Graduations and Awards

Our 2022 Graduation and Award ceremony returned to an inperson format after 2 years of being held virtually. The event was on Friday June 17 as part of the DM Davis Visiting professorship meeting featuring Dr. Gopal Badlani from Wake Forest (see page 30). The official year end graduation party was held at the home of Dr. Tricia and Lenny Gomella in Chadds Ford, PA. In addition to the honorees, their families and friends attended the graduation celebration.

ALEX UHR, MD CHIEF RESIDENT Alex was born and raised in the Philadelphia suburbs where he attended Haverford High School. His interests included snowboarding and skateboarding, soccer and lacrosse, playing at the varsity level throughout high school. Outside of sports, he has always had an interest in the sciences-an interest he shared with his twin brother, Josh, who is currently finishing his training as an ophthalmologist.

After graduating high school, Alex attended the University of Pittsburgh where he graduated with honors and obtained a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in psychology. At Pitt, Alex developed a passion for medicine and spent many hours volunteering at various hospitals both domestic and abroad, spending one summer working at a hospital in Nakuru, Kenya, with his brother, Josh. After college, Alex attended the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University and ultimately fell in love with Urology. He stayed at Jefferson for his residency training. It was here that he met his wife, Alizabeth, who works at Jefferson as a Physician Assistant in medical oncology.

Outside of academia, Alex enjoys traveling, golf, spending time with family at his parents’ beach house, and playing with his golden retriever, Finn. Following graduation, Alex will be staying within the Jefferson community and practicing at Jefferson Northeast campus.

Dr. Uhr: “I am incredibly privileged and lucky to have completed residency at Jefferson, an institution with an impressive history of training outstanding urologists for many, many years. I am eternally grateful to the attendings who have invested their time and effort into training me. I am thankful for my co-residents and co-chiefs who have made the past 6 years so enjoyable for me, and who have taught me so much as well. To my parents and brother, who have showered me with support and endless encouragement, my graduation is equally your accomplishment. To my amazing wife, Alizabeth, I am not sure how I could survive without you by my side, essentially keeping my life outside of residency on track. You have made my life so much easier and happier.

Residency is filled with very long days, but quick years. It is challenging and demanding, but also very rewarding. I am so honored to have spent the last 6 years at Jefferson with all of you.” After graduation, Alex will be joining our Jefferson Health Urology community practice in the Northeast. BENJAMIN RUDNICK, MD CHIEF RESIDENT Benjamin Harris Rudnick was born in New York City and raised in Croton, New York, a small town in the lower Hudson Valley. He has an older brother Josh who now lives in Los Angeles where he works as a talent manager. Ben has always had a passion for athletics and played both varsity baseball and football in high school. He was named New York State all-section honorable mention his senior year. He earned his bachelor’s degree at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, where he graduated cum laude and majored in Medicine, Health, and Society with a minor in corporate strategy.

Ben’s interest in urology actually began one summer during college when he was introduced to a local urologist through a family friend and spent time shadowing him in the office and operating room. Having been an athlete with a passion for sports, Ben later considered a career in orthopedics, however it was during his clinical rotation during his third year of medical school at Jefferson that Ben’s decision to pursue a career in urology was solidified.

When he is not working, Ben enjoys exercising and spending time with his wife Melissa and their 4-month old daughter Hannah. They enjoy traveling, hiking, and exploring Philadelphia’s restaurant scene. Ben continues to root for his beloved New York sports teams despite having lived in Philadelphia for the last decade. Following graduation, Ben will be completing a one-year fellowship in advanced robotics at Hackensack University Medical Center/New Jersey Urology with Drs. Mutahar Ahmed and Gregory Lovallo.

Dr. Rudnick: “I feel extremely lucky and proud to have matched at Jefferson six years ago. Having been a medical student here, I knew after my sub-internship rotation that Jefferson urology was where I wanted to spend my years of residency. It has been an honor to train here in a department with such rich history and sense of tradition. I would like to thank Dr. Gomella and Dr. Shenot, in particular, for providing me this opportunity, and all the other faculty who have helped me become the urologist and surgeon I am today. To all the residents- it has been an absolute privilege to work with each of you and I consider you all lifelong friends. The camaraderie we enjoyed together is without a doubt what I will miss most after I leave Jefferson. Finally, I would like to thank my family. I would not be where I am today without the love and guidance of my parents Don and Marlene and my brother Josh. Most of all, I would like to thank my wife Melissa who has made tremendous sacrifices married to a surgical resident. I will be forever grateful for all of your loving support you provided me these past six years. You are an incredible partner, best friend, and now mother to Hannah. I can’t wait for our next chapter together.”

VICTOR KUCHEROV, MD CHIEF RESIDENT Victor Michael Kucherov, MD was born in Poughkeepsie, NY and was raised there with his older brother. Growing up he enjoyed film making and was an avid rower. After graduating from Arlington High School, he attended the University of Rochester in Rochester, NY. There he graduated cum laude with a B.S. degree in physics. As an undergraduate, he performed research in experimental physics but ultimately decided to pursue a career in medicine.

Following undergrad, he joined a basic science lab at the University of Rochester Medical Center. There he worked as a laboratory technician assisting in RNA biology research. He was accepted into the University of Rochester School of Medicine which he attended the following year. His interest in urology was sparked during his third-year rotation and he ultimately was awarded a yearout fellowship studying renal cell carcinoma. He graduated medical school with a distinction in research and afterward attended Jefferson for urology residency. Following residency he will be a pediatric urology fellow at Children's National Hospital in Washington, DC.

Dr. Kucherov. "The last six years have passed in a flash and it seems like only yesterday intern year was beginning. Over these years, I have learned and grown in ways I could only dream about. I would like to thank the urology faculty at Jefferson for truly world-class training and mentorship. To Drs. Gomella and Shenot, thank you for giving me the opportunity to train here. To my co-residents, you have become a second family. We shared long hours but also countless laughs and good times. I am so proud to call you all my colleagues. To my co-chiefs Alex and Ben, we were and always will be brothers in arms. I could not have gotten through chief year without you both. You are both superb urologists and your patients will be lucky to have you. To my parents, Misha and Anita, thank you for raising me to be the compassionate, curious, and the hardworking man I am today. You are the foundation of everything I have accomplished. I love you. To my brother, Sasha, I could not have asked for a better older brother. You are always there for late night calls, to complain to seek guidance from, and to laugh with. You are an excellent father, husband, and physician and I still have a lot to learn from you. To my amazing wife Julie, it's hard to put into words how much you mean to me. You are the sun that lights my world and the glue that keeps me together. To my daughter Elena, your laugh brings joy to our lives and I am so excited to see who you will grow up to be. I love you all!"

Over the years, I have learned and grown in ways I could only dream about.

Dr. Victor Kucherov

Fellows Graduation 2022

ASEEM MALHOTRA, MD ENDOUROLOGY FELLOW Aseem Malhotra, MD was born in India. At the age of eleven, his family immigrated to a suburb of Philadelphia, PA where he attended elementary, middle, and high school. Throughout his childhood, he always enjoyed playing sports- his love for cricket translated into his passion for baseball where he excelled. In high school, he ran track and field specializing in short distance sprints including 100 and 200 meter dash and relays. Aseem graduated in the top ten of his high school class of over 1200 students. He then attended Temple University on a full academic scholarship. He was also admitted into the Bachelor's in Science/Medical Doctorate program that granted high achieving high school students with conditional acceptance to medical school.

At Temple University, Dr. Malhotra obtained a Bachelor's in Science in Biology. He cultivated his research interests in the field of molecular nanotechnology. He developed interests in the arts and obtained a minor in Religious Studies. During his senior year, he spent a semester abroad in Sweden and traveled extensively. He eventually graduated Summa Cum Laude from Temple University. He then attended the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University. He was initially interested in medicine but quickly cultivated a growing interest in Urology after a brief rotation during his clerkships. He pursued research in urologic oncology at Fox Chase Cancer Center. He matched and completed his urologic training at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Following residency, he elected to pursue a one year clinical fellowship in Endourology and Minimally invasive Surgery at the Urology Department at Thomas Jefferson University.

Dr. Malhotra met his wife, Paola, while the two were enrolled in medical school. When not working, the pair enjoy traveling extensively. He is an avid sports fan, enjoying a dying allegiance to Philadelphia Sports teams. He enjoys spending time with his family. He and his wife had their first child in the summer of 2022. Following graduation, Dr. Malhotra will be joining Potomac Urology, a private practice in Alexandria, Virginia. CASSRA CLARK, MD, MS RESEARCH FELLOW Dr. Cass Clark graduated from SKMC in 2021 and stayed on with our department for a research fellowship. He had previously completed an MS Degree in Medical Genetics and Genomics at Tulane. This was a nice introduction to his research year. Cass had a very productive year with multiple abstracts and papers published. As a research fellow, Dr. Clark submitted 27 abstracts to major meetings including AUA, MA-AUA ASCO, SUFU and others. This year he began his urology residency program at Penn State in Hershey, PA.

Jefferson Urology Scholars Graduation

Award Presentations

Dr. Zachary Prebay (PGY-1) receiving the Koppel Award from Dr. Max Koppel and Residency Program Director Dr. Patrick Shenot. MAX KOPPEL RESIDENT ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: ZACHARY PREBAY, MD The Koppel Award is given annually to the resident who achieves the highest score on the annual Urology in service exam. The award is given to honor Dr. Max Koppel who completed his residency at Jefferson in 1964. While in private practice in the Philadelphia area, Dr. Koppel participated as an officer in the United States Public Health Service, serving in many deployments. After retirement from practice, he became a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Urology assisting in a variety of educational and philanthropic activities.

DOLORES SHUPP BYRNE SENIOR UROLOGY AWARD: JARED RAIKIN, MD

The Dolores Shupp Byrne award is given in honor of Dr. Dolores Byrne who has been a member of the Department of Urology Faculty since 1987. The award acknowledges her dedication to student teaching and mentorship. She received her PhD in 1981 from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. As a basic science researcher, Dr. Byrne was historically the critical link between the residents who had the opportunity to work in the lab during their research time before our program reduced the basic lab time. She has served as Assistant Director to Urological Education, and mentored SKMC students through their 3rd and 4th year rotation and assisted with the initial application stages of our urology residency program. While still active in supporting our medical student experience in Urology, she now serves as is the Program Director of the Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Professional (P-4) program at Thomas Jefferson University.

Jared is a 2022 graduate of Sidney Kimmel Medical College chosen by the faculty for his contributions to our specialty as a medical student. As President of the Jefferson Urology Society, he organized many events to share the specialty of urology with our SKMC students.