Meet Our Residents

At Wright State University, we make it a point to recruit residency classes that reflect a diversity of backgrounds and interests. Since we regard the learning in residency as a collaborative experience among residents and faculty, we particularly look for "team players,” residents who will be resources for each other over the course of their four years together.

People who come to psychiatry for the unsurpassed experience of human contact in the therapeutic encounter, find Wright State to be a perfect fit. Our residents are scientifically skilled, intellectually curious, highly motivated. Those who seek to explore the intricacies of both mind and brain find themselves in the right place.

Meet just a few of our residents, and read what they have to say about their choice of psychiatry and Wright State University. Click on a resident's name or picture to send an e-mail and find out more.

Mark Shideler, M.D.

Psychiatry is one place where you can actually change someone's life. When I was looking at my medical career I wanted to make the most of my professional time — I wanted a specialty that would make the biggest impact on people. Many specialties simply restore patients to the same quality life they led before they walked in the office, whereas psychiatry is in the business of improving perspective, decreasing mental anguish and providing hope for the hopeless. In other words, psychiatry is an art of changing lives.

When I was a flight doctor in Alaska with the U.S. Air Force, I realized the expertise psychiatry brought to the table, and the volume of good the field of psychiatry offered my patients. I would like to champion and broker the benefits of psychiatry and break down the stigma of mental illness that pervades society and the medical field itself.

I chose Wright State because it was a solid program. There is a wealth of veteran professors who make resident teaching a top priority. The program here is not "touchy feely," it is grounded in science and proven practice. I enjoy the emphasis the WSU program places on psychotherapy and its synergistic effect with medication and social support. I have a personal interest in P.T.S.D. and would like to serve the men and women who suffer with this debilitating condition.

Raushanah Hud-Aleem, D.O.

"One of the things I love about psychiatry is the potential the field possesses. Although it is not a new specialty, there is still so much to learn. With the new emerging technology there will be spectacular things to come.

"What I like about our program is the motivation and involvement the residents are in their own education. Another thing I like about our residency is the importance that is placed on learning psychotherapy."

Joseph G. Coles, M.D.

I had always planned to specialize in psychiatry through medical school because it is one of the last areas of medicine where patient interaction is primary in a time of technology and labs that draws a physician to the chart instead of the bedside. Psychiatry allows me to make a connection with patients that hopefully improves the quality of life for them and their families.

I was drawn to WSU’s program for its reputation, focus on psychotherapy, and for its collaboration with the Air Force residency program. In addition, as evidenced by the picture of me on a mission trip in the Dominican Republic, I enjoy working with children and WSU’s program offers the option of further specialization in a competitive child fellowship. It also helps that I grew up in Dayton, OH and was eager to be back near family and friends. My residency thus far has been challenging but truly enjoyable. I appreciate that we are treated as professional learners and our faculty collaborate on research and publications. Our attendings care about our learning and are accessible to us for questions and mentoring. There is also a strong camaraderie between the residents. This is demonstrated by a resident driven social outing after didactics where we can have fun and vent. The program also provides a good work/life balance which allows me to be the husband and father that I want to be.

Vinay Saranga, M.D.

Psychiatry is one of the most fascinating fields of medicine, mainly because it is so different from the other specialties. We do not have lab work to help clarify our diagnoses. As Dr. Kay says, “We, the psychiatrists, are the diagnostic instruments.”

We have the opportunity in psychiatry to ask patients thought-provoking questions that no one else has ever asked them, or will ever ask them. The psychiatry attendings I have come across always seem to have a calming presence, especially when I was stressed or nervous. I wanted to learn these special techniques of speaking to people that only psychiatrists seemed to know.

I was always interested in what made people “tick.” During my medicine rotation, I would wonder why a diabetic patient would forget to take his or her medication even though they knew it was necessary for them to live longer.

This program is different from many others in that it does not have a university hospital. We have a chance to work in a variety of different settings, from the mental health clinic at the air force base to the acute unit at the state mental hospital. Working with so many different attendings is one of the greatest advantages of this program, because I have the ability to learn from their variety of backgrounds, from child and geriatric psychiatry to psychoanalysis.

Pamela Broderick, M.D.

I have always been quietly captivated by listening to people’s stories and connecting with them on an emotional level. Although this has always been a part of me, it took me until my third year of medical school to figure out how this fit into choosing a medical specialty. Starting medical school, I would have never guessed I would choose psychiatry. I was interested in the brain and what made people tick. At first I looked towards neurology, but quickly realized that what really fascinated me was beyond white matter tracts and neurotransmitter soup, it was the hidden meaning and unspoken motivation a person may or may not even be aware of. Psychiatry just felt right! It was everything I desired: interesting, challenging and entertaining.

The more I learn about psychiatry, the more passionate I become. That is what I love about this program, you are surrounded my people who are passionate about what they do. I was also was drawn to the psychotherapy aspect of this program. I could have never imagined how intellectually stimulating and powerful sitting with someone for an hour week after week could be.

The last thing I love about this program is that through all of this, you don’t forget that life exists outside of the hospital. You still have time to do the things that you enjoy. For me, baking homemade cookies on a Wednesday night and going for a hike on Saturday afternoon with my family allows me to be a grounded and content resident psychiatrist, as well as a wife and mother.

David Hart, M.D.

"I like the ability to really get to know the people you have the opportunity to help. The amount of trust displayed by patients in sharing their stories with me is special. I felt that no other specialty had the relationship with patients that I was looking for. I also felt that this field is where a lot of impact could be made, not only in the patient's life, but in their family's lives as well. I don't think I have ever met a psychiatrist that was unhappy with his or her job.

"At Wright State, each hospital has its unique experience that the others may not have. I have been treated quite well and been given the autonomy to become a better doctor but not so much that I felt overwhelmed. Also, having different attendings gives you the opportunity to learn different styles of interviewing and general practice. By being at different hospitals and clinics, you get to see many different patient populations.

"People get along really well here — residents and faculty, and also residents with each other. I have had nothing but good experiences with my classmates and also with other residents in other years. There have been plenty of opportunities for residents to get together outside of work and just enjoy hanging out."