Residents
PGY3
Deborah Daoud, M.D. - PGY3
Debbie Daoud grew up Paramus New Jersey, went to college ant Rutgers University and attended medical school at Penn state college of medicine. Her favorite aspect of medical school was volunteering for the underserved and partaking in community service to help those in need. She fell in love with family medicine after seeing the bond patients develops with their family doctors. She aspires to always have that close relationship with her patients and be someone they can trust and confide in. She is passionate about spending time with her friends and family, taking her dog for walks, and exercising, and traveling.
Debbie is appointed as the chief resident of the Transitional Year program at Palisades Medical Center for the academic year 2025-2026.
Oluwasegun "Olu" Shoewu, M.D. - PGY3
Dr. Shoewu attended Obafemi Awolowo College of Health Sciences, Olabisi Onabanjo University in Nigeria.
He enjoys ping-pong, soccer, watching TV, research and doing community service.
Ahmed Zohdy, M.D. - PGY3 - Chief Resident
Ahmed Zohdy earned an MBBS degree, completed an OBGYN residency, and obtained a Master's from Cairo University in Egypt.
He is grateful to have the opportunity to further his journey by joining the Hackensack Meridian Palisades family medicine residency program to provide comprehensive medical care to patients of all genders and all ages. He believes that the profession of a family doctor is a great gift God bestows. He has a favorite quote that states, “A kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal.” In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his loved ones, taking a refreshing dip in the pool, and fixing up cars.
Ahmed has earned the Intern of the year award 2023-2024.
PGY2
Amran Al-Amrany, M.D. - PGY 2
Dr. Amran Al-Amrany attended St George School of Medicine. He is a native to Clifton, NJ-born and raised. While Dr. Al-Amrany left the cold winters of the northeast to study medicine in the warm weathers of the Caribbean, he will take a heavy coat any day to be back with family. We are very excited to have a Jersey native in our Palisades Family. He enjoys spending time outdoors with and exploring cultures. Dr. Al-Amrany would like to pursue a career in primary care integrated with sports medicine.
Shehab Chaudry, M.D. - PGY 2
Dr. Shehab Chaudhry attended CMH Lahore Medical College in Pakistan. While he grew up as a native to New Jersey, his family roots are in Pakistan, where he called it home before returning to his backyard in NJ to complete his family medicine residency. We are happy to have Dr. Chaudhry back in the Garden State. When not in the clinic, Dr. Chaudry enjoys adventure sports, travel, and food. He is a girl dad and enjoys spending time with family. He aspires to be “Iron Man”, don’t we all? But realistically he aspires to be the best primary care clinician possible.
Ingrid Corredor Sarabia, M.D. - PGY 2
Dr. Ingrid Corredor Sarabia attended the Universidad Central de Venezuela. She has called the borough of Brooklyn, NY her adopted home. During her free time, she hopes to find the best Arepa (traditional Venezuelan corn flatbread), but I think nothing can top her own home recipe. She enjoys working on her art, hanging with her cat (her sub socks says it all) and hiking. We are so happy she has decided to cross the Hudson River to our Palisades Family and provide much needed care to our latino population. After graduation, she aspires to work as a primary care physician in underserved communities.
Hannah M. Girgis, M.D. - PGY 2
Dr. Hannah Girgis attended the Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED). She was born in York, PA but grew up in South NJ. While she traded the big city views for a while to complete her medical school with views of Ohio’s big lakes, she is excited to be back to the views from Palisades Medical Hospital of the concrete jungle. Dr. Girgis thoroughly enjoys music. She plays the piano, guitar and sings. She aspires to join the primary care world upon graduation and provide great preventive care.
PGY1
Vaidehi Akhani, M.D. - PGY1
Dr. Akhani was born and raised in India, but her journey in medicine has taken her across continents. She began her medical training in the vibrant Caribbean, where her passion for family medicine blossomed while serving underserved communities. After a few eventful years in Chicago, she’s thrilled to have matched into her top-choice residency at Palisades Medical Center, NJ. When she’s not in scrubs, you’ll probably find her exploring NYC with her friends, or nose-deep in a mystery novel trying to solve the case before the last page. Her ultimate goal? To become a compassionate primary care physician who delivers excellent care and makes healthcare accessible for everyone.
Karriem Castagna, M.D. - PGY1
Dr. Castagna was born and raised in New Jersey. He attended Cornell University as an undergraduate. He then went on to earn a master’s degree at Rutgers University. After that, he earned his MD degree from Saint George’s University School of Medicine. Karriem is eager to serve the community he has been a part of his whole life. His favorite part about being a family medicine physician is developing long term relationships with his patients and tailoring each individual’s care to fit their unique needs. In his free time, he enjoys playing and watching football and basketball. He also enjoys traveling and experiencing new places. He feels blessed to have such a strong support system and loves spending time with his fiancée, family, and friends.
Mafdy Melek, M.D. - PGY1
Dr. Melek graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at Assiut University in Egypt, gaining experience in both primary care and cardiology. Dr. Melek was born and raised in Egypt, where he developed strong values of compassion, service, and resilience. His journey later brought him to the United States, where he embraced a new opportunity to serve diverse communities and focus on Family Medicine - a field that emphasizes prevention and lifelong patient care. Today, as a resident at the Hackensack Meridian Palisades Family Medicine Residency Program, Dr. Melek is dedicated to growing not only as a physician but as a trusted advocate for his patients. Outside medicine, he enjoys family time and staying active through running.
Samuel Yunez, M.D. - PGY1
Dr. Yunez was born and raised in Chicago to immigrant parents from Colombia and Argentina. I grew up appreciating both my Latin American heritage and my American home. Watching Michael Jordan lead the Bulls to championships instilled in me a love for basketball and dedication. My passion for gardening has evolved into creating an edible garden for fresh, healthy food, which connects to my profound passion for medicine and helping people. Being bilingual allows me to truly understand what patients need and bridge cultural gaps in healthcare. I'm committed to lifelong learning—not only as a future doctor but as a person—embracing every opportunity for growth along this meaningful journey.