2nd Year Residents

Medical School: Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine

Hometown: Jacksonville, FL

Medical Areas of Interest: Emergency Psychiatry and College Mental Health

I was born in Jacksonville Florida and remained a Floridian throughout most of my life so far. I went to Florida State University, and slowly migrated my way northwards by matriculating into the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine. I have now found a home with the amazing program here in Greenville and have fallen in love with the area. My passion for psychiatry started growing long before I started my path to becoming a physician, and I feel so lucky to be part of this amazing field. I moved here with my two best friends, my girlfriend and my dog. Our passions are travel, hiking, finding new restaurants, and going to the local dog bars, which are all amazing parts of Greenville!

Medical School: University of South Carolina School of Medicine

Hometown: Myrtle Beach, SC

Medical Areas of Interest: Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, College Mental Health

Goals for the Future: Complete a CAP fellowship and then be able to work with all kids but especially children affected by child abuse and neglect.

Hi, I’m Sara! I was born and raised in Myrtle Beach, SC. I first made my way to the Upstate in 2012 as a freshman at Clemson University. I spent my four years at Clemson majoring in genetics and minoring in Clemson football. After graduating in 2016, I ventured down to the state capital for medical school, where I met my soon-to-be husband, and after a rotation at the inpatient child and adolescent psychiatry unit, I made a quick audible from pediatrics to psychiatry at the end of my third year and was excited to be offered an interview with Greenville’s Psychiatry Residency Program. I have so many fond memories of my interview day, from talking football and sports psychiatry with Dr. Clark, to discussing life with a partner in Emergency Medicine with Dr. Hudepohl, and just all-around fangirling about the city of Greenville with Dr. Zappitelli, I left my interview knowing I had found my new home. I am so thrilled to be an official Greenville resident and a member of this extraordinary program!

Medical School: Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine

Hometown: Springboro, OH

Medical Areas of Interest: Perinatal/Women’s health: Geriatric, LGBTQ and General Psychiatry

Goals for the Future: Practice as an attending physician in Greenville and go on more medical mission trips.

I was born and raised in Springboro, Ohio- just thirty minutes north of Cincinnati and 30 minutes south of Dayton. I graduated from the University of Dayton, where I studied pre-medicine and psychology and enjoyed cheering the Dayton Flyers on as they tore up the court and made it to the Elite Eight. Following undergrad, my high-school-sweetheart and I made our way down to Spartanburg, SC where I went to medical school and he began his mechanical engineering career. We spent many weekends exploring the nooks and crannies of downtown Greenville, and during my clinical years of medical school, I completed my rotations in Greenville. My husband and I decided to lay our roots permanently here in Greenville, where we’ve officially traded the cold and gloomy Ohio weather for this nearly every day SC sunshine! Outside of medicine (and when I’m not in my garden or collecting houseplants), I enjoy spending time with my fur-babies, having game nights with my husband and friends, and enjoying the endlessly diverse food options Greenville has to offer.

Medical School: Eastern Virginia Medical School

Hometown: Cary, NC

Medical Areas of Interest: Geriatric Psychiatry

Hi Everyone! My name is Komal Patel. I am originally from Cary, North Carolina, where I lived for most of my life. I got my undergraduate degree in Nutrition at UNC-Chapel Hill and am so proud to be a Tar Heel. I then left NC for the first time for medical school at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, VA! Growing up I spent a lot of time exploring local trails, so I was thrilled to discover how much hiking there is around Greenville. I love spending time outdoors. I also find joy in trying new recipes and learning about plant care. Luckily, my co-residents also very much love plants and encourage this new obsession. Our outings together may have involved going to the local plant nursery. I am so grateful to call this residency mine and for all the growth and people I’ve been fortunate to learn from.

Medical School: Ross University School of Medicine

Graduate School: George Washington University

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

Medical Areas of Interest: Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Health Disparities, Minority Medicine, Addiction Medicine

Goals for the Future: I would love to further my involvement with the American Psychiatric Association as a resident fellow. I plan to use my Master of Public Health to develop the field of adverse childhood experiences specifically as they relate to substance use disorder among minority transitional age youth.

My name is Gena, pronounced Jenna – with a ‘G’. I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. After high school, I stayed local and attended California State University, Northridge earning a bachelor’s in biology. Then I traveled to study medicine at the Ross University School of Medicine in the West Indies and returned home to complete my clinical training at California Hospital in downtown LA. After graduating from medical school with high honors, I went on to complete a master’s in public health at George Washington University. So, I came to Greenville I found it the perfect dichotomy of a “Little Big Town”. Outside of medicine, I am an avid green thumb, I enjoy traveling the world and getting lost hiking in nature.