Alumni
Hayden Barrett, MD
Undergraduate: College of Charleston
Medical School: University of South Carolina
Professional Interests: Cardiothoracic Radiology
Hometown: Charleston, SC
Hobbies: Working out, video games, playing guitar, being quarantined
Why Spartanburg Regional? I chose Spartanburg Regional because of the people. My interview day with Spartanburg was very pleasant and the staff and residents were very happy to be in this setting. The program is very excited to train residents and I felt that trainees were given a lot of respect during my own interview. I also wanted to stay in the South Carolina or North Carolina area when I am a practicing radiologist, so it just felt like a great fit!
Elizabeth Danahy, MD
Undergraduate: Clemson University
Medical School: Medical University of South Carolina
Professional Interests: Diagnostic radiology
Hometown: Beaufort, SC
Hobbies: Running, surfing, snowboarding, reading and traveling
Why Spartanburg Regional? Spartanburg Regional is a perfect fit for me because it provides excellent training in a community setting with top-notch educators, wonderful people, and an incredible support system. The program places an emphasis on individual wellness while creating a training environment that values compassionate, well-rounded physicians who prioritize quality patient care. Spartanburg provides a diverse educational experience with quite a bit of flexibility in terms of electives that will prepare me well for my future career in radiology.
Carter Ellis, MD
Undergraduate: Clemson University
Medical School: Medical University of South Carolina
Professional Interests: Dermatology
Hometown: Charleston, SC
Hobbies: Fishing, going to the beach, taking boat rides and trying out new restaurants and breweries with my husband Ben.
Why Spartanburg Regional? I chose Spartanburg Regional because it provided everything I was looking for in a Transitional Year program prior to beginning my Dermatology residency. Not only does this program provide a wide variety of rotations and experiences, but it also led by some of the kindest and most genuine people I have ever met. From the minute I met our program director Dr. Davis along with coordinators Sissy and Trish, I felt welcome, valued, and part of the family.
Lindsey ("Lou") Gaghan
Undergraduate: Wheaton College
Medical School: University of North Carolina School of Medicine
Professional Interests: Pediatric dermatology, tele-dermatology, rural healthcare, health care disparities
Hometown: San Jose, CA
Hobbies: Furniture restoration, greenway exploration with my husband and two daughters, and listening to podcasts
Why Spartanburg Regional? Spartanburg Regional offered the opportunity to gain exposure to a broad array of clinical environments and specialties while serving in a community hospital environment. I was drawn by the positive culture of the program leadership, faculty, and support staff and knew this would be a supportive environment to build my skills as a new physician and prepare me well for my next journey of dermatology residency training.
Aaron Gambrell
Undergraduate: Clemson University
Medical School: University of South Carolina School of Medicine
Professional Interests: Diagnostic Radiology/Interventional Radiology
Hometown: Clemson, SC
Hobbies: Running, hiking, skiing (water and snow), language learning, disc golf, rock climbing and Clemson football
Why Spartanburg Regional? Spartanburg Regional offers top notch education in a supportive environment. The people in this program are genuine and actually care about you and your family. This sets you up to be a great physician and an even better person. The city itself is a hidden gem with everything you need with no big commute. Its close proximity to NC mountains and SC beaches make for an easy weekend trip too. I also wanted to be at a place where I would be welcomed back after residency training. Spartanburg Regional was a no-brainer, and I would make the same decision 10x over!
Franco "Bernie" Godoy
Undergraduate: University of South Carolina
Medical School: Medical University of South Carolina
Professional Interests: Diagnostic Radiology
Hometown: Chapin, SC
Hobbies: Soccer, pickle ball, weightlifting, music production, dog walking, bread baking, salt life and playing FIFA
Why Spartanburg Regional? After meeting the residents and interacting with the faculty at other transitional year programs in the southeast, I realized that Spartanburg Regional had the most familial feel. The people here are genuinely invested in each other's well-being/education and it shows. The schedule allows for great flexibility in choosing electives while still providing robust training in inpatient medicine. Spartanburg itself has plenty of wonderful food options and has a small-town charm that can't be beat.
Alexandria Knecht
Undergraduate: University of the Incarnate Word
Medical School: Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine - Carolinas Campus
Professional Interests: Diagnostic radiology
Hometown: San Antonio, TX
Hobbies: Helping on the family farm, playing with my 2 dogs, hiking and running
Why Spartanburg Regional? I chose Spartanburg Regional because of the welcoming learning environment, the supportive faculty, and the well-rounded curriculum. This program provides the flexibility to rotate in a wide variety of specialties that will help prepare me for my future advanced program in diagnostic radiology. The city of Spartanburg is also an amazing place to live with close proximity to both the Appalachian mountains and the coast. I have enjoyed living in Spartanburg due to living close to family and having the opportunity to spend time with them before moving elsewhere for my future diagnostic radiology residency.
Ben McCafferty, MD
Undergraduate: University of Alabama at Birmingham
Medical School: UAB School of Medicine
Professional Interests: Interventional radiology
Hometown: Madison, AL
Hobbies: Hiking, video games, ultimate frisbee, constantly being hungry, video production/editing and hanging out with my wife.
Why Spartanburg Regional? Spartanburg Regional is the perfect combination of resident learning, beautiful location, and friendly program culture. At Spartanburg Regional, the flexible curriculum allows you to tailor the best clinical foundation for your respective specialty. The location allows for easy trips to mountains, beaches, Asheville, Charleston, or any of your outdoor interests. Spartanburg itself offers a fun downtown area with plenty of places to eat. Lastly, the genuine camaraderie between faculty, residents, and staff coupled with the emphasis on resident well-being creates an unparalleled training environment.
Caroline (Callie) Merriam, DO
Undergraduate: University of Notre Dame
Medical School: Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine - Carolinas Campus
Professional Interests: Diagnostic radiology
Hometown: Charlotte, NC
Hobbies: Watching college football, skiing, cooking with friends
Why Spartanburg Regional? The city of Spartanburg is truly a hidden gem in the Carolinas. Spartanburg offers a perfect balance of small-town charm, with diverse restaurants and fun outdoor events that you might expect to finds in a larger city. During my interview day, I found the faculty and residents at Spartanburg Regional to be friendly, approachable, and genuinely invested in building a culture of collegiality. The curriculum at SRHS is flexible and well-rounded, while providing residents with an excellent clinical foundation in preparation for our advanced specialties.
Cameron Olsen, MD
Undergraduate: Brigham Young University
Medical School: Duke University School of Medicine
Professional Interests: Diagnostic Radiology
Hometown: Las Vegas, NV
Hobbies: Sports, reading, hanging out with my wife and kids
Why Spartanburg Regional? I was looking for a program that would allow me to have excellent training, while supporting me as both a resident and a person, and I feel the program here at SRHS does just that. Our program director, Dr. Davis, helps create an amazing sense of community in this program and I immediately felt welcome here. A great hospital, great people and great benefits rounded out what I have felt like is an awesome program.
John Plante, MD, MSCR
Undergraduate: North Greenville University
Medical School: University of South Carolina School of Medicine
Professional Interests: Dermatology, clinical research, medical education
Hometown: Greer, SC
Hobbies: Exercise and nutrition, cooking (especially seafood), baking, coffee, golf and disc golf, football, tennis, hiking, and spending time with my family, friends, crazy dog and awesome wife
Why Spartanburg Regional? I chose Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System for my intern year because it will provide strong clinical training in the midst of a collegial, family-oriented, supportive environment. This program provides the flexibility to gain clinical exposure in a wide variety of medical specialties, and the diversity of these experiences will improve my ability to care for patients as a dermatologist. Spartanburg is also a great place to live with many things to do, and my wife and I will be able to spend a year close to our families before moving elsewhere for further residency training.
Benjamin Reeves, MD
Undergraduate: University of Tennessee at Martin
Medical School: East Tennessee State University Quillen College of Medicine
Professional Interests: Global health, medical technology, personal finance
Hometown: Knoxville, TN
Hobbies: Golf, hiking, skiing, watching sports, time with family and friends
Why Spartanburg Regional? Spartanburg is in such an ideal location. It's natural beauty, along with its close proximity to the mountains and the coast, was a huge draw for me. I think the people here are what really made this program stand out the most, though. There seems to be a real sense of camaraderie between attendings and residents, and the education offered to trainees is second to none. This program offers a tremendous amount of flexibility, allowing residents to experience a broad scope of medicine. I find this very valuable as I work to lay the clinical foundation for my future career as a radiologist.
Ryan Rhodes, MD
Undergraduate: The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina
Medical School: Medical University of South Carolina
Professional Interests: Ophthalmology
Hometown: Charleston, SC
Hobbies: Competitive cycling, backpacking and sailing
Why Spartanburg Regional? Spartanburg Regional was a perfect fit for me and my family because it is a close knit, family-oriented program that puts an emphasis on resident well-being, while providing superior teaching and preparing residents to provide excellent and compassionate care upon completion of their training.
India Robinson-Pirotte
Undergraduate: Furman University
Medical School: Medical University of South Carolina
Professional Interests: Dermatology, Public Health, Equity in Medicine
Hometown: Camden, SC
Hobbies: Watching soccer, spending time with family and friends, and hanging out with my cat, dog, and husband
Why Spartanburg Regional? I chose SRHS because I wanted a strong intern year experience with a good mix of in and outpatient exposure and opportunity at autonomy before beginning my Dermatology residency. I also wanted so be part of a program that values my time and interests outside of medicine.
John Runge
Undergraduate: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Medical School: University of Michigan
Professional Interests: Dermatology, Dermatopathology, Multidisciplinary cancer care
Hometown: Chapel Hill, NC
Hobbies: Spending time with my wife and daughter, tennis, basketball and live music
Why Spartanburg Regional? I am thrilled to be part of the Spartanburg Regional team. I am drawn to the organization's high-quality training, balanced clinical experiences, outstanding facilities, and above all, family-oriented atmosphere. The faculty, staff, and residents are extraordinarily welcoming and kind. Additionally, I grew up in the Carolinas so the opportunity to serve this region appealed to me.
Mason Runge, MD
Undergraduate: University of Texas at Austin
Medical School: University of Michigan
Professional Interests: Dermatology, clinical research, health policy, caring for the underserved
Hometown: Chapel Hill, NC
Hobbies: Playing basketball, tennis and golf, watching the NBA and PGA tour, making homemade pizza, frisbee with my dog Eddie, traveling and spending time with my lovely wife
Why Spartanburg Regional? Spartanburg offers an unparalleled combination of top-notch training in a collegial, warm and down-to-earth work environment. I loved my interview at SRHS and felt the camaraderie and tight-knit bond between the residents, faculty and staff were second to none.
David Sailer, MD
Undergraduate: University of North Carolina
Medical School: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine
Professional Interests: Radiology, academic medicine
Hometown: Chapel Hill, NC
Hobbies: UNC basketball and football, hiking, foodie, chess, movies
Why Spartanburg Regional? I am excited to be at Spartanburg Regional Healthcare for my Transitional Year. This program offered everything I wanted out of a transitional year and more. From the family-like atmosphere to the numerous elective and core rotations available, I knew that this program would offer excellent preparation for my diagnostic radiology residency at UNC. The town of Spartanburg is also a great place to spend a year! There are awesome restaurants and breweries to explore, in addition to only being a quick drive away from Asheville or Charlotte.
QingYu Xu, MD
Undergraduate: Washington and Lee University
Medical School: University of South Carolina School of Medicine - Columbia
Professional Interests: Diagnostic radiology
Hometown: Claremont, CA
Hobbies: Video games, board games, 3D printing, hiking, Dragonboat racing, WWII tanks
Why Spartanburg Regional? I chose Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System (SRHS) for my intern year because SRHS has an exceptionally dedicated faculty and staff, a flexible and comprehensive curriculum and ideal location. I was very impressed during my interview day by the work the faculty and staff pour into the program. The staff is honestly very caring and I saw myself training here because of this reason. This will be my last year before my specialized training. The diverse elective options mean that I will get to experience as many non-radiology specialties as possible so I can understand first-hand what providers expect from radiologists when I enter my specialty training. Lastly, Spartanburg is a pleasant and affordable place to live that is close to my fiancé and many outdoor recreation destinations, such as hiking around Asheville and Greenville.
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