Last week was exciting for medical students and other applicants to residency programs around the country. They - and their programs - discovered which training program and candidates were matched to each other. Hurley's Obstetrics & Gynecology Residency Training Program discovered that its matching four candidates were the same as their top 4 picks. The program faculty interviewed 86 people, selected from 400 applicants.

"This was a very competitive year for obstetrics and gynecology," said Program Coordinator Tiffany Beckley on behalf of Program Director John Hebert MD.

Here are the profiles of the incoming Ob-Gyn residents: 

Dr. Pouva Abhari

Born in Iran, Abhari received his undergraduate degree from Avicenna International College and graduated with honors from Semmelweis University Medical School, which are both located in Hungary. During medical school, Abhari was involved in the Medical Student Research Association and the Semmelweis Iranian Student Association. His volunteer experience includes the Illumination Foundation in Orange County, Calif., which provided services to the homeless. He was an author for a peer-reviewed journal article, published in 2012. In his free time, Abhari enjoys photography, outdoor sports, camping, water sports, and cooking. Oh - and the most fun fact about Abhari is that he is the twin brother to Hurley first-year Ob-Gyn resident Sina Abhari MD.

Dr. Nida Khalid

Born in Pakistan, Khalid attended medical school at Rawalpindi Medical College. She has lived in Flint for the past year, while her husband Jahangir Khan MD has been working as a resident in Hurley's Internal Medicine Program. Khalid is fluent in three languages: English, Punjabi, and Urdu. Her hobbies and interests include: cooking, shopping, music, movies and exploring new places. 

Dr. Brian Tesler

Tesler is no stranger to Flint. He received bachelor-of-science degrees in human biology and nursing in 2006 from the University of Michigan-Flint. He then worked as a nurse in Hurley's Intensive Care and Coronary Unit for four years before enrolling in the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, from which he is to graduate in 2014. Tesler said he has a strong passion for Genesee County community outreach, especially in the city of Flint. He is one of the medical students responsible for the second annual Flintstone Challenge, a 5K run and walk race day, which helps to raise money for the Flint Community Schools Classroom Support Fund. In addition, he has worked for the Gift-of-Life organ donor organization. Tesler has participated in several research projects and also medically illustrated the third edition of “A Pocket Guide to Mechanical Ventilation and other Measures of Respiratory Support” by Hurley Pediatric Intensive Care specialist Rashed Hasan MD. His outside interests include breeding Bernese mountain dogs, antiques of the Victorian era, Victorian art and architecture, movies, reading, family, interior design, organization/cleaning, gardening, agriculture, art, drawing, classical cello and piano.

Dr. Osama Zaghmout

Though Zaghmout shares a hometown with Hurley Ob-Gyn resident Rahima Sanya MD (both from Doha, Qatar), he is not new to the Flint area. Zaghmout received a bachelor-of-science degree in human biology at the University of Michigan-Flint in 2006 before attending the American University of Antigua College of Medicine, graduating in 2013. He also is not new to Hurley, where he has completed student rotations with Ivana Vettraino MD (maternal-fetal medicine specialist) and Mostafa Abuzeid MD (reproductive endocrinologist). He also helped with various research projects in Flint, served as assistant soccer coach for Flint kids, worked on projects in downtown Flint and volunteered for the Muslim Student Association Day of Dignity, which gathered items such as clothes, personal hygiene products, school supplies, and food and distributed them for free to those in need. In addition, Zaghmout says that since he grew up near the sea, he likes all water activities, from water polo to deep-sea harpoon-fishing - and he enjoys playing football and volleyball and completing intense fitness workouts, as well as traveling the globe to learn about different cultures.

Ob-Gyn Residency Program Coordinator Tiffany Beckley contributed to this blog.