UGA School of Medicine, St. Mary’s welcome first class of internal medicine residents
July 13, 2026
ATHENS, Ga. – The University of Georgia School of Medicine and St. Mary’s Health Care System welcomed 12 new physician residents to the Internal Medicine Residency Program (IMRP) on July 1.
The Class of 2029 is the first class of residents to begin practicing under the UGA School of Medicine after the residency program transitioned from the Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership.
Residents in the IMRP provide supervised inpatient care at St. Mary's and outpatient care at Community Internal Medicine of Athens. In addition, third-year residents spend two months in a rural healthcare setting by providing inpatient care at St. Mary's Good Samaritan Hospital in Greensboro.
The IMRP Class of 2029 and the schools at which they completed their medical education are:
- Dr. Edem Ankudey – St. George’s University School of Medicine
- Dr. Grant Capps – Mercer University School of Medicine
- Dr. Sristi Das – Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
- Dr. Nicholas Kostromin – Mercer University School of Medicine
- Dr. Niyati Patel – Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine
- Dr. Ashley Pineiro – University of Medicine and Health Sciences, St. Kitts
- Dr. Lourdes Quintana Acevedo – Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara
- Dr. Naga Reddy-Mallu – St. George’s University School of Medicine
- Dr. Kayla Rojics – Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine
- Dr. Oudhay Sohal – American University of the Caribbean
- Dr. Helena Traverso Frankel – San Juan Bautista School of Medicine
- Dr. Noah Woford – Lincoln Memorial University DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine
The program will also welcome a preliminary year intern, Dr. Edwine Coulanges, from the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University.
The chief residents for this academic year are Drs. Crystal Rivera Perez and C. Ian Schrock. Chief residents act as liaisons between faculty members and residents, serve as mentors, help design and create educational activities, and provide patient care.
“These outstanding physicians were selected not only for their academic achievements but also for their character, compassion, and commitment to serving patients and communities,” said Dr. Lela Ward, the IMRP director. “Their arrival marks a historic milestone for our program, and I look forward to supporting them as they grow into exceptional clinicians, leaders, and colleagues.”
