By Tiffany Williams –
There are moments in every profession when the focus shifts away from the work itself and toward the people who have dedicated themselves to it. At Greenwich Hospital, that moment arrived as resident physicians and interns gathered with family members, colleagues, mentors and friends for the hospital’s 51st annual House Staff graduation ceremony.
For many in attendance, the ceremony marked the end of years of long hours, sleepless nights, difficult decisions and countless moments spent caring for patients. For the graduates, it represented something even more meaningful: the beginning of the next chapter in careers devoted to medicine.
Fourteen honorees, including seven residents and seven interns, were recognized during the ceremony as they prepared to move forward in their professional journeys.
Greenwich Hospital leadership joined the celebration to thank the graduates for their service and recognize the commitment that brought them to this milestone.
“Today, we come together to recognize an important milestone and the growth each of you has achieved,” said Greenwich Hospital President Robert Blenderman, PA, MBA. “Your journey reflects dedication, resilience and a deep sense of purpose. The care you have provided and the compassion you have shown will continue to shape the future of medicine and the lives of your patients.”
Those words reflected a common theme throughout the ceremony: medicine is about more than diagnoses, procedures and treatments. It is about people.
Before each graduating resident received a diploma, Charles B. Seelig, MD, residency program director, shared personal stories highlighting the skills and personalities that made each physician unique.
Jonathan Zimmerman, MD, the residency associate program director, did the same for the graduating interns.
The ceremony recognized graduating residents Deepika Dhawan, MD; Soo-Hyun Lee, MD; Slake Mokrytzki, MD; Eric Olausson, MD; Rosa Velasquez, MD; Allyson M. Wenner, MD; and Xiaofeng Zhang, MD.
Graduating interns included Gretchen Ball, MD; Kiersten Berggren, MD, PhD; Mychael Delgado, MD; Chitra Parikh, MD; Jesse Tan, MD; Kristy Terft, MD; and Stephen Trudeau, MD, PhD.
While every graduate had a story, another physician was recognized for helping guide many of those stories along the way.
Chief Resident Nikhita Shrimanker, MD, received a plaque from Dr. Seelig in recognition of her leadership.
“Dr. Shrimanker brought a rare combination of energy and steadiness to the chief resident role,” said Dr. Seelig. “Her infectious personality helped bring people together, while her calm, thoughtful approach provided a steady presence for the entire team. She set the tone for collaboration, supported her colleagues through every challenge and leaves a lasting impact on this program.”
The ceremony also recognized excellence in research, teaching, patient care and service.
Anne Chua, MBBS, received the Dr. Nelson A. Bonheim Resident Research Award.
Resident Teacher Awards were presented to Deepika Dhawan, MD, Soo-Hyun Lee, MD and Slake Mokrytzki, MD.
The Dr. Henry E. Markley Humanitarian Award in Medicine was awarded to Slake Mokrytzki, MD.
Allyson Wenner, MD, received the Quality & Safety Award.
Donna Phanumas, MD, was honored with the Golden Apple Teaching Award.
Vicky Yesko, RN, ICU, received the Nursing-Resident Partner in Care Award.
Lane Andrews, DO, was recognized with the Resident Physician Patient Experience Award.
Awards and diplomas are tangible reminders of achievement, but the ceremony was also about something less visible.
Every physician honored during the event leaves Greenwich Hospital carrying lessons learned from patients, mentors and colleagues. They leave with experiences that cannot be measured on a transcript or listed on a résumé.
They leave knowing that behind every chart is a person, behind every diagnosis is a family and behind every successful outcome is a team.
As the ceremony concluded, the graduates stood surrounded by the people who helped them reach this moment.
The applause celebrated academic achievement, but it also celebrated perseverance, sacrifice and compassion.
For Greenwich Hospital, it was a chance to recognize the future of medicine.
For the graduates, it was a reminder of how far they have come and how much farther their journeys will take them.
And for the loved ones watching from the audience, it was a moment years in the making, one filled with pride, gratitude and hope for what comes next.