Physicians graduate from program

FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP — The second class of six resident physicians has graduated from the CentraState Family Medicine Residency Program. Launched in 2005, the three-year program operates in conjunction with UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

Three of the graduating residents earned awards.

Suryadutt Venkat, M.D., won the Kenneth W. Faistl Future of Family Medicine Award, named for the program's director.

Dan Sandru, M.D., who received the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine Resident Teacher Award, is joining a private practice in the Freehold area.

Samuela Manages, M.D., was presented with the Patient Service Award.

The Family Medicine Residency Program also presented diplomas to Helen Khalafbeigi, MD; Rubina Alvi, M.D., who remains with CentraState as a geriatric fellow; and Mubina Shah, M.D., who plans to start a medical practice near Bridgewater with her husband, who is also a physician.

According to a press release, this marks the first year that CentraState celebrates the graduation of two physicians from its 1- year-old Geriatric Fellowship Program. Geronima Alday, M.D., and Anshu Bhalla, M.D., each earned faculty positions with UMDNJ-School of Osteopathic Medicine's Center for Healthy Aging.

"The faculty and administration are impressed with the expertise each of our graduates has gained in family practice," said Kenneth Faistl, M.D., medical director of the Family Medicine Residency Program. "We are proud that a few of our graduates will be remaining in the Freehold area."

The residency program remains at full enrollment with 18 medical school graduates. The physicians are on site daily at CentraState's Family Medicine Center, West Main Street, Freehold Township. There they provide health and wellness services to care for members of the community under the supervision of seven fulltime M.D. and Ph.D. instructors.

CentraState Medical Center is one of 12 hospitals in New Jersey with a family medicine residency program. The program costs about $2.5 million per year to operate, according to the press release.