RUSM Alumni Association

Dr. Shepherd is an OB/GYN and women's health expert and also the founder of Her Viewpoint, an online women's health forum that focuses on addressing taboo topics in a comfortable setting.  As an OB/GYN, she practices at the University of Illinois at Chicago and also serves as the Director of Minimally Invasive Gynecology.  Dr. Shepherd has written in various journals including Women's Day, Women's Health, Self, Family Circle, Parents, LifeScript.com, Heart and Soul, Best Health, Essence, and WebMD.

She is also seen regularly as an expert on The Today Show,  Dr. Oz, Steve Harvey, CBS News, FOX news (NY, LA Chicago and Dallas), WGN News and WCIU in Chicago where she is a monthly health contributor as well as guest co host.  In addition to radio programs nationwide, Dr. Shepherd also gives lectures nationally and internationally on fibroids and myomectomies and women's health issues.

Dr. Woo was born and raised in central New Jersey. From a young age, she shared a passion for both music and medicine. She completed the pre-medicine pre-requisite courses while simultaneously earning her Bachelor of Music degree from Vanderbilt University in Spring of 2012. She made her way through MERP in Fall 2012 and started first semester in Dominica in January 2013. She completed her core clinical clerkships in the South Florida Track, including Cleveland Clinic Florida (CCF). Internal Medicine was her first clinical rotation of 3rd year and she fell in love with both the specialty and hospital, so much so that she completed her Internal Medicine residency training at CCF and is now a staff hospitalist there.

Dr. Franke is a current Emergency Medicine Physician practicing in New Jersey. He graduated from Ross in 2017, and did residency in Miami, Florida at Aventura Hospital and Medical Center where he was also Chief Resident. He has been increasingly involved in advocacy and health policy since residency being an active member of ACEP, NAEMSP, and the current New Jersey Chapter President of AAEM. He completed an EMS, Disaster, and Tactical Medicine Fellowship at Rutgers Health/RWJ Barnabas and is now part of the residency faculty at Community Medical Center in Tom’s River, New Jersey.

Dr. Galanopoulos has spent most of his medical career in the state of Kentucky, first as a resident at the University of Louisville Department of Family and Geriatric Medicine, then as a family practitioner in Hopkinsville. He recently transitioned back to his native country, Canada, where he works in outpatient family medicine. Dr. Galanopoulos’s professional interests include obesity medicine, addiction medicine, complimentary medicine, teaching both medical students and residents, as well as using telemedicine to help patients overcome obstacles to medical care.

Dr. Wilson always had a dream of going into medicine but did not realize his dream until 12 years after graduating from college.  After graduating from Ross in 2007, he returned to his hometown of Fresno, CA to complete his internal medicine residency at the UCSF Fresno Medical Education Program.  After residency, he matched at this top spot at Harbor UCLA Medical Center where he completed his fellowship in Sports Medicine.  A lifelong competitive athlete, Dr. Wilson was able to find his professional path by working with athletes and active individuals as a non-operative orthopedist and sports medicine specialist at Kaiser Permanente in Santa Clara, CA.

He has been a representative for Ross University since his clinical science years, attending countless RUSM information seminars and events.  After graduating, he returned to RUSM as a junior faculty for one year before starting his residency and has continued to be involved in outreach to prospective students as well as alumni relations.  After Ross opened doors for him, he feels it is his obligation to give back and help others open doors for themselves.  He is currently board certified in Internal Medicine, Sports Medicine, and Lifestyle Medicine, and completed his Juris Doctor degree in 2020.

Dr. Scales completed her residency training in Family Medicine at AnMed Health Medical Center in Anderson, SC, serving as chief resident during her final year. She worked in primary care and hospital medicine until 2019.  She completed her fellowship in Hospice and Palliative Medicine in 2020 and has since worked as Medical Director of Spartanburg Regional Hospice. She is also Associate Director of the Spartanburg Regional Hospice and Palliative Care Fellowship program. Dr. Scales is an active member of multiple professional and civic organizations. She is married to husband Matt, and they are raising their three children Wylie, James Florence, and Wilbur Lee on their farm in Union, SC.

Dr. Green is currently completing his Fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care medicine at the University of Florida Health. He is a member of several professional organizations including the American College of Physicians, American College of Chest Physicians and American Thoracic Society. Dr. Green is grateful for the opportunity given to him by Ross. “As an alumni council member, I would like to share my story and help other students in search of finding a home at a prestigious university.”

Dr. Samuel Williams, III is currently the Medical Director of Behavioral Health Services at Total Health Care, a federal qualified health center with 10 clinical sites in Maryland. He also works as a child, adolescent and adult psychiatrist at Mary’s Center in Washington, DC. Certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, he is a 2006 graduate of Ross University School of Medicine. He completed his Psychiatry residency training at Michigan State University/Kalamazoo Center for Medical Studies and his fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Michigan. In addition, Dr. Williams has an MBA from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business and is a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and Committee member of the America Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. He has a strong interest in pediatrics,  adult and women’s behavioral health, integrated behavioral health, business of medicine/healthcare, public health and policy, decreasing health disparities and advancing diversity and inclusion.

Dr. Kenneth Luberice is a General Surgery Resident at The University of Florida College of Medicine -Jacksonville, currently undertaking a highly coveted two-year research Fellowship at the National Cancer Institute (NIH). As a former D1 collegiate student-athlete, Dr. Luberice transferred his skills, drive, and talent from the football field to the classroom and ultimately found his passion for medicine and mastered the art of research. With over 50 peer-reviewed publications and counting under his belt, Dr. Luberice is well underway in achieving his goal of being a thought leader and pioneer who continuously pushes the envelope of innovative companionate medicine.

Upon completing his research fellowship at NIH and surgery residency, Dr. Luberice intends to complete a fellowship in Surgical Oncology to fulfill his dream of being a Surgeon-Scientist. In his spare time, Dr. Luberice enjoys mentoring the youth, running, and reading books about world history.

Kimberly Brown, MD, MPH is a board-certified emergency physician in Memphis, Tennessee. She is a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and earned her undergraduate degree from Fisk University. Loving warmer weather, Dr. Brown earned her Master of Public Health degree from the University of Florida. She attended Ross University School of Medicine and recently completed her emergency medicine residency as a member of the inaugural graduating class of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis.

Dr. Owens is originally from Atlanta, Georgia, where he was raised and received his early education—accordingly he proudly says “y’all” and calls every carbonated beverage “Coke.” After completing medical school, Dr. Owens completed his psychiatry residency at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois, and then his fellowship in Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry at the Cleveland Clinic. Following fellowship, Dr. Owens worked for two years in Seattle, Washington as a Consultation-Liaison psychiatrist where he added considerable time as a court evaluator to his experience and has now embraced an opportunity to return to the Cleveland Clinic where he serves as a Staff Consultation-Liaison Psychiatrist and is the Director of the Psychiatric ReCOVer Clinic, a multidisciplinary team focused on providing care to those experiencing long-COVID.

Dr. Owens enjoys learning about cultures, history, languages, and places and has had the chance to travel to many parts of the world. He uses these experiences as a foundation to understand how a person’s healthcare needs can be shaped by the world around them, which he believes is a crucial component to providing the best patient care. Dr. Owens has interests in Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry, Women’s Mental Health, LGBT+ psychiatry, Emergency Psychiatry, and Collaborative Care. In his personal time, Dr. Owens enjoys playing tennis, traveling, looking for the next great book to read, spending time with friends, and hiking. He and his spouse are involved in the greyhound rescue community and have two rescued hounds at home who are the true masters of the house.

Dr. Christine S. Persaud is a Primary Care Sports Medicine Physician at SUNY Downstate Medical Center and currently serves as Medical Director for the Division of Sports Medicine. Dr. Persaud completed her Family Medicine residency training at Stony Brook University Medical Center in Stony Brook, Long Island. There she was appointed as Chief Resident and was awarded the Society of Teachers in Family Medicine (STFM) Award as well as the Chairman's Award. She went on to serve as a Fellow in non-operative sports medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center specializing in Primary Care Sports Medicine. Dr. Persaud is board certified in Family Medicine with a Certificate of Added Qualifications in Sports Medicine. She is the only credentialed ImPACT Consultant (CIC) for Athletic Concussions in the borough of Brooklyn.

Born and raised in Florida, Dr. Lauren Dedea has a lifelong passion for both athletics and science. She played competitive tennis from the age of nine through college, earning a full athletic scholarship to the University of Miami, where she completed her undergraduate degree. Later, she returned to her roots to complete a Masters of Anatomy at the University of South Florida, where she met her husband. Together, they pursued medical school in the Caribbean.

In 2022, Dr. Dedea and her husband opened Dedea, M.D. Family Medicine in Spring Hill, providing primary care to patients 16 and older. Inspired by her experiences as an athlete and influenced by physician role models, she combines her love for science and medicine to deliver compassionate care to her community.

Dr. Dedea enjoys spending time with her family, playing tennis recreationally, and engaging in freelance writing and public speaking on topics she is passionate about. She is also an avid lover of the ocean and scientific exploration.

Dr. Christopher Parades is a Board-Certified physician in Family Medicine and Geriatrics, with over a decade of experience in home-based primary care. He currently serves as the Regional Director for the Northwell Health House Calls Program, Western Region, overseeing care in Manhattan, Westchester, and Staten Island. The program provides primary and palliative care for homebound patients with advanced illnesses.

Dr. Parades earned his medical degree from Ross University in 2009 and completed his Family Medicine residency at The Brooklyn Hospital Center, where he served as Chief Resident (Class of 2012). He pursued further specialization through a Geriatric Medicine Fellowship at Albert Einstein Montefiore Medical Center’s Wakefield Division, completing it in 2013.

He began his career at Montefiore, working with underserved communities in the Bronx before joining Northwell's House Calls Program in 2015, initially serving Queens and Long Island. In 2018, Dr. Parades became Director of the Lenox Hill House Calls Program, which has since merged with the Queens-Long Island Program. Under his leadership, the program has expanded to cover Manhattan, Staten Island, Westchester, Brooklyn, Queens, and Long Island.

Zack is a 3rd year student completing his core rotations with his wife in Michigan and a current MPH student at Chamberlain University. Since coming to RUSM, he has been involved in numerous extracurricular leaderships, including student government, the Anesthesiology Interest Group, Phi Delta Epsilon, Ross Academic Research Society, AMSA, Ross Band, and more. Zack has a big passion for mentorship, research, and advocating for students. With his sights set on an anesthesiology residency, Zack hopes to couple’s match with his wife in the 2026 Match.

Natalie Coburn is a 5th semester medical student at Ross University School of Medicine (RUSM). Originally from San Antonio, Texas, she earned her Bachelor's degree in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from East Texas Baptist University in 2020, where she also competed as a collegiate volleyball player. In 2021, she completed a Master of Public Health at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler. Natalie has a passion for Surgery, Emergency Medicine, and Anesthesiology. In her free time, she enjoys reading, cooking, exercising, traveling, and spending time with family

You can stay engaged by attending alumni events at upcoming industry conferences, volunteering for RUSM Connect, providing your updated contact information via this form, and keeping in touch with your classmates.

Being involved in alumni activities can help you expand your professional network, gain access to career opportunities, access continued learning opportunities, and contribute to the growth and success of your alma mater.

You can stay informed about alumni events and opportunities by following your alma mater's social media channels (Facebook, Instagram), checking the alumni website, and reading the bi-monthly alumni newsletters.