Our Residents

PGY-3 Psychiatry Residents

Pournima Bapat, MD

Medical School: D.Y. Patil Medical College, Kolhapur
What are you looking forward to in your residency program? I am looking forward to working and learning about different subspecialties in Psychiatry. While doing so, I am hoping to create a collaborative team with my co-residents and make life-long memories.
A fun fact about yourself: I am multilingual and can speak 5 languages.

Devine Obasa, DO

Medical School: Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine - Louisiana
What I look for in a residency: I look forward to developing a good relationship with my co residents. I am also looking forward to exploring the different subspecialties of psychiatry as I figure out my specific career path within psychiatry.
Fun Fact: I am a first generation Nigerian-American

Raynie Reed, DO

Medical School: New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine
What are you looking forward to in your residency program? I am looking forward to practicing medicine with physicians who share the same interests as me and building close relationships with my co-residents and faculty.
A fun fact about yourself: I went to high school for health professionals, DeBakey in Houston. I always knew I wanted to be a doctor.

Ashley Stutes, MD

Medical School: LSU Health Shreveport
What are you looking forward to in your residency program? I'm looking forward to meeting my new co-residents and learning from so many experienced faculty members!
A fun fact about yourself: I am named after a soap opera character.

Kaeiron Saunders-Rogers, MD

Medical School: American University of Antigua College of Medicine
What are you looking forward to in your residency program? I am looking forward to diving into psychiatry research papers and combining the latest evidenced-based practices with the teachings of the experienced faculty of WKH to provide exceptional care to my patients. I also am looking forward to working with my attendings and colleagues to dissect and discuss interesting or difficult cases during grand rounds or case conferences. Lastly, I am looking forward to seafood gumbo.
A fun fact about yourself: I won a national youth award for writing a poem about Antigua.

Rohit Varanasi, MD

Medical School: American University of Integrative Sciences School of Medicine
What are you looking forward to in your residency program? I am excited and feel truly blessed to have been matched at the Willis Knighton inaugural psychiatry residency program in the beautiful city of Shreveport. This is the beginning of an exciting journey in the specialty I am deeply passionate about! Having previously been here for a clinical rotation in psychiatry, I am confident that I will achieve my dream of becoming a well-rounded and competent psychiatrist in this program, particularly developing the skills of serving a diverse and underserved population. I am filled with gratitude and eagerly look forward to working with the extremely friendly and resourceful faculty, staff, and resident team. My interest lies in inpatient psychiatry, treating acute and long-term patients, and I also desire to gain skills in interventional psychiatry such as ECT. Furthermore, I am committed to pursuing a suitable fellowship in the future as I continue to explore my subspecialty of interest.
A fun fact about yourself: Lived and travelled across the globe and have friends all over the world across most continents.

PGY-2 Psychiatry Residents

Chernise Barnes, MD

Barnes, Chernise

Medical School: American University of Antigua College of Medicine
What I’m excited about? I wholeheartedly look forward to serving a diverse patient population with varying psychopathologies. I am excited to be alongside my co-residents and experienced faculty as a part of a community that recognizes the importance of mental health.
Fun fact: I've traveled to most of the Caribbean islands.

Austin Berry, DO

Berry, Austin

Medical School: William Carrey College of Osteopathic Medicine
What I’m excited about? What are you looking forward to in residency?
I am looking forward to continuing my education specializing in treatment of psychiatric disorders using a combination of therapy, medications, and interventional modalities. I am excited to learn all of the specifics of the different types of psychiatric medications to skillfully use them in practice. I am also excited to learn about different types of psychotherapy to use in practice and in coordination with psychologists. I want to learn as much as I can to become as well-rounded and knowledgeable as I can be for my future patients. I enjoy the state hospital and outpatient clinic setting. I have special interest in child and adolescent psychiatry and how that affects the adult psyche, the overlap between mental and physical well-being, social aspects contributing to mental health, and the use of interventional tactics like ECT/TMS. I am excited to learn alongside my co-residents and make great friends and memories on the journey towards becoming an attending physician psychiatrist.
Fun fact: I worked as a teacher for a year between undergrad and medical school and really enjoyed it. I would like to teach in some capacity in the future, whether that be formal lecturing or working as an attending teaching medical students and residents. I also feel that being able to convey information about diagnoses and treatment options is critical for treatment adherence and overall positive outcomes for patients and their families.

Trevor Bunger, DO

Bunger, Trevor

Medical School: Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, Louisiana Campus
What I’m excited about? Finally getting to focus on psychiatry and learning what areas I enjoy the most. I am particularly excited to work more with addiction psychiatry and interventional psychiatry.
Fun fact: During college, I interned for Chance the Rapper’s nonprofit, SocialWorks.

Amethys E’Etessam, DO

Amethys

Medical School: Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, Louisiana Campus
What I am looking forward to? I am looking forward to learning more about the various fields in psychiatry and learning from the faculty at Willis Knighton.
A fun fact: I am bilingual.

Mujeeb Salawu, MD

Salawu, Mujeeb

Medical School: University of Ilorin College of Health Sciences
What are you looking forward to in your residency program?
I’m excited to join WKHS, especially with family nearby. I look forward to learning from a diverse patient population and deepening my interests in general psychiatry, addiction, and neuropsychiatry. I’m eager to grow under the guidance of experienced attendings and mentors and to build strong, lasting connections with my co-residents.
A fun fact about yourself:
I love cooking Nigerian dishes from scratch—my specialty is smoky jollof rice, always made with Afrobeats playing in the background.

PGY-1 Psychiatry Residents

Niharika Brungi, MD

Medical School: Osmania Medical College, Hyderabad, India
What are you looking forward to in your residency program? I am excited to join the program and look forward to growing into a compassionate psychiatrist while learning from outstanding faculty and an incredible group of co-residents. I’m especially excited about developing strong clinical skills, caring for diverse patient populations, and building meaningful relationships with both patients and colleagues along the way.
Fun Fact: Outside of medicine, I enjoy crocheting. It’s a nice reminder that good things often come together one stitch at a time.

Lalitha Pallempati, MD

Medical School: Kamineni Academy of Medical Sciences and Research Centre
What are you looking forward to in your residency program? I am looking forward to learning from every patient I meet and building meaningful connections with my co-residents and mentors. I’m also really excited to explore Shreveport.
Fun Fact: I’ve travelled to six countries so far and hope to explore more in the future.

Advayt Anoop, MD

Medical School: American University of Antigua College of Medicine
What are you looking forward to in your residency program? I'm excited to begin residency in a field that continually reminds us to look beyond diagnoses and understand the person behind them. I'm looking forward to learning from the faculty and mentors at Willis-Knighton, many of whom played a significant role in shaping my decision to pursue psychiatry. I'm also excited to learn from my co-residents and every patient I'll have the privilege of caring for.
Fun Fact: Outside of medicine, you'll usually find me at the gym, sketching, or trying to convince myself that my fragrance collection doesn't need another addition.

Tatum Polak, DO

Medical School: VCOM-Louisiana
What are you looking forward to in your residency program? What I am looking forward to most in residency is serving the people of Louisiana. Having grown up here, it is especially rewarding to continue my journey in a place that means so much to me. I look forward to building relationships with patients, learning alongside my co-residents, and helping make a positive impact on the mental health of our communities. 
Fun Fact: If there’s a waterfall nearby, I’m going to find it! I’ve planned countless road trips around tracking down waterfalls and even had one as the backdrop for my wedding.

Raghav Mittal, MD

Medical School: Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical Sciences & Research, Amritsar, India
What are you looking forward to in your residency program? I am looking forward to learning from my attendings and senior residents, collaborating with my co-residents, and developing the skills necessary to provide compassionate, evidence-based psychiatric care. I also hope to explore my academic and clinical interests and make the most of the opportunities available during residency.
Fun Fact: I moved from Punjab, India, to the United States to pursue my medical career and am excited to experience life in Louisiana.

Tania George, MD

Medical School: Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Hospital, Jaipur
What are you looking forward to in your residency program? I am so excited to delve deep into various sub-specialties within Psychiatry and see where it takes me. Connecting with patients and listening to their unique stories has always been my favorite part of medicine, and the reason why I chose Psychiatry. I also look forward to working with my wonderful co-residents and faculty.
Fun Fact: I like to collect trinkets, keychains and random artefacts that I can stick into my journal to reminisce about later. I call it junk-journaling! I also dabble in art sometimes and love taking pictures of clouds in the sky!