This Wednesday we celebrated the graduation of the Crozer EM Class of 2024
As always, it is a bittersweet event. We are very proud of our graduating seniors who became world class professionals in the field of Emergency Medicine, and we are so delighted about their achievements. On the other hand, each and every one of them became a part of us, and seeing them go into the “adult world” breaks our heart as we will miss them dearly.
This class is very unique. First of all, they are all guys. The “Big Computer” somewhere in the space in March 2021 decided that only guys will go to Crozer EM that year. And they did form a very special brotherhood through these three years. Secondly, half of this class decided to pursue a fellowship, and each and every one of them landed a fellowship and a job place of their first choice.
Thank you for being with us for 3 years, Class of 2024! You are forever in our hearts. Don’t be strangers and come visit us!
Take a little trip with us at the graduation dinner, which took place at Positano Coast restaurant on 2nd and Walnut St in the center of Philadelphia
The graduating class – “the boys’ club”A really handsome bunch of fantastic EM docsStrolling through the venue – Positano Coast restaurant in the heart of Philly. Thank you , Angela! Also featured Alex Ahmann and Matt Maiman from rising PGY-2 classGraduating senior Stephen DePaul and his favorite PGY-2 Kenna Lum. A little secret about Steve: he will be doing per diem shifts at Crozer and Taylor, so we don’t completely “loose” him. Yay!!!All the faces you love: Rich Hamilton, Polli Ward, and Shayna Caliman. A lot of love on the background!Karima Sajadi and Greg Robinson. Greg is going to CHOP for a sports medicine fellowship. He promised to come back and give a lecture or two to the residents.Our mom Shayna is cheering for all of you!Senior Dan Kallush with his better half. Tsssss, he will be doing per diem shifts at Crozer and Taylor as well which makes us all happy. He is heading to Cooper for his EMS fellowshipYou cannot wish for better chiefs like Megan and Angela. Except Neil (who is going to Jeff), these are our graduating interns-soon-to-be-second-years Conrad Irons, Alex Ahmann, and Chris DentonThose bright eyes: rising seniors Brandon Eilberg and Mike CaroThroughout these past 3 years each year there was a photo of these two personas named “Russians Never Smile”. Here is the final one!Surrounded by graduating seniors is our Persian princess Deanna HojatiCrozer has the best and most gorgeous ladies, both residents and attendings: Deanna Hojati, Polli Ward and Sumaya MekkaouiTwo winners of “The Most Diopters in their Eyeglasses” award: Karima Sajadi and Stephen DePaulShimmering love and beauty: Deanna Hojati and Polli WardOur chief resident Megan Schlegelmilch with her husbandOne of the best pictures of today: our rising seniors Megan Schlegelmilch, Angela Saponaro, Deanna Hojati and Zac DaltonThe whole class together: rising seniorsShayna and the boysOur graduating US fellow Raghav with his beautiful wife.Well, while everybody is chatting, drinking, and socializing, our PD Mark Saks is working. Preparing the slide show and the awards ceremony. What would we all do without you, Mark?The screen is up, the ceremony is starting…Mark Saks, the PD, is opening the ceremony. This is the first and the last (?) time you see him wearing a suit.Our chair, Dr. Rich Hamilton, is addressing the crowd. The Conference Queen and the Queen of Our Hearts, Dr. Sumaya Mekkaoui, is cheering the graduatesShe set up an alumni fund, where all of us (and you should too!) donate moneyOur APD and US PD, Dr. Max Cooper, is congratulating the graduates and preparing to give his gift. On the screen is the QR code for the Alumni Fund with the Queen of Our Hearts in the middle. Make sure you scan it for good karma!The award “Intern of the Year” goes to 2 interns: Chris Denton and Matt MaimanThe Toxicology Award goes to Zac Dalton for publishing an outstanding tox case reportDan is passing the sorting hat to Kenna Lum who helped him to place all our residents and attendings to the appropriate Hogwarts House. It is her that will be sorting our new interns!The Crozer Cup goes to the best team ever “Sounding Soldiers” (Chris Denton, Zac Dalton, Craig Schaaf). Keep on scrolling, there are a lot of more pics with this cup!The US division handed 2 awards: the SLOW (Sonographic Lingering Over Wounded) and the MULE (Most Ultrasounds Logged in EMR) award goes to Dan Kallush and Alex AhmannOur intern Ta-Fu Lin, a.k.a Neil, is leaving us to continue his residency at Jefferson due to some unforeseen circumstances. And although he won’t be a part of our PGY-2 class, he will forever remain in our hearts. Good luck, Neil, and stop by ole Crozer!
OK, enough of the awards! Here come the graduating seniors:
Nick DelBuono – the chief resident and the guy who always smiles. He should win the award “The most positive guy that ever existed in this world”Wesley Goodman-Levy: the chief and The Mushroom Guy. And a dad. And a Wilderness guy. And one of the best teachers guy. And a multiple last names guy. And much-much more… A man of so many talents, he is heading to Vermont for his US fellowship, taking a huge chunk of our collective Crozer heart with him. Dennis Ostick – the chief and the winner of the “Most Perfect and Lovely Guy on This Earth” awardStephen DePaul: a.k.a. “The Black Cloud” guy. Being one of the most cheerful and funny people at Crozer, he manages to bring hurricanes of toughest cases in Emergency Medicine and all at once as soon as he enters ED. We hope when he goes to Virtua, he will turn into a white cloudConor Omeara: he is graduating but he is not. Yes, Conor is staying with us for US fellowship, so we still have another year to enjoy his amazing sense of humor. Greg Robinson: he is very proper. Always polite, well-mannered, never looses his cool. He is a gentleman! He will be around the corner doing Sports Medicine fellowship at CHOPCraig Schaaf: a.k.a. Mr Sheena Tadikonda. Craig managed to marry one of the sweetest and smartest Crozer graduates from the Class of 2023. There are not enough warm words to say about Craig who made a huge leap during residency and almost kicked Nick and Dennis off the “highest Rosh score” pedestal. Craig is heading back to Northwest, but promised to keep in touch!Daniel Kallush. He has many-many-many talents, of which you are aware. But when you think of Dan, you think of a Hogwarts House. Well, and the sorting hat. Crozer people know exactly what that means. Dan is going to Cooper for EMS fellowship, but he will be with us here and there for his per diem shifts.
~~~~~~~Congratulations, Class of 2024!!!! Cheers!!!~~~~~~~~~~
The Crozer Cup againWhat are you thinking, Dr. Evan Lynn, in a solitude? That only few months ago it was you graduating Crozer EM residency and now it’s the next class’s turn? Or why the hell the Crozer Cup is your only companion on such a day? Best picture, honestly!Oh, look! The Crozer Cup!!!The Crozer Cup. Again.Still the Crozer CupReally? The Crozer Cup?No! Are you serious? The Crozer Cup?OK, fine! It’s the Crozer CupYeah… still…Darn! Where is the Crozer Cup?
