General Surgery Residency

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The MAHEC General Surgery Residency Program is in collaboration with Mission Hospital. During the five-year residency, residents will complete a number of surgical rotations including rural hospital surgery, wound, breast, burn, acute care surgery, pediatric surgery, trauma surgery, vascular surgery, endocrine surgery, minimally invasive surgery, oncology and colorectal surgery, and hepatobiliary and pancreas surgery.

  • Mission Hospital is a Certified Level I Trauma Center
  • Mission Hospital is licensed for 853 beds with 47 operating rooms and a new critical care tower
  • Mission Children’s Hospital includes 130 beds with 60 board-certified pediatric subspecialists providing care in 23 different specialties
  • Mission Hospital's emergency department has over 100,000 patient visits per year, the trauma center admits 5,000 patients per year, and the helicopter transports more than 1,000 patients per year
  • Faculty includes critical-care-certified acute care surgeons, subspecialty surgeons, pediatric surgeons, and vascular surgeons
  • At more than 35,000 surgical procedures each year, Mission Hospital is one of the busiest surgical hospitals in the state of North Carolina

Our Team

Courtney Sommer, MD, FACS Courtney Sommer, MD, FACS
Program Director, General Surgery Residency
Trauma Surgery Faculty
Department Chair


Kristin Gee, MD, FACS Kristin Gee, MD, FACS
Associate Program Director, General Surgery Residency
Pediatric Surgery Faculty


Elaine Chan, MD, FACS Elaine Chan, MD, FACS
Director of Wellness & Mentoring
Trauma Surgery Faculty


Contact

Amanda Espinel Amanda Espinel
Residency Program Administrator
email surgery@mahec.net

MAHEC Logo

The NC AHEC Program provides and supports educational activities and services with a focus on primary care in rural communities and those with less access to resources to recruit, train, and retain the workforce needed to create a healthy North Carolina. Located in Asheville, MAHEC is one of nine centers in the NC AHEC Program and serves the western part of our state.

MAHEC was established in 1974 and serves a 16-county region in Western North Carolina. MAHEC is the largest Area Health Education Center in North Carolina and evolved to address national and state concerns with the supply, retention, and quality of healthcare professionals. MAHEC’s approach to caring for patients is based on an advanced care team model. Our general surgery residency program is located on the same campus with family medicine, internal medicine, transitional year, obstetrics/gynecology, psychiatry, pharmacy, and dental residencies.

MAHEC's Biltmore campus is also home to UNC Health Sciences at MAHEC, a vibrant academic health center that includes the UNC School of Medicine Asheville Campus, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy Asheville Campus, and an innovative educational and research collaboration with UNC Adams School of Dentistry.

Mission Health Logo

Tracing its roots back nearly 120 years and based in Asheville, NC, Mission Health is the tertiary care referral center for the western part of the state and the adjoining region. Mission Health has been recognized as one of the nation’s Top 15 Health Systems by Truven Health Analytics. Mission Health is the only health system in the nation to receive this recognition four years in a row, and the only health system in North Carolina to achieve Top 15 recognition.

Our mission is to improve the health of the people of Western North Carolina and the surrounding region.

Our core values, “MERIT,” are the foundation of our workplace and culture:

  • Mercy: We work to create a caring and compassionate environment responsive to the emotional, spiritual, and physical needs of all persons.
  • Excellence: We strive to meet and exceed our patients’ and consumers’ needs, and work collectively to improve every aspect of our care and services.
  • Respect: We value the innate dignity of all persons, respect their uniqueness, and enable the development of each person’s full potential.
  • Integrity: We are consistently open, honest, and ethical. We abide by our Corporate Compliance Program and integrity statement to always do the right thing by being honest in our interactions with one another, our patients, and our business contacts.
  • Trust/Teamwork: We say what we mean and do what we say, and work collectively to improve every aspect of our care and services.

4th Year Medical Student Rotations

MAHEC offers a variety of student rotations in Family Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology, General Surgery, Rural Medicine, and Psychiatry for both in-state and out-of-state students interested in our residency programs. Learn more about our 4th year medical student rotations

Our Culture & Values

  • Excellence: We are committed to delivering high-quality, evidence-informed services and activities that meet the evolving needs of our communities and partners.
  • Belonging: We actively foster environments where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to thrive.
  • Integrity: We lead with transparency, fairness, and a strong ethical foundation in all our decisions and actions.
  • Collaboration: We embrace partnerships across professions and communities to drive collective impact.
  • Innovation and Growth: We remain agile and forward-thinking, continuously improving through learning, creativity, and responsiveness.
  • Civility: We uphold a culture of mutual respect, empathy, and professionalism in all interactions.
  • Empowerment Through Accountability: We cultivate ownership, engagement, and shared responsibility in fulfilling MAHEC’s mission and stewarding its resources.

Our Commitment

MAHEC is committed to inspiring and equipping the next generation of healthcare professionals and expanding access to care for all. Our vision is to create a healthier community in Western North Carolina and beyond.


PGY1 Mission Emergency General Surgery Mission Subspecialty Minimally Invasive Surgery Mission Night Float Mission Trauma Mission STICU Haywood General Surgery

PGY2 Mission STICU Mission Emergency General Surgery Mission Vascular Surgery Mission Night Float VAMC General Surgery

PGY3 Mission Breast/Pediatric Surgery Mission Subspecialty Minimally Invasive Surgery Mission Subspecialty HPB Surgery VAMC Endoscopy UNC Thoracic/Transplant Surgery

PGY4 Mission Vascular Surgery Mission Night Float Mission Emergency General Surgery Novant Surgery Haywood Rural General Surgery Elective

PGY5 Mission Emergency General Surgery Mission Subspecialty HPB Surgery Mission Night Float Mission Subspecialty Minimally Invasive Surgery Mission Complex General Surgery VAMC General Surgery

Faculty

Courtney Sommer, MD, FACS Courtney Sommer, MD, FACS Program Director, General Surgery Residency
Trauma Surgery Faculty
Department Chair
Kristin Gee, MD, FACS Kristin Gee, MD, FACS Associate Program Director, General Surgery Residency
Pediatric Surgery Faculty
Elaine Chan, MD, FACS Elaine Chan, MD, FACS Director of Wellness & Mentoring
Trauma Surgery Faculty
Alan Bradshaw, MD, FACS Alan Bradshaw, MD, FACS Subspecialty Surgery Faculty
Darren Patrick Bryant, MD, FACS Darren Patrick Bryant, MD, FACS Surgical Intensivist
Brant Clatterbuck, MD Brant Clatterbuck, MD Trauma Surgery Faculty
Karole Davis, MD, FACS Karole Davis, MD, FACS Program Director, Surgical Critical Care Fellowship
Benjamin Deschner, MD, FACS Benjamin Deschner, MD, FACS Subspecialty Surgery Faculty
Marc Duverseau, MD Marc Duverseau, MD Subspecialty Surgery Faculty
Dwight Graham, MD, FACS Dwight Graham, MD, FACS Pediatric Surgery Faculty
Lance Griffin, MD, FACS Lance Griffin, MD, FACS Trauma Surgery Faculty
Cameron Blair Harkness, MD Cameron Blair Harkness, MD Breast Surgery Faculty
John Henretta, MD, FACS John Henretta, MD, FACS Vascular Surgery Faculty
Red Hoffman, MD, FACS Red Hoffman, MD, FACS Trauma Surgery Faculty
David Humphrey, MD, CWS-P David Humphrey, MD, CWS-P Wound Surgery Faculty
Allison Johnson, MD, FACS Allison Johnson, MD, FACS General Surgery Faculty
Jonas Karlsson, MD, FACS Jonas Karlsson, MD, FACS Trauma Surgery Faculty
Michelle Kiser, MD, FACS Michelle Kiser, MD, FACS Pediatric Surgery Faculty
Tammy Kopelman, MD, FACS Tammy Kopelman, MD, FACS Trauma Surgery Faculty
Douglas MacMillan, MD, FACS Douglas MacMillan, MD, FACS Vascular Surgery Faculty
Richard Massen, MD, FACS Richard Massen, MD, FACS Trauma Surgery Faculty
Ioanna Mazotas, MD, FACS Ioanna Mazotas, MD, FACS Subspecialty Surgery Faculty
Lindsee McPhail, MD, FACS Lindsee McPhail, MD, FACS Subspecialty Surgery Faculty
Alfred Mina, MD, FACS Alfred Mina, MD, FACS General Surgery Faculty
Rachel Morris, MD Rachel Morris, MD Trauma Surgery Faculty
Benjamin Motz, MD, FACS Benjamin Motz, MD, FACS Subspecialty Surgery Faculty
Sean O’Connor, MD, FACS Sean O’Connor, MD, FACS Subspecialty Surgery Faculty
Nicholas Osevala, MD Nicholas Osevala, MD Trauma Surgery Faculty
Emma Rooney, MD Emma Rooney, MD Vascular Surgery Faculty
Joshua Rudd, DO, FACS Joshua Rudd, DO, FACS General Surgery Faculty
Michael Schurr, MD, FACS Michael Schurr, MD, FACS Trauma Surgery Faculty
John Whitfield, MD John Whitfield, MD Subspecialty Surgery Faculty
Kent Williamson, MD, FACS Kent Williamson, MD, FACS Vascular Surgery Faculty

Residents PGY5

Robert “Bobby” Greer, DO Robert “Bobby” Greer, DO Resident
Katia Kyriakoulis, DO Katia Kyriakoulis, DO Resident
Kevin Lee, MD Kevin Lee, MD Resident
Rosina “Rose” Millevolte, MD Rosina “Rose” Millevolte, MD Admin Chief Resident
Preston Perry, DO Preston Perry, DO Resident

Residents PGY4

Lauren Delmastro, MD Lauren Delmastro, MD Admin Chief Resident
Sayed Hamed Hashemy, MD Sayed Hamed Hashemy, MD Resident
Benjamin “Ben” Hutto, MD Benjamin “Ben” Hutto, MD Resident
Andrew “Drew” Rickelmann, MD Andrew “Drew” Rickelmann, MD Edu Chief Resident

Residents PGY3

Khalid Gubran, MBBS Khalid Gubran, MBBS Resident
Victoria Johnson, MD Victoria Johnson, MD Resident
Thomas LaJoie, MD  Thomas LaJoie, MD  Resident
Mei Ray, MD Mei Ray, MD Resident
Mary “Mandy” Stallard, DO Mary “Mandy” Stallard, DO Resident
Gregory Watts, MD, MS Gregory Watts, MD, MS Resident

Residents PGY2

Patrick Carroll, MD Patrick Carroll, MD Resident
Kayden Maddox, MD Kayden Maddox, MD Resident
Eduardo Navarro, MD Eduardo Navarro, MD Resident
Spencer Winspear, DO Spencer Winspear, DO Resident
Bowman “Bo” Wiseman, DO Bowman “Bo” Wiseman, DO Resident

Residents PGY1

Jared Canary, MD Jared Canary, MD Resident
Abigail “Abby” Klammer, MD Abigail “Abby” Klammer, MD Resident
Casey Pikla, MD Casey Pikla, MD Resident
Abigail “Abby” Roop, MD Abigail “Abby” Roop, MD Resident
Sydney Thornton, DO Sydney Thornton, DO Resident

Class of 2026

Monica Boyd, DO

Monica Boyd, DO

Initial Placement: CaroMont Regional Medical Center General Surgeon, Gastonia, NC

Ben Caputo, MD

Ben Caputo, MD

Initial Placement: Loma Linda University Health Vascular Fellowship, Loma Linda, CA

Phillip Cox, MD

Phillip Cox, MD

Initial Placement: Prisma Health/University of South Carolina - Greenville Minimally Invasive Surgery Fellowship, Greenville, SC

Chandler Young, DO

Chandler Young, DO

Initial Placement: University of Rochester Breast Surgery Fellowship, Rochester, NY

Jacqueline “Jacquie” Zimmerman Solt, MD

Jacqueline “Jacquie” Zimmerman Solt, MD

Initial Placement: Rutherford Regional Hospital General Surgeon, Rutherfordton, NC

Class of 2025

Jeffrey “Jeff” Gaskins, MD

Jeffrey “Jeff” Gaskins, MD

Initial Placement: Eastern Virginia Medical School Vascular Surgery Fellowship, Norfolk, VA

Mark Khalil, MD

Mark Khalil, MD

Initial Placement: Louisiana State University MIS Fellowship, Baton Rouge, LA

Katie Korneffel-Rotter, MD

Katie Korneffel-Rotter, MD

Initial Placement: St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital MIS Fellowship, Youngstown, OH

Julie Rajotte-Caron, MD

Julie Rajotte-Caron, MD

Initial Placement: Wynn Hospital Breast Surgeon, Utica, NY

Amanda Stastny Karatchoun, MD

Amanda Stastny Karatchoun, MD

Initial Placement: VA MIS Fellowship, Washington, DC

Lucas “Luke” Tidwell, MD

Lucas “Luke” Tidwell, MD

Initial Placement: Ascension Providence Hospital HPB Fellowship, Detroit, MI

Class of 2024

Keith Anderson, MD

Keith Anderson, MD

Initial Placement: UT Knoxville Vascular Surgery Fellowship, Knoxville, TN

Kathryn “Katie” Decker, MD

Kathryn “Katie” Decker, MD

Initial Placement: locums tenens

Einstein Juma, MD

Einstein Juma, MD

Initial Placement: Cobre Valley Regional Medical Center, Globe, AZ

Ruth “Natalie” Reed, MD

Ruth “Natalie” Reed, MD

Initial Placement: George Washington University/VA Minimally Invasive Surgery Fellowship, Washington, DC

Oleg Ryabinin, MD

Oleg Ryabinin, MD

Initial Placement: U.S. Navy

Class of 2023

Matthew “Matt” Wagner, MD

Matthew “Matt” Wagner, MD

Initial Placement: U.S. Navy Service, Okinawa, Japan

Class of 2022

Timothy “Tim” Merino, MD

Timothy “Tim” Merino, MD

Initial Placement: Surgical Critical Care Fellowship, George Washington University, Washington, DC

Rachel Morris, MD

Rachel Morris, MD

Initial Placement: Surgical Critical Care Fellowship, Beth Isreal Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA

Andrew “Andy” O’Neill, MD

Andrew “Andy” O’Neill, MD

Initial Placement: Jackson South Minimally Invasive Surgery Fellowship, Miami, FL

Sarah Waterman, MD

Sarah Waterman, MD

Initial Placement: Copley Hospital, Morrisville, VT

Class of 2021

Harold Campbell, MD, MPH

Harold Campbell, MD, MPH

Initial Placement: Frio Regional Hospital, Pearsall, TX

Brian Charnock, MD

Brian Charnock, MD

Initial Placement: Centra Lynchburg General Hospital, Lynchburg, VA

Marc Duverseau, MD

Marc Duverseau, MD

Initial Placement: Newton Medical Center, Newton, KS

Danielle Fontaine, MD

Danielle Fontaine, MD

Initial Placement: MAHEC Surgical Critical Care Fellowship, Asheville, NC

MAHEC Biltmore Campus

MAHEC (Mountain Area Health Education Center) was established in 1974 and serves a 16-county region in Western North Carolina. MAHEC is the largest Area Health Education Center in North Carolina and evolved to address national and state concerns with the supply, retention, and quality of healthcare professionals. MAHEC’s approach to caring for patients is based on an advanced care team model. MAHEC's Biltmore campus houses residency training programs in family medicine, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, general surgery, pharmacy, and dentistry.

MAHEC's Biltmore campus is also home to UNC Health Sciences at MAHEC, an academic health center in partnership with UNC-Chapel Hill that includes programs from the UNC School of Medicine, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, and UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy.

Mission Hospital

Mission Hospital is licensed for 853 beds. The emergency department sees over 100,000 patient visits per year, the level I trauma center admits over 5,000 patients per year, and the helicopter transports more than 1,000 patients per year. Mission Hospital surgery services includes critical-care-certified acute care surgeons, subspecialty surgeons, pediatric surgeons, and vascular surgeons that provide the entire spectrum of patient care and surgical procedures. At more than 35,000 surgical procedures each year, Mission Hospital is one of the busiest surgical hospital in North Carolina.

The Charles George VA Medical Center

The Charles George VA Medical Center is a Joint Commission-accredited, tertiary referral, 1C facility that provides a full spectrum of health services to Veterans residing in a 23-county area of Western North Carolina. The medical center has 119 authorized acute care beds (including a 16-bed inpatient psychiatric unit), two state-of-the-art ICUs, 120 authorized community living center (CLC) beds, and 18 beds authorized for a substance use residential rehabilitation treatment program. The medical center also operates community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs) in Franklin, Rutherford County, and Hickory, NC. The VA Medical Center currently has the resident spots available and the clinical volume to support four full-time surgical residents from our MAHEC program. Regarding colorectal cases, the VA Medical Center will provide the resident a valuable learning opportunity with four general surgeons performing approximately 100 colectomy cases per year.

Haywood Regional Medical Center

Haywood Regional Medical Center is in Haywood County and licensed for 154 beds. Continuing a long-standing tradition of excellence, Haywood Regional Medical Center offers a comprehensive array of services, including orthopedics, spine services, cardiology, general surgery, women's care, emergency medicine, behavioral health, and includes 11 multi-specialty physician clinics. The campus in Clyde, NC, is also home to the 54,000 square foot Haywood Regional Health and Fitness Center and the 44,000 square foot Outpatient Care Center (including the outpatient surgery center, laboratory, imaging center, and physician practices). As part of Duke LifePoint Healthcare, Haywood Regional Medical Center is supported by Duke University Health System’s world-renowned leadership in clinical excellence and quality care as well as LifePoint Health’s extensive resources, knowledge, and experience in operating community hospitals. Residents will gain bread-and-butter general surgery experience in a rural community hospital setting.

University of North Carolina Hospitals

The University of North Carolina Hospitals System is located in Chapel Hill, NC. UNC Hospitals is equipped with more than 40 operating rooms at four different locations to provide both inpatient and outpatient surgical care. Our residents rotate within UNC for 10 weeks to gain experience in Abdominal Transplant and Cardiothoracic Surgery. Accommodations are provided.

Application Requirements

We invite you to apply to our program via the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). We will review your application and contact you if we wish to invite you for an interview. Typically, our interview season runs from mid-October through mid-December.

A complete ERAS application is required, including:

  • Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • Personal statement
  • Three letters of recommendation from faculty who have directly supervised clinical performance (at least one letter should be from a surgeon)
  • Medical school transcript(s)
  • Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE)
  • USMLE, COMLEX, or Canadian licensing exam scores

Board Certification in General Surgery

Residents who complete the MAHEC General Surgery Residency are eligible to pursue board certification in general surgery through the American Board of Surgery. Please visit the ABS website for certification requirements.

Questions regarding the application process should be directed to the Residency Program Administrator at surgery@mahec.net.

Eligibility and Selection Criteria

The Graduate Medical Education (GME) programs will select from among eligible applicants on the basis of residency program-related criteria such as their preparedness, ability, aptitude, academic credentials, communication skills, and personal qualities such as motivation and integrity.

Minimum Requirements

An applicant must meet or exceed the following minimum qualification(s) to be eligible for selection and appointment to MAHEC’s GME residency programs:

  • Be a graduate of a medical school in the United States or Canada, accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME); or
  • Be a graduate of a college of osteopathic medicine in the United States, accredited by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA); or
  • Be a graduate of a non-LCME- or AOA-approved medical school who also meets one of the following additional qualifications:
    • holds a currently-valid certificate from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) prior to appointment; or
    • holds a full and unrestricted license to practice medicine in a United States licensing jurisdiction in his or her current ACGME specialty/subspecialty program; or
    • has graduated from a medical school outside the United States and has completed a Fifth Pathway program provided by a LCME-accredited medical school.
  • Passed USMLE Steps 1 and 2 or COMLEX 1 and 2 within three attempts, as required by the North Carolina Medical Board.
  • Be eligible for a NC resident training license.
  • Be eligible to work in the U.S. (citizen, permanent resident, eligible visa including J1). MAHEC does not sponsor H1B or other visas.

VISA Sponsorship

MAHEC does not directly sponsor residents or fellows that need a J-1 Sponsorship VISA. Non-U.S. citizen applicants needing visa sponsorship must secure this directory from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG). The ECFMG is authorized by the U.S. Department of State to sponsor foreign national physicians for the J-1 Exchange Visitor visa for the purpose of participating in U.S. programs of graduate medical education or training. ECFMG is designated by the U.S. Department of State as a BridgeUSA sponsor for J-1 exchange visitor physicians enrolled in accredited programs of graduate medical education or training, or advanced research programs (involving primarily observation, consultation, teaching, or research). Although many universities and research institutions in the United States are authorized to sponsor exchange visitors as research scholars, ECFMG is the sole sponsor of J-1 physicians in clinical training programs.

Questions regarding VISA Sponsorship should be directed to the GME office at 828-232-2946 or gme@mahec.net.

Resident Physician Contract/Letter of Agreement

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