White Coat Ceremony Marks Beginning of Journey for 17 Future Physicians
7/1/2026
LAREDO, Texas – Laredo Medical Center proudly welcomed the Class of 2029 to its family medicine and internal medicine residency programs during its annual White Coat Ceremony, a meaningful tradition that celebrates the start of their journey in graduate medical education.
The event was held at Laredo Medical Center’s Community Center and attended by hospital leadership, board members, medical staff, employees, and the proud families and friends of the incoming residents. Also in attendance were representatives from LMC’s academic partner, University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine, and its outpatient training partner, Gateway Community Health Center.
The 17 new resident physicians—eight in family medicine and nine in internal medicine—were formally introduced and presented with their white coats, a symbolic rite of passage marking the beginning of their three-year residency, which officially starts on July 1.
“We are proud to welcome our newest class of resident physicians as they begin this important chapter in their medical careers,” said Jorge Leal, FACHE, chief executive officer of Laredo Medical Center. “The White Coat Ceremony symbolizes a commitment to compassionate high-quality patient care and lifelong learning. We are honored to play a role in their training and to help prepare the next generation of physicians who will serve Laredo and beyond.”
Launched in 2018, the LMC Residency Programs—offered in partnership with the Texas Institute for Graduate Medical Education and Research (TIGMER)—are the city’s first and only graduate medical education programs. With the arrival of this new class, a total of 48 residents will train at LMC and Gateway during the 2026–2027 academic year.
“It is especially meaningful to see several members of this year’s class come from Laredo and nearby Texas communities,” Leal added. “Their decision to train close to home reflects both their dedication to serving this region and the strength of our graduate medical education programs. By investing in physician training locally, we are helping build a stronger healthcare workforce and expanding access to quality care for the communities we serve.”
The Class of 2029 includes residents from the states of Texas, Illinois, Minnesota, and Virginia, and the countries of Mexico and Pakistan.
Incoming Family Medicine Residents:
- Nikit Chalise, M.D. – Lakewood, WA
- Syed Adeel Hasan, M.D. – Chicago, IL
- Suma H. Kosuru, M.D. – Aldie, VA
- Tahseen Mahroof, M.D. – St. Cloud, MN
- Fabian Otieno, M.D. – Houston, Texas
- Faryal Qadeer, M.D. – Karachi, Pakistan
- Laura Reyes, D.O. – San Antonio, TX
- Sana Zeeshan, M.D. – Houston, TX
Incoming Internal Medicine Residents:
- Francisco Castillo Avalos, M.D. – Mexicali, Mexico
- Swetha Chiluka, M.D. – Houston, TX
- Victor Chukwu-Remy, M.D. – Richmond, TX
- Lester Hidalgo Guerrero, M.D. – Laredo, TX
- Karis Martinez, M.D. – Laredo, TX
- Surya Rangineni, M.D. – Austin, TX
- Adil Siddiqui, M.D. – Frisco, TX
- Alonso Treviño IV, M.D. – Laredo, TX
- Abhishek Yedugondla, M.D. – Dallas, TX
The programs are fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and the American Osteopathic Association (AOA).
For more information about the residency programs at Laredo Medical Center, visit https://tigmer.com/laredo-family-medicine and https://tigmer.com/laredo-internal-medicine.
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