Meet Our Fellows

Class of 2022

Michael A Grant, MD

There are many reasons why I chose Rush for my Rheumatology training. First and foremost, the collegiate and supportive culture at Rush is second to none. Attendings and ancillary staff are open and approachable giving the department as a whole, a family-like feel. Learning is the priority. Rush University Medical Center and Cook County Hospital are amazing hospitals that provide a diversity of pathology, hence there is exposure to every rheumatological disease during training. Our staff also put together a course of introductory lectures for the new fellows to build a strong knowledge of Rheumatology immediately from the onset of training. The research opportunities are limitless and every attending is more than willing to assist you. All these aspects will aid in producing a well-rounded future physician and ultimately prepare fellows to follow their dreams - whether it be a career in academic, private-practice or research. I’m grateful for my opportunity to do fellowship here and I honestly cannot say enough about the program.”

Medical School: University of South Alabama College of Medicine
Residency: Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL

Soumyasri Kambhatla, MD

“Choosing Rush as my training centre for Rheumatology has been one of my best career choices so far. Rush has proven itself to be a pioneer for research in various fields of Rheumatology. Each faculty member has a fresh and different perspective to the field. Their unique training methods show you various kinds of teaching, all with the same goal- delivering excellent patient care. All the attendings in the department are very much involved in the training and they are extremely friendly, warm and welcoming. Their respective experiences in research and patient care prove to be invaluable. Although rheumatological diagnoses can be confusing, they offer a step-wise and organized approach to diagnose and treat the diseases. There is an organized lecture and conference schedule that will orient the new fellows to various topics in Rheumatology which are very helpful. In addition to the above points, the department also has a wonderful ancillary staff that makes sure your journey here is as comfortable as possible. Any issues that you face are addressed and resolved almost immediately. The County rotations are extremely helpful as we get to see an entirely different set of population, some of them with very distinctive and advanced disease presentations. Overall, I chose Rush because of the excellent training, research opportunities and for the positive and cheerful atmosphere maintained by everyone in the team.”

Medical School: Maharajah’s Institute of Medical Sciences, Vizianagaram, India
Residency: J. H. Stoger Hospitals of Cook County, Chicago, IL

Class of 2021

Shilpa Arora, MD

“I chose Rush for my training because it is the best Rheumatology program in Chicago for training in Rheumatology. The unique experience of rotating at Cook County Hospital which exposes you to a diversity of pathologies along with clinics and inpatient service at Rush University Medical Center which is a tertiary care referral center makes it an unmatchable program for comprehensive education and training. Each of the attending welcomes fellows and residents with endless opportunities for learning and research. The program has ample ancillary staff support who all give their best to make it an enriching experience for patients as well as trainees. Rush Rheumatology is a big family and a second home to me where I have learnt and grown from a research volunteer to a senior fellow. I cherish every single day of my training here.”

Medical School: Maulana Azad Medical College, India
Residency: J. H. Stoger Hospitals of Cook County, Chicago, IL

Dmitriy Cherny, MD

“Rush rheumatology is, above all, a big tight-knit family. As fellows, we are cared for by a fantastic faculty with diverse talents. Our leadership values our input and dedicates themselves to continuously improving a time-tested curriculum. Our instructors are approachable, interested in our education, and without exception kind. We also have an excellent balance of oversight and independence, and our support staff is second to none. During our training, we are exposed to a variety of pathologies and practice styles. We have two clinical training sites, which are both academic, but provide starkly different clinical settings. In addition, we have ample research and teaching opportunities. All of these factors deepen and diversify our ability to practice out of fellowship. Consequently, our graduates go on to practice in a variety of settings ranging from becoming leaders at high-level academic institutions to joining private practices. I am very fortunate to train here, and I would highly recommend it to incoming candidates.”

Medical School: Rush Medical College, Chicago, IL
Residency: Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL