Meet the Chief Residents
Meena Rezazad, DO - Administrative Chief Resident
Why I wanted to serve as chief resident?
I wanted to serve as chief resident to make a positive impact on our residency program and to continue to improve our training. I also wanted to use it an opportunity to further develop my leadership, time management, and problem-solving skills.
What I like most about my job as chief?
The best part about being a chief is being an advocate for our residents. With this position, we work as a liaison between residents and leadership to identify problems and develop solutions. It helps our residents and overall helps to strengthen our program's training and the patient care that we provide.
What leadership experiences I had prior to becoming chief?
In residency, I have also held the position of Recruitment Committee co-chair and Wellness Committee co-chair. On Recruitment, we were responsible for organizing and interviewing applicants for The Match 2024. On Wellness, we implement routine wellness initiatives to promote positive mental/physical health for our residents and staff. I have also worked with my co-chief to develop EVMS's ACE program (Academic Clinical Educators) which is designed to help better prepare fourth year medical students who have matched into Family Medicine via various workshops and lecture series.
Alex Richardson, MD - Academic Chief Resident
Why I wanted to serve as chief resident?
I believe in the importance of service and saw this position as an excellent opportunity to contribute in a meaningful way to a program that has always had my back. I was also inspired and encouraged by an outgoing chief and personal mentor, Dr. JB Navarro. His guided me through my intern year, and his leadership as an admin chief over the last year has left a very high standard for the current chiefs to meet.
What I like most about my job as chief?
I enjoy being able to serve as a resource for my friends and colleagues and find satisfaction in assisting them with the challenges of residency. I also enjoy the opportunities for problem-solving that comes with the position. We work towards improving processes, communication, policies, etc., in our mission to optimize patient care and resident quality of life. Taken together, this allows me to have a positive impact on my program.
What leadership experiences I had prior to becoming chief?
I'm actually fairly new to a leadership role. In med school at the University of Maryland I served as co-president of the Geriatrics Interest Group in deference to my father, a geriatrician, and also due to my firm belief that all physicians, regardless of specialty or practice, should know something about geriatrics and palliative care.
Nadia Salamat, MD - Administrative Chief Resident
Why I wanted to serve as chief resident?
It honestly seemed like a natural choice for me since I've had a lot of experience. I enjoy trying to help people realize their potential and working as chief allows to give back to the people around me like I felt support.
What I like most about my job as chief?
I enjoy problem solving and coming up with solutions. It's also some of the most challenging part but I think there is always a solution.
What leadership experiences I had prior to becoming chief?
I've been blessed to have many leadership experiences in my past, starting as a teenager in working in my family-owned business, which continued throughout my academic and medical career. I was chair of interest groups in college, regularly involved in mentorship after graduation, working as a nursing clinical practice leader, along with being head tutor for my medical school.
Gailynn Sybrandy, MD - Obstetrics Chief Resident
Why I wanted to serve as chief resident?
I wanted to be a part of building on and shaping the positive culture at the program. I also wanted to be in a position to support and engage my current co-residents in building a work environment that supported us. Further, I wanted to be a visible resource to the incoming interns to help them navigate the challenges that come during intern year and hopefully make the transition a smooth one.
What I like most about my job as chief?
I enjoy the teaching opportunities, especially the hands-on simulations. I also enjoy meeting our pregnant patients and working closely with our FM-OB faculty to ensure we are optimizing their care.
What leadership experiences I had prior to becoming chief?
In medical school I served on our Medical Student Association leadership team as class treasurer. During that role I worked with the leadership team to guide creation of student interest groups as well as our campus policies/procedures. Prior to medical school I worked as an instructor for phlebotomy and medical assistant skills.
Courtney Testani, DO - Academic Chief Resident
Why I wanted to serve as chief resident?
I wanted to be chief so I could help actively shape our program. I have loved my time so far here and I want to use the feedback from our current residents to make sure that everyone can have that same experience.
What I like most about my job as chief?
Creating the didactics schedule has been even more rewarding than I expected it to be. We have been able to get residents more involved in shaping the curriculum, which in turn makes for more productive sessions & discussions. It's also been great seeing more faculty get involved and seeing them get excited about sharing their knowledge on topics they are passionate about
What leadership experiences I had prior to becoming chief?
In residency I have served on the recruitment committee, and was one of the co-contributors to our EVMS Instagram account. I am in a formal mentorship program through the medical school that allows me to mentor five MS1 & MS2's who are interested in pursuing a career in family medicine. I also work regularly at the HER shelter for domestic violence victims, and participate in the VAFP Legislative Committee.
