To celebrate and honor our residents graduating in 2023, we asked each of them to share some reflections on their time at UVA as well as their plans for next year. Each resident has also shared a special photos of themselves alongside their families and loved ones.
Though many of our graduating residents will be returning to UVA Radiology next year for fellowships, some will be off to new places. No matter where our graduating residents will be, we wish them every success and happiness. Congratulations to you all!
Dr. Alex Banathy and her husband, Peter
Alex Banathy (IR)
Plans for Next Year
I will be continuing interventional radiology training here at UVA.
Reflections on Your Time at UVA
UVA has been an incredibly supportive environment to develop both professionally and personally over the past five years. I have made lifelong friendships with the people who were there with me for the ups and downs of residency in addition to many life milestones. I am grateful for the education that I have received from the faculty, technologists, nurses and patients and look forward to continuing to work with everyone during my final year of IR training at UVA!
Dr. Clay Behl
Clay Behl (DR)
Plans for Next Year
I’m headed to Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City next year for fellowship.
Reflections on Your Time at UVA
My time at UVA has been one of the most memorable experiences of my life. It has been an honor and privilege to work alongside such amazing people for the last five years. I’m so grateful I had the opportunity to learn from so many incredible mentors and forge such great friendships. I’m excited for the next steps but will always consider those at UVA family.
Dr. Meghan Clark, left, with UVA IR faculty member Dr. Amy Taylor, right
Meghan Clark (IR)
Plans for Next Year
I am looking forward to staying at UVA for another year to complete my training in interventional radiology.
Reflections on Your Time at UVA
I have really enjoyed my time in radiology here at UVA. Throughout my training I have had the opportunity to connect with wonderful mentors and foster incredible friendships that I will cherish for many years to come. I am grateful for all the technologists and nurses in the department, and the patients I had the opportunity to care for and learn from. They have all enriched my training immeasurably.
Dr. Neal Desai and his wife, Katie
Neal Desai (DR)
Plans for Next Year
I will be completing an MSK radiology fellowship at Johns Hopkins University.
Reflections on Your Time at UVA
I’ve had an overall amazing experience during my time at UVA. I’ve made lifelong friendships and connections with both my co-residents and mentors across multiple divisions. I feel very fortunate to have trained at UVA because I recognize just how well-prepared I am for my future fellowship and jobs. We all owe so much to the faculty who have chosen to work at UVA to help train the next generation of radiologists. For that, I will be forever grateful.
I’d also like to sincerely thank both the residency and the program leadership for trusting me with the honor to serve as the Chief Resident for the past two years. It has been a privilege working together to grow, adapt and improve our program.
Dr. Peter Duden and family
Peter Duden (DR)
Plans for Next Year
I will be a Breast Fellow and am staying at UVA.
Reflections on Your Time at UVA
UVA has been a great place to train and I am certainly glad to stay in Charlottesville for another year in fellowship!
Dr. Erik Eklund and family
Erik Eklund (DR)
Plans for Next Year
I am staying at UVA for my MSK fellowship.
Reflections on Your Time at UVA
Reflecting on my time in residency at UVA, I’ve greatly enjoyed the interactions and people I’ve been fortunate to work with, from the technologists to the other residents to the attendings. It has been a good experience and I’m glad I was able to train here.
Dr. Xavier Mohammed practices martial arts in front of the Rotunda
Xavier Mohammed (DR)
Plans for Next Year
I am beyond excited to do my interventional radiology fellowship here at the University of Virginia! It was my top choice, so I am thrilled to continue learning from some of the best interventionists around.
Reflections on Your Time at UVA
As someone who discovered the wonderful field of radiology after graduating from medical school, I have to say I was very nervous about entering a field that I had heard many great things about, but never experienced myself due to lack of exposure. However, UVA Radiology definitely lived up to the reputation of what I believed radiology to be—a highly diverse field that significantly affects patient care, full of curious and intelligent individuals who very much support one another, working hard while also knowing how to have a good time!
Beyond work, I was lucky to be the lead guitarist/keyboardist for the UVA Radiology band, The Cat’s Curfew, living out my rock star dreams with Dr. Drew Lambert, our fluoroscopy tech Mary, and our body procedure PA Sam, all of whom I cherish very much. I was also encouraged to make many strides in things outside of work, like training for my third-degree black belt exam. At one point I was encouraged to do splits in the interventional radiology workroom by my mentor, Dr. Ziv Haskal (there is a picture floating around on Twitter if you’d like to see!). Some of these non-work moments were some of the most memorable for me, as it really highlighted the comradery and support we have for one another here at UVA.
In regards to the training itself, I sometimes can’t believe how much knowledge and technical skill I have accumulated since coming here. There was a time when the thought of reading a whole body CTA or getting arterial access was arrhythmia-inducing, but now it’s just part of the routine. While I still need to hone my skills (that is what next year is for), I can confidently say that training here at UVA was one of the best decisions of my life, and if I had to pick all over again, I would pick UVA Radiology 110% of the time.
Dr. Carolyn Scott and her husband, Michael, on their wedding day in Charlottesville
Carolyn Scott (DR)
Plans for Next Year
Next year I will be continuing at UVA during a breast imaging fellowship.
Reflections on Your Time at UVA
The past four years at UVA have been some of my favorite years. I have grown tremendously – both personally and professionally. Residency can be a challenging time but I always felt supported by those around me, making even the most daunting aspects of residency feel manageable. I feel so fortunate to have been surrounded by such strong co-residents and faculty who I continue to learn from daily. It has been a privilege to train here and UVA will always hold a special place in my heart.
Dr. Neil Shah and his wife, Sneha, on vacation in Greece
Neil Shah (DR)
Plans for Next Year
Next year, I will be a neuroradiology fellow at Emory University in Atlanta, GA. Afterwards, I will return to Virginia for a job with Kaiser Permanente in the Washington, DC suburbs.
Reflections on Your Time at UVA
Although I came to UVA halfway through residency, I felt immediately welcomed by the faculty and my fellow residents. The collegiality and warmth in the department are unparalleled. While residency can be challenging, the supportive culture of the program and the down-to-earth attitude of everyone here made my time here rewarding. I am grateful for all the opportunities this program has given me and look forward to applying the valuable lessons I’ve learned in my future endeavors.
Dr. Rob Sukumar with his daughter, Maya, and wife, Jackie
Rob Sukumar (DR)
Plans for Next Year
Staying at UVA for Neuroradiology fellowship.
Reflections on Your Time at UVA
Four years of radiology residency has flown by, and I think the complexity and volume of cases at UVA has gone a long way in preparing us for our first jobs. The faculty and fellow residents are the best part of the program, and have been extremely supportive throughout residency, helping us get through particularly busy or difficult times. Overall, UVA has been a great place for radiology residency!
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