Leadership Within The Program
We believe a strong residency leadership team combines skillful day-to-day program administration with excellence in education. That’s why we recruit individuals who are accountable, set clear & high expectations, have a love of lifelong learning, and communicate honestly. At the end of the day, it is about choosing a team whose members’ strengths complement one another, and this is what we’ve done in selecting Associate Program Directors, Chief Residents, and Coordinators.
Fred R. Buckhold III, M.D.
Associate Professor
Director, Internal Medicine Residency Program
Originally from St. Louis, Dr. Buckhold went to the University of Arizona for his undergraduate degree before attending Saint Louis University for medical school and staying at SLU for IM residency. He joined the faculty after graduating in 2010 and became Program Director in 2014.
Dr. Buckhold has held plenty of different roles and responsibilities in his tenure at SLU. Above all of these, the most fulfilling is the role of PD, which provides the opportunity to exponentially improve patient care, build the careers of early physicians, and interact daily with a fantastic community of residents that provides such a positive impact on the program and the institution. Despite the bald jokes.
Dr. Buckhold has four daughters, a dog, and now a guinea pig (because what’s another mouth to feed), and a saint of a wife who puts up with such madness. In his spare time, Dr. Buckhold loves to hear from former residents, particularly if they stressed him out, just so he may return the favor or hit them up for money for current residents. He also religiously watches his soccer (#COYS) and cannot wait for St. Louis City SC.
Twitter: @DrBuckholdSLU
Instagram: im_slu_pd
Stephanie Shieh, M.D.
Senior Associate Program Director
Division: Nephrology
Primary Practice Site: John Cochran VA Hospital
I am originally from Saint Louis but did the majority of my training in California including IM Residency and a Chief Resident year at UC Irvine, as well as a nephrology fellowship at UC San Francisco. I returned to Saint Louis in 2014 and have been working at St. Louis University and the John Cochran VA in both nephrology and internal medicine.
My interests are varied and include home dialysis therapies, innovations in educational teaching, and healthcare policy both within and outside the VA.
Working with SLU and the Veterans Affairs has afforded me the ability work with a diverse patient population with exposure to different models of healthcare delivery. My experiences working with residents, fellows, and medical students have helped me to become a better mentor, educator, and clinician.
Roshani Desai, M.D.
Division: Gastroenterology
Primary Practice Site: SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital
Roshani Desai completed medical school at the University of Missouri - Kansas City School of Medicine, and then ventured to the other side of the state to complete her residency and fellowship training here at Saint Louis University. She attends at SLUH on the Gastroenterology and Liver services.
Ghassan Kamel, M.D., F.C.C.P.
Division: Pulmonary, Critical Care, & Sleep Medicine
Primary Practice Site: SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital
Ghassan Kamel moved to Saint Louis in 2011 from Beirut, Lebanon after completing his medical school training at the American University of Beirut. Saint Louis University has been his home since then. He completed his Internal Medicine training, Chief Residency, and Pulmonary & Critical Care Fellowship at SLU. He was fortunate enough to stay on as faculty and to become an Associate Program Director for the program that helped me become the physician he is today.
He has a strong interest in airway diseases - in particular asthma and acute respiratory distress syndrome - as well as quality improvement and improving healthcare metrics, especially in the Medical ICU, where he serves as the Associate Director.
On a personal level, he is a father of two beautiful daughters and he loves spending time with them and his amazing wife. He enjoys tennis, basketball, and sports in general.
Twitter: @GKamelMD
Paul Kunnath, M.D.
Division: General Internal Medicine
Primary Practice Site: SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital
Paul Kunnath received his undergraduate degree at Washington University in St. Louis, where he studied Biomedical Engineering and Music. He worked as a research and development engineer in St. Louis prior to completing medical school, residency and chief residency at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. He joined the SLU faculty in 2020.
Dr. Kunnath is a general internist and sees primary care patients at the Saint Louis University Doctors Office Building (soon to be Center for Specialized Medicine!). He also attends on the General Internal Medicine wards at Saint Louis University Hospital. His teaching interests are in clinical reasoning and evidence-based medicine. His research interests are in reduction of low-value medical practices and physician and patient numeracy. He is deeply grateful for the opportunity to teach and learn from residents and students.
Twitter: @PaulKunnath
Philip Mar, M.D., Pharm.D.
Division: Cardiology
Primary Practice Site: SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital
Philip Mar grew up in Atlanta, Georgia and earned his pharmacy degree at the University of Georgia. After pharmacy school, he worked for a few years as a pharmacist while attending medical school at the Medical College of Georgia, and then completed his internal medicine residency at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He then moved to Kentucky to finish his general cardiology fellowship at the University of Louisville, where he also served as Chief Cardiology Fellow. After cardiology fellowship, he finished an advanced fellowship in clinical cardiac electrophysiology fellowship at Indiana University before starting his career in academia at Saint Louis University. In his free time, Philip enjoys playing table tennis and is always looking for a good challenge!
Martin Schoen, M.D., M.P.H.
Division: Hematology and Oncology
Primary Practice Site: John Cochran VA Hospital
Dr. Martin Schoen is a hematologist/oncologist and hospitalist at St. Louis Veterans
Affairs Medical Center and assistant professor of medicine at Saint Louis University.
After attending Harvard Medical School and completing an internship at Naval Medical
Center San Diego, he served in the Navy and was deployed with the Marine Corps to
Djibouti, Africa. He earned a masters in public health degree at University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill before returning to residency at Saint Louis University and
then fellowship in hematology/oncology. He conducts research into health outcomes
and disparities in cancer treatments using national VA data to the focus on comparative
effectiveness of treatments and personalized medicine based on patient co-morbidities.
He is the proud father of twin girls, Ana and Miriam, and is married to Rachel Tabak,
a professor and researcher at a little university down the street from SLU.
Twitter: @mwschoen
Keniesha Thompson, M.D.
Division: Hospital Medicine
Primary Practice Site: SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital
Dr. Thompson grew up in Jamaica and migrated to Kansas during her final year of high
school. She completed her undergraduate degree in Biology at Howard University in
Washington, DC, and went on to medical school at the University of Kansas School of
Medicine in Kansas City, KS. After completing Internal Medicine Residency and Chief
Resident years here at Saint Louis University, she was invited to join the Saint Louis
University School of Medicine faculty where she now serves as Associate Program Director
in Internal Medicine. In addition, she is heavily involved in medical student education
as co-director of the internal medicine core clerkship.
Her current focus is on student and resident engagement and the development of quality improvement projects in clinical and non-clinical areas with the aim of improving work-flow and affecting health outcomes. Her research interests include health outcomes research, physician-patient communication, patient safety, and medical education. She is passionate about Saint Louis University, where caring for our community requires compassion and commitment. Her clinical time is spent attending on the inpatient internal medicine wards.
Twitter: @DrKThompsonMD
Stacey Chu, M.D.
Hometown: Fort Dodge, Iowa
Undergraduate School: University of Iowa
Medical School: University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine
I chose to come to SLU for many reasons, and I still love it for those reasons and
more. Our program is the perfect size. It’s small enough that I know everyone (not
just in my year, everyone in the entire program). But it’s large enough that we get
the benefits of a full roster (having enough people for a night float team means we
don’t have overnight call, etc). I also love the Midwest vibe. Midwesterners will
get what I mean. Non-midwesterners will see what I mean (I hope you like friendly
people in the elevators randomly asking about your day and complimenting your shoes).
And the common thread is that I love the people I work with! When I searched for a
program I wanted to find my people, my support system, my crew. I wanted my work hours
spent with people I would choose to spend my free hours with. I was embraced by that
feeling on my interview day and that feeling never left me. I’m excited to be a chief
because our program supported me in all the ways I asked for (and in ways I didn’t
realize I needed). I want to help all of our residents to feel the same way so they
can become the physicians (and people) they’ve always aspired to become.
Gassan Daher, M.D.
Hometown: Beirut, Lebanon
Undergraduate School: American University of Beirut
Medical School: American University of Beirut Faculty of Medicine
One of the main reasons that made me choose SLU is the harmony and the great atmosphere between the residents themselves and among faculty members. Our program’s values helped shape the person and physician I am today. The commitment and dedication that was on display on a daily basis by every member of the physician and support staff is exceptional. I believe the complexity and the diversity of our patient population is second to none and has provided us with an extremely enriching and rewarding experience. I have developed a deep affinity to the program’s mission which today drives me towards contributing back to the program through the Chief Resident position. With my passion for academic medicine, I hope to relay to residents through scholarly teaching, activities, and day to day involvement in their development.
Alex Lane, M.D.
Hometown: Edwardsville, IL
Undergraduate School: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Medical School: Southern Illinois University School of Medicine
I chose SLU because of the great resident culture and community. Even from my interview
I could tell SLU residents were a supportive group working together to give great
patient care. I feel lucky to be able to treat such a diverse and underserved population
under the direction of SLU's excellent faculty. As chief resident, I plan to continue
to foster this great culture and further my own journey as a clinical educator and
physician.
Gerald Wade, M.D.
Hometown: Memphis, Tennessee
Undergraduate School: University of Tennessee
Medical School: University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine
When choosing a residency program, I sought a place with a strong academic reputation and a great house staff that was located in a vibrant, urban setting. The Saint Louis University Internal Medicine program fit the bill. On interview day I was impressed by program leadership, the strong sub-specialty divisions, and the residents' camaraderie. I spent a few days in St. Louis after my interview day and concluded that it also would be a great fit for me personally. I have been grateful for the excellent clinical training and for the wide array of educational and research opportunities afforded by this program. The people have been terrific as well. With the new hospital on the way, it is a great time to be at SLU. I am excited to assist with this transition as chief resident and am eager to work with residents, faculty, and future interns to ensure our program continues to excel.
Khadeeja Ashai, D.O.
Hometown: Yorktown, VA
Undergraduate School: University of Virginia
Medical School: Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine
I remember coming to interview at SLU and just feeling how friendly and welcoming
of an environment it was. People seemed to genuinely like each other and enjoy working
together. As residents, we spend so much of our time in the hospital and to have that
camaraderie with your co-workers makes the experience a significantly better one.
I have had the chance to really learn from my peers in a place where we are challenged
everyday to think deeply about our patients and the complexities of their conditions.
I do feel like I am learning to become a stronger physician because of the learning
environment here. I think the diversity of cases that we see and the frequency with
which we work with other specialties and sub-specialties teaches us to approach our
patients in a well-rounded manner. Outside of the hospital, I've really enjoyed getting
to explore St. Louis, not being a native of the Midwest. People are so friendly, there
are lots of outdoor activities such as hiking, running, and biking, and there are
so many restaurants to explore as well. I hope to be able to convey that same enthusiasm
to others!
Jordan Hendrickson, M.D.
Hometown: Owasso, OK
Undergraduate School: The University of Tulsa
Medical School: Saint Louis University School of Medicine
When looking for residency programs, I was drawn to the programs that first and foremost
would prepare me for my role as an independent practitioner. As a student here at
SLU, I was always impressed by the residents' abilities to handle incredibly complex
patients, difficult rapid responses, and codes with composure and competency. As I've
moved into residency here, I never thought that one day I'd be able to follow in their
footsteps. The days were long, but intern year was very short, and I found my confidence
and knowledge growing. The program also gave me the opportunity to grow and do things
I never thought I could do - presenting at Grand Rounds, leading conferences, presenting
at a national convention, and even getting to be part of a podcast. Through all of
these experiences, I feel confident that I will leave this program with the skills
needed to be a productive and informed internist. I am looking forward to the opportunity
to help teach and learn from this program more as I go into my chief year.
Piotr Horbal, D.O.
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Undergraduate School: University of Illinois - Chicago
Medical School: Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine - Midwestern University
Choosing a residency program, I had a list of priorities including academic reputation,
faculty mentorship, graduates’ trajectories and comradery amongst the residents. While
on the interview trail, I soon realized the similarities amongst many programs, making
the decision even more difficult - that is, until my SLU interview experience. From
the pre-interview dinner through the last interview a significant and refreshing sense
of community in an academic environment immediately made itself apparent. This unique
aspect of establishing a family within residency has undoubtedly been the most important
and stress relieving part of the past few years in my life. This atmosphere with the
academic rigor and ongoing success of our graduates and faculty is what I plan on
fostering and expanding during my chief year!
Jason Zoglman, M.D.
Hometown: Garden Plain, KS
Undergraduate School: Pittsburg State University (Pittsburg, KS)
Medical School: University of Kansas School of Medicine - Wichita
Choosing SLU for continuing my education was an easy decision after my interview day.
The camaraderie and obvious friendships I witnessed that day left little doubt that
this is where I wanted to be. The pattern has held true over the last several years,
and I've been able to form some incredible bonds with my co-residents and other hospital
staff. We work hard while we're here, but we get to do it with friends that have become
like family, and that makes it bearable, and even fun on some days!