Five of the 10 graduates will continue their careers at St. Francis, strengthening the physician workforce across Northeast Louisiana
Monroe, LA – FMOL Health | St. Francis is celebrating the first graduating class of its Internal Medicine Residency Program, with five of the 10 physicians continuing their careers at St. Francis. The milestone reflects the program’s role in strengthening Northeast Louisiana’s physician workforce and expanding access to care across the region.
“Caring for the people we serve means investing not only in the care we provide today, but also in the physicians who will serve these communities for years to come,” said Thomas Gullatt, MD, FMOL Health | St. Francis president. “This inaugural class reflects our mission in action—preparing compassionate physicians and building a healthier future for communities across the region.”
Across FMOL Health, approximately 50% of physicians remain in the communities where they complete their residency training, demonstrating the important role graduate medical education plays in building a sustainable physician workforce and improving access to care.
The graduation ceremony, held Friday, June 12 at Hotel Monroe, recognized the residents’ hard work, growth and dedication throughout their training. Residents gained experience across a range of clinical settings while working alongside physicians, specialists and multidisciplinary care teams at St. Francis.
“These physicians have developed the clinical knowledge, judgment and confidence needed to care for patients with complex health needs,” said Navin Ramlal, MD, Internal Medicine Residency Program Director. “We are proud of what they have accomplished and look forward to the expertise and leadership they will bring to St. Francis and the patients we serve.”
The five graduates continuing their careers at St. Francis are:
Hamama Javaid, MD
Sham Kumar, MD
Deekshitha Manney, MD
Nisheem Pokharel, MD
Swesha Shrestha, MD
The St. Francis Internal Medicine Residency Program advances medical education by training physicians in Monroe and preparing them to serve patients across Northeast Louisiana, including rural communities.
To learn more about graduate medical education and career opportunities at St. Francis, visit stfran.com.
