Introducing the Resident Class of 2024

By Lynn McCain | July 13 2020

Resident Class of 2024 | U of M Department of Pathology

Each year, a new class of residents joins Pathology and we take a moment to get to know them a little bit.  Possibly, you will find common interests that you share and be able to reach out and develop friendships with them.  We asked each incoming resident 3 basic questions – what motived them to choose a career in pathology, why they are excited to come to U-M and what do they like to do with their free time.  We hope you enjoy getting to know them just a little bit better.


Haley Amoth, MD

Haley joined the Department of Pathology from the University of North Dakota School of Medicine.  Previously, they completed their B.S.M.T. from the University of North Dakota School of Medicine in Medical Laboratory Science.

What motivated you to choose a career in pathology?
I chose to pursue pathology due to my early exposure to the clinical laboratory. My undergraduate training in Medical Laboratory Science and time spent on the bench as a chemist sparked my interest in pathology before I started medical school.

What excites you the most about joining the U-M Department of Pathology?
I’m excited to join the pathology department at Michigan Medicine because I feel like everyone I’ve met is truly interested in helping me reach my potential.

What do you like to do in your free time?
Outside of medicine, I enjoy making silver jewelry, gardening, homebrewing ciders, and meads, cycling, stand up paddleboarding, skiing, and curling. My partner Tim and I have a vizsla, Cedar, a Siamese cat, Wren, an Argentine tegu, Gem, and several blood pythons.


Thomas Herb, MD

Thomas joined the Department of Pathology from Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine. He received a BS degree from Albright College in Biochemistry/Pre-Med prior to attending Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine.

What motivated you to choose a career in pathology?
I had really good mentors and lecturers in medical school who were pathologists and that sparked my interest in pathology originally. After rotating through the various AP and CP services, I enjoyed how broad this specialty is and how it all related back to the basic science of medicine. 

What excites you the most about joining the U-M Department of Pathology?
I am most excited to join the team atmosphere of UM Pathology and I am looking forward to getting to work with and know better everyone involved. 

What do you like to do in your free time?
In my free time, I enjoy watching and playing sports, including football, basketball, and rugby. I recently adopted an older dog who loves to go for hikes, and I also like video games, books, and movies. 


Vincent Laufer, MD, PhD

Vincent joined the Department of Pathology from the University of Alabama School of Medicine. He also received his PhD at the University of Alabama in Cell, Molecular, and Developmental Biology. His undergraduate studies were completed at the University of Notre Dame and Georgia State University.

What motivated you to choose a career in pathology?
I believe that molecular genetics and genomics will enable advances in human health and longevity similar to the advents of sanitation and vaccines. Because pathology programs house both informatics and molecular genetics, they are perfectly poised to help usher in the benefits of genomic medicine as they become available.

What excites you the most about joining the U-M Department of Pathology?
I am most excited about being a part of a world-class team of clinicians and researchers dedicated to human health.

What do you like to do in your free time?
I like to play chess, code, hang out with dogs, write poetry, play DND, and stats.


Nathan McCammon, MD

Nathan joined the University of Michigan from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School.  He completed his BS in Psychology from Texas A & M University.

What motivated you to choose a career in pathology?
I decided to go into pathology because I found that I enjoyed my microbiology and pathology sessions in the pre-clerkship period of my medical school. This led to me taking an elective rotation in pathology early on and no subsequent rotation could compare to my enjoyment of pathology.

What excites you the most about joining the U-M Department of Pathology?
What excited me the most about my interview day experience with UM, and led to me coming here, was the air of camaraderie present here. I felt that I could really experience being part of a team here and I am looking forward to it!

What do you like to do in your free time?
In my free time, I enjoy cooking with my wife, walking my dogs, reading, and watching TV.


Corey Post, MD

Cory grew up in some combination of San Diego, CA; Lexington, KY; and Little Rock, AR. He attended the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, where he received a BS in Biochemistry, an MS in Bioinformatics, and met his wife Chelsea. He returned to Arkansas for medical school at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, where he decided to pursue a career in pathology.

What motivated you to choose a career in pathology?
I am actually a second-generation pathologist - my mother is a practicing hematopathologist at UAMS in my home town of Little Rock. I was therefore fortunate to get early exposure to the field.  I was particularly motivated by the integrative approach pathologists to take to arrive at a diagnosis, seamlessly integrating the clinical picture with lab results and techniques from the basic sciences. I also was captivated by a large number of pathologists I knew who participated in academic medicine not only as clinicians but also as researches and educators. Although I was not always sure I wanted a career in medicine, by the time I decided to go to medical school I knew I wanted to be a pathologist. 

What excites you the most about joining the U-M Department of Pathology?
I am most excited by the strength and diversity of the U-M training opportunities, along with the flexibility to pursue individual interests. In particular, I am excited by the strong pathology informatics program at U-M. I completed an MS in Bioinformatics prior to entering medical school, and I am excited to further develop these skills and learn how to apply them in my future practice.

What do you like to do in your free time?
When I am not working, I enjoy spending time with my wife Chelsea. I am also a bit of a foodie, and love to try out new restaurants and recipes. Although they are not all winners, it’s always a fun experience. When possible, I also enjoy playing racquetball, traveling (Disney World is a frequent destination), and trying to fix (but often breaking) things around the house. 


Fysal Shennib, MD

Fysal joined the Department of Pathology from the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine. He grew up mostly in Oklahoma and attended the University of Oklahoma where he received a BS in Biology as well as his medical degree.

What motivated you to choose a career in pathology?
It was primarily my interest in the basic sciences and diagnostics that drew me to pathology.

What excites you the most about joining the U-M Department of Pathology?
I chose the University of Michigan for the diverse training opportunities and the friendly faculty and residents.  I am most excited about getting to know my fellow residents.

What do you like to do in your free time?
In my free time, I enjoy movies, reading, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (before the pandemic).


Nicole Tomm, MD

Niole joined the Department of Pathology from the University of Minnesota School of Medicine.  She previously completed a B.A. in Biology from the Barnard School of Columbia University.

What motivated you to choose a career in pathology?
I was most interested in the pathology component of the curriculum during my first two years of medical school. After trying out pathology rotations and connecting with the department at my school, I was convinced that pathology was a great fit for me. I like how the diagnostic process requires both science and art. I also find it fulfilling to contribute to patient care by providing diagnoses to patients and clinicians, especially when other types of testing are unable to deliver an answer.

What excites you the most about joining the U-M Department of Pathology?
I am most excited to explore all of the different subspecialties in pathology and figure out what I ultimately want to do for my career.

What do you like to do in your free time?
I enjoy watching true crime documentaries, doing yoga, playing volleyball, and spending time with my fiancé, Brian, and my golden retriever, Gimli.


Maxwell Wang, MD

Maxwell joined the Department of Pathology from Tulane University School of Medicine. He completed his B.A in Biology: Computation and Genomics with a Minor in Bioinformatics & Computer Science from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.

What motivated you to choose a career in pathology?
I liked how pathology had a strong tie-in with upcoming technologies in genomics and artificial intelligence.  I also appreciated the culture of pathology with supportive residents and attendings, no matter which program I visited.

What excites you the most about joining the U-M Department of Pathology?
U-M is a very diverse program with not only experts in the field, but caring faculty and staff.  The arrival of Dr. Pantanowitz with his expertise in AI and digital pathology is something that particularly drew me to U-M Pathology.

What do you like to do in your free time?
I enjoy kayaking, fishing, video games, and playing with my cats!

 

Please welcome our incoming Resident Class of 2024!