HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — For the first time in its five-year history, the Resident of the Month honor at the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine has been awarded to three residents for the month of October, announced Paulette S. Wehner, M.D., vice dean for graduate medical education at the school.

“This month, we had several patients take the time to write us to tell about their patient care experience with three separate residents,” Wehner said. “Given that, we felt we had to change the selection process and honor all three as Residents of the Month in recognition of providing outstanding patient care.”

Sharing the Resident of the Month title for October are Keitaro Nakamoto, M.D., Jenalee Corsello, M.D. and Jessica Hale, D.O., all residents within the surgery program at Marshall.  

“As a program director and chair, anytime we have a surgery resident recognized, I become even more proud of the residents and our program,” said David A. Denning, M.D., chair of the department of surgery and residency program director.  “But, to have three residents from our surgical team nominated by multiple patients makes me unbelievably proud of them and our program.  Our surgery residents work extremely hard for five years and this type of recognition motivates them.” 

Keitaro Nakamoto, M.D., is in his fifth and final year as a surgery resident. As the education chief resident, Nakamoto leads weekly didactics, a designed and implemented an education curriculum for the residents.  He is also involved in the robotic simulation and surgical skills curricula. A graduate of the Okayama University School of Medicine in Okayama, Japan, Nakamoto was one of six Japanese physicians selected in the U.S. Naval Hospital Yokosuka’s Japanese National Physician Graduate Medical Education Program.  The published resident is involved with numerous ongoing research projects and has presented at several national conferences.  Nakamoto received the 2019 Seddon Program Award that recognizes the most promising rising fifth-year resident. He will enter a minimally invasive surgery fellowship at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, after he finishes residency in June 2020.  

Jenalee Corsello, M.D., a third-year surgery resident, earned her Doctor of Medicine from Ross University School of Medicine in Bridgetown, Barbados.  She also holds a Master in Public Health (MPH) from Touro University in California and a microbial biology degree from the University of California, Berkeley. After completing residency in June 2022, the California native plans to complete a fellowship.

Jessica Hale, D.O., graduated from the Lincoln Memorial University-DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine in Harrogate, Tennessee. The third-year surgery resident is a Tennessee native who earned a biology degree from University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She is participating in several studies, including a West Virginia Rural Health Initiative grant to study the well-being study of clinical team members in rural and urban hospitals.  Hale plans to complete a plastic surgery fellowship after graduation in June 2022.

As part of their recognition as the October Resident of the Month, the trio received items including a small educational fund stipend, plaque and designated parking spot.

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Photo caption:  From left to right, Keitaro Nakamoto, M.D., Jessica Hale, D.O., and Jenalee Corsello, M.D., were recognized as October Residents of the Month at Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine by David A. Denning, M.D., department chair and residency program director for surgery.

Media Contact: Sheanna M. Spence, Director of External Affairs, School of Medicine, 304-691-1639

Date Posted: Tuesday, November 5, 2019