Resident Honors/Awards

The psychiatry residency program at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School prepares residents to graduate as national leaders in the field of psychiatry.  We do this by developing residents' clinical expertise, research and teaching skills, knowledge about governance, and by encouraging them to become involved in professional and academic organizations at the state and national levels. As a result of this work, our residents have been recognized for outstanding achievement and excellence with the following honors and awards:

National Honors/Awards

2018-2020 APA/APAF Diversity Leadership Fellowship American Psychiatric Association – Sebastian Cisneros, MD
2019 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) Passport Program recipient - Faisal Kagadkar, MD
2019 Resident Recognition Award - American Psychiatric Association – Rafael Coira, MD JD
2019 Third Prize, Poster Competition - Indo-American Psychiatric Association – Faisal Kagadkar, MD
2019-2021 Resident Psychiatric Educator Award - Association for Academic Psychiatry – Zain Khalid, MD
2019-2021 APA/APAF Leadership Fellowship - American Psychiatric Association – Robert Rymowicz, DO
2019-2021 APA SAMHSA Minority Fellowship - American Psychiatric Association – Mayowa Olusunmade, MD
2020 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) Advocacy Fellow Ambassador - Faisal Kagadkar, MD
2020 John Renner Travel Award, American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP) - Aitzaz Munir, MD
2020 Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Organization of Resident Representatives (ORR) Member - Andrea Guerrero Cignarella, MD
2020-2021 NNCI Scholar- Dr. Diego Garces Grosse, MD
2020-2022       APA/APAF Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship Co-chair - American Psychiatric Association – Faisal Kagadkar, MD
2020-2022       APA's Council of Children, Adolescents, and their Families, Fellow - American Psychiatric Association – Faisal Kagadkar, MD
2020-2022       APA Foundation Board of Directors, Guest Fellow - American Psychiatric Association – Faisal Kagadkar, MD
2020-2022       APA/APAF Diversity Leadership Fellowship American Psychiatric Association - Diego Garces Grosse, MD
2022-2024       APA/APAF Leadership Fellowship - American Psychiatric Association – Faisal Kagadkar, MD
2022                Educational Outreach Program Award for General Psychiatry Residents, AACAP- Mehmet Utku Kucuker, MD
2022    John Renner Travel Award, American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP) – Andrea Guerrero Cignarella, MD
2022 - 2023    American College of Psychiatrists Child & Adolescent PRITE Fellowship – Yonatan Kaplan, MD
2023                American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) Educational Outreach Program (EOP) Award - Sezai Ustun Aydin, MD
2024                Excellence in Service & Communication Award - Pakistani American Psychiatric Association of North America (PAPANA) - Fauzia Arain, MD
2024                Dignity in Service Award - Allama Iqbal Medical College Alumni Association of North America– Fauzia Arain, MD
2024                Resident Scholarship, Joy & Wholeness Summit hosted by The Coalition for Physician Well-Being
2024-2025       APA SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
Minority Fellowship - Fauzia Arain, MD

Regional Honors/Awards

2017                      Scholarship Award – New Jersey Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Association – Veer Iyer, MD
2017                      Extra Mile Award - VA New Jersey Healthcare System – Zain Khalid, MD
2018                      Third Prize, Resident Poster Competition - Thomas W. Salmon Award Lecture at the New York Academy of Medicine – Robert Rymowicz, DO
2019                      Honorable Mention, Resident Paper Contest - New Jersey Psychiatric Association – Mayowa Olusunmade, MD, and Tooba Qadir, MD

University Based Honors/Awards (Does not include departmental awards)

2021-2022       Golden Apple Resident Teaching Award Recipient - Kishan Shah, MD
2021-2022       Golden Apple Resident Teaching Award Recipient - Mary-Anne Hennen, MD
2021-2022       Golden Apple Resident Teaching Award Nominee - Memphis Diaz Garcia, MD
2021-2022       Golden Apple Resident Teaching Award Nominee - Geoffrey Talis, DO
2021-2022       Golden Apple Resident Teaching Award Nominee - Mehmet Utku Kucuker, MD
2021-2022       Golden Apple Resident Teaching Award Nominee - Heather Wurtz, MD

2022-2023       Golden Apple Resident Teaching Award Nominee - Donya Nazery, DO
2022-2023       Golden Apple Resident Teaching Award Nominee - Sezai Ustun Aydin, MD
2022-2023       Golden Apple Resident Teaching Award Nominee - Stephanie Ruthberg, MD,MS

2023-2024       Golden Apple Resident Teaching Award Nominee - Allison Dinar, DO
2023-2024       Golden Apple Resident Teaching Award Nominee - Jaewoo Shin, MD
2023-2024       Golden Apple Resident Teaching Award Nominee - Stephanie Ruthberg, MD, MS
2023-2024       Golden Apple Resident Teaching Award Nominee - Yu “Tina” Kong, MD
2023-2024       Golden Apple Resident Teaching Award Nominee - Bellanirys Acosta-Arias, MD
2023-2024       Golden Apple Resident Teaching Award Nominee - Christine Kim, MD
2023-2024       Golden Apple Resident Teaching Award Nominee - Eve Rosenheck-Crane, MD
2023-2024       GME Professionalism Award - Eve Rosenheck-Crane, MD

National Level Committees:

2015-2019 AAAP Scientific Planning Committee - American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry – Robert Rymowicz, DO
2019 – 2022 Scientific Program Committee of the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP)  James Sherer, MD, Aitzaz Munir, MD, Muhammad Aadil, MD & Chun Tong, MD
2019 – 2022 Addiction and Law Committee of the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP)  Aitzaz Munir, MD
2020 – 2022 Child Council of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) - Faisal Kagadkar, MD
2020 Frontline Wellness project, Department of Defense – Donya Nazery, DO
2021 – 2022 Resident/Fellow Member Chapter Representatives – Prerana Suresh Kurtkoti, MD
2021 APA Resident Member Trustee, Candidate Elect – Mary-anne Hennen, MD2021-2022 APA/APAF Child Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship Co-Chair - Faisal Kagadkar, MD
2021-2022 APA Foundation Board of Directors Fellow Representative - Faisal Kagadkar, MD
2022-2023 Child and Adolescent PRITE Fellow, American College of Psychiatrists PRITE Fellowship – Yonaton Kaplan, MD
2022 The Hippocratic Forum, Fellow – Dr. Cristiana Nicoli de Mattos, MD, PhD
2022-2025 ACLP Membership Subcommittee. Member for Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion – Mary-Anne Hennen, MD
2022 American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry Scientific Program Committee – Kishan Shah, MD
2022-2023 APA Membership Committee Corresponding RFM Member – Mary-Anne Hennen, MD
2023 American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP) – Andrea Guerrero Cignarella, MD, MBA
2023 Committee of Interns & Residents (CIR) Delegate - Stephanie Ruthberg, MD, MS
2023 AAMC Action Ambassador Advocate - Bella Acosta, MD
2024 Committee of Interns & Residents (CIR) Delegate - Abrar Ebady, MD

State Level Committees:

2021 – 2022 NJ Psychiatric Association (NJPA) Rutgers NJMS Representative – Prerana Suresh Kurtkoti, MD
2020 – present    NJ Psychiatric Association (NJPA) Rutgers NJMS Representative – Diego Garces Grosse, MD
2019 – present    NJ Council of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (NJCCAP) Resident Representative – Faisal Kagadkar, MD
2021 NJPA Resident/Fellow Member Chapter Representative - Prerana Suresh Kurtkoti, MD
2022-2023 NJ Psychiatric Association, Representative – Eve Rosenheck, MD
2023- present      NJPA Resident Workgroup Program Representatives – Stephanie Ruthberg, MD, MS

NJMS Committees:

2018 – 2019        University Hospital Value Analysis Committee – Geoffrey Talis, MD
2018 – 2019        University Hospital Utilization Review – Geoffrey Talis, MD
2018 – present     University Hospital Behavioral Science Hospital Committee – James Sherer, MD & Rober Aziz, MD
2018 – 2019        University Hospital Family Health Services Quality – Chun Tong, MD
2018 – 2019        University Hospital Pain Management – Faisal Kagadkar, MD, Muhammad Aadil, MD, Tooba Qadir, MD & Aitzaz Munir, MD
2019 – 2020        Residency Council Treasurer – Rober Aziz, MD
2020                     UH Ethics – Kishan Shah, MD; Faisal Kagadkar, MD; Diego Garces Grosse, MD; Aitzaz Munir, MD; Tooba Qadir, MD; Muhammed Aadil, MD
2020                     Pain Management Committee – Aitzaz Munir, MD
2020                     Value Analysis, Patient Safety Steering Work Group – Geoffrey Talis, MD
2020                    Patient Experience Committee – Muhammed Aadil, MD
2020                    Behavioral Health Quality Performance Improvement – Zahra Basseda, MD; Chun Tong, MD; Tooba Qadir; Bella Acosta Arias, MD; Aitzaz Munir, MD
2020                    ED Quality Improvement Committee -  Geoffrey Talis, MD; Zahra Basseda, MD; Tooba Qadir, MD
2021-2022           University Hospital Ethics Committee – Kishan Shah, MD
2018 – 2019       GME Resident Wellness Committee – James Sherer, MD, Donya Nazery, DO
2021                     GME Resident Recognition Award, Award for Wellness – Donya Nazery, DO
2021                     CIR “Better UH Campaign” – Zahra Basseda, MD; Donya Nazery, DO; Chun Tong, MD
2020 – present    GME Resident Council – Aitzaz Munir, MD
2021 – pres.        GME Resident Council –  Bella Acosta Arias, M.D.
2020 – pres.         UH quality improvement steering committee - Yonatan Kaplan, MD
2020 – pres.         UH Bioethics Committee and UH Pain Management Committee.- Kishan Shah, MD
2022-2023.            Resident Council Vice President – Bellanirys Acosta Arias, MD
2023 – pres.          Committee of Interns & Residents Delegate – Stephanie Rutherberg, MD, MS