The Stamford Hospital/Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons General Surgery Program is comprised of a diverse body of residents with unique backgrounds and a wide range of interests.
Meet Our Current Resident Surgeons:
PGY-1
Vaibhav Duggal, DO
Hometown: Hicksville, New York
Undergraduate: Stony Brook University
Medical School: New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine
Professional Interests: Breast Oncology
Personal Interests/Hobbies: Basketball, music, espresso
Ariel Harsinay, MD
Hometown: Oceanside, New York
Undergraduate: University of Southern California
Medical School: Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo
Professional Interests: Plastic Surgery
Personal Interests/Hobbies: Drawing/painting, guitar, rock climbing
Kyle Knutsen, MD
Hometown: Salt Lake City, Utah
Undergraduate: Trinity University
Medical School: West Virginia University
Professional Interests: Interventional Radiology
Personal Interests/Hobbies: Water skiing, snow skiing, pickleball, traveling
Paulina Naser-Saravia, MD
Hometown: Durango, Mexico
Undergraduate: University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB)
Medical School: Frank H. Netter School of Medicine, Quinnipiac University
Professional Interests: Colon & Rectal Surgery, MIS, Healthcare Equity
Personal Interests/Hobbies: Art, mixed media
Louis Werner, MD
Hometown: Strasbourg, France
Undergraduate: Oxford University
Medical School: Boston University
Professional Interests: Vascular Surgery, Plastic Surgery, Thoracic Surgery
Personal Interests/Hobbies: Sailing, diving, board games, snowboarding
PGY-2
Adeline Fleitz, DO
Hometown: Wilton, Connecticut
Undergraduate: William & Mary
Medical School: New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine
Professional Interests: General Surgery, Burn Surgery, Critical Care
Personal Interests/Hobbies: Hiking, listening to audiobooks, good coffee
Dakota B. Pastore, DO, MPH
Hometown: Branchburg, New Jersey
Undergraduate: Rutgers University
Medical School: Rowan School of Osteopathic Medicine
Professional Interests: Plastic Surgery, Colorectal Surgery, Robotic/Minimally Invasive Surgery
Personal Interests/Hobbies: Spending time with family and friends, running, skiing/snowboarding, golf, any excuse to be outside
Zachary Tepper, DO
Hometown: Danbury, Connecticut
Undergraduate: University of New Hampshire
Medical School: Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Professional Interests: Robotic/Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery
Personal Interests/Hobbies: Video games, taking my son to the aquarium, hiking, golfing, rock climbing
PGY-3
Shirley Ge, MD
Hometown: Westford, Massachusetts
Undergraduate: Davidson College
Medical School: Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Professional Interests: Pediatrics, plastics, cardiac
Personal Interests/Hobbies: Climbing, ultimate frisbee, traveling, watching TV
Akanksha Girish, MD
Hometown: Rockville, Maryland
Undergraduate: Johns Hopkins University
Medical School: Georgetown University
Professional Interests: Cardiothoracic surgery
Personal Interests/Hobbies: Reading, tennis, soccer
Shreya Singireddy, MD
Hometown: Ormond Beach, Florida
Undergraduate: Johns Hopkins University
Medical School: University of Maryland School of Medicine
Professional Interests: Cardiac surgery, vascular surgery
Personal Interests/Hobbies: Cooking, baking, trying new restaurants, crocheting, tennis
PGY-4
Shubham Kanake, MD
Hometown: Longmeadow, Massachusetts
Undergraduate: University of Connecticut
Medical School: University of Missouri School of Medicine
Professional Interests: Trauma and critical care
Personal Interests/Hobbies: Hiking with my dog and fiancé, video games, Patriots
Caroline Polito, MD
Hometown: Slingerlands, New York
Undergraduate: Johns Hopkins University
Medical School: Stony Brook School of Medicine
Professional Interests: Plastic and burn surgery
Personal Interests/Hobbies: Snowboarding, videogames, reptile pets
Gabriel Shechter, MD
Hometown: Lawrence, New York
Undergraduate: Queens College
Medical School: Rutgers New Jersey Medical School
Professional Interests: Cardiac surgery
Personal Interests/Hobbies: Tennis, skiing, hiking
PGY-5
Fiona Hudgens, MD
Hometown: Denver, Colorado
Undergraduate: University of Colorado at Boulder
Medical School: New York Medical College
Professional Interests: Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Personal Interests/Hobbies: Peloton, skiing, hiking with the dog, weekends in NYC, board games, trying all truffle foods in the tri-state area
Cynthia Lin, MD
Hometown: Suwanee, Georgia
Undergraduate: Cornell University
Medical School: New York Medical College
Professional Interests: Trauma and critical care
Personal Interests/Hobbies: Iced Coffee, energy drinks, stitching felt animals, quality time with family and friends
Jacob Sandor, MD
Hometown: Chappaqua, New York
Undergraduate: University of Miami
Medical School: New York Medical College
Professional Interests: Minimally invasive surgery, robotic and laparoscopic general surgery
Personal Interests/Hobbies: Fitness, ice hockey, hiking with my dog, mechanics, spending time with family and friends