osteopathy
Dr. Goodman graduated from William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine (WCUCOM) in 2018 and is now a third-year osteopathic neuromusculoskeletal resident at Oklahoma State University Medical Center, where he previously completed a family medicine residency that included a women’s health track.
Leadership experience includes terms as chair of the AAO Resident Executive Council and national coordinator for the Student AAO National Executive Council. He is an avid researcher in Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment and is a WCUCOM Outstanding Achievement award winner.
Nicole Henry, DO, Outstanding Resident of the Year in Anesthesiology
Presented in collaboration with the American Osteopathic College of Anesthesiology
Dr. Henry graduated from the William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine (WCUCOM) in 2019 and is currently chief resident in an anesthesiology training program at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
Dr. Henry serves on two Mayo committees working to increase minority representation and recently published a study on disparities in hypoxemia detection across racial groups and associated clinical outcomes.
Most recently, she received the Richard A. Theye Award for research at Mayo Clinic. Prior to medical school, she earned an MBA from the University of Texas at San Antonio and an MPH from the University of Texas School of Public Health
Jasser Khairallah, DO, Outstanding Resident of the Year in Addiction Medicine
Presented in collaboration with the American Osteopathic Academy of Addiction Medicine
A 2018 graduate of A.T. Still University—Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, Dr. Khairallah completed a family medicine residency and a REACH Research Fellowship at Yale University School of Medicine focused on determining diagnostic and treatment rates of opioid use disorder in minority patients.
He is currently in an addition medicine fellowship at Stanford Health Care while completing a Master of Jurisprudence in health law program at Loyola University Law School focused on laws governing addiction medicine practices, particularly barriers to patients seeking addiction treatments.
Robert Prior, DO, Outstanding Resident of the Year in Orthopedics
Presented in collaboration with the American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedics
Dr. Prior graduated from Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2019 and is currently in an orthopedic surgery residency at Midwestern University/Franciscan Health. His areas of focus include trauma to the hand & upper extremity, pediatric orthopedics, adult reconstruction, and sports medicine.
He is an experienced teacher, volunteer, and researcher, participating on projects examining effectiveness of pre-surgical patient education, safety of certain surgical techniques in adolescent patients, and outcomes after surgery for proximal humerus fractures.
Renato Rapada, DO, Captain, U.S. Army, Outstanding Resident of the Year in Military Medicine
Presented in collaboration with the Association of Military Osteopathic Physicians & Surgeons
A recipient of a four-year Army Health Professions Scholarship, Dr. Rapada earned his medical degree from Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine (RVU-COM) in 2019. He began his military career in 2007 with Army Reserve Officer Training and was a Brigade Medical Plans & Operations Officer before entering RVU-COM.
Now a Captain in the U.S. Army Medical Corps, Dr. Rapada recently began an emergency ultrasound fellowship program through the San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium at Brooke Army Medical Center, where he completed an emergency medicine residency.
Craig Sewell, DO, Outstanding Resident of the Year in Allergy & Immunology
Presented in collaboration with the American Osteopathic College of Allergy & Immunology
Dr. Sewell earned his medical degree in 2017 from Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed an internal medicine residency at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.
He is currently in a pediatric and adult allergy/immunology fellowship through Case Western Reserve University with an interest in treating primary immunodeficiency diseases (PID). He served as lead author of three original publications and is a mentor in the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology Chrysalis Project Program.
“I am proud to honor the 2022 class of Outstanding Residents. These brilliant physician trainees represent the best minds of the Osteopathic profession in ‘GME’ programs across the country. I have no doubt they will all go on to deliver the highest quality healthcare, and make their mark in medicine,” says AOF President Barbara Ross-Lee, DO.
The AOF Outstanding Resident of the Year (OROTY) Award was established to recognize excellent resident physicians whose combination of clinical promise, leadership, dedication, and commitment to Osteopathic patient-centered care separates them from their colleagues.
In partnership with sponsoring Osteopathic specialty societies, the Outstanding Resident of the Year Awards are given annually in the Fall.