When it came time to choose the path down which she would travel, Dr. Alicia Chilito, MD ’94, weighed her options, and chose the field that offered the most variety—family medicine. More than a decade into owning and operating a successful practice in Miami, she is more than pleased with her choice.

“I thought about going into surgery, but I like that I can visit with patients of all ages and backgrounds, and also treat different diseases and conditions,” she said. “In family medicine, you have to know a little bit about a lot of different areas of medicine.”

Born and raised in Colombia, Dr. Chilito immigrated to the United States at 17, residing with her grandmother in Texas. She earned a Bachelor of Science in biology from the University of Texas at Dallas in 1987. Dr. Chilito was admitted to a US medical school, but when that ceased operation during her first semester, she met with a past professor, John Cush, MD ’81, the director of clinical rheumatology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, who spoke highly of his alma mater.

She welcomed the opportunity to experience a new country and culture, and professes that the diverse student body and faculty at SGU has helped her in her current practice, which sits in one of the US’s most diverse cities.

“At SGU, you meet people from all over the world, and I really liked that,” Dr. Chilito said. “You learn to respect people’s different religions and different beliefs. It was very rewarding to learn about these different points of view.”

When it came time to apply for residency, Dr. Chilito focused solely on family medicine. “I didn’t want to specialize in one thing because I didn’t want to get bored,” she said. “Family medicine is very broad, so you always have to study and you’re always learning.”

Dr. Chilito completed her residency at Allegheny Family Physicians in Altoona, PA, and after working at Miami-based clinics in the late 1990s, she opened her own practice in 2002. Outside her practice, she is the medical manager for the Miami-Dade Fire Department’s Urban Search and Rescue unit. She also volunteers on numerous medical missions, treating underserved patients at clinics throughout the Caribbean, Central America, South America, Africa and the Middle East. A recent trip took her to Haiti, where she worked to address the country’s outbreak of cholera.

“It’s wonderful to provide medical care for people who need it and are very appreciative,” Dr. Chilito said. “To change someone’s life like that is very rewarding.”

Dr. Chilito has served in the United States Army Reserves since 2000, ascending to her current rank of lieutenant colonel. In October 2013, her active-duty commitment took her to a clinic in Afghanistan, where she helped treat military personnel and contractors.

Published October 2013

Dr. Hawli specializes in endocrinology and metabolism, osteoporosis, obesity-related problems, and internal medicine for adult patients.

She completed a degree in biology at the American University of Beirut (AUB) before enrolling at St. George’s University School of Medicine, from which she graduated in 2004, having scored in the 99 percentile on her medical exams. Her exceptional performance led to a coveted residency at the University of Connecticut Health Center, where she specialized in internal medicine. She returned to Lebanon in 2007 for a two-year endocrinology and metabolism fellowship at AUB.

Dr. Hawli currently runs a medical practice specializing in diabetes care, osteoporosis, internal medicine and obesity-related problems in Tripoli, the second largest city in Lebanon. The center focuses on prevention as well as treatment for diseases, including diabetes, which includes delivering education programs for adults and children living in and around the city.

Dr. Hawli is a published researcher and her 2009 joint paper on insulin pump therapy during the Ramadan fast was awarded Best Research Paper from AUB’s medical school.

You started your academic career studying biology at the American University of Beirut. Did you always hope to become doctor?

“I’d always dreamt of becoming a doctor. I did well at school and enjoyed studying the sciences, which was a good base on which to build a medical career. My father had diabetes and I was involved in his care, which led me to following a career in endocrinology.”

Was it a challenge to leave your home country to study at St. George’s University?

“It was a daunting decision to make but SGU had a great reputation, not just for its teaching, but as a medical school that could provide opportunities for training in the UK and USA.

“The first semester at SGU was actually quite difficult for me—not least because it was challenging to focus on studying when I was based in such a beautiful country. I found it hard to be so far from home and my family, but this pushed me to work hard and excel. I wanted to make the most of my opportunities there and prove myself. I also wanted to have my own career and not have to depend on anyone else financially. In the end, being away from home was a good learning experience and I soon began to enjoy it and thrive academically.

“The teachers at SGU were all wonderful. They would arrange for international speakers to visit us and contribute to our curriculum and lectures. The material was challenging, but we loved it. The medical school was small enough for us to receive dedicated teaching as well as forging strong friendships. I still have friends from my time at SGU, and it’s great to see that they’re all extremely successful. It was definitely a group of high achievers.”

After completing a residency at the University of Connecticut, you decided to return to Lebanon. What prompted that decision?

“I always thought I would return to Lebanon to be near my family again. It was wonderful to be welcomed back to the American University of Beirut, my alma mater and where I studied for my biology degree before enrolling at SGU.

“During my residency at the University of Connecticut, I had worked in the University’s St. Francis Diabetes Care Center, which inspired me to bring a similar full-service, outpatient clinic for diabetes to Lebanon.

“I was eager to establish a center that would provide a wide range of specialized care in a more accessible environment to people in Lebanon because I recognized the desperate need for development in this area of healthcare.

“Diabetes is just as big a problem in Lebanon as it is in the UK and US, but education about the condition is not as well resourced and the health sector in Lebanon is poorly financed, which makes it challenging. Medication is not covered by individual health insurance so people with limited incomes don’t always take the medicines they need. Because of this, patients with diabetes often become hospitalized, which ends up costing more financially as well as increasing mortality rates and long-term associated conditions.

“On top of this, I’m seeing children suffering from diabetes-related conditions such as kidney disease or blindness. This is particularly horrific because diabetes is often avoidable with lifestyle changes. It’s a huge problem and makes preventative education all the more crucial.

“The clinical care and education provided by my clinic helps to raise awareness of diabetes as well as promote prevention and treatment options available.”

What are your hopes for the future of the clinic?

“I’m looking forward to the clinic expanding and providing treatment to more people as there are very few medical centers in Lebanon that are specifically designed to meet the needs of people with diabetes and other hormonal or obesity-related problems. The clinic now has a dietician and psychologist, and we work together to encourage people to make healthy lifestyle changes. We have plans to recruit a cardiologist and ophthalmologist in the near future.

“I hope to do more for the public sector in Lebanon in terms of educating people as well as supporting other medical professionals by continuing to research this area and providing mentoring support and talks in public hospitals.”

When you look back on your education and career, are you pleased with the route you’ve taken?

“Definitely. I’ve had such a varied education and I’m so proud that I have brought something important and vital to Lebanon. The clinic is providing outreach support to members of the community who would otherwise not have access to this much-needed health care and education. It has been worth all the hard work to achieve what I have so far.”

Published October 2017

A 1996 graduate from St. George’s University School of Medicine, Ms. Gaolathe is the director of the master training program at Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership (BHP), spearheading the organization’s HIV research, treatment, and education efforts. She travels the country to train health care workers and upgrade health facilities.

In addition to her role at BHP, Ms. Gaolathe sits on the Botswana Ministry of Health’s National HIV/AIDS Treatment Committee and advises a number of technical working groups.
Past positions in her native country include two stints at Princess Marina Hospital in Gaborone, first as a hospital specialist in internal medicine and then as interim director of the facility’s anti-retroviral drugs (ARV) clinic, the first of its kind in Botswana.

Her professional success not only stems from her time in Grenada, also a developing country, but also her residencies at St. Michael’s Medical Center in Newark, NJ, one of the most HIV-wrought cities in the United States. The experiences have allowed her to effectively raise awareness about HIV and care for those afflicted with the disease.

As a young girl, Dr. Gaolathe had a child’s normal curiosity about Princess Marina, but the idea of medicine as her life’s work did not take hold until she spent one year of national service in a bush settlement in the Kalahari Desert.

“A nurse would visit once a month, and I would do whatever I could to help the sick between her visits, but if there was an emergency, the patient would have to be sent to the clinic 42 kilometers away,” she said. “I left the settlement feeling that I had to do something for them and others in the same situation.”

After two years at the University of Botswana, where she studied biology, she transferred to George Washington University in the United States, earning a Bachelor of Science in zoology in 1992.

Dr. Gaolathe knew the road to a medical degree would be difficult. “There were no medical school in Botswana, and I did not find opportunities in the United States,” she said. A preclinical advisor gave her information about the School of Medicine at St. George’s University. She applied and was accepted into the August 1992 entering class.

“St. George’s University gave me a lifetime opportunity to become a medical doctor,” said Dr. Gaolathe. “I am very grateful for my education and for the chance to give to my country.”

Published April 2013

When Tanner Brownrigg set off from his home state of Kansas to enroll at St. George’s University School of Medicine in 2003, he had a vision of where the path would lead him. He wanted to study anesthesiology and return to the Midwest to continue his career.

Nine years later, he’s an anesthesiologist at Ad Vivum Anesthesiology, a group of 10 physicians, practicing anesthesia at a community hospital and an ambulatory surgery center in Kansas City. The plan worked. He’s where he always wanted to be, doing what he always wanted to do.

“I have nothing but great things to say about St. George’s,” he said. “I loved my experience there. I went there with a clear idea in my head of what my future held, and it came to fruition.”

Dr. Brownrigg believes one of the main draws to anesthesiology is the ability to work with a variety of different patient populations. On a daily basis, he is able provide care to everyone from infants to expectant mothers to geriatric patients. A typical day’s cases might range from outpatient knee arthroscopies and pediatric ear tube placement to epidurals and cesarean section for child birth, or even heart and brain surgeries. He is an integral part of the process before, during, and after the operation.

“Before the surgery, we take the patients’ history, review their labs and X-rays, and making sure they’re medically stable to proceed with the surgery. Once we get into the operating room, I monitor the patient throughout the operation and am able to respond to acute changes that may take place during the surgery. Then in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU), I help control the pain and make sure the patient is stable for discharge home or to the hospital floor.”

Upon earning his Doctor of Medicine from SGU, Dr. Brownrigg began his anesthesiology residency at St. Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City in 2007. Paving the way to matching with his chosen specialty and location was an outstanding performance on both Step 1 and 2 of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). Dr. Brownrigg finished in the 98th percentile for each exam.

Prior to Match Day, he was confident that he would be paired with his one of his top three residency choices. In fact, he had to turn down a number of residency interviews.

“The fact that I scored so well on the USMLE Step 1 and 2 exams was directly related to the quality of the professors at St. George’s and how the classes are structured,” Dr. Brownrigg said. “I never came across a professor that wasn’t willing to help you any way they could. They are at St. George’s purely to teach and it shows.”

He has paid it forward by performing student interviews for the University and attending information sessions in the Kansas City area.

“I’m very grateful that St. George’s gave me the chance to pursue my dream, and as a result I feel it’s important to give back to the school,” Dr. Brownrigg said.

A native of Ottawa, KS, Dr. Brownrigg earned his Bachelor of Science in biology from the University of Kansas in 2003, graduating with highest distinction. While in college, he worked as a nurse assistant at a local hospital and performed a variety of volunteer work in the community.

Dr. Brownrigg is certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology and is a member of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, Missouri Society of Anesthesiologists, and Kansas City Society of Anesthesiologists. He and his wife, Kara, a nurse at St. Luke’s Hospital, reside in Kansas City, Missouri.

Published January 2013

As a native of Montreal, Dr. Richard Feldstein spent much of his academic life at prestigious Canadian universities, applying his natural affinity for the sciences toward a degree in research. After earning a Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry from Concordia University, he then received a Master of Science from McGill University in experimental medicine, a division of the Department of Medicine. In between his studies, he volunteered at various research labs and local hospitals in the area.

As he immersed himself in the field of research, Dr. Feldstein realized his talents would be best suited in another area of expertise. Wanting to experience the more personal side of medicine that is interacting directly with patients, Dr. Feldstein altered his course and began the process of applying to medical schools. The application deadlines for Canadian and US schools had passed, and he did not want to postpone his aspirations any longer. Eager to embark on his new career path, Dr. Feldstein began to research foreign medical schools.

Dr. Feldstein began an email correspondence with two students who were attending St. George’s University School of Medicine (SGUSOM) in Grenada, and was impressed by their positive feedback. Upon further research, Dr. Feldstein discovered that some McGill University faculty members in the Department of Nutrition taught as visiting professors at St. George’s University—and that these professors were working one floor above him at the research laboratory. Without hesitation, he approached the professors with a plethora of questions about the University, and valued their impression of St. George’s. “These professors had nothing but great things to say about SGU,” Dr. Feldstein recalls. “They said the School and the facilities were outstanding and on par with, if not better than, other medical schools in the US and Canada.”

Dr. Feldstein began his medical studies at SGUSOM in 1998. “When I got to Grenada, I was so impressed—more so than I expected. I couldn’t believe what they had created.” Dr. Feldstein continued to say that the University provided everything a medical student could possibly need: state-of-the-art facilities, excellent faculty, great educational and support services. He also said that the school provides all the tools necessary to succeed; the key is to use each and every one of them.

Of course, the exquisite surroundings were also enticing. As a PADI certified open-water diver, Dr. Feldstein also had an appreciation for the natural beauty of the Island. “Grenada is such a pleasant place. The people are kind, polite and wonderful. I was happy to be there, and really enjoyed the experience.”

Dr. Feldstein completed his clinical training at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York. “It was a great hospital that had everything I needed. It was very pro-student and I learned a lot.”

After he graduated from SGUSOM in 2002, Dr. Feldstein went on to do his residency in internal medicine at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center; University Hospital of Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York. He began his residency training with three other SGU graduates. The year prior, only one SGUSOM graduate was accepted into the program. Since then, an increasing number of SGU graduates have joined the program. The department of medicine liked the quality, caliber and strong work ethic of the SGUSOM graduates. “They liked what SGU was producing as doctors,” he said.

Dr. Feldstein was then appointed as one of five chief medical residents at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center. “That year, two of the five chief residents were SGU graduates,” he said. During that time, one of his responsibilities was to interview prospective applicants to the medicine program. “I began interviewing both American and foreign students, including SGUSOM applicants. The students from SGU were equally strong and competitive as compared to the American applicants in regards to grades, board scores and letters of recommendation. They were just as good, if not better.”

Dr. Feldstein is currently a senior fellow in the Department of Gastroenterology at North Shore University Hospital; a teaching hospital for New York University Medical School. He is also a clinical instructor for the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Sciences in New York City. “Everything I’ve ever wanted in my career I’ve gotten, and I have St. George’s to thank for that.”

Published December 2009