Graduates of BRG Residency Programs Transition into Healthcare System

BATON ROUGE, La. – Sixteen new physicians are beginning careers at health systems and physician practices across the country after graduating from Baton Rouge General’s (BRG) residency programs in Family Medicine and Internal Medicine.

Three Internal Medicine graduates will remain at BRG, and one Family Medicine graduate will return to complete a fellowship with BRG’s Sports Medicine Fellowship Program, one of just a few similar programs in Louisiana.

The Internal Medicine graduates are Abhishek Alluri, MD; Galina Clous, MD; Eric Frusha, MD; Victor Gasia, MD; Yasmin Hajja, MD; Chenna Nalabolu, MD; Gabriel Randall, DO; and Gaetano Ruggiero, MD.

The Family Medicine graduates are Michelle Becnel, MD; Audrey Billeaud, MD; Brian Callihan, MD; Monali Pandya, MD; Andrew Parks, Sr.; MD, Roxanne Varnell, MD; Katherine Whittaker, MD; and Carita Winn, MD.

“Our training program at BRG has been in place for decades, and our residents work side-by-side our doctors to contribute to exceptional patient care,” said Dr. Vincent Shaw, Program Director of BRG’s Family Medicine Residency Program. “We have the same dedication to making the healthcare system better as we do to helping each patient’s quality of life.”

Family and internal medicine residency programs typically require three-year commitments following medical school. Upon completion of residency, physicians take exams to obtain board certification, then begin medical practice; or continue with additional fellowship training in sub-specialties such as sports medicine, geriatrics, cardiology, OB-GYN, global health, or others.

Through its education programs, the BRG trains annually more than 500 medical students, residents, fellows, nurses, pharmacists, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, certified registered nurse anesthetists, and radiation technologists, and provides instructional locations for medical students from other schools, including Tulane and LSU.

BRG’s Family Medicine Residency Program graduates are (front row left to right) Michelle Becnel, MD; Roxanne Varnell, MD; and Carita Winn, MD; (back row left to right) Andrew Parks, Sr., MD; Audrey Billeaud, MD; Monali Pandya, MD; Katherine Whittaker, MD; and Brian Callihan, MD.

BRG Internal Medicine Residency Program graduate are (front row, left to right) Yasmin Hajja, MD, and Galina Clous, MD; (back row left to right) Gabriel Randall, DO; Chenna Nalabolu, MD; Eric Frusha, MD; Gaetano Ruggiero, MD; Abhishek Alluri, MD; and Victor Gasia, MD.

About Baton Rouge General Medical Center
Baton Rouge General Medical Center is the area’s first community hospital with 588 licensed beds between two campuses. Baton Rouge General opened its doors in 1900, and has provided the Greater Baton Rouge community with high-quality healthcare for generations. An accredited teaching hospital since 1991, Baton Rouge General serves as an affiliate of Tulane University School of Medicine, and offers other medical education programs, including a School of Nursing, School of Radiologic Technology, Family Medicine Residency Program, Internal Medicine Residency Program, and Sports Medicine Fellowship Program. For more information, visit BRGeneral.org, find us on Facebook at Facebook.com/BatonRougeGeneral and follow us on Twitter at @BRGeneral