BELLE GLADE — The Health Care District of Palm Beach County’s teaching hospital, Lakeside Medical Center, recently graduated five new physicians. The hospital’s 12th class of family medicine residents completed three years of rigorous training, the first of which was during the Delta wave of the pandemic in the underserved, rural Glades communities.

“From day one, this resident class hit the ground running, providing skillful care to patients hospitalized for COVID and other acute conditions,” said Belma Andric, MD, MPH, senior vice president and chief medical officer of the Health Care District of Palm Beach County, in her remarks to residents, family, friends and faculty attending the June 27 graduation. “Each resident faced challenges, yet they persevered, profoundly impacting their patients and colleagues.”

Reny Cherian, MD; Katherine Wang, DO; Kevin Nyabera, MD; Daphne Metellus, MD and Milhenka Auguste, MD completed rotations in emergency medicine, critical care, women’s health, psychiatry, general surgery, inpatient, outpatient and community medicine, sports medicine, cardiology, geriatrics, and pediatrics. As part of the residency program, the residents also treated patients at the Health Care District’s Community Health Center in Belle Glade, which shares space with the hospital. One of the program’s goals is to cultivate physicians to practice locally. To that end, Dr. Cherian, Dr. Wang, Dr. Metellus and Dr. Auguste plan to continue their careers in Palm Beach County.

“From the start, we began during the height of COVID,” said co-chief resident Dr. Wang, who plans to practice at HCA Florida JFK Main Hospital. “We relied on the strength of our own seniors, attendings, nurses, and medical assistants, and they did it with such poise. I learned the most about compassion and the lifetime impact such medical decisions can make on someone’s loved ones and family members.”

“I was surprised by how quickly we adapted to being doctors, putting in orders on patients, truly managing our patients as our own and how close we became as a class and as a residency program overall,” said co-chief resident Dr. Metellus, who plans to practice at a primary care office in Wellington. “Everyone said the three years would fly by, but I did not believe it. And now here we are at this point.”

Family medicine is a medical specialty devoted to comprehensive health care for people of all ages. Throughout their residency training, the physicians provide access to a range of quality services for their patients, many with complex medical conditions and limited resources.

“The Class of 2024, our graduates, are very special to the residency program; they are resilient and dynamic,” said keynote speaker Darnel Dabu, MD, MPH, FAAFP, DipABLM, who has trained the residents as a family medicine faculty physician and provider at the Community Health Center in Belle Glade. “It is amazing to see them continuously advancing through the years, well-prepared, and ready for success. It requires a big heart to work in health care.”

The Family Medicine Residency Program, supported by a grant from the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, hosts 15 total residents and partners with Nova Southeastern University and the Florida Department of Health for Palm Beach County. One of the highlights of graduation was the coating ceremony, where the graduates welcomed the program’s five incoming residents.

“Congratulations to our five graduates,” said Jennifer Dorcé-Medard, DO, Family Medicine Program Director, Designated Institutional Official, and Associate Chief Medical Officer at Lakeside Medical Center. “These physicians are fully equipped to deliver outstanding and compassionate patient care. I thank everyone who contributed to their training and the Glades community for placing their trust in us.”

In 2020, the residency program was accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). This distinction assures the program meets the quality standards of the specialty or subspecialty practices for which it prepares its graduates.