PBRMC celebrates first graduating class of residents

Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center has announced the graduation of its first class of internal medicine residents. This means six doctors completed their residency program, a milestone in both their professional journeys and the hospital’s history, officials said.

The residency program, launched in July 2021, has been highly competitive, attracting several hundred applicants annually. Last year alone, PBRMC received more than 1,600 applicants for six spots.

Dr. Matthew Riffle, PBRMC’s Graduate Medical Education program director, expressed his pride in the graduates, stating, “This is a landmark achievement for Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center and our residents. Their commitment to excellence and perseverance through the rigors of a three-year residency program has set a high standard for future classes.”

Along with Riffle, residents work closely with the GME core faculty which consists of Associate Program Director Roland Njoh, MD., Lance Majors, MD., Syed Anees, MD., and Mohanad Alfaqih, MD.

Benjamin Kaplan, DO, chief resident, shared his heartfelt thoughts: “Residency has and will always be my greatest accomplishment because, with every step forward, there’s a hurdle or obstacle in your way. None of us would be here today if it wasn’t for the support of Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center and the core faculty who have also had to navigate many of these same obstacles. I can speak for all of us residents that we will always be thankful for the opportunity they have given us.”

“Our first graduating class signifies the successful implementation of a rigorous and enriching residency program,” Clyde Wood, CEO said. “We are incredibly proud of these six doctors and the path they have paved for future residents.”

For the 2024-2025 academic year, Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center welcomes eight new residents bringing the total current resident count to 20. PBRMC’s internal medicine residency program is the only post-graduate medical education program in Southeast Missouri, with the closest program nearly 130 miles away. The internal medicine residency is a three-year program in which residents rotate through different departments and specialties in the hospital, like pulmonology, cardiology, emergency department, etc.