Roadmap to Residency prepares Class of 2027 for next steps

Third-year medical students are looking ahead to the residency application process.

By Lindsay Hughes

As medical students in the Class of 2027 look forward to the next milestone in their training, the Whiddon College of Medicine Office of Student Affairs is helping them prepare every step of the way through its new Roadmap to Residency series.

Designed to guide students from early planning through application season, the series includes a sequence of meetings and one-on-one advising sessions running from fall through spring. By starting early, the Office of Student Affairs aims to help students navigate the many elements of the residency process with confidence and clarity before the application season officially opens in fall 2026.

“The process of transition to residency begins way before finding out where one has matched, and it is a critical period that often leaves medical students with high levels of anxiety,” said Laventrice Ridgeway, Ed.D., associate dean for student affairs at the Whiddon College of Medicine. “With the Roadmap to Residency program, we saw an opportunity to explore the most impactful timeframe for fourth-year preparation and to intentionally offer the essential tools and information students would need to confidently approach the annual residency application cycle, hopefully demystifying the process and easing some of the angst that can result.”

The first session in the series, held in late October, introduced M3s to what they can expect in 2026, covering essential topics like planning and budgeting. Future meetings will dive deeper into areas such as career selection, away rotations, personal statements, and letters of recommendation, ensuring that students stay on track as they progress through each stage of the journey.

The series is a collaborative effort, bringing together expertise from multiple offices within and beyond the College of Medicine, including Financial Aid, Student Records, Health and Wellness, and Career Services. In late June 2026, the Office of Student Affairs will cap off the program with workshops, open office hours, individual meetings, and mock interviews designed to help students refine their skills before application season begins.

While third-year students begin their preparations, the Office of Student Affairs remains deeply engaged with students in the Class of 2026, who are currently navigating this year’s residency application cycle. The team continues to provide essential support services for M4s, including interview preparation, final mock interviews, guidance on communications such as post-interview follow-ups, and counseling as they prepare for the critical process of submitting their final rank order lists for The Match. 

USA Health Skull Base Team under the leadership of Dr. Thakur delivers 14 presentations at the joint North American Skull Base Society – World Congress of Skull Base Society Meeting 2025

The USA Health skull base neurosurgery team led by Jai Thakur, M.D., FAANS, and including advanced practice providers, fellows and medical students, delivered a total of 14 scientific paper presentations – including 11 oral presentations and three poster presentations – during the joint North American Skull Base Society (NASBS) and World Congress of Skull Base Society Meeting 2025 held in New Orleans.   

Thakur, who is the chief of minimally invasive cranial and skull base neurosurgery at USA Health and an associate professor at USA’s Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine, presented 11 oral presentations at the conference. He was invited to present 10 of his complex skull base neurosurgical videos selected through a peer-review process for the meeting. Among them was a surgical video selected to be presented as the meeting's best video session. (Figure 1) 

“It was a true honor for my team and me to be selected from more than 800 speakers as one of the top six skull base neurosurgeons worldwide, and to highlight our surgical techniques from operating at USA Health at this premier best surgical video session,” Thakur said. “It certainly is a team effort from everyone at our clinic, in our operating rooms and within the hospital, to ensure good outcomes in such complex scenarios.” 

Another unique surgical technique-based poster presented by Thakur’s fellow Mehdi Khaleghi, M.D., also received a distinction award. The poster presentation title was: Endoscopic Endonasal Transclival Transpetrosal Approach for Removal of Sphenopetroclival Chondrosarcoma: Technical Considerations.  

Figure 1: MRI of the surgical video selected to be presented as the meeting's best video session

In addition, Thakur was invited to teach a two-day cadaver course on supraorbital eye-brow skull base approaches, which was attended by neurosurgery residents and fellows from around the world.  

Here is the complete list of USA Health presentations. Additional information can be found in the Journal of Neurological Surgery. 

• "Value of Advanced Practice Providers in Fostering the Development of Elective Early Academic Skull Base Practice without Residents/Fellows in a Tertiary Academic Center: A Unified Skull Base" 
• "Quantitative Identification of the Supraorbital Nerve in Supraorbital Transciliary Keyhole Approach: Accuracy Analysis and Surgical Implication of the Medial Supraorbital Triangle" 
• "Endoscopic Endonasal Transcavernous Approach for Removal of Pituitary Macroadenoma with Apoplexy: Technical Nuances" 
• "A Large Ventral Cervico-Medullary Meningioma Resection: Juxtacondylar Far Lateral Approach with Technical Nuances on Dissection and Spinal Cord Rotation" 
• "Ventral C1-C2 Kissing Neurofibroma: Technical Nuances on Skull Base Approach and Bilateral Cord Rotation with Maximizing Safe Resection Corridors" 
• "Courthouses and Craniotomies: Medical Malpractice Indemnity Payments and Litigation Verdicts in Skull Base and Cerebrovascular Neurosurgical Practice in the 21st Century" 
• "What Does It Take to be a NASBS President: A Cross-Sectional Study of Attributes and Academic History of Presidents of the North American Skull Base Society" 
• "Extended Endoscopic Endonasal Approach with Odontoidectomy in a Patient Presenting with Unstable Pathological Type 2 Fracture, Retropharyngeal Abscess, and Cervical-Medullary Compression" 
• "Is Naso-Axial Line a Better Predictor in Endoscopic Endonasal Resection of the Odontoid and Pannus Removal? Technical Nuances of Maximizing Corridor and Maintaining Occipital Cervical Joint Stability" 
• "Combined Microscopic-Endoscopic Retrosigmoid Approach to Infra- and Supratentorial Posterior Fossa Epidermoid Tumor" 
• "Technical Considerations for the Resection of Large Sphenoid Wing Meningioma: Strategies and Vessel Handling" 
• "Retrosigmoid Suprameatal Transtentorial Approach for Petroclival Meningioma: Maximizing Retrosigmoid Corridor"
• "Tandem Clipping of Multiple Middle Cerebral Artery Aneurysms with Different Projection Angles" 
• "Endoscopic Endonasal Transclival Transpetrosal Approach for Removal of Sphenopetroclival Chondrosarcoma: Technical Considerations" 

About the North American Skull Base Society

The North American Skull Base Society brings together specialists to advance the care of patients with skull base disorders through education, innovation, and collaboration. Serving a multidisciplinary audience — including neurosurgeons, otolaryngologists, head and neck surgeons, and others with interest in diseases involving the cranial base — NASBS provides innovative learning opportunities through its annual meeting, hands-on Practical Course in Skull Base Anatomy and Surgery, and online educational programs. The society fosters excellence in patient care and the scientific advancement of skull base treatment worldwide. 

a) Physician Assistant Ursula Hummel, Thakur, medical student Garrett Dyess, and skull base fellow Adnan Shahid, M.D. 

b) Ursula Hummel, PA-C, and Thakur with Neil Martin, M.D., neurosurgeon, who is famous for coining the Spetzler-Martin AVM Classification. Thakur spent time with him during his fellowship in Santa Monica, California, in 2020.  

c) Thakur presenting a complex clinical scenario encountered during his practice at USA Health. 

d) Poster presented by Khaleghi won the poster of distinction award.  

Ikeri selected to serve on national executive committee

Kelechi Ikeri, M.D.

By Casandra Andrews

USA Health neonatologist Kelechi Ikeri, M.D., has been selected to serve on the executive committee of the National Network of Perinatal Quality Collaboratives (NNPQC), a national organization dedicated to improving maternal and infant health outcomes.

An assistant professor of pediatrics at the Whiddon College of Medicine and a neonatologist at Children’s & Women’s Hospital, Ikeri will represent neonatologists on the committee for a two-year term through September 2027.

“Dr. Ikeri’s selection to the NNPQC Executive Committee is a tremendous honor — not only for him, but also for the University of South Alabama, USA Health and the entire state,” said Manimaran Ramani, M.D., MPH, MSHA, MSHQS, chief medical officer at Children’s & Women’s Hospital and chief of neonatology. “It reflects the caliber of leadership and expertise within our division, and we couldn’t be prouder to see one of our own contributing to national efforts to improve outcomes for mothers and babies.”

The NNPQC brings together perinatal quality collaboratives from across the U.S. to promote best practices and share data-driven strategies that improve outcomes for mothers and newborns. In announcing Ikeri’s selection, NNPQC leaders said his clinical experience and dedication to neonatal care will strengthen their national goals.

“We deeply value your voice and perspective and believe your participation would strengthen our collective efforts to advance perinatal health nationwide,” said Laura Sabino, project coordinator for the National Institute for Children's Health Quality.

The executive committee guides NNPQC’s mission by setting national priorities, advising on quality improvement initiatives, and supporting programs that help hospitals and health systems deliver the safest, highest-quality care possible for mothers and infants.

At Children’s & Women’s Hospital, Ikeri provides specialized care for premature and critically ill infants in the region’s only level III neonatal intensive care unit.

In 2024, Ikeri was chosen to serve as the neonatal physician lead for the Alabama Perinatal Quality Collaborative, a state perinatal program by the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH). In that role, Ikeri works with the ADPH to implement, coordinate, and oversee perinatal quality improvement initiatives and address health equity across the state at 24 member hospitals. Ikeri earned a medical degree from the University of Lagos College of Medicine in Idi-Araba, in Lagos, Nigeria.

“Dr. Ikeri’s appointment underscores the growing national recognition of the expertise found within USA Health and the Whiddon College of Medicine,” said Benjamin Estrada, M.D., assistant dean for medical education, professor, and interim chair of pediatrics at USA Health. “His leadership at the national level will help ensure that the voices and experiences of clinicians in Alabama are represented in shaping policies that improve maternal and neonatal outcomes nationwide.”

Ikeri worked in hospitals in Nigeria and Tobago before moving to the United States in 2015. He completed a pediatrics residency at Woodhull Medical and Mental Health Centre in Brooklyn, New York, in 2018, and completed a neonatal-perinatal medicine fellowship at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia in June 2021.

He is certified in general pediatrics and neonatology by the American Board of Pediatrics and is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Medical Association, and American College of Medical Quality.

Pediatric faculty and residents present at state conference

By Casandra Andrews 

Pediatric faculty members from the Whiddon College of Medicine and resident physicians at USA Health recently delivered several presentations and served on panels at the fall meeting of the Alabama Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AL-AAP) in Birmingham.  

Laxman Aryal, M.D.; Katie Williams, D.O.; and Kamal

Sharma, M.D. 

Kamal P. Sharma, M.D., FAAP, a pediatric critical care physician and associate professor of pediatrics, and Kari A. Bradham, D.O., a pediatrician at USA Health and an assistant professor of pediatrics, shared information with other pediatricians from around the state during the meeting. 

Sharma presented details about the overall management of a pediatric tracheostomy tube patient. “With tracheostomy tube placement and chronic ventilation becoming increasingly common in pediatric practice, it is essential for general pediatricians to be well-versed in the fundamentals of tracheostomy care,” Sharma said. “This includes understanding the indications, timing, and procedures for tracheostomy placement, expected duration of PICU stay, and post-discharge management considerations.”  

Beyond the technical aspects, tracheostomy care involves significant psychosocial challenges, he said, noting that families often face emotional and social stigma and may struggle with acceptance and readiness. In those circumstances, pediatricians who have built long relationships and trust with families can help in facilitating shared decision-making, providing emotional support, and coordinating multidisciplinary care. 

Bradham took part in an expert panel discussion on how to integrate early hearing detection into a pediatric practice that also included details on intervention for hearing issues as it relates to the primary care pediatrician in practice. 

Saswat Jha, M.D.; Benjamin Estrada, M.D.; and

LaDonna Crews, M.D.

The Alabama Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics leadership decided to include a forum at the fall meeting for medical students and residents to present their research, according to LaDonna Crews, M.D., associate professor of family medicine and adjunct associate professor of pediatrics. “This initiative provides trainees with professional development opportunities, including learning how to present at a medical meeting, networking, and collaborating with colleagues.” She noted that early involvement in a professional organization can offer lifelong resources throughout someone’s career. These meetings help providers expand knowledge in pediatrics, exchange ideas, and understand the importance of advocacy for the patients they serve, Crews said. 

Katie Williams, D.O., FAAP, a pediatric gastroenterologist at USA Health and assistant professor of pediatrics at the Whiddon College of Medicine, and several pediatric residents presented a clinical poster at the conference. Williams served as mentor and senior author on a poster presentation titled “Mononucleosis Masquerade: A Cautionary Tale in The Diagnosis of Pediatric Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis." “Immunosuppressing while a patient is acutely ill with a virus causing liver failure may seem counterintuitive, but this is the lifesaving treatment for HLH required for survival,” Williams said. “It was an interesting case, and the patient is doing very well and thriving.” 

Kamal Sharma, M.D.; Laxman Aryal, M.D.; Bijay

Shrestha, M.D.; Saswat Jha, M.D.

Pediatric residents who also presented at the meeting included Saswat Jha, M.D., Bijay Shrestha, M.D., and Laxman Aryal, M.D.  

The AL-AAP is a professional organization representing more than 1,000 pediatricians across the state. The group advocates for the health and well-being of Alabama’s infants, children, adolescents, and young adults through education, policy development, and community partnerships. In addition to supporting physicians through continuing medical education and clinical resources, the chapter works to influence public policy on issues such as immunizations, child safety, nutrition, and access to healthcare. 

Students present research and artwork at premier neurosurgery conference

From left, Asa Barnett, Garrett Dyess, Chip Ogles and Christian Cooper attend the CNS annual meeting.

Four medical students from the Whiddon College of Medicine — Chip Ogles, Garrett Dyess, Christian Cooper and Asa Barnett — recently showcased their work at the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) 75th Annual Meeting in Los Angeles. 

The 2025 meeting, themed “CNS Connects,” is the premier neurosurgical conference focused on fostering meaningful connections in an increasingly complex and diverse field. The students contributed to the conference through a range of poster presentations, oral presentations and artwork.

Garrett Dyess

Ogles presented a poster titled “Antibiotic-Impregnated Calcium Sulphate Beads in Spine Surgery: An Analysis of 61 Consecutive Patients.” His study evaluated the safety and efficacy of vancomycin and gentamicin–impregnated calcium sulphate beads in cervicothoracic spinal deformity surgery.

“Despite greater surgical complexity in the bead group, the results demonstrated that antibiotic beads were safe, showed no metabolic complications, and were associated with reduced blood loss and shorter hospital stays,” Ogles said.

Dyess shared his research in both oral and poster formats. His podium presentation, “Neurosurgery Program Directors' Perspectives on the Role of Research in Residency Matching: A Qualitative Study,” examined how research experience influences residency selection. 

His poster, “What Resources Are Provided to Early Career Spinal Deformity Surgeons: Are They Sufficient for Sustained Success and Well-Being?” analyzed the support systems available to early-career complex spine surgeons.

“By capturing the support systems and resources for clinical care present at various institutions,” Dyess explained, “this research aims to help other surgeons identify which resources are most likely to aid their own practice, well-being, and sustained success.”

Christian Cooper and Chip Ogles

Cooper presented a poster titled “Assessing Price Transparency Features of Alabama Hospitals: A Cross-Sectional Policy Evaluation.”

“Getting to share our work and be surrounded by some of the most exciting research in neurosurgery was an incredible experience,” Cooper said. “I’m so grateful to Dr. Richard Menger for making this opportunity possible, and I had a great time exploring Los Angeles with my colleagues.”

Barnett contributed to the Art of Neurosurgery exhibit, showcasing both a physical illustration of a sphenoclinoidal meningioma removal and a virtual illustration of the endoscopic retrosigmoid approach.

The CNS’s mission is to enhance health and improve lives through innovative neurosurgical education, advancement of clinical practice and scientific exchange. Positioned at the intersection of innovation and tradition, the CNS annual meeting celebrated the diversity of neurosurgeons across different practices, geographies and approaches, while reigniting the core values of humanism and compassion in medicine.