Internal Medicine Residency Program

Welcome New and Prospective Residents

I would like to personally welcome you to the Internal Medicine Residency Program at Desert Regional Medical Center. We are a three-year American Osteopathic Association (AOA) and Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accredited program located in sunny Palm Springs, California and have the pleasure of serving the Coachella Valley. We provide care to a large demographic population and manage the most difficult cases presented to us.

During your three years at DRMC you will see a wide range of pathology and build the knowledge of how to co-manage and collaborate with many different specialties. Your exposure will be as broad as the care of the critical patient to the out-patient clinic primary care and the whole spectrum in between. You will have rotations through multiple sub-specialties of Internal Medicine to increase your range of knowledge.

We accept twelve residents per year and our inaugural class started July 1, 2016. I am very excited to be a part of the education of our future Internists and believe that Desert Regional Medical Center will provide the best learning environment needed to become a well-seasoned Internist.

Katrina Platt, DO, FACOI
Program Director

---

First Year Residents – Class of 2021

Dina Albaree, DO University of Pikeville Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine Class of 2018	Samir Bajwa, DO Pikeville Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine Class of 2018
Rosine Bekarian, DO Western University Class of 2018	Chase Blackford, DO Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine Class of 2018
Robert Elliot, DO Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine – Midwestern Class of 2018	Anastasia Kozyleva, DO Kansas City University Class of 2018
Jeffrey Lin, DO Graduate of Western University of Health Sciences Class of 2018	Leeda Mathew, DO Touro University, Nevada Class of 2018
Arabhi Nagasunder, DO UNTHSC Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine Class of 2018	Joshua Napial, DO Western University of Health Sciences Class of 2018
Nicole Nazemi, DO Western University Class of 2018	Megan Sidana, DO Western University of Health Sciences Class of 2018

Second Year Residents – Class of 2020

Shan Dhillon, DO, MS Western University of Health Sciences Class of 2017	Sharanpreet Kaur, DO A.T. Still University Class of 2017
Devin Morris, DO, MS Western University of Health Sciences Class of 2017	Dallis Ngo, DO Western University of Health Sciences Class of 2017
Kenisha Nisbett, DO Touro University, Nevada Class of 2017	Joshua Seastrand, DO Kansas City College of Osteopathic Medicine Class of 2017
Ling Shen, DO Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine Class of 2017	Angela Shih, DO Touro University, California Class of 2017
Jennifer Truong, DO Touro University Nevada College of Osteopathic Medicine Class of 2017	Manika Talati, DO Touro University, California Class of 2017
Christina Vu, DO Midwestern University Class of 2017	Shayla Vu, DO A.T. Still University Class of 2017
Nikki Zahabi, DO Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine Class of 2017

Third Year Residents – Class of 2019

Peter Fox, DO Western University of Health Sciences Class of 2016	Anh Hoang, DO A.T. Still University Class of 2016
Cody Hull, DO Western University of Health Sciences Class of 2016	Wisam Khader, DO West Virginia University Class of 2016
Julius Musenze, DO Ohio University Heritage College Class of 2016	Thien Nguyen, DO Western University of Health Sciences Class of 2016
Ravi Solanki, DO Touro University, Nevada Class of 2016	Patricia Sotolongo, DO Nova Southeastern University Class of 2016
Joshua Tiger, DO Western University of Health Sciences Class of 2015 OGME-1 year at Chino Valley Medical Center Preliminary Program

INTERVIEWS

The Department of Internal Medicine participates exclusively with the American Osteopathic Association National Matching Service and can be found on the Electronic Residency Application Service. You may apply through the dean’s office at your medical school, or through the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates.

Scheduled for October through December, interviews are offered to applicants who have submitted an application through ERAS. (Applications sent by fax or email will not be reviewed.)

The interview day itinerary includes*:

• Welcome and Introductions
• Morning Report
• Interviews with Senior Residents
• Interviews with Program Leadership and Faculty
• Tour of the Hospital and the IM Clinic
• Lunch and Q&A with Current Residents

*Subject to change

CURRICULUM

The curriculum for Desert Regional Medical Center has been designed to meet AOA accreditation standards and utilize the clinical strengths of the hospital faculty to produce quality trained physicians. The hospital has elected to use 13 block arrangement for rotations.

OGME YEAR 1:
General Internal Medicine	Five (5) Blocks
Critical Care	One (1) Block
Cardiology	One (1) Block
Care of the Surgical Patient	One (1) Block
Emergency Medicine	One (1) Blocks
Women’s Health	One (1) Block
Selectives Chosen by the Program Director	Three (3) Blocks
Continuity Clinic (one half-day per week, 36 weeks per year)
OGME YEAR 2:
General Internal Medicine	Six (6) Blocks
Infectious Diseases	One (1) Block
Nephrology	One (1) Block
Gastroenterology	One (1) Block
Pulmonary Disease	One (1) Block
Critical Care	One (1) Block
Research	One (1) Block
Possible Electives (Allergy & Immunology, Ophthalmology, Otolaryngology, Outpatient Dermatology, Non-surgical Orthopedics, Psychiatry, Sleep Medicine, Palliative Care Medicine & Rehabilitation, and Diagnostic Radiology)	One (1) Block
Continuity Clinic (one half-day per week, 36 weeks per year)
OGME YEAR 3:
General Internal Medicine	Five (5) Blocks
Rheumatology	One (1) Block
Endocrinology	One (1) Block
Hematology/Oncology	One (1) Block
Geriatric Medicine	One (1) Block
Critical Care	One (1) Block
Night Float	One (1) Block
Possible Electives (Allergy & Immunology, Ophthalmology, Otolaryngology, Outpatient Dermatology, Non-surgical Orthopedics, Psychiatry, Sleep Medicine, Palliative Care Medicine & Rehabilitation, and Diagnostic Radiology)	Two (2) Blocks
Continuity Clinic (one half-day per week, 36 weeks per year)

Program Director

Katrina Platt, DO, FACOI

Current Positions: Internal Medicine Program Director, Desert Regional Medical Center

Board Certification: Internal Medicine

Residency: Internal Medicine, Arrowhead Regional Medical Center- Colton, CA

Medical Degree: Western University of Health Sciences – Pomona, CA

Faculty Appointments: Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine, Western University of Health Sciences – Pomona, CA

 

---

Associate Program Director

Xolani Mdluli, MD

Current Position: Internal Medicine Associate Program Director, Desert Regional Medical Center

Board Certification: Internal Medicine and Infectious Disease

Residency: Mount Sanai School of Medicine – Jersey City, NJ

Medical Degree: St. George’s University – Grenada, West Indies

Faculty Appointments: Assistant Professor of Infectious Disease, University of California, Riverside, CA