Discover the future leaders in pathology. Explore the profiles of our current pathology residents to get insights into their diverse backgrounds, academic interests and contributions to the field.
Chief Resident
Meet Chief Resident Nick Polster, MD
What is the best part of being a resident at the IU School of Medicine? You know that the program cares about you! In my brief time as a resident at IU School of Medicine I’ve seen numerous changes, and most have been driven by resident feedback. Our faculty are welcoming, and our pathologists’ aassistants and technical staff are endlessly helpful.
IU School of Medicine cultivates an environment of education. In addition to the two daily educational conferences made just for residents, we have the opportunity to observe subspecialty sign-outs and specialty-wide tumor boards. Everything at IU School of Medicine from grossing to sign-out has resident education in mind. And the residents aren’t just being taught; they teach as well! There are always observers and medical students rotating through the department, and residents regularly teach medical students in Indianapolis, with opportunities to teach at many of IU School of Medicine's statewide campuses.
IU School of Medicine is a very large academic center which draws upon cases from across the state. Cases that “you’ll see once in your life” are signed out weekly. Our main facility, the Indiana University Health Pathology Laboratory building, is located in downtown Indianapolis with great views of the scenic central canal. In addition to experience working in the main academic center, our residents have several rotations in the VA Medical Center, Eskenazi Hospital, and Riley Hospital for Children, providing experience in several different practice settings.
When it comes down to it, what makes IU School of Medicine so special is the people. We take pride in being an inclusive environment in which the needs of all are met. I am proud to be the executive chief resident of such a great program, and I am excited to see how it continues to grow and evolve in the future.
PGY 1
Cody Hostetler, DO
Medical School: Lincoln Memorial University
Why I chose IU: I chose IU after having the chance to do a fourth year away rotation that took me throughout the Pathology Lab. I had the chance to meet many of the residents, attendings, and lab staff that made me feel welcomed and showed me many of the great things that IU Pathology had to offer. From the large diversity and volume of cases to the broad range of fellowship opportunities, there are many excellent educational opportunities available for residents here at IU. There is also amazing resident support that puts a large emphasis on resident education and wellbeing. Being from Indiana, I look forward to these next four years in Indianapolis, and I am glad that I chose IU.
Personal Interests: I enjoy playing and watching all kinds of sports, running, movies, board games, and video games.
Academic Interests: GI Pathology, Dermatopathology, Hematopathology
Li-Wei Liu, MD
Medical School: National Yang-Ming Chiao-Tung University
Why I chose IU: I was looking for a program with diverse cases, large volume, and a clear commitment to resident education. IU offered all of that, along with a range of fellowship opportunities and the chance to train in both academic and community settings. Indianapolis being an affordable city is another plus. I’m glad I matched at IU!
Personal interests: Reading, cooking, baking, jogging, video games, and spending time with family.
Academic interests: Hematopathology, Microbiology, but I am keeping an open mind.
Shuhui Lorkowski, MD, Ph.D.
Medical School: Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University
Why I chose IU: IU has a wide variety of surgical specimens, many in-house fellowships, and a unique training for surgical pathology by providing both a subspecialty and general sign outs. Another important thing is I have really liked my interactions with the attendings here. They have given me great career advice and warm support, even before I became a trainee. Indianapolis is also a great place to live with reasonable cost of living and family-friendly suburbs with top-ranked schools. IU was my number one choice, and I am very excited to have matched here.
Personal interests: I love gardening and growing houseplants. I also enjoy jogging, trying new restaurants, and traveling.
Academic interests: Gastrointestinal Pathology, Gynecologic Pathology, Surgical Pathology
Haroon Mohiuddin, MD
Medical School: Indiana University School of Medicine
Why I chose IU: Over the four months of pathology electives I spent as a medical student here, what became apparent to me was the dedication of the IU Department of Pathology to creating a strong and supportive learning environment. The pathology laboratory is filled with faculty and residents who are interested in our education, with a selection of them even going above and beyond to support my academic interests. Everyone is very kind and approachable, which made finding mentors and learning the ins and outs of workflow much easier. Additionally, being such a large health system in Indiana provides a great abundance and variety of cases, and the department offers a plethora of fellowships. All these together gave me great confidence that IU would provide everything an aspiring pathologist could want.
Personal interests: Tabletop games, video games, going to the movie theaters, TV shows, traveling, trying out new restaurants
Academic interests: Neuropathology, Hematopathology, Transfusion Medicine, Forensic Pathology
PGY 2
Eric Honaker, MD
Medical School: University of Kentucky College of Medicine
Why I chose IU for residency: I chose to train at IU for residency for many reasons. The initial impression that I had after my interaction with faculty and residents on interview day was that the program prioritizes collegiality. Furthermore, the program has an incredible support system for trainees that allows residents to flourish. There is an abundance of opportunities to be involved in medical education, leadership, and curriculum development, which are all three big passions of mine. With such a large pool of specimens and educational opportunities, I was confident that IU would provide excellent training. All these things are coupled with the fact that Indiana is a great place to live and grow a family!
Personal Interests: College sports, cooking, cycling, hiking, movies, video games
Academic Interests: GI pathology, dermatopathology, surgical pathology
Devon Rotramel, MD
Medical School: University of Missouri - Kansas City School of Medicine
Why I chose IU for residency: IU offers its residents a well-rounded education through its expansive and varied caseload, strong AP/CP curriculum, and diverse fellowship opportunities. Along with that, the faculty, staff, and residents have fostered a supportive and collaborative work environment perfect for both professional and personal growth. When applying for residency, my top priority was to find a program where I would feel supported by my colleagues, and IU excels in this area!
Personal Interests: I enjoy traveling, playing board games with friends, crocheting and painting.
Academic Interests: Undecided
Cyrus Takahashi, MD
Medical School: Indiana University School of Medicine
Why I chose IU for Residency: One of the main draws of the program for me was the sheer size of the IU Health system which is reflected in its annual specimen volume being among the highest in the country. With University Hospital and the IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Methodist Hospital, Eskenazi Health, Riley Hospital and all the other affiliated hospitals and specialty institutes across the state, I knew that IU would be an ideal place to experience the breadth and depth needed in a pathology residency. Moreover, much of the training takes place in a state-of-the-art central pathology lab overlooking the canal and complete with individual resident cubicles and a built-in parking garage. I was also impressed by how responsive leadership is to resident feedback, and I have already seen how much the program has changed from the time I rotated as a medical student just a short while ago.
Personal Interests: Watching movies, video game development, calligraphy
Academic Interests: Neuropathology but I am keeping an open mind
Harini Venkatraman Ravisankar, MBBS
Medical School: Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences & Research Centre, Karnataka
Why I chose IU for Residency: Doing a postdoctoral fellowship in hematopathology and a month-long surgical pathology observership at IU provided me a chance to experience firsthand the program’s positive and supportive work culture, which was truly resident-centered. The attendings and residents had a harmonious relationship and were approachable and easy to collaborate and work with. The program had a perfect balance of academic and research opportunities, offering a diverse range of cases for learning while prioritizing educational benefits for residents. Having lived in Indiana for a few years, I have grown to enjoy the Midwest vibe, its vast variety of cuisines, outdoor trails, and activities. IU was my top choice for residency as it aligned perfectly with my personal and professional goals.
Personal Interests: Dancing, hiking, movies
Academic Interests: Hematopathology, dermatopathology, bone and soft tissue
Kendall Wilson, MD
Medical School: Indiana University School of Medicine
Why I chose IU for Residency: During my time as a medical student at IU, I was able to spend two months of electives in the Pathology department. I felt so incredibly comfortable and welcomed by both the residents and faculty. I could easily see that the residents had a strong sense of camaraderie with each other, and there was a sense of great appreciation and respect between residents and faculty as well. All of these factors created a wonderful learning environment; one in which I knew I would receive plenty of support and encouragement in my training. Although the environment was most important to me, several other aspects of the program also drew me in: there is a high case volume, many opportunities for research and teaching, several fellowships available, and immense support from the staff, including PAs, histotechs, and autopsy assistants. I am so thankful to have matched at IU, and I can’t wait to see what the next four years have in store!
Personal Interests: I love everything true crime, listening to music, reading thrillers and fantasy books, watching TV shows, getting new tattoos, doing puzzles, playing with my dog, and spending quality time with my family.
Academic Interests: Breast and gynecologic pathology, surgical pathology, cytopathology
PGY 3
Nabeel Ashraf, MD
Medical School: Indiana University School of Medicine
Why I chose IU for Residency: Indiana is home and has been for many years. That being said, even with my biases for this region, IU is truly one of the best path programs in the country. From case volume and diversity, to fellowship options, from caring staff and great atmosphere to strong training in both anatomic and clinical pathology, IU has it all.
Personal Interest: Television, sports, music
Academic interests: Dermatopathology, hematopathology, Surgical Pathology, Cytopathology
Patrick Azar, MD
Medical School: Indiana University School of Medicine
Why I Chose IU for Residency: As a medical student at IU School of Medicine, I had the opportunity to spend four months rotating through the department, where I spent extensive time working with the program's residents and faculty. The first thing that caught my attention during my time with the program was the genuine kindness and enthusiasm for teaching demonstrated by the residents and faculty. It was evident that the residents received ample support from their faculty and that they genuinely enjoyed being part of the program. Another factor that attracted me to the program was the remarkable diversity of cases and the wide range of fellowship opportunities it offers. IU is a wonderful program filled with friendly people in an amazing city which made the decision to choose IU an easy one.
Personal Interests: Playing board games, watching sports, trivia, running, hiking, playing pickleball, and spending time with family and friends
Academic Interests: Surgical pathology, cytopathology, genitourinary pathology
Melissa Hruby, DO
Medical School: Marian University - College of Osteopathic Medicine
Why I chose IU for Residency: IU was my top choice pathology program after heavy consideration of both my professional and personal goals. During my interview season, I quickly realized there were numerous programs that would be incredible professional opportunities, but they fell short when it came to supporting my personal goals and fitting my personality. IU was one of these strong programs, but they also prioritized the well-being of their residents and fostered a very positive work culture which aligned with what I was looking for. I also love living in Indianapolis and wanted to continue to enjoy the city with my friends!
Personal interests: I like to travel internationally, scuba dive, and propagate plants in my free time. I also enjoy trying new things in Indy and attending concerts, sporting, and social events with my friends.
Academic interests: Undecided
Hannah Hyaduck, MD
Medical School: Central Michigan University School of Medicine
Why I chose IU for Residency: When considering where I wanted to train for residency it was important for me to find a program where I would feel supported as a learner and as a person. I was also looking for a program that would offer me a complete educational experience with a wide variety of cases, a strong AP/CP curriculum, fellowships I was interested in, and opportunities to teach. IU’s program checked every single item on my list. During my interview I felt so welcomed (even over zoom) and could tell that the culture in this program was fantastic. I liked that the residents were happy, and that the faculty genuinely cared about the residents and their success. The program size, in-house fellowships, and integrated curriculum were exactly what I was looking for. I was also very excited by the opportunities to teach and work with medical students. On top of all of that, Indianapolis seemed like such a great place to live with all the restaurants, public outdoor spaces, and reasonable cost-of-living. I am so thankful I matched at IU!
Personal interests: Some of my hobbies include painting, hiking/camping, cooking, gardening, absolutely spoiling my cat and target archery.
Academic interests: I am currently most interested in cytopathology, surgical pathology, renal pathology and medical education.
Josh Kocemba, DO
Medical School: Marian University
Why I chose IU for Residency: I attended medical school in Indianapolis and formed a strong connection with the city. Then, during my fourth-year rotations, I was fortunate to spend two months rotating with this program. Instantly, I felt welcomed by the residents and staff, they included me in case discussions and gave excellent feedback to help develop my skills. The facility is top-notch and each resident gets a roomy space with their own computer and microscope. Also, since this is the main lab for all of IU, there is a great magnitude of cases, yet despite that I felt that the residents were well-supported by PAs, grossing assistants, and histotechs. I am thrilled to have matched here, a city that I am happy to call home at an institution I am proud to be a part of.
Personal Interests: I enjoy trail running at Eagle Creek, biking the Monon Trail and playing complicated board and card games.
Academic interests: GI pathology, breast pathology, dermatopathology and forensic pathology
Daisy Maharjan, MBBS
Medical School: College of Medical Sciences, Bharatpur, Nepal
Why I chose IU: I got an opportunity to do an observership at IU for a month. It was a great experience. I was very much impressed by the culture here. Everyone — residents, fellows, faculty, and staff were helpful and supportive. For my residency training, I was looking for a program with a high volume and diversity of cases, strong academics, a wide range of in-house fellowships, and teaching opportunities. IU has all of these to offer to its trainees. Trainees at IU get to work in different hospitals in both sub-specialized and generalized pathology sign-out settings. Also, Indianapolis is a wonderful city with an affordable cost of living.
Personal Interests: Reading novels, cooking, listening to all kinds of music.
Academic interests: Gynecologic pathology, GU pathology, GI pathology
Halimat Olaniyan, MD
Medical School: University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Current Position: Associate Chief Resident
Why I chose IU: The people! From my interview day experience, it was really clear that IU path is one big family. Everyone I talked to shared the same sentiment about working hard, taking good care of each other, and having fun along the way. I really resonated with those values and felt supported by everyone I interacted with from my interview day to now.
Personal interests: I’m a huge foodie and I love to travel, mainly to explore new food and see the sites. I’m also a big fan of Disney/Marvel, romcoms, musicals, anime, and binge worthy shows. I also really enjoy reading, writing, and taking lots of pictures.
Academic interests: I am really interested in transfusion medicine, learning how to run a blood bank, and working with apheresis patients. I am especially interested in sickle cell disease.
PGY 4
Justin Meier, MD
Medical School: St. Louis University
Current Position: AP Scheduling Chief
Why I chose IU: I chose IU because I wanted to go to a program that would provide me with enough diversity and number of cases to become a great diagnostician. I also wanted a large program with enough residents to provide coverage in the case of needed absences and to provide a good support structure for each other. Finally, I wanted a program where all the residents were happy and enjoyed spending time with each other outside of work.
Personal Interests: Fly-fishing, video games, listening to metal, watching Netflix
Academic interests: Cytopathology, hematopathology, surgical pathology
Nicholas Polster, MD
Medical School: Indiana University School of Medicine
Current Position: Executive Chief Resident
Why I chose IU for residency: During my third and fourth years of medical school I spent an extensive amount of time working with pathology residents and faculty at IU, and I noticed that on top of being knowledgeable and helpful, everybody here was happy. Faculty genuinely care about the well-being of their residents and are always available to talk and take feedback into account. I was further drawn to IU by the emphasis here on teaching, whether it be driven by attendings during case sign-out or QC conferences, or by residents themselves working directly with medical students. On top of all this, IU has a top-notch facility, a massive volume of cases, and a multitude of fellowships.
Personal Interests: I enjoy birding, running, reading, board games, video games, and spending time with friends and family.
Academic Interests: Surgical pathology, dermatopathology, possibly gastrointestinal pathology
Obaid Rehman, MBBS
Medical School: Army Medical College, National University of Sciences and Technology
Current Position: CP Scheduling Chief
Why I chose IU: IU easily ticked off all the boxes in my criteria for an ideal residency program. The solid curriculum, adequate program size, large volume and diversity of cases (being the primary Pathology residency program in Indiana), teaching and learning opportunities, adequate elective rotations, and the myriad opportunities for fellowships are only some of the factors that pulled me in. Above all, what really stood out for me were the extremely amiable and friendly people who I met during my interview, be it the faculty members, the residents, or the program coordinators: everyone was so kind and welcoming that I instantly knew I would feel at home in this program!
Personal interests: I enjoy making bad puns, listening to music, song-editing, birdwatching and (casual) PC gaming.
Academic Interests: I am keeping an open mind, but fields that I find particularly interesting include hematopathology and medical kidney.
Reem Youssef, MBBCh
Medical School: Faculty of Medicine Zagazig University
Current Position: Education Chief
Why I chose IU for residency: I applied to the IU pathology program because it has everything that I am looking for in a residency program. Besides the strong recommendations, I have received from a previous fellow and the current residents, IU has excellent case volume, diversity, faculty expertise, different work settings, and multiple in-house fellowships. The people are extremely friendly and helpful. Also, there are ample opportunities to gain additional experience in teaching since IU is the largest medical school in the US. All these factors made my decision very easy to choose the IU pathology program to help me attain my goal of becoming an excellent pathologist. After matching, I was impressed even more with the flexibility and support I have received from the program. Everyone is helpful, which made me confident that I made the right decision. Indianapolis is a nice place to live with lots of activities and restaurants to visit.
Personal Interests: Travelling, watching movies, spending time with family and friends
Academic Interests: Dermatopathology