Family Medicine Residency Program

Dr. Carlos Manuel Godinez Rodriguez

Dr. Carlos Manuel Godinez Rodriguez earned his medical degree from Universidad de Ciencias Médicas de la Habana in Cuba, where he gained extensive experience in both clinical and research settings. Witnessing the challenges faced by communities in Havana profoundly shaped his dedication to improving access to quality medical services.

Dr. Godinez Rodriguez is deeply committed to enhancing patient outcomes and ensuring care for all. He has been recognized with multiple academic and service awards for his contributions to the field and has conducted impactful medical research in mental health and cardiovascular health.

He has been working for the last few years at a community health center in Charlotte, North Carolina, and states, “Working at a community health center... allows me to directly impact patients’ lives, offer support and education, and contribute to improving healthcare in a challenging environment.” Dr. Godinez Rodriguez is excited to bring this same passion to Pontiac community.

Dr. Nga Nguyen

Dr. Nga Nguyen earned her medical degree from Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine in Vietnam. Since relocating to the United States, she has been deeply engaged in clinical research, community outreach, and volunteer work, with a focus on improving health outcomes for all patients. 

Dr. Nguyen has gained extensive hands-on experience through multiple clinical externships in family medicine-focused settings. Additionally, she serves as a virtual translator, assisting Vietnamese physicians with medical documentation and publications.

An impressively active researcher, she has contributed to many publications on various topics, especially cardiology and cardiovascular health.

Her volunteer efforts at homeless shelters and involvement in community health initiatives has strengthened her commitment to providing high quality, patient-centered care. Her father was a physician and role model, and she cites his “dedication to caring for patients in under-resourced areas, addressing both their physical and emotional needs” as inspiration and foundation for her own journey into medicine. Dr. Nguyen brings that passion for community health here to Pontiac.

Dr. Ikechukwu Mgbudem

Dr. Ikechukwu Mgbudem comes to Honor Community Health from Nigeria via College Station, Texas, where he earned his Master’s degree in Public Health at Texas A&M University. He earned his medical degree from Igbinedion University in Okada, Nigeria. His passion for healthcare was evident from a young age, leading the First Aid Department during high school and fostering a lifelong dedication to providing exceptional care to those in need.

His extensive clinical experience spans various settings, including inpatient and outpatient care. In Nigeria, he practiced as a general practitioner for four years, and in the United States, he contributed his skills at clinics in Texas and skilled nursing and rehabilitation facilities in New York.

Among his most impactful experiences, Dr. Mgbudem cherishes his time providing healthcare in Nigeria—an experience that strengthened his commitment to community health and improving healthcare delivery.

He states that his “professional goal is to become a reputable, world-class physician with impeccable clinical skills and knowledge who prioritizes the safety of patients to ensure the best management outcome. I aim to contribute immensely and selflessly to society and the world’s good health.” Honor Community Health’s Family Medicine Residency Program is excited to welcome Dr. Mgbudem and shepherd the realization of his goals.

Dr. Srija Reddy Kesireddy

Dr. Srija Reddy Kesireddy earned her medical degree from SVS Medical College in Mahbubnagar, India. Her volunteer work in both India and the United States exposed her to varied communities and highlighted the many dimensions that shape health outcomes. These experiences deepened her understanding of holistic well-being and the importance of addressing challenges beyond traditional medicine.

Driven by a vision to transform healthcare, Dr. Kesireddy aspires to contribute to medical education, design programs that promote health and disease prevention, and harness technology to improve patient care. Her ultimate goal is to make healthcare more impactful, particularly for populations facing unique challenges.

Honor Community Health in Pontiac is the next stop on Dr. Kesireddy’s journey. It is one that has taught her much already. She insightfully states, “I have witnessed physicians care for those in difficult circumstances with unwavering compassion and dedication. It reminded me that medicine can build understanding and foster connection.”

Dr. Sandrine Kakieu Djossi

Dr. Sandrine Kakieu Djossi hails from Cameroon and comes to Honor Community Health via Canada. She earned her medical degree from the College of Medical Science at the University of Maiduguri in Nigeria. She began her career as a general physician, gaining valuable independent clinical experience.

Deeply committed to advancing healthcare, Dr. Djossi remains actively involved in clinical research, medical writing, and community service initiatives. Her contributions span multiple medical publications and newsletters, reflecting her dedication to sharing knowledge and fostering innovation.

Dr. Djossi is passionate about preventive care, and empowering communities to take charge of their well-being.

She has started initiatives to gain insight into patient financial struggles and recalls patient shock from unexpectedly large medical bills. She “turned it into pressing questions: how do uninsured populations, or those experiencing homelessness, manage overwhelming costs?” This concern and interest fostered “a deep desire to make healthcare available to anyone who needs it" and resonates with the mission at the Honor Community Health Family Medicine Residency Program.

Dr. Zoha Aleem

Dr. Zoha Aleem is a familiar face at Honor Community Health, having excelled in the last year as a medical assistant at our Family Medicine Centers. She earned her medical degree from Batterjee Medical College in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where she demonstrated strong leadership skills and academic acumen.

As a General Practitioner, Dr. Aleem has provided compassionate care in both Saudi Arabia and India, gaining invaluable experience in varied settings. Her commitment to improving healthcare drives her vision of delivering high-quality medical services to those who need them most.

A prolific researcher, she has had several publications on wide-ranging topics from vitiligo to improving quality of HIV care and cardiometabolic syndrome.

Dr. Aleem states that working at Honor Community Health as a medical assistant helped her “gain valuable insights into the multifaceted nature of patient care. It allowed me to develop holistic approaches that consider medical aspects as well as the emotional and psychological well-being of the patient.” Honor Community Health is happy to have Dr. Aleem continue her journey here in Pontiac.

Dr. Apote Zekpa

Dr. Apote Zekpa hails from Togo, where early family experiences strongly influenced his decision to study medicine. Subsequent exposure to primary care physicians and health maintenance visits sparked an interest to pursue primary care. He earned his medical degree from the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine.

Dr. Zekpa arrives to Pontiac from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where he has had extensive direct patient clinical care for which he earned high praise and recommendations from his physician supervisors. He was key in an impressive community initiative called Happy Period to get menstrual hygiene products to those in Miami experiencing homelessness. “This opened my eyes to areas of life that we take for granted on a daily basis and gave me a different outlook on how I can help others.” Honor Community Health’s patient population will be next to benefit from Dr. Zekpa’s clinical acumen and dedication to community.

Dr. Fatima Wajahath

Dr. Fatima Wajahath is well known to us at Honor Community Health, having served in the last year as a medical assistant at our Baldwin site and others. She has been serving the Pontiac patient population since 2021. She earned her medical degree from Deccan College of Medical Sciences in India. Determination and perseverance eventually led her to the Honor Community Health Family Medicine Residency.

As a medical assistant, she impressed with her knowledge and skill, especially at visits related to prenatal care for birthing patients, as well as women’s health maintenance.

“Early volunteer work in programs such as the free health camps for the poor, urban AIDS awareness campaigns, pulse polio immunization drives, and remote well baby clinics that catered to the health care needs of challenged communities and remote villages gave me the thrill of applying scientific knowledge in practice, nurtured my core constructs and equipped me for a life-long commitment to Family Medicine.”

Dr. Atif Rashid

Dr. Atif Rashid comes to Honor Community Health from Milton, Ontario. He gained extensive clinical experience as a medical assistant and scribe and earned his medical degree from the Caribbean Medical University School of Medicine. With experience as a clinical supervisor, he has helped devise creative ways to improve clinical operations and patient care quality.

He has also been active in research, contributing to studies on topics such as statin therapy and its relationship to cognitive function, as well as the quality of evidence supporting nutrition and diet recommendations.

Dr. Rashid has a keen sense of community, having had impactful experiences with local communities in Chicago, the Caribbean, and elsewhere. Through those, he states that he has “gained empathy, and collaborative abilities to excel in a Family Medicine residency.”  He aims to “become someone in the community who people can trust with their health and accompany them through life's ups and downs as an educator and advocate.”

Dr. Jhonny Perusina

Dr. Perusina arrives at Honor Community Health via St. Augustine, Florida, where he was a House Physician Trainee for a medical physicians group, managing many aspects of patient care under physician supervision, while also training medical students and first-year physician assistant students. He earned his medical degree from Universidad Evangélica de El Salvador Facultad de Medicina in El Salvador.

He has independent medical experience, having worked as a general physician for three years in El Salvador. He has also been active in clinical research, studying risk factors that affect pre- and post-operative patients.

Dr. Perusina sees community-based healthcare in his future, stating: “I see myself taking on greater clinical and teaching responsibilities as a board-certified physician, building my reputation among local and international communities. I would love to engage in work that helps people—both locally and abroad—and ultimately change the mentality of, ‘I don’t need to go to the doctor if I’m not sick.' "

Dr. Jason Caluducan

Dr. Jason Caluducan states, “I gravitate to the thought of being in the front line of diagnosis and planning, nurturing long-term relationships with patients and being exposed to the full spectrum of problems and issues in medicine.”

Dr. Caluducan is from Markham, Ontario and is a graduate of the University of the East/Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center College of Medicine in the Philippines. He has contributed to research in the field of infertility and reproductive immunology and has conducted surveys among non-English speaking patients to identify challenges to care.

He has excelled in family and community medicine and found value during rotations in which he “experienced first-hand the hardships and limited resources of healthcare services of communities in need.” Dr. Caluducan brings an unmatched enthusiasm to bring quality healthcare to communities like those that Honor Community Health serves.

Dr. Swetha Aloori

Dr. Swetha Aloori earned her medical degree from MNR Medical College in India and arrives here from Baltimore, Maryland, where she was a post-doctoral research fellow at Johns Hopkins University. There she was prolific in publications related to critical care.

Dr. Aloori has held many positions from volunteer to a medical officer in India. Committed to improving the quality and compassion of healthcare, she emphasizes that she was “born and raised in a family that emphasizes virtues such as generosity, kindness, and community engagement,” leading her to “develop a keen sense of social responsibility.” This showed with her service to challenged populations for several years in her home county.

Honor Community Health welcomes Dr. Aloori and looks forward to preparing her for her stated long-term goals. She plans “to use the expertise acquired to provide quality healthcare, conduct research, and become an academic mentor.”

Dr. Faris Shlash

Dr. Faris Shlash is a familiar face at Honor Community Health, having served in the last year as Honor’s Clinical Quality Manager. He earned his medical degree with high honors and recognition from Al-Nahrain University School of Medicine in Iraq. A remarkable journey led him to the United States and eventually to Honor Community Health.

As Clinical Quality Manager, Dr. Shlash has been instrumental in several initiatives affecting diabetic care, immunizations, cancer screening rates and more. His insight and expertise have led to meaningful improvements across several processes in these areas.

Dr. Shlash states that, “Growing up, my great uncle, Hameed Shlash, was a tremendous source of inspiration for me. He was a highly accomplished surgeon who made a positive impact on the community where he lived. Witnessing his achievements inspired me to pursue a career in medicine.” He shares that drive to promote health in a community-based setting and is excited to continue serving Pontiac as a family medicine resident.

Dr. Lizmar Rivera Nuñez

Dr. Lizmar Rivera Nuñez hails from Puerto Rico, where she earned her undergraduate degree. She later earned her medical degree from Universidad Autonoma De Guadalajara, in Mexico. Dr. Rivera Nuñez arrives to Pontiac from Las Vegas, Nevada, where she had extensive direct patient clinical care, as well as impressive research experience; most recently she was a Lead Clinical Research Coordinator.

Dr. Nuñez notes that her experiences interacting with, educating and treating patients with diabetes inspired her interest in and commitment to pursuing family medicine.

She has a keen interest in continuity of care and a sense of community, stating “being able to develop an ongoing relationship with patients and helping people of all ages are among the aspects that make me want to become a family doctor. As a family doctor, I can become an essential part of the community and help patients to feel better and prevent health issues later on.”

Dr. Anmol Rattan S Riar

Dr. Anmol Rattan S. Riar earned his medical degree from St. Martinus School of Medicine in Curacao. He is not a stranger to Pontiac or to Honor Community Health, having done rotations at the Family Medicine Center during medical school. He returns to Pontiac from St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin, where he has been doing clinical work with patients admitted to hospitals there.

Early personal experiences in India demonstrated the need for preventive care and sparked a passion for primary care. Notably, his experience at Honor Community Health was one that left an imprint:

“I started my family medicine clinical clerkship at Honor Community Health, Pontiac, MI a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). Within a matter of days, I felt ‘at home’ with the outpatient rotation and discovered that my passions, values, and aptitudes converged whenever I listened to patient’s stories, understood their experiences, and found ways to help them. The satisfaction I gained from seeing patients receive appropriate treatment for acute and chronic conditions, as well as preventative care, was very fulfilling.”

Dr. Naga Preethi (Preethi) Kadiri

Dr. Naga Preethi (Preethi) Kadiri earned her medical degree from Meenakshi Medical College Hospital and Research Institute in India and arrives to Pontiac from Baltimore, Maryland, where she was quickly elevated to Chief Fellow in her area at Johns Hopkins University. She has done impressive work in clinical research and medical rotations in the intensive care unit (ICU). Dr. Kadiri has particular acumen in pulmonary medicine.

Dr. Kadiri stated that she personally witnessed struggles to receive quality medical care in her area of India. She also has great insight and passion for preventive medicine.

She states that she has a “desire to acquire knowledge from some of the best physicians in the country, enhance my ability to work well in challenging situations, and quickly adapt to the program. I look forward to serving where I am needed the most.”

Dr. Eduardwil (Ed) Hernandez Vegas

Dr. Eduardwil (Ed) Hernandez Vegas comes to Honor Community Health from Salt Lake City, Utah, where he was a Senior Clinical Research Coordinator at the University of Utah. He earned his medical degree at Universidad Centro-Occidental Lisandro Alvarado Decanato de Ciencias de la Salud in Venezuela.

He has significant independent experience, having worked as a general practitioner in rural communities in Venezuela and Ecuador. Since coming to the United States, he has been very active in clinical care and research in the areas of obstetrics and gynecology, as well as urology and men’s health.

Through his path, he states that he was able to work with people from varied backgrounds and socioeconomic levels, leading to a commitment to communities in need.

His “future goals as a physician are to work in medical education, develop health promotion and disease prevention programs that impact the health and wellness of urban communities, and continue on my path of research and medical innovation.”

Dr. Oluwabusayo (Busayo) Alade

Dr. Oluwabusayo (Busayo) Alade states, “as a physician trained in Nigeria, I am deeply committed to providing exceptional and compassionate medical care, particularly to those from challenged communities. My passion for medicine began early in my life and was reinforced during my medical training and clinical rotations at some of Nigeria's top hospitals.”

Dr. Alade is a graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University College of Health and Sciences in Nigeria. He later earned a degree in epidemiology and a master’s degree in public health (MPH) from Texas A&M in College Station, Texas. He has most recently been working at Presbyterian Hospital in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He has particular interest and acumen in infectious disease control and quality improvement.

He states, “in addition to my passion for primary care and hospital medicine, I am deeply committed to serving my community and utilizing my skills to enhance the health and well-being of those around me.”