Current and Previous Residents

Adjoa Anim-Appiah, PharmD PGY1

• Areas of Interest: Pediatrics, Internal Medicine
• Education: Temple University School of Pharmacy (Philadelphia, PA)
• Hometown: East Stroudsburg, PA
• Research Project: Compliance with AASLD Guidelines for SBP porphylaxis in an urban tertiary medical center
• MUE Project: Evaluation of patients for potential aspirin deprescribing
• CE Project: Renal protection with SGLT2 inhibitors
• Why Temple? This residency program stood out to me because of the patient population it serves. The community here in North Philadelphia is vibrant and diverse, but also underserved in many ways. I knew that learning in this environment would provide me with invaluable experiences that I likely would not have at a smaller institution or in a different city. I was also drawn to this program by the supportive and friendly team members that I met throughout my APPE experiences and interviews. I knew that I would be able to grow into a skilled pharmacist here.
• Contact Information: [email protected] 

Tasneem Elbashir, PharmD PGY1

• Areas of Interest: Emergency Medicine, Cardiology
• Education: University of Maryland Eastern Shore School of Pharmacy
• Hometown: Princess Anne, MD
• Research Project: Efficacy of subcutaneous insulin regimen for mild diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA)
• MUE Project: Apixaban continued use/safety in acute kidney injury
• CE Project: Dual antiplatelet therapy strategies post myocardial infarction
• Why Temple? I chose Temple because I wanted to learn in a large academic medical center that mainly serves diverse and underserved communities. The residency program offers diverse learning opportunities, which allows you to experience a wide array of practices. Given my interest in Emergency Medicine, I also wanted to practice at a level 1 trauma center. Temple's emphasis on comprehensive clinical training and individualized, high quality patient care provides residents with the opportunity to strengthen their clinical knowledge and develop a well-rounded understanding of pharmacy practice.
• Contact Information: [email protected]

Lada Kolesnik, PharmD PGY1

• Areas of Interest: Critical Care
• Education: Temple University School of Pharmacy (Philadelphia, PA)
• Hometown: Queens, New York
• Research Project: Dexamethasone vs Methylprednisolone in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)
• MUE Project: Timing of analgosedation post-RSI
• CE Project: Surviving sepsis campaign: international guidelines for management of sepsis and septic shock 2026
• Why Temple? I chose Temple because I wanted to challenge myself in a high-acuity environment while caring for a diverse patient population. My interest in critical care pharmacy drew me to Temple because of the variety of ICUs and the opportunity to gain hands-on experience responding to codes as the primary pharmacist.
• Contact Information: [email protected]

Grace Nolder, PharmD PGY1

• Areas of Interest: Solid Organ Transplant, Ambulatory Care
• Education: University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy (Pittsburgh, PA)
• Hometown: McKees Rocks, PA
• Research Project: Evaluating the clinical indicators and outcomes associated with discontinuation of anti-metabolite in lung transplant
• MUE Project: Hepatitis B vaccine (Engerix-20 and Heplisav) inpatient utilization
• CE Project: Tickborne diseases, including the recent discussion about alpha-gal syndrome
• Why Temple? I was interested in pursuing residency at Temple because of the wide variety of experiences available. The rotation selections would allow me to strengthen my clinical knowledge in my areas of interest, as well as broaden my knowledge so that I could become a well-rounded pharmacist. Temple's location also provides opportunity to work with a diverse patient population, which is something I prioritized as I was looking at different programs.
• Contact Information: [email protected]

Vraj Patel, PharmD PGY1

• Areas of Interest: Infectious Diseases, Cardiology
• Education: University of Maryland, Baltimore School of Pharmacy
• Hometown: Charleston, South Carolina
• Research Project: Venetoclax ramp-up with or without azole antifungal in patients with newly diagnosed or relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia
• MUE Project: Piperacillin-tazobactam
• CE Project: Long-acting glycopeptides (dalbavancin, oritavancin) and their potential role in clinical practice
• Why Temple? From the beginning of my residency search, Temple checked all of my boxes. I knew I wanted to train at a large academic medical center that supports the surrounding community. The program provided diverse rotations in my areas of interest and allowed me to explore new specialties that I had not considered. After interview day, I knew that Temple was where I wanted to be. I am challenged to be my best and provided the support to reach my goals.
• Contact Information: [email protected]