Jeffrey Fitch, M.D.
Hometown / Ellicot City, MD
Medical School / Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University
Residency / University of Maryland Medical Center
Hobbies / Interests / Soccer (and pretty much every other sport), European History, writing fiction, trying to learn some home DIY
Why did you choose Rochester for Fellowship training? Happy fellows, large academic center with excellent faculty and opportunities, and Rochester is an awesome place to live.
Neil Gupta, M.D.
Hometown / Rochester, NY
Medical School / Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo
Residency / University of Rochester Medical Center
Hobbies / Interests / Boating, Exercising, Cooking, Travelling, Buffalo Bills football, Good Food
Why did you choose Rochester for Fellowship training? I was looking for a diverse program that Strong’s fellowship provides with plenty of research opportunities. I really appreciated the collegiality I saw between the fellows and the approachability of the faculty.
Sina Salehi Omran, M.D.
Hometown / Toronto, Canada
Medical School / Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Residency / University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Hobbies / Interests / salsa dancing, cooking, working out on my Peloton bike; interests: cardio-oncology, heart failure, MCS
Why did you choose Rochester for Fellowship training? URMC offers exposure to every aspect of cardiology, including significant VAD and transplant volume which are important to me. The center also benefits from a large catchment area. Finally, the welcoming atmosphere was very apparent, even through online interviews!
Ming Wu, M.D.
Hometown / Cherry Hill, NJ
Medical School / State University of New York Upstate Medical University
Residency / University of Rochester Medical Center
Hobbies / Interests / Golf, Badminton, Volleyball, Cooking/Eating, Hiking, Traveling, Investing
Why did you choose Rochester for Fellowship training? Having trained as an internal medicine resident here, I really enjoyed working with happy and enthusiastic cardiology fellows and attendings. There is a wonderful culture of camaraderie and friendliness throughout the hospital, which makes for great quality of life in and out of work. The Cardiology program offers comprehensive academic training with high volume tertiary care and exceptional subspecialty exposure. You also can’t beat living in Rochester with all the great food, fun activities, and beautiful nature in all four seasons.
Emily Xiao, M.D.
Hometown / Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
Medical School / Albany Medical College
Residency / University of Maryland Medical Center
Hobbies / Interests / Hiking, kayaking (or anything outdoors), creating new recipes, playing water polo, reading about marine biology, and exploring new places.
Why did you choose Rochester for Fellowship training? URMC offers comprehensive clinical training in a medium-sized city with a wide catchment area. The faculty and fellows seemed to be happy and well-rounded. I was also very excited to see the leadership include a Med-Peds trained faculty member!
Second Year Fellows
Eric Czinn, M.D.
Hometown / Cleveland/Baltimore
Medical School / Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Residency / Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell at Lenox Hill Hospital Program
Hobbies / Interests / Art history, chess, track and training for my pilot’s license
Why did you choose Rochester for Fellowship training? I chose Rochester for Fellowship because it combines the incredible clinical training and research opportunities that you find within a large academic center with the camaraderie and collegiality of a smaller institution.
Jean-Pierre Iskandar, M.D.
Hometown / Akron, Ohio
Medical School / Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine
Residency / Cleveland Clinic Foundation
Hobbies / Interests / Traveling, with an emphasis on culture sensitivity and history-seeking. Favorite city: Rome, Italy. Reading, with an emphasis on learning and memory theory. Favorite book: Phèdre (in French). Skiing- Favorite place to ski: Whistler, Canada. Soccer- Captain of intramural soccer team.
Why did you choose Rochester for Fellowship training? URMC offers comprehensive Cardiology training with a wide variety of educational and research opportunities. From early on, I gathered a sense of the warm and welcoming environment both the program and the city offer.
Sneha Limaye, M.D.
Hometown / Avon, Ohio
Medical School / Northeast Ohio Medical University
Residency / Case Western Reserve University/MetroHealth Medical Center
Hobbies / Interests / I enjoy running, playing the classical violin, reading mystery novels, baking scones, and traveling. I hope to travel to more national parks, especially Glacier National Park, as the pandemic allows.
Why did you choose Rochester for Fellowship training? I chose URMC for cardiology fellowship due to the incredible span of acuity seen here, particularly the transplant & VAD programs, mechanical support and complex PCI, as well as the collegiality among the faculty and fellows – apparent even on Zoom! Choosing to train at Strong, a large quaternary care academic center, was an easy decision since I plan to pursue academic cardiology in my career. The beautiful lakes and parks of upstate NY are another major plus.
Jessica Duke, M.D.
Hometown / Santa Monica, CA
Medical School / University of Chicago Division of the Biological Sciences The Pritzker School of Medicine
Residency / Loyola University Medical Center
Hobbies / Interests / Zumba, yoga, jogging, art museums, live music, reading, journaling, making colorful salads
Why did you choose Rochester for Fellowship training? I chose the University of Rochester for the opportunity to train at a major academic medical center with strong support for my research interests. In addition, the faculty and fellows are collegial and welcoming, and Rochester's location in the Finger Lakes region is absolutely beautiful!
Ryan O’Connor, M.D.
Hometown / Buffalo, NY
Medical School / Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo
Residency / University of Rochester Medical Center
Hobbies / Interests / *Playing with my dog, spending time with my family and friends.
*Hiking, finding new trails or hiking trails at home.
*Traveling: I enjoy exploring various parts of the world and learning new cultures. *Home brewing with a special focus on IPAs.
Why did you choose Rochester for Fellowship training? While I was an Internal Medicine resident at URMC, I was able to see firsthand how happy and enthusiastic the fellows were about the training they were receiving. I really appreciated the camaraderie that the fellows had with each other and other members in the hospital. URMC Cardiology offers a wide variety of educational, clinical, and research opportunities and also allows fellows to participate in a great volume of cases to enhance their training. Finally, Rochester is a great place to live with great food and nature.
First Year Fellows
Paul Blasio, M.D.
Hometown / Buffalo, NY
Medical School / Jacobs SOM and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo
Residency / University of Rochester Medical Center
Hobbies / Interests / Weightlifting, yoga, hiking, golfing, snowboarding, cooking and home improvement
Lefan He, M.D.
Hometown / Edison, NJ
Medical School / Rutgers, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Residency / Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center
Hobbies / Interests / Triathlon, sci-fi fantasy, exploring international McDonalds menus, blues guitar, board games, hip hop and classical music
Why did you choose Rochester for Fellowship training? URMC provides comprehensive training within each discipline of cardiovascular disease as well as a collegial work environment all situated in an affordable and livable mid-sized city.
Kimberly Hsu, M.D.
Hometown / Hicksville, NY
Medical School / Jacobs SOM and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo
Residency / University of Rochester Medical Center
Hobbies / Interests / Rock climbing (bouldering), gardening, hiking, traveling, cooking, baking
Why did you choose Rochester for Fellowship training? Rochester is an ideal place to train because it is balanced in just about every way. It is a major academic tertiary medical center with a huge catchment area, leading to the unique opportunity to care for patients both from both city and rural environments. Additionally it's in an environment that has the exciting offerings of a city, as well as rich and easily accessible nature and fresh air.
Nicholas Kurek, M.D.
Hometown / Buffalo, NY
Medical School / Jacobs SOM and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo
Residency / University of Cincinnati Medical Center
Hobbies / Interests / Spending time with my parents, twin sister, and close friends, eating new foods, strength and conditioning training, soccer, live music
Why did you choose Rochester for Fellowship training? As a quaternary care hospital and sole heart transplant center in Upstate New York, Rochester provides fellows with the opportunity to treat a high volume of complex cardiac patients. In addition, Rochester allows for tremendous exposure across all cardiology subspecialties. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, it was clear that both fellows and attendings alike were welcoming, approachable and down to earth.
Mohaned Serdah, M.D.
Hometown / Waterbury, CT 
Medical School / University of Connecticut SOM
Residency / University of Rochester Medical Center
Hobbies / Interests / I enjoy biking, hiking, swimming, traveling, and spending time with family and friends. I also like watching Arsenal and Patriot's games.
Why did you choose Rochester for Fellowship training? I chose URMC for Cardiology fellowship because of the culture of collegiality between the fellows and faculty. I had the privilege of experiencing this here as a resident. Fellows at URMC also have the opportunity to train at a quaternary medical center that offers advanced and complete cardiac care to some of the most complex patients in the state. Aside from the program, Rochester is an energetic and diverse city to live in.
Rithika Thirumal, M.D.
Medical School / Louisiana State University SOM in Shreveport
Residency / University of Cincinnati Medical Center
Hobbies / Interests / I enjoy biking, hiking, swimming, traveling, and spending time with family and friends. I also like watching Arsenal and Patriot's games.