Pathology Residents

JOYCE ARNOUK, MD
University of Tishreen

Joyce is a 2014 graduate of the University of Tishreen Faculty of Medicine in the Syrian Arab Republic. She has completed a Clinical Pathology residency at Al Basel Hospital. She also has rotated through many observerships across the United States. Recently, Joyce has worked as a Research Fellow at the University of Iowa, focusing on metastatic renal cancer. She enjoys playing piano and performing in concerts, swimming and ballroom dancing. Joyce also worked on the front lines providing first aid care and evacuation services to displaced families during the Syrian uprising.

PAULA CORTES, MD
Barrantes Universidad de Costa Rica

Paula is a 2002 graduate of Universidad de Costa Rica Facultad de Medicina in Costa Rica. She completed both an Anatomic Pathology residency and Pediatric Pathology fellowship in Costa Rica. Paula has completed an Ophthalmic Pathology fellowship at Massachusetts Eye and Ear in Boston where she currently resides. Paula also completed a Hematopathology Fellowship at UMass Worcester in 2021. She enjoys swimming, jogging, drawing, reading, watching documentaries and movies, and visiting museums.

ZEHRA KOCAS, MD
Afyon Kocatepe Universitesi Tip Fakultesi

Zehra graduated from Afyon Kocatepe Üniversitesi Tip Fakültesi in Turkey in 2015. She is currently working at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center as an academic researcher where she is working on two projects about minor homozygosity of several genetic variants associated with fatty liver disease. Zehra previously worked as a Pathologists Assistant at siParadigm Diagnostic Informatics in New Jersey. She enjoys swimming (especially in the waves), drawing, painting, sodoku and coding.

MONA SHARIEF, MD
University of Khartoum

Mona graduated from the University of Khartoum Faculty of Medicine in Sudan in 2010. She is currently working as a Pathologist at Ultra Lab Medical Laboratories in Khartoum. She also worked as a Pathologist in Saudi Arabia. Mona enjoyed her time as a visiting professor at Sudan International University. She enjoys planning gatherings and receptions for her family and friends.

SULAFA IBRAHIM, MD
National Ribat University College of Medicine

Sulafa is a 2013 graduate of National Ribat University College of Medicine in Sudan. She is currently working as an Anatomic Pathology resident at the Sudan Medical Specialization Board. She has also previously completed multiple observerships in the US and spent time volunteering on several medical missions in Sudan. She enjoys Arabic poetry and attending poetry forums and contests with her friends. She also enjoys teaching and sharing her love of pathology with medical students. She is looking forward to the combined Anatomic and Clinical Pathology residency program and becoming an excellent pathologist and researcher.

LEONARDO MONTESINOS BARONA, MD

RUCHI MUKESHBHAI, MD
Patel Gujarat Adani Institute of Medical Sciences

Ruchi received her MBBS in 2016 from Gujarat Adani Institute of Medical Sciences and her MD in 2019 from B.J. Medical College, Ahmedabad, both in India. She has xperience as both a Pathology resident and Pathologist in her native India. Ruchi enjoys Garba: A Gujarati folk dance in which her team also designs their own costumes, gardening, drawing and decorating. She is currently working on research in the Department of Pathology at UC Davis.

ANNIE ABRAHAM, MBBS
Kasturba Medical College Mangalore

Hello! Welcome to Baystate Anatomical and Clinical Pathology residency program! I have always been fascinated by diseases, their causes, progression and diagnosis. Having lost a family member to cancer, my passion for pursuing pathology was reinforced. A research study I did during medical school allowed me to develop a true appreciation for the scientific method.

Pathology offers a chance to combine my inquisitive nature, learning the art of diagnosis, clinical skills and carving out the right path concerning treatment for the clinicians. Baystate has a friendly environment and a great supporting staff to help the residents achieve their goals. As William Osler once said, "We are here to add what we can to life, not to get what we can from life”.

Apart from my studies, I appreciate classic literature, impressionist art, cooking Kerala food, gardening and hiking.

SOMA CHAKRABORTY, MBBS
Sir Salimullah Medical College

Hello everyone!!! I am from Dhaka City, Bangladesh. Born to Bengali parents who always wanted me to become a community physician, I decided to take biology as one of my majors in high school. Cell as the fundamental unit of life has always fascinated me and motivated me to pursue a career in medicine. I also became an enthusiast of Charles Darwin. Then I had the chance to be introduced to the field of pathology during the second year of my medical school in Sir Salimullah Medical College and Hospital. I was amused by how different tissues looked, how differences in cell structures can help grading cancers and how modern medicine works to diagnose and treat diseases by the combination of pathology and molecular biology.

I was fortunate enough to avail unique post-sophomore fellowship opportunity at the Department of Anatomical and Clinical Pathology of University of Connecticut, Health (UConn Health). During this one year of the intense fellowship program, I gained amazing knowledge of the pink-violet complex tissue architecture and developed a significant confidence in becoming a successful pathologist. I have also had the distinctive opportunity to perform research in the field of molecular biology of cancer cell in Dr. Suzi and Dr. Frank Tortis’ laboratory and molecular ophthalmic genetics in Dr. Mansoor Sarfarazi’s laboratory of UConn Health. My specific aim was to identify & study the genes that are expected to be involved in the etiology of various types of cancers and glaucoma. During those two years of molecular biology research, I also managed to get my graduate certificate in the foundation of Public Health from UConn Health MPH program as an essential way to understanding things including health policy and management, health education/behavior, biostatistics, environmental health/toxicology, and epidemiology.

After spending first 3 months at Baystate as s PGY1 resident, I am extremely impressed with the volume and breadth of interesting cases, the continuous educational improvement, and the program’s structured didactics. In addition, I highly value the teamwork that our co-workers exhibit. I sincerely appreciate the dedication and continued support from the program coordinator.

In my free time, I enjoy reading (fictions and physics), chatting with my mom, watching Netflix, spending time with my dear husband, and talking about dinosaurs and space with my tiny 5 year old boy AKA my universe.

ARCHANA SALLAGONDA, MD
Osmania Medical College

Hi this is Archana Sallagonda. I graduated from Osmania Medical College, Hyderabad, India. I discovered the interest for pathology during my internship years when I found that Pathology has a dramatic impact on clinical decision making and that the patient management can be changed completely based on the pathology report. This passion has led me to complete my residency in Pathology from the same medical school after which I worked as a consultant pathologist for a year.

Soon after I moved to USA, I decided to continue my career in Pathology to learn the latest diagnostic techniques and research implemented in making diagnosis to help in patient care. I did observerships in the hospital and clinical setting to understand the US health care system which in turn reinforced my passion to continue my career in pathology.

Outside of Medicine, I like to spend my time with my family, enjoy listening to music, trying new cuisines and watching movies. During my interview at Baystate, I felt this is the family I would like to be a part of. Having spent my 2 months of training as PGY1 resident at Baystate, now I am sure I have chosen the right place for my career. I am now part of Baystate family with supporting residents, encouraging attendings and very helpful program director and program coordinator.

Overall, I am very excited to have matched here and I look forward to growing professionally and personally over the next 4 years.