Alumni Focus

We are pleased to spotlight two UMMC residency alumni, Drs. Ritika Bhandari and Mark Braswell. In addition, we have an update on a major life accomplishment for Dr. Anna Wile.

Alumni Spotlight

After completing her residency in dermatology and fellowship in Mohs surgery, Dr. Ritika Bhandari moved to Tampa where she joined Brandon Dermatology and progressed to practicing Mohs surgery and cosmetic dermatology full-time. She has been able to balance her work and life with her hobbies of running and swimming and has now even started dragon boat racing with her husband, Rahul, who also an alumnus of UMMC. Mixed in with their busy schedules they love to travel with their daughter, Navya, and their son, Ayvan, whom they want to “show the world and it’s many cultures.”

Ritika wanted to share that “They are both extremely grateful for the foundation that UMMC has built for them. They are lucky to have been part of their respective departments and trained with some of the best, most caring physicians. They hope to spread the compassion, generosity, and altruism instilled in them by their mentors throughout their entire careers.”

Dr. Ritika Bhandari pictured with her husband Rahul, their daughter Navya, and their son Ayvan.  

After completing his residency in 2020, Dr. Mark Braswell and his family moved to Scott Air Force Base, Illinois where he enjoys providing comprehensive dermatology care to servicemembers and their families by overseeing the dermatology clinic, multiple military medics and nurses, and at times, other clinics. In addition to these duties, he serves on the adjunct clinical faculty at Saint Louis University at a combined military and civilian family residency program to help train family medicine residents during their dermatology rotations. Melissa, his spouse, and his two kids, Abigail and Beau, have enjoyed being a part of the military community and making friends from across the country.

Mark wanted to tell everyone that “I am honored and proud to say that I trained at the UMMC Dermatology Residency Program. The breadth and diversity of training prepared me to care for our nation’s servicewomen, servicemen, and their families. The leadership training and opportunities that I received from UMMC Dermatology and its faculty as a resident provided a strong foundation to lead and care for others well and to stay humble, learn from my mistakes, and learn from others.”

Dr. Mark Braswell pictured with Melissa, his spouse, and his two kids, Abigail and Beau.

140.6 Miles of Work/Life Balance

Anna Wile, resident class of 2018 and whom we heard from in the fall 2022 newsletter, recently competed alongside her husband Daniel Wile in the Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona Hawaii. Kona is home to the original Ironman triathlon consisting of a 2.4 mile ocean swim, a 112 mile bike through lava fields, and a 26.2 mile run in the Hawaiian heat. Anna qualified for the World Championships in 2019 by winning her age group at Ironman Chattanooga and Daniel later qualified at Ironman Tulsa in 2021. The interim three years between qualifying and racing were quite busy for the couple as they welcomed their first child, daughter Joann, on October, 6^th 2021.  The biggest challenge for the couple was navigating how to prepare for such a challenging race while also caring for a newborn. The hard work for Anna paid off when she was able to celebrate Joann’s first birthday at the finish line on October 6^th, 2022.   

Dr. Anna Wile pictured during and after competing in the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii.