Gastroenterology Fellows Class of 2022:
Each year the program has the very difficult task of selecting new fellows from a large pool of excellent candidates. A major consideration during this process is finding prospective fellows who not only have excellent clinical knowledge and skills but who also embody our programs core values: Patients First, Honesty, Transparency and Professionalism.
Our current 3rd year fellows have exceeded even our high expectations. They have built on and added to our program and are examples of its core values. Take a moment to meet each of them as introduced by our Program Director Dr. Bongiovanni.
Dr. Li Wang: “prior to joining the UC Fellowship in Gastroenterology, had already established herself as an accomplished leader among her peers. She double majored in applied Economics and Management as well as Biologic Sciences at Cornell University. She attended the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry and did her residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Massachusetts.
She was a National Merit finalist. She earned a graduate degree with a Masters in Health Administration.
I remember her interview very clearly. I asked her why she decided to go into medicine and she replied, “She likes helping people when they need it most and when it serves the greater good”. She had my support from that moment on. One comment I wrote on her interview day “Fabulous!” She is very bright and commits herself to always doing the very best at the task at hand. She is a perfectionist and demands that of herself as well as the system that she works in. She will work tirelessly to improve the system to bring it to her standards. She is highly motivated to learn and shares that thrill of learning with those around her.
Li describes her degree in Health Administration as the foundation of her Medicine Career. It is about teamwork, how to get along with others, how to build a better world for everyone.
I am very proud of all that she has accomplished and the future path that she is following.” Fabulous” is just the beginning for her.”
Ahmad Hassan: “Joined our program after earning his undergraduate degree in Biomedical Engineering from Northwestern University. He attended medical School at the University of Illinois College of Medicine and then did his 3 years of Internal Medicine Residency at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
He is an entrepreneur and built a successful business with his brother to cover student debt. He has always given back to his community.
His background in Biomedical Engineering gives him a unique perspective to study Medicine. He has a deep understanding of the pathophysiology of disease and shows a precise approach to problem solving. His thought processes are through, comprehensive and expansive. His focus on the task at hand helps him successfully navigate the academic rigors of our training program
Ahmad radiates kindness and compassion. To be with him is to feel the respect he has for all others. He has a strong sense of family, faith and honor. He improves all of us in the Program by sharing these values. He is a teacher and a learner all together. He is kind and caring. This is so evident watching him interact with patients and families. He reflects a competent calmness that is invaluable to his patients and to those of us who work with him every day.
Dr. Hassan plans to go on in his studies to do a year of Advanced Endoscopy training. Recently engaged, Ahmad has a wonderful future ahead of him.
I am in awe of his abilities, his sensitivities and his humanness. He has made me a better person, a better doctor, by giving me the opportunity to serve and learn at his side.”
Elizabeth Sprague: “Bet”, as she prefers to be called, was a recruitment success from the start! Having spent her undergraduate, medical school and residency training at the University
of Wisconsin, and Medical College of Wisconsin respectively, the UC GI Fellowship selection committee all agreed, it was time for her to branch out and come train with us!
At Wisconsin she was described as” one of their best.” We have come to see how true that is. During her residency at Wisconsin she was instrumental in setting up an International Global Out Reach Program for residents. What an accomplishment and what a legacy to leave.
Coming to University of Cincinnati, Bet has broadened her personal and academic perspectives. There is life beyond the State Borders of Wisconsin. We were all so happy for her when her spouse, an engineer, and her cat, were able to leave Wisconsin and join her here in Cincinnati.
Bet has a down to earth, approachable relationship with her patients. They come first. She shows a singular commitment to their needs, their care and the needs of their families. For Bet, it is definitely patient care above all else, the hallmark of our training program!
She is a dynamic, energetic and bright force in the fellowship. She is an individual in her approach to all that she does. Bet is refreshing and enlightening. Her personality is uplifting. Her enthusiasm for all that she does is contagious.
Dr. Sprague takes full advantage of the opportunities in her training program and is committed to her career in Gastroenterology. She is independently driven to pursue her goals.
I enjoy working with Bet. I know I will be challenged with great questions, new approaches and a fresh way to look at the daily work we do. Bet, we are so pleased you chose to broaden your horizons.”
Andrea Portocarrero-Castillo: "Andrea came to the University of Cincinnati for Internal Medicine Residency after completing her undergraduate and medical school at Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia Facultad de Medicina Alberto Hurtado in Peru.
During her residency she was selected to work in the research lab of our Division Director, Dr. Kenneth Sherman. He was impressed by her hard work, dedication to learning and her deep fund of knowledge. He and we were delighted when she matched with our Program.
Andrea is thoughtful, caring and genuinely interested in the well-being and clinical outcomes of her patients. She is there for them and for their families. Her peers recognize her as a devoted advocate for her patients. She listens and hears what they say. She takes the time to build a trust with her patients allowing them to partner in their health care decisions. She models our aim of Patient Care Above All Else.
She is a trusted colleague to those she works with. She supports younger learners and gives them supervised autonomy to grow. I have personally observed her be a fabulous mentor to students and other residents. She is more than helpful to co-fellows in sharing the workload.
In her Personal Statement for Fellowship Application, Dr. Portocarrero-Castillo described her medical training in a developing country as enriching. It allowed her to cultivate a sensitivity and empathy towards those who suffer. It allowed her to understand how patient care differs based on the epidemiological and socio-economic factors. Watching Andrea care for her patients, her past training has become one of her greatest strengths. She gets it…each patient should be heard and understood in the full context of their lives and circumstances. This is modern personalized medical care. This is what matters to patients. This is the basis for being a successful physician.
Andrea is committed to work to the best of her abilities. Her goals of being a knowledgeable and compassionate physician are rapidly developing as she continues her training.
I was given the honor of writing one of Andrea’s Letters of Recommendation for Fellowship. Then and now, I believe she has all the attributes of a young physician that will make her successful. Then and now, I am grateful for the honor of helping to train her as a future colleague in Gastroenterology.”
Anup Shah: “Anup received his undergraduate degree from CUNY Brooklyn College in Psychology, His Medical School and Internal Medicine Residency training were spent at the State University of New York Upstate Medical University and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Beth Israel in New York respectively
The day I interviewed Anup for fellowship, I learned that he planned to visit every major league baseball stadium in the United States. Not a small goal and one that could lure him from his East Coast roots to Cincinnati. We are, after all, a baseball town! We had hope of getting him to our Fellowship.
Anup works with all the joy, maturity and intellect that are hallmarks of great physicians. He is highly and consistently curious. He is an outstanding teacher. In the endoscopy suite the first year fellows love to have him there to explain how to maneuver the scope to achieve success. His instructions are crystal clear, as if he was born knowing what to do. I knew on day one of our Endoscopy Simulation Training in First Year Orientation, that he would be a star. I am delighted to say I spotted his talent early on!
Dr. Shah has a deep passion for learning and for giving personal, empathetic care to his patients and their families. His deep knowledge base, familiarity with the medical literature and the clinical guidelines all place him in the ideal position to give expert, cost effective, evidenced based and relevant care. He does this day after day no matter what the stress and responsibilities on his day may be. He demands a
lot from himself and pursues excellence in all he does. He is a consummate team player and a true leader of his peers.
Having said all these wonderful and true descriptors of Dr. Shah, one thing that truly sets him apart from others is his smile. It is a smile that fills a room and brightens the day. It is a never failing smile to his patients that lets them know, no matter what, all will be well. It is a smile to his colleagues and his co-fellows that lets them know we will get the work done and it will be done right. Oh how I love seeing him work his magic just by walking into a room. It is a gift well earned. We are definitely a stronger, better and brighter training program because of Anup. I thank him for sharing his gifts with us each day. Anup was recently engaged. His smile and his future just got even brighter”