PGY 4’s
Brendan Dukes
I'm originally from a small town in Northeast Georgia, went to Georgia Tech for undergrad, and Mercer for medical school. I chose Wake Forest because of the incredible people that I met throughout my interview experience and felt like Winston-Salem was the perfect environment for me to both work and live. My favorite aspect of Winston-Salem is its proximity to amazing hiking trails and parks (Hanging Rock, Pilot Mountain, Salem Lake, etc.), and there is no shortage of outdoor activities and new places to explore. I also enjoy spending time with my 2 dogs Wyatt and Bruce, as well as rooting for Atlanta sports teams. I am personally interested in Behavioral/Cognitive Neurology, but am excited to continue exploring the variety of subspecialties available while at Wake!
Staci Hunter
I am originally from Tennessee which is where I also completed medical school at Lincoln Memorial University. Prior to medical school, I went to Boston University for undergrad, then worked in a lab and ER after graduation. Simultaneously, I completed my masters in pharmacology and toxicology from Michigan State and then completed an MBA during my third and fourth year of medical school at Texas A&M. In my free time, you may find me painting, singing, or writing and illustrating children's books.
Why I chose Wake Forest Neurology for residency when choosing a residency, I wanted a place that gave me autonomy but where I was able to ask questions when I didn't know something. I wanted a place that encouraged learning and curiosity as well as a place that I could feel at home which Wake Forest has provided. Best thing about being a resident here? There are plenty of opportunities to grow as a resident and as a physician. Even as a second-year resident, we run the stroke and general service in the hospital. During electives, we have many choices to explore and make future connections for possible fellowship opportunities.
What’s great about living in W-S? I enjoy living in Winston-Salem because there is something for everyone. There is a vibrant arts scene, multiple festivals, historic regions, parks, minor league baseball and minimal traffic. Favorite thing to do in W-S, the region I am still exploring the area, but I do enjoy occasionally going out to the ball field and watching the minor league baseball team, Dash, play.
Peter Leistikow
I grew up in Atlanta, GA and attended Emory University as an undergraduate. Although working in EMS brought me to medicine, I became interested in neurology as a stroke research coordinator prior to medical school. I attended medical school at Hofstra/Northwell in New York. I currently live in West Salem with my wife Shaina. Why I chose Wake Forest Neurology for residency: I loved my experience meeting all the faculty and residents at my interview at Wake Forest! I was really excited about how they seemed invested in my personal goals beyond ensuring residents matched into prestigious fellowship positions. It also doesn't hurt that I was ready to be closer to family after four long years in the Northeast, and I am now a short drive away from my parents in the Raleigh area and my sister in Kernersville! Best thing about being a resident here: We love to spend time together! Even as interns, we loved to get together almost every month. Now, we spend more time than ever together in our workroom with the best view of downtown short of the rooftop playground.
What’s great about living in W-S? Winston-Salem has a low cost of living and is very easy to get around, even on a busy Dash game night. Favorite thing to do in W-S, the region: I have a few favorite spots around town including Underdog Records, the huge local library, the weekly farmer's market and all the breweries around town. Career goals and research interest: I hope to work primarily in outpatient neurology but I continue to have an interest in medical education.
Meaghan Puckett
I'm a native North Carolinian who enjoys painting, dancing to live bass music, and stomping around the blue ridge mountains. I studied studio art at UNC Chapel Hill and went here, Wake Forest, for medical school. Why I chose Wake Forest Neurology for residency I knew I loved the culture here and wanted to stay after medical school. Our residents and attendings are great to work with, and we have just about every fellowship option represented. Best thing about being a resident here We have access to a wide variety of neurology subspecialist mentors, and our patient population is awesome - plenty of rare diseases to see. Winston-Salem is the home of the NC School of the Arts, so the art scene here is extremely rich for a relatively small city.
There are a ton of great galleries, plays and events -- the new Art Crush event that happens monthly is particularly fun. Old Salem, Bethabara, Quarry Park, Salem Lake and the Reynolda Village are just a few of the gorgeous nature spots to check out. Favorite thing to do in W-S, the region I love going to Monstercade, a weird dive bar on the south side of town that has great drag shows and cool events like rat adoptions and vintage clothing sales. Career goals and research interests I'm interested in neurocritical care and research about neuroprognostication for comatose/post-arrest patients.
Brady Quon
Greetings! I’m originally from Southern California, went to medical school in Long Island NY, and now I have the pleasure of being here in Winston-Salem. In terms of hobbies, if it can be done indoors, I probably enjoy this activity. For example, I love watching/playing basketball, dissociating with Dungeons & Dragons, stress-cutting my own hair, tearing my ACL on the dance floor and worrying about staph infections from amateur woodworking. Catch me outside my apartment after setting off the fire alarm with my food experiments! Despite being vehemently sick and half asleep for the resident social and interview, I still left with an incredible lasting impression of how supportive, educational and resident-driven the program strived to be.
The residents seemed to always have each other’s backs and expressed how available the attendings/program were for support. As above, the support is *chef’s kiss*. Since completing intern year and beginning the infancy of Neurology residency, the guidance and availability of the fellow residents and program faculty have made all the difference in fostering an environment conducive for learning and improvement as a clinician. As a novice to the South… Bojangles slaps! Also, there are a ton of cute coffee shops that a caffeine addict such as myself thoroughly enjoy. Quite uncertain at this time, but probably something outpatient predominant. Currently I am considering Movement, Neuro-immunology, Cognitive, or Headache.
Justin Thorson
I grew up in St. Cloud, Minnesota. From Minnesota I traveled to Grenada for medical school. I enjoy hiking, mountain biking, watching/playing hockey and exploring breweries. Why I chose Wake Forest Neurology for residency; The people of course. We are all one big family. Best thing about being a resident here? Being a large Academic center, the variety of cases that come to the hospital/clinic you only read about. What also interests me is the access to research including Nationwide groundbreaking clinical trials.
What’s great about living in W-S? The accessibility of being a Large city without any of the traffic. The location you can't beat either, Weekend trip to the beach, Asheville, Boone to name a few. Favorite thing to do in W-S, the region; the parks in the area, Tanglewood, Salem Lake and Quarry park are some of my favorites. Career goals and research interests; Vascular/Neurocritical care; research interests include acute stroke treatment, CAA, improving Stroke/Vascular prevention in low SES areas.
PGY 3’s
Hasan Alhelo
Born in Wilmington, NC, I spent almost half my life in Kuwait before coming back for college in Boston. I completed my bachelors in neuroscience and masters in epidemiology at BU, and completed medical school at LECOM. I’m happily married to the love of my life. In my time off, I enjoy running, reading and doing puzzles with my wife. Why I chose Wake Forest Neurology for residency. Everyone I spoke to was warm and welcoming. The exceptional training in the all subspecialties offered here gave me the confidence that I will receive the education and training to prepare me for any path I take in neurology. Best thing about being a resident here? The people! Everyone is so nice and supportive, and constantly encouraging you on. It makes a difference be in a supportive environment while being in a high intensity environment. Everyone is a friend and ready to help and answer questions, so being new and a learner never felt like a bad thing.
What’s great about living in W-S? Everything. It is safe, fun and full of places to explore. It strikes the perfect balance of being big enough and eventful, small enough to not be overwhelming and family friendly. Also plenty of coffee shops to explore! Favorite thing to do in W-S, the region. Walking around Reynolda Garden with my wife. The greenery of the gardens as well as the gravel path around the park (and the coffee shops in the village) are a great place to unwind and recharge. Career goals and research interests I am heavily leaning toward neurocritical care and stroke in an academic setting. Research wise, I am interested in the data behind access and equity in neurology and medicine as a whole. It is a new interest that allows me to bring together my interest in public health and medicine with the purpose to improve the quality of care provided to communities and populations.
Kalyn Dyer
Hi! I'm Kalyn. I'm originally from Georgia and coming to Wake for residency is my first time living outside of Georgia. I am engaged to my college sweetheart, Zach, who works as an AEMT for Forsyth County EMS. We have two fur babies, a hound mix named Veronica Ann and a tabby cat named Magnus. In my spare time, I love to read (especially historical fiction), garden (I have over 50 species of house plants and succulents), watch movies (currently rewatching the Harry Potter series!) and visiting art museums (Impressionist art is my favorite). Several things really stood out to me about Wake when I was interviewing. For one, I was really impressed by the wide array of different conditions you get to treat as a resident here. In addition, there is plenty of exposure to all sub-specialties so you can make an informed decision about your career interests. Secondly, I am a first-generation medical school grad in my family and so I was looking for a program that could provide me with lots of support and guidance and I definitely got the feeling that was the case during my interview (and I can confirm that's definitely the case now that I am here!).
My favorite thing about being a resident here so far is how kind everyone is. Even though I am an intern in the Internal Medicine department, I have had several neurology residents reach out to check in on me and provide support during the transition to residency. In addition, I love how close I already am to my co-neurology internes and I've even made amazing friends within the Internal Medicine department, too! My favorite thing about living in Winston-Salem is that you get all the amenities of living in a big city without all the downfalls of living in a big city. For example, the restaurants are amazing and there's lots of great parks to check out, but you don't have to worry about traffic (even at "rush hour")! My favorite thing to do so far is visiting local plant shops (I love House of Plants and Frank's Perennial Border) and trying out breweries with my fiancé. Our favorite Breweries so far are Wise Man Brewing and Incendiary, but we have so many more to try! I'm still not completely certain what my career goals and interests are, but as of right now I'm interested in Movement Disorders and would like to stay in academic medicine.
William “Will” Watson
After growing up in Durham, NC, my family moved to Nacogdoches, TX, a small town where I graduated in a high school class of five. I attended Mississippi College for my undergraduate degree, running on the track and cross-country teams while studying biology and then I completed medical school at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. I am thrilled to be returning to North Carolina after a long sojourn away, and look forward to serving my patients here while learning how to be a good neurologist. Why I chose Wake Forest Neurology for residency I knew that I would receive high quality clinical training in neurology at Wake Forest, and the alive-and-well culture of biomedical innovation in Winston-Salem made me want to be a part of what was going on here.
During my interview, I could tell that the faculty really cared about the education and well-being of residents and that this would be an excellent place to learn neurology. When my family and I came and visited the city, we knew we would enjoy living here and that sealed the deal in my mind. Though I have only been a resident for a few months as of the time of writing, I have already been impressed by the supportive culture here. Residents are so willing to help each other, and the faculty physicians I have encountered are both very personable and provide expert clinical expertise to patient care.
What’s great about living in W-S? If you like to get outside, the weather is so nice and there are great places in and around Winston Salem to get out and enjoy (Salem Lake, Reynolda House and Gardens, Salem Creek Greenway Trail, Hobby Park, etc.). There are also some great restaurants around the city while not being such a large urban setting that you have to fight traffic to get home at the end of the day. If I have a free morning, I like to go for a run at Pilot Mountain or take a few laps around the Reynolda House or the Wake undergrad campus. Bonus points if followed by a leisurely cup of coffee afterwards. Goals are to learn how to take care of my patients as best as I can. I also am interested in medical education and how to make the ever-growing body of medical knowledge manageable for upcoming physicians.
PGY 2’s
Sahaana Sundar
Hi, I'm Sahaana! I moved around rather frequently while growing up, but I call Atlanta, Georgia my home. I completed my BS in Neural Science at New York University, then completed my MD at the Medical College of Georgia. In my free time, I like to try out new restaurants and cafes, attempt toimprove my tennis game, listen to a lot of rap/hip-hop, and hunt for delicious coffee beans (my favorite flavor profile is something a bit chocolatey and slightly fruity like blackberry or citrus). I chose Wake Forest Neurology for residency because of what I consider to be a Goldilocks ratio of zebras-to-horses in terms of clinical cases. From reviewing the curriculum and speaking with the residents, it was abundantly clear that training at WF Neurology made for strong clinicians who are not only adept at managing the bread-and-butter cases of Neurology, but also at identifying the rarer and complex medical cases that are only seen at renowned academic centers like Wake Forest. Additionally, life in Winston Salem makes for a very well-balanced life in residency. I enjoy the low cost of living, minimal traffic/easy commute and the proximity to 2 airports (CLT and GSO) which makes it easy to travel during time off. I also love the people here. While I hadn’t known anyone in Winston Salem prior to moving here, I found it easy to form a strong support system of my coresidents (Neurology and across other specialties) and even faculty who are so welcoming and eager to mentor. I’m not yet decided on my specific career path within Neurology but am so
far enjoying my PGY2 year exploring both inpatient and outpatient services and am excited to continue this journey!
Zachary Lynch
1. A little bit about me: sort of biographical info. Went to Wake Forest for medical school, decided to stick around for residency!
2. Why I chose Wake Forest Neurology for residency: Autonomy, breath of experience, great balance of outpatient and inpatient - ultimately you will graduate a tremendous general neurologist regardless of the specialty.
3. Best thing about being a resident? Graduated autonomy: from intern year onward you manage more and more on your own leading to rapid growth as a physician. Our residency is very resident driven as opposed to fellow driven - we see all consults in the hospital, no matter the question and manage the neuro floors on our own PGY-2 year. You see and treat it all - other residencies have so many fellows that this takes away from your experience - other hospitals have stroke fellows running code strokes, reading overnight EEG's, movement fellows responding to inpatient movement disorder consults etc .
4. What’s great about living in W-S? Cost of living, 5 min commute to hospital
5. Favorite thing to do in W-S, the region: Going to Boone/Asheville
6. Career goals and research interests: General neurology
Caleb Lewis
1. A little bit about me: Outside of medicine I like being active and outside. I like playing tennis, disc golf, basketball, and other sports with friends. I also enjoy exploring new places with my wife, traveling to new places, trying different foods, and finding unique experiences.
2. Why I chose Wake Forest Neurology for residency: I was looking for a program where I would graduate as a confident neurologist and where my curiosity for neurology would be encouraged. Wake Forest is a great program due to its rigorous clinical training and approachable faculty. Also was drawn by the strong sense of community with the residents. As a bonus, there is an annual ping pong tournament.
3. Best thing about being a resident here: My co-residents! They are very intelligent, kind, and supportive. There is a big sense of community with our class. The faculty are also very helpful and love to teach. Also, Camino’s bakery in the hospital is a big perk.
4. What’s great about living in Winston-Salem: Winston-Salem is a good place to due residency if you like having a good mix of the outdoors and the city. You are very close to the mountains and plenty of outdoor activities, while also having fun restaurants and breweries.
5. Career goals and research interests: I’m still trying to figure out exactly what I want to do after completing residency. I am very interested in movement disorders but am still open to other fields of neurology. I would like to have medical education as a part of my practice.
Chylee Martin
1. I grew up in a small town in the mountains of South Carolina and moved to Columbia, SC for undergrad and medical school. Growing up, I had a lot of family who lived in North Carolina, so it always felt like my second home. In my free time, I like to keep a good balance between staying active and relaxing at home by reading a good book or binging the latest crime show series!
2. Why I chose Wake Forest Neurology for residency: There are so many things that I love about this program! We get a lot of exposure to the different subspecialties within neurology and early exposure to both inpatient and outpatient neurology, which I think is key to becoming a well-rounded physician and neurologist. During my interview, I could tell that the faculty really care about residents’ experiences and training, and the culture felt very welcoming and collaborative.
3. Best thing about being a resident here? It sounds cliché but definitely the people! Everyone here is so great and supportive. I love all of my co-residents, and coming to work feels like just hanging out with friends. There’s also a good balance between working and education, which is important to me as a learner.
4. What’s great about living in W-S? There’s a lot of green space and opportunities to get out in nature, which I love. I think there’s also a lot of good restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and things to do in the city itself. I can always find something to do!
5. Favorite thing to do in W-S, the region: Some of my favorite things to do in WS are checking out different coffee shops, farmers markets, local hiking trails, pickleball courts, and vineyards. My friend and I are always finding new restaurants and breweries to try in our free time!
6. Career goals and research interests: I’m interested in both vascular and cognitive neurology at this point, although perhaps leaning more towards inpatient medicine. I’ve done a lot of research in stroke, which I really enjoy, but I’m excited to discover new areas of neurology that I haven’t been exposed to before and see where my training takes me.
Madison Romano
1. A little bit about me: I’m from Orlando, FL, and I did medical school at USF in Tampa, FL. I’m very happy to be out of Florida and in the beautiful state of North Carolina! I’m big into reading and hiking. You’ll find me at any of our local bookstores or coffee shops.
2. Why I chose Wake Forest Neurology for residency: My partner and I couples matched. We knew we wanted to be in North Carolina, and we wanted a program that was strong in both Emergency Medicine and Neurology. We did our second look at Wake Forest and met a lot of the people, and we found that we fit right in.
3. Best thing about being a resident here?: Definitely our coresidents. Everyone is always willing to hang out or help with anything you need.
4. What’s great about living in W-S?: The city has character and history. You can find your niche anywhere in this city.
5. Favorite thing to do in W-S, the region: Favorite place to be in Winston is Remedy coffee shop, and the best thing to do around here is hiking at Hanging Rock.
6. Career goals and research interests: Possibly vascular neurology, but I’m still open to suggestions
PGY 1’s
Caroline Lee Clark
Prior to attending Wake's medical school, I studied public health and studio art. Wake's neurology residency program encourages me to use what I learned in these fields to advocate for my patients and to think outside the box. I'm so grateful to be training in a program that saw my potential as a medical student (apologies for the obligatory neurological pun). When I'm not in the hospital learning about neural pathways, I can be found taking art classes at Sawtooth with my family or running into friends at the Saturday Cobblestone Farmers Market.
Tania Weiss
I grew up in Miami, FL, and attended medical school at LMUDCOM. Within neurology, I am especially interested in stroke and neuromuscular disorders. I was drawn to Wake because of its welcoming faculty, residents, and community, as well as its proximity to home and its reputation as a large stroke center. The best thing about being a resident here is the people—not only within our own specialty but across others as well—who are friendly, supportive, and easy to get to know even outside the hospital. My favorite thing about Winston-Salem is exploring the small art galleries downtown.
Mitchell Barner
Hi I'm Mitch! Being from the Chicago area, I've appreciated access to diverse patient populations and dynamic medical environments. One of the reasons I was drawn to Wake's Neurology program was its strong balance between inpatient and outpatient work. Wake offers an exposure to a wide variety of patient cases and surprisingly large catchment area. Given that I'd like to one day operate in both hospitalist and clinical settings, this exposure greatly aligns with my interests. While I'm still exploring subspecialities, potentially stroke or neurooncology, I'm excited to be part of a community where the people are tremendously kind and welcoming. In my free time I've enjoyed trying any and all restaurant recommendations, soaking up some sun, or catching a movie when I can. Moving to a new part of the country has been a great adventure, though I'm still on the hunt for some truly good pizza to rival back home!