RUSM Alumni Council
The RUSM Alumni Council serves as the Alumni Association’s governing body, providing a voice and assisting in the development of programs and initiatives that are beneficial to all alumni.
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. 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. Agha is a practicing Internal Medicine specialist in Charlotte, North Carolina and has been in private practice for over 20 years. After completing his undergraduate education at Wake Forest University, he participated in cardiovascular research at the Bowman Gray School of Medicine. Dr Agha received his medical degree from RUSM in 1993 and subsequently completed his internal medicine residency at the Yale affiliated Danbury Hospital in Danbury, Connecticut. He has worked as a consultant and speaker for numerous Pharmaceutical companies and continues to do so. Currently, he is conducting a number of clinical trials as Principal Investigator, for various diseases and new technologies.
Dr. Alia found her calling in the field of OB/GYN while rotating at Mt. Sinai Hospital during her third year at Ross. Her passion for helping others led her to become a peer tutor, mentor and neuroanatomy teaching assistant while on island. During her fourth year, she became involved with Atlantic Humanitarian Relief, an organization that coordinates medical missions to Jordan and Syria. Now in her second year of residency, Dr. Alia is preparing for her third mission abroad.
Dr. Bajwa currently serves as core faculty at RUHS/UCR Family Medicine Residency, leading the program’s Community Health & Social Medicine initiative. He is the Medical Director of the Longitudinal Ambulatory Care Experience (LACE) at UC Riverside School of Medicine. Prior to his time at RUSM, he earned degrees in public health from the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health and the Jefferson School of Population Health. A former middle school teacher, Dr. Bajwa is passionate about promoting health equity through public health advocacy and education.
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.
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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. 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.
Prior to enrolling in medical school, Dr. King was an accomplished educator, having taught anatomy at several prestigious medical schools in the Boston area and abroad, including RUSM. During his last two years on faculty at RUSM, he concurrently attended RUSM as a medical student. Upon graduation, Dr. King obtained a categorical residency at the Medical College of Georgia and went on to serve as chief surgery resident in 2014-2015. Following residency, he completed his fellowship training in colon and rectal surgery at the University of Minnesota. Dr. King is currently on faculty at University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
Born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and prior to enrolling at RUSM, Dr. Lal studied abroad in the Czech Republic pursuing medicine. After attending RUSM, she completed her Anatomical Pathology Residency at Wayne State University/Detroit Medical Centre and Forensic Pathology Fellowship at Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office in Detroit, Michigan. She began her career in death investigation as a Medical Examiner in Calgary, Alberta before transitioning home to Toronto where she works for the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service as a Forensic-Pathologist and Coroner for the Province. She overseas and teaches medical and pathology residents as well as medical students rotating through her office. She enjoys spending her free time with her son, baking up a sweet treat, and weightlifting.
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. Salhab started at RUSM in Fall 2003. During his time as a student, he received several honors and awards including being named to RUSM’s Dean’s Honor List, National Dean’s List and membership of Phi Theta Kappa. After graduation, Dr. Salhab completed his radiology residency at SUNY Downstate and neuroradiology fellowship at Yale University. Dr. Salhab recently relocated to his native state of Florida and is currently in private practice in the Tampa area.
Dr. Zito is a Native New Yorker. He attended Hofstra University where he earned a B.S. in Community Health and M.S. in Health Administration. As a graduate of Ross University School of Medicine in 2007, he became the Chief Resident at Stony Brook University Medical Center before completing his Critical Care Fellowship at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, New York. Dr. Joseph Zito is currently the Vice Chairman and Associate Director of St. John’s Episcopal Hospital Department of Emergency Medicine in Long Island, New York.