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 Awards

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 - Dr. Andrea Guerrero Cignarella, 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 AmericaFauzia 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
2020 NJ Psychiatric Association (NJPA) Advocacy Academy – Yonatan Kaplan, MD
2020 GME Resident Recognition Award – Rutgers New Jersey Medical School – Donya Nazery, DO
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
2024-2025 Golden Apple Teaching Award Nominee (Award Nomination) - Rijul Asri, MD
2024-2025 Rutgers Health Professionalism Award Nominee (Award Nomination) - Rijul Asri, MD
2024-2025 Golden Apple Resident Teaching Award Recipient - Stephanie Ruthberg, MD

National-Level Committees:
2019 Scientific Program Committee of the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP) – James Sherer, MD, Aitzaz Munir, MD, Muhammad Aadil, MD & Chun Tong, MD
2019 Addiction and Law Committee of the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP) – Aitzaz Munir, MD
2020 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 Representative – Prerana Suresh Kurtkoti, MD
2021-2022 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
2022-2023 APA Membership Committee Corresponding RFM Member – Mary-Anne Hennen, MD 2023 American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP) – Andrea Guerrero Cignarella, MD, MBA
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
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
2025 American Medical Association Resident-Fellow Internal Operating Procedures Committee - Rijul Asri, MD
2025 American Medical Association Resident-Fellow Section - Alternate Sectional Delegate - Rijul Asri, MD
2025 Social Media Content Creator of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry - Skylar Lu, MD