Our faculty consists of your colleagues who have transitioned to a particular non-clinical career and will discuss the opportunities available in their field or industry.  Many of our faculty members are alumni of the conference.

Mandy Huggins Armitage, MD is a successful medical writer who has experience both as a freelancer and as a full time employed writer. She currently serves as Director of Medical Content at Doximity, having previously been a Clinical Content Medical Writer and Medical Director for HealthLoop. Prior to transitioning to medical writing, Dr. Armitage practiced nonsurgical sports medicine. Dr. Armitage serves as a consultant for aspiring physician freelance writers and has been a faculty member for SEAK’s “How to Earn Money as Physician Writer” seminar for several years. She received her MD from Indiana University School of Medicine and her BS in Biology from Purdue.    

Kristie Baisden, DO is a Medical Officer with the Food and Drug Administration where her role focuses on drug labeling. Dr. Baisden attended SEAK in 2016 and started at the FDA in 2017. Prior to her transition, Dr. Baisden practiced OB/GYN. She earned her undergraduate degree from UNC Chapel Hill in 2003 and her DO from the Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Baisden trained in OB/GYN at Georgetown. She is the proud mother of 3 small children, including one with special needs.  

Ryan Bayley, MD is a successful physician coach. His practice (www.ryanbayleyMD.com) focuses on burnout resilience, career transition, and leadership and serves both individual physicians (and non-physicians) and institutions. Dr. Bayley is an Emergency Medicine Physician and still works clinically a few shifts each month. He received his undergraduate degree from Harvard and his MD from Vanderbilt. Dr. Bayley is a SEAK alumnus.

Donald M. Bradshaw, MD, MPH, FAAFP, FACHE, FAAPL is a senior Physician Advisor with Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. – a global advisory organization of 24,225 diverse, passionate, and exceptional people driven to excel, do right, and realize positive change in everything they do. Dr. Bradshaw served 32 years in the US Army and retired as a Brigadier General in 2009. His military experience includes CEO of the Southeast Regional Medical Command and CEO of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center. Dr. Bradshaw’s professional experience includes Vice President, Clinical Transformation for Evolent Health, Senior VP, Federal Health Operations, SAIC and Senior Partner, Healthcare for Martin-Blanck and Associates – a health care consulting company. Dr. Bradshaw earned his BS from Wheaton (Illinois), his MPH from University of Washington (Washington) and his MD from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (Maryland).   

Jocelyn F. Caple, MD, MBA is the CEO of Frisbie Memorial Hospital in Rochester, New Hampshire, an independent community hospital. Prior to being named permanent CEO, she was Medical Staff President, Chief Medical Officer, and later Interim CEO. Dr. Caple is a board certified pathologist who practiced for over 20 years before transitioning full time into administration. She trained at The Cleveland Clinic, earned her MD at UMass, and earned her undergraduate degree in Classical and Ancient Studies at Smith (she credits her communications skills to her liberal arts education). She has an executive MBA from UNH and is a certified mediator. Dr. Caple is a SEAK alumna.

Lynette Charity, MD is an award-winning motivational/inspirational speaker (www.drcharityspeaks.com). Dr. Charity has presented nationally and internationally. She is an anesthesiologist and SEAK alumna with over 35 years of experience “putting people to sleep.” In aspiring to become a doctor, she met many dream smashers; people who wanted to “Squish! Squash! STOMP!” on her dream. As a young girl growing up in the segregated South, she was once told “No Medical School is gonna accept a Colored girl.” She persevered and now helps to “wake people UP” to go after THEIR dreams through sharing her story of overcoming obstacles of racial bias, gender bias and age bias. Now a sexagenarian, she has hit the Trifecta being African-American, female AND on Medicare. Dr. Charity graduated with honors from Chatham College for Women in Pittsburgh, PA, and earned her medical degree from Tufts University School of Medicine. She has practiced nationally, internationally and as a U.S. Army doctor, achieving the rank of Lt. Colonel. 

Tom Davis, MD, FAAFP is a Board Certified Family Practice physician and a SEAK alumnus. Dr. Davis has vast non-clinical experience including consulting to health care providers on risk sharing/value contracts, consulting to venture capital firms, expert witnessing, telemedicine, and Hospice Medical Director – see www.TomDavisConsulting.com. Dr. Davis is the creator of a series of audio courses which teach physicians how to utilize telemedicine for their own benefit and also provides 1-1 mentoring in this field. Dr. Davis earned his BA, MA, and MD all from the University of Missouri – Columbia. When he was in practice, Dr. Davis was regularly named one of the Best Doctors™ in St. Louis.  

Heather Fork, MD, CPCC is an ICF certified coach and founder of The Doctor’s Crossing (www.doctorscrossing.com). For the past 10 years, she has been helping physicians find more fulfillment both in medicine and in non-clinical careers. In addition to coaching, she also blogs for The Doctor’s Crossing and does recruiting for several non-clinical companies. Dr. Fork ran her own dermatology practice for 9 years and is a SEAK alumnus.     

Kitty Gordon, MD is Medical Strategy Lead and Ophthalmology Center of Excellence Co-Chair at IQVIA (formerly Quintiles). IQVIA is one of the World’s largest Contract Research Organizations, having over 50,000 employees and operating in over 100 countries. Dr. Gordon is a home-based employee whose interesting and fulfilling job has her regularly interacting with clients and team members on a global basis. Prior to her transition, Dr. Gordon practiced ophthalmology for 23 years. Her most recent clinical position was Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at UNC Chapel Hill, where she served as a co-investigator in numerous clinical trials. Dr. Gordon earned her MD from Cornell and trained in ophthalmology at Cornell as well (New York Hospital-Sloan Kettering Cancer Center). She earned her BA from the University of California, Irvine. She is a 2017 SEAK alumnus.  

Joel Jacob, MD is Vice President, Scientific Strategy Director for McCann Echo, a McCann Health Company. His previous experience includes Vice President, Medical and Scientific Strategy at Natrel Health, Medical Director at RevHealth, Director, Medical & Scientific Services at Evolution Medical Communications, as well as significant freelance experience. Dr. Jacob received his MD from Medical University of Silesia and later trained clinically in both Chicago and Ohio. Dr. Jacob is also affiliated with the Doctor of Pharmacy Programs for Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy Rutgers University, Purdue University College of Pharmacy, and University of the Sciences in Philadelphia.    

Julie Landrio, MD serves as a physician at Blue Ridge Hospice in Winchester, Virginia. Dr. Landrio is a board-certified internist who practiced internal medicine for 20 years prior to making her transition. She earned her BS at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and her MD at Tufts, later training through Tufts at New England Medical Center in Boston. Dr. Landrio is a 2017 SEAK alumna.    

Christopher Leonard, DO, MHI is Chief Information Officer at Vohra Wound Physicians, a dynamic organization with over 250 physicians in 25 states which has developed its own proprietary and niche-specific EHR system. His experiences include strategic leverage of healthcare technologies, management of the entire spectrum of data flow with a uniquely customized team, AI and machine learning, SSOT design and implementation for more efficient health care delivery, mobile strategies, clinician documentation improvement (CDI), risk mitigation, data/predictive analysis, automated outcomes data, clinician technologic training, barriers to process and technology adoption, implementing a security risk management program, vetting and contracting syngergistic and partnering vendors, creating company-wide security awareness training and introducing the concepts of change management to company personnel. Dr. Leonard is a wound care surgeon who earned his DO at Kansas City University of Health and Bioscience and trained at the Medical College of Georgia. He recently completed a Masters in Health Informatics from Northwestern University School of Professional Studies – a 100% remote program. 

Kelli Maw, MD, FAAFP, MPH is a home-based medical director with PRA, a leading Contract Research Organization. Prior to joining PRA, Dr. Maw served as a part time principal investigator/sub-investigator and oversaw more than 120 clinical trials. Dr. Maw earned her medical degree in Myanmar, trained in Family Medicine in Brooklyn, New York, and earned her MPH from Columbia. Dr. Maw’s professional background includes over 10 years in public health as well as working as a clinician focused on weight loss. She is the author of the book The Last Diet. Dr. Maw is a SEAK alumna.  

John Mendez, MD is Medical Director, Disability Management Solutions with CIGNA, a global health service company with 95 million customers around the world and more than 40,000 employees worldwide. He has vast experience in the disability field including both full time employment and contract work. Dr. Mendez also has several years’ experience performing utilization reviews. He earned his undergraduate degree from Loyola Marymount and his MD from the University of California Irvine. Prior to transitioning, Dr. Mendez practiced clinical medicine in the fields of internal medicine and occupational medicine.  

Rob Milman, MD is the Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs, Clinical, and Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Medical Education of the Texas A&M University College of Medicine. Previously, he served for 25 years as a private practice radiologist with the Austin Radiological Association in Austin, Texas. Dr. Milman has vast experience teaching CME, medical students, residents, nurse practitioner students, undergraduate pre-med students and even high school students. He is a Diagnostic Radiologist and a graduate of Brown University and Texas A&M College of Medicine. Dr. Milman is a SEAK alumnus.   

Robert Nordness, MD, MPH is the Head of Pharmacovigilance at Syndax Pharmaceuticals. Additionally, Dr. Nordness has experience in diverse roles in various-sized companies; Alexion, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Pfizer. Dr. Nordness is Triple-Board Certified (Emergency Medicine, Occupational Medicine, and Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine). He graduated from the University of Minnesota Institute of Technology with a degree in Chemical Engineering and received his MD from the University of Minnesota Medical School. He earned his MPH from Harvard School of Public Health. Dr. Nordness served 10 years of active duty with the US Navy and remains a reserve officer. He is the former Officer in Charge of the Naval Undersea Medical Institute.  

Anthony Norelli, MD is a Medical Director at Allstate Life and Retirement. Prior to joining Allstate in 2016, Dr. Norelli spent 8 years with Northwestern Mutual Life where he was trained on underwriting and claims for life, disability, and long term care. Dr. Norelli earned his undergraduate degree from Marquette and his MD from Medical College of Wisconsin. Prior to his transition to non-clinical work he was in private practice as a family practitioner.  

Shweta Patel, MD has over 10+ years of broad experience in medical marketing, communications, managed markets, and health policy. Since 2018 Dr. Patel has been with Shire Pharmaceuticals as a Senior Medical Science Outcomes Liaison – Global Medical Affairs where she is in charge of USA for all Hemophilia products. Her previous experience in industry includes an MSL with CSL Behring, focusing on coagulation, Senior Manager, Global Hemophilia Medical Marketing at Baxter Healthcare, Clinical Program Manager at Symbiotix, and Associate Medical Director at Integrated Communications Corporation. Dr. Patel earned her BA at George Washington and her MD from the Medical University of Silesia. She started her successful career in industry without completing either an internship or residency. 

Steven W. Parkes, MD, MBA, MPH, FACEP is the President and Founder of the Clinician Coaching Institute, LLC (www.cliniciancoachinginstitute.com), where he specializes in coaching physicians experiencing burnout, and coaching with physicians taking on entrepreneurial ventures. Dr. Parkes is a board-certified emergency room physician who still works part time in the ER, and who successfully launched and departed a busy 40 physician Emergency Department practice, EMPact Emergency Physicians. He was introduced to coaching in business school, when he was struggling with burnout, and discovered powerful transformation through the experience of being coached himself. Dr. Parkes holds four different coaching certifications and is a 15-time finisher of the Ironman Triathlon, including the world championship in Hawaii. He earned his MD from Rush, his MPH from Johns Hopkins, and his MBA from Notre Dame. He presently resides in the Chicagoland area with his family and three children. He is a SEAK alumnus.  

Andrea Paul, MD is Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer at Board Vitals (an Inc. 500 and Crain’s 50 Company), a Start-up Advisor (health tech, medical device), Public Speaker (health, medical education, technology and entrepreneurship), and mentor/advisor to physicians wishing to pursue non-clinical activities. Board Vitals (www.boardvitals.com) – The Leader in Online Medical and Healthcare Specialty Examinations and Continuing Education – helps practitioners prepare for licensing and initial certification exams, maintenance of certification (MOC) requirements, and continuing professional education, covering more than 50 specialty areas and exams ranging from dental, podiatry, nursing, and medical areas. Dr. Paul earned her MD from Michigan State. While in residency training at Yale, Dr. Paul decided to leave clinical medicine in order to become a startup physician-entrepreneur.  

Mary E. Schultheis, MD is a full time, home based medical director with United Healthcare. Prior to moving to United Healthcare, Dr. Schultheis was first a part time, then a full time, home based physician advisor with R1RCM. Prior to her transition, she was a successful colon and rectal surgeon. Dr. Schultheis earned her BS from the University of Maryland and her MD from Creighton. She is a SEAK alumnus.  

Jawaria Suhail, MD currently serves as a home based Associate Medical Director for eviCore Health. Previously, she worked as a Physician Reviewer for Anthem. Prior to transitioning, Dr. Suhail practiced Family Medicine and then later as a Hospitalist. Dr. Suhail grew up in Saudi Arabia, went to medical school in Pakistan, and trained in family medicine in Chicago. Dr. Suhail is Board Certified in family medicine. She is the proud single mother of 3 children and a SEAK alumna.    

Karyn L. Tapley, MD is an OB/GYN who performed locums assignments for almost 3 years while she was transitioning to her current non-clinical endeavors of running a successful and growing medical spa (Sound Women’s Health & Aestheics), real estate, financial planning, and coaching physicians. Dr. Tapley earned her BS at the University of West Florida, her MD at the University of Florida, and completed a fellowship in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine under Dr. Andrew Weil. She is a SEAK alumnus.

David Yeh, MD is a Nuclear Physician (still practices part time), Investment Systems Developer, Investment Advisor and the author of the book The Busy Doctor’s Investment Guide. After multiple requests for investment assistance he launched his business, Wealthy Doctor Institute, LLC, (www.wealthydoctorinstitute.com) which is a registered investment advisor and has been steadily growing. Dr. Yeh works with fellow physicians who are unhappy with their current investing strategy and helps them take back control of their finances and feel empowered. Dr. Yeh also manages the Praetorian Archimedes, LP hedge fund for qualified investors. Dr. Yeh earned his BS from Cornell and his MD from NYU. He is a SEAK alumnus.