PGY-1

Neelesh Bapatla, PGY-1
Neel Bapatla grew up in Ocala, Florida, described by locals affectionately and perhaps inaccurately as the Horse Capital of the World. He went to undergrad not too far up the road at the University of Florida (Go Gators!) where he majored in English, Russian Studies and Biology. Afterward he moved to New England for graduate school, living in Boston’s vibrant Chinatown for a Master’s in Biomedical Sciences at Tufts University, and fell in love with the city and region. Like most pre-meds in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic proved disruptive and formative for his life plans. Neel moved back to Ocala and worked extensively with North Central Florida’s medically underserved population for a year and a half, serving as the basis for his passion for medicine and pediatrics. After a short stint back in the Boston area to work at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, he began medical school at Nova Southeastern University in coastal Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Now after four years of soaking in South Florida’s rich culture — largely Cuban coffee — and dodging its large reptiles, he’s excited to be in the heart of the Commonwealth. In his free time, Neel loves to watch movies, read books, go to museums, and explore new coffee shops. He is also looking to take advantage of Worcester’s proximity to natural beauty in Central Mass and beyond to explore new interests, like hiking and photography.

Michael Bolstad, PGY-1
Michael Bolstad grew up in South Boston, MA and attended high school at Boston Collegiate Charter School in Dorchester. He graduated from Brown University with a concentration in Biology, then worked in the Emergency Department at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston as an ED Technician while contributing to various research projects in the department. 

Justin Ramos, PGY-1
Justin hails from Skowhegan, Maine. He graduated from Princeton University with a major in Molecular Biology and a minor in Theater Studies. In his off time, he was involved with performing arts groups, including the Princeton Tigertones acapella group and the historic Triangle Club. Continuing his medical path, he completed a Master’s in Medical Science at Boston University, while conducting research at Boston Children’s Hospital and working as a unit coordinator for Brigham and Women’s cardiac surgery department. He was then accepted to the Tufts Maine Track, which allowed him to learn the foundations of medicine in his home state and advocate for medical inclusion and diversity initiatives as a person of color. Notably, he completed a longitudinal integrated M3 year at MaineHealth Franklin Hospital, which helped steer him towards Med/Peds! Knowing he enjoyed adult inpatient medicine but also loving outpatient pediatrics, he learned through Med/Peds mentors that keeping both was possible, so his path was set! Predictably, his future specialty is also undetermined. However, he will do his best to keep both the “med” and the “peds” in his future practice. Justin is especially excited to be a mentor to medical students at UMass for all things clinical or non-clinical. In his free time, he looks forward to perusing the public library’s shelves, trying out the local eateries, and preparing Dungeons and Dragons campaigns for his fellow residents that they can hopefully complete!
 

Noah Shepard, PGY-1
Noah grew up in various cities across the western US before settling in Salt Lake City, Utah, where he attended the University of Utah to study Biochemistry. During this time, he worked as a medical assistant at the Huntsman Cancer Institute, which instilled in him a love of caring for people with serious and irreversible illnesses. He also spent his free time leading backpacking trips for college students, mentoring at summer camps for children with cancer, and volunteering with local wildlife conservationists. He stayed in Salt Lake City to attend the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine, during which he led a chapter of the Planetary Health Report Card, practiced wilderness medicine in the Wasatch Front, and set up mobile clinics for rural schoolchildren abroad. Noah was excited to move to Worcester to experience a new period of life across the country, and he is thrilled to join the Med-Peds community at UMass. Noah is interested in pursuing careers in palliative medicine, rural primary care, and public health. You’ll find him exploring the wilderness of the Northeast, spiking volleyballs, and playing overly complicated board games.