As another academic year comes to a close, we celebrate the graduation of many of our residents and fellows.
On Saturday, June 20, the Residency Class of 2026 celebrated their graduation at the Missouri Botanical Garden. During the ceremony, Michael S. Avidan, MBBCh, FCA SA, the Dr. Seymour and Rose T. Brown Professor and head of the Department of Anesthesiology, reflected on the nature of time.
In addressing the graduating residents, Dr. Avidan emphasized, “You have chosen careers that are meaningful, secure, intellectually stimulating, and profoundly consequential. Every day, you will be entrusted by patients to care for them during moments that matter. Surgery. Life-threatening emergencies. Childbirth. Critical illness. Profound suffering.” He added reflectively, “We should never measure the value of our lives only by what we achieve personally, but also by what we make possible for others. We should always teach, mentor, encourage, and inspire. The impact of a single physician is finite. The impact of physicians who develop others is exponential. Time limits us. Influence transcends us.”
The Residency Class of 2026 made remarkable contributions, including:
- Administering 23,869 anesthetics and providing care for 21,397 unique patients. Among them, over 3,000 were the sickest ASA 4 and 5 patients, demonstrating their expertise in handling high-acuity cases.
- Performing 524 organ transplants.
- Successfully managing 11,317 airways.
- Placing 2,633 arterial lines.
- Inserting 1,776 central lines.
- Administering 2,451 neuraxial blocks.
- Conducting 4,784 peripheral nerve blocks.
“The Class of 2026 is truly special. They have not only grown into exceptionally skilled anesthesiologists, but into thoughtful leaders, mentors, and teammates who supported one another through every challenge and milestone. It has been an incredible privilege to watch their transformation, and I am so proud of the compassionate, confident physicians they have become,” said Residency Program Director, Sydney Nykiel-Bailey, DO.
Additionally, several residents were honored with special awards in recognition of their exceptional contributions. The graduating class also honored faculty members who had a meaningful impact on their clinical training with the annual Outstanding Teacher Awards.
Outstanding Teacher Award: Lukas H. Matern, MD
The Outstanding Teacher Award honors an educator who goes above and beyond in their dedication to education and has made a significant impact on residents—serving as both an exceptional instructor and inspiring role model.
Leonard W. Fabian Award for Outstanding First-Year Resident: Andrew Benckendorf, MD
The Outstanding First-Year Resident Award is presented to an individual who exemplifies exceptional professionalism, unwavering commitment to high academic standards, and outstanding clinical performance.
Necita L. Roa Award for Outstanding Graduating Resident: Christopher Dimza, MD and Gabrielle Fernandez, MD
This award, chosen by program leadership, recognizes a member of the graduating resident class for their citizenship, essential attributes, and contributions to the program. This year, we had an unprecedented tie between two residents and are thrilled to have two awardees for the Necita L. Roa Award.
Peter E. Krucylak Prize for Outstanding Resident in Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology: Phillip Yang, MD
This award recognizes an outstanding graduating resident specializing in cardiothoracic anesthesia and is selected by cardiothoracic anesthesiology faculty members.
Meet our 2026 graduates:
| Nathan Achilly, MD, PhD | Leighton McCabe, MD |
| Archana Bharadwaj, MD, MPH, CHES | Arianna Montes de Oca, MD |
| Brandon DeClouette, MD | Peyton Overstreet, MD |
| Christopher Dimza, MD | Aashay Patel, MD |
| Gabrielle Fernandez, MD | Stephen Renfroe, MD |
| Gaurang Gupte, MD | Ashton Shaffer, MD, PhD |
| Lisa Kim, MD | Thomas Van Horn, MD |
| Christopher Lee, MD, MS | Phillip Yang, MD |
| Burk Loeliger, MD | Mitsukuni Yoshida, MD, PhD |
| Kyle Maryan, MD |
The Abdominal Organ Transplant Anesthesiology Fellowship Program celebrated its graduate, Shun Huang, MD, PhD, on June 25, 2026.
The Adult Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology Fellowship Program celebrated its graduates on June 28, 2026.
- Javaughn Baker, MD
- Ryan DeAngelis, MD
- Parita Jani, MD
- Brittni Lanoux, MD
- Rasheeq Nizam, MD
The Critical Care Medicine Fellowship hosted a joint graduation celebration with the Department of Surgery on Saturday, June 27, for its sixteen graduating fellows—each specializing in either anesthesiology, emergency medicine, or surgical critical care medicine.
Anesthesiology Critical Care Medicine
- Adriana Grossman, MD
- Joseph Miller, MD
- Melissa Pippin, MD
- Peter Rafferty, MD
Emergency Medicine Critical Care Medicine
- Brittney Gordon, MD
- Raelyn Lorson, MD
- Nizar Osmani, MD
- Aunaly Palmer, MD
- Ina Prevalska, MD
- Craig Sweeney, MD
Surgical Critical Care Medicine
- Derek Benham, MD
- Emily Collaer, MD
- Sophia Garfinkel, MD
- Michelle Gary, MD
- Joseph O’Malley, DO
- Matthew Schaeffer, MD
The Obstetric Anesthesia Fellowship celebrated its two graduates—Abdal-Aziz El-Hussain, MD, and Shreya Goswami, MD—on Saturday, June 6. This fall, Dr. Goswami will join the obstetric anesthesia team as faculty while Dr. El-Hussain will begin a second fellowship with our department in transplant anesthesia.
On Friday, June 12, the Pain Medicine Fellowship Program celebrated its graduates:
- Abdoul Kone, MD
- Daniel Mok, DO
- Abigail York, DO
- Mitsu Yoshida MD, PhD
The Pediatric Anesthesiology Fellowship Program Celebration will be hosted in July to celebrate Sakshi Sharma, MD, and Jeffrey Wherritt, DO.
The Regional Anesthesiology and Acute Pain Fellowship Program Celebration will be hosted in July to celebrate Suraj Kaushal, DO.
The Trauma Anesthesiology Fellowship Program Celebration will be hosted in October to celebrate Pegah Farhood, MD.