Name: Dennis Ayitiah
Medical School: Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Hometown: Oklahoma City, OK
About me: Before medical school, I worked as a registered nurse for over 11 years. I'm excited to begin psychiatry residency at OU and look forward to caring for patients while serving underserved communities. Outside of medicine, I enjoy spending time with my family, watching tennis, exploring new restaurants and trying out new recipes.
Hobbies: spending time with family; playing tennis; traveling and exploring new restaurants; watching documentaries; going on walks
Favorite restaurant(s) in OKC: Fogo de Chao, any Thai or Pho restaurant, Cafe Kacao, Broadway 10
Favorite thing(s) to do in OKC: visiting the science museum and zoo with family, attending Thunder games and exploring local events around OKC
Best thing(s) about the program: The supportive faculty and residents, strong consultation-liaison and inpatient training, diverse patient population and collaborative learning environment. I'm especially excited to train alongside people who are passionate about psychiatry and committed to serving Oklahoma communities.
Medical School: Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Hometown: Chandler, OK
About me: I love spending quality time with family. They are the ones who kept me going through school. God and my church have been so faithful in all my endeavors. I seek to treat all patients with kindness and respect. No one is just a statistic and each case is different. I try to learn something new from every encounter.
Hobbies: photography; hiking; video games with friends; cooking; reading dystopian novels
Favorite restaurant(s) in OKC: Birdies, Hopscotch, The Ranch, Pub W, Cafe Kacao, The Jones Assembly, Cajun Corner
Favorite thing(s) to do in OKC: walk around Lake Hefner; see concerts at The Jones Assembly; go to Thunder games; try new restaurants; walk the OKC Zoo and Science Museum with my nieces and nephews; go to Up Down with my wife; and antique shopping
Best thing(s) about the program: The culture here is fun and educational. The residents enjoy each other and will either help out or find someone who can. The attendings are respectful and excellent teachers. The staff can always find what you're looking for and it's never a battle to get questions answered. Ultimately, there is an environment of respect.
Name: Michael Grunsted
Medical School: University of Oklahoma College of Medicine
Hometown: Norman, OK
About me: I was born and raised in Oklahoma, along with my three siblings. Tennis was a large part of my youth. I majored in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Oklahoma before medical school. I decided on psychiatry as my specialty because of the connections you can develop with your patients and the need for increased access to mental health care in our communities.
Hobbies: watching scary movies, playing adult pickleball (tennis), buying books that are not on my TBR list, making memories with my favorite people
Favorite restaurant(s) in OKC: Thai Delight, Volcano Sushi, Sheesh Mahal, Teapioca, Dave's Hot Chicken, Cafe Kacao, Golden Phoenix, FRIDA Southwest, Vito's Ristorante
Favorite thing(s) to do in OKC: movies at Flix Brewhouse; Chicken N Pickle; food trucks at Scissortail Park; Oklahoma Science Museum and OKC Zoo with my nephews and niece; OKC Thunder games; walks around Lake Hefner
Best thing(s) about the program: Cliche but the people for sure! The program offers great training within a supportive environment that is conducive for learning how to become a great psychiatrist.
Name: Emile Karam
Medical School: Oklahoma State College of Osteopathic Medicine
Hometown: Oklahoma City
About me: I grew up in the OKC area and attended the University of Oklahoma, where I earned a degree in psychology. I later attended OSU-COM in Tulsa. I recently married my wife in Morocco this past May and we are excited to be back in Oklahoma City near family and friends.
Hobbies: cooking; trying new restaurants and coffee spots with my wife; traveling; watching sports, especially the OKC Thunder, OU football and soccer
Favorite restaurant(s) in OKC: Maht, Ma Der Lao Kitchen, Frida, ZamZam. There are a lot of new restaurants that I am looking forward to trying
Favorite thing(s) to do in OKC: go to Thunder games; OU football games; explore new restaurants and coffee shops; and spend time with family and friends
Best thing(s) about the program: The people, strong clinical training and opportunities and the opportunity to work with a population in Oklahoma that I have always wanted to serve.
Name: Brooks Koenig
Medical School: University of Oklahoma College of Medicine
Hometown: Edmond, OK
About me: I grew up in Edmond and am excited to keep building my life and career in OKC with my wife Abby and dog Maple. I love to cook, bake and explore new restaurants with my family and friends. I grew up playing tennis but have been really enjoying learning to play pickleball. When not active, I enjoy relaxing with a good book or playing guitar.
Hobbies: tennis, pickleball, cooking, guitar, reading
Favorite restaurant(s) in OKC: Ma Der Lao Kitchen, Hall's Pizza, Bar Arbolada, Jones Assembly, Tamashii Ramen
Favorite thing(s) to do in OKC: go to the weekly Scissortail Park Farmers' Market with my wife and dog; walk around the Myriad Botanical Gardens; have date night at a fun restaurant in downtown OKC, the Plaza or Paseo; go to the OKC Zoo!
Best thing(s) about the program: The faculty and residents are such a welcoming community that is always there to lend a helping hand. They truly make showing up to work an enjoyable experience and reinforce everyday that I made the right decision in choosing OU Psychiatry for residency.
Medical School: University of Oklahoma College of Medicine
Hometown: Oklahoma City, OK
About me: I went to the University of Oklahoma in Norman to get my B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and worked for a year at Baptist. I then attended medical school at OU COM. I have been married to my wife for three years and we have two dogs (a Goldendoodle and Bernedoodle).
Hobbies: woodworking; mountain biking; eating out; long walks with my wife and dogs
Favorite restaurant(s) in OKC: overall favorites - Saturn Gill and Tana Thai; favorite BBQ - Clark Crew; favorite pizza - Hall's Pizza and Empire Slice House; favorite pho - Pho Cuong
Favorite thing(s) to do in OKC: riding bikes around Lake Hefner; mountain biking trails at Arcadia; pickleball @ Chicken N Pickle
Best thing(s) about the program: We have wonderful faculty that feel like family. I love the culture of respect that my co-residents have fostered here too!
Medical School: Universidad Catolica Boliviana San Pablo
Hometown: Campina Grande, Paraiba, Brazil
About me: I was born and raised in Brazil and late moved to Bolivia for missionary work, where I completed medical school. I am so happy to now call Oklahoma home and enjoy life in the countryside with my husband, our son and a lively crew of dogs, chickens and ducks. We're hoping to add a few sheep to the mix soon!
Hobbies: I enjoy spending time with family and friends, exploring new places on road trips, discovering hidden gems while thrifting, going to concerts, dancing and visiting amusement parks. I also love board game nights, binge watching TV shows and I never miss an opportunity for a themed party.
Favorite restaurant(s) in OKC: Later Bye, Texas Roadhouse, Tamashii Ramen House, Volcano Sushi Bar & Hibachi, and Texas de Brazil
Favorite thing(s) to do in OKC: a day at Riversport or Frontier City; the Night Market and concerts at Scissortail Park; sunsets at Lake Hefner; trying new restaurants; music bingo at Parlor; and indoor skydiving at iFly
Best thing(s) about the program: The people. Everyone is so welcoming, supportive and approachable. I love how invested the faculty, staff and residents are in helping each other grow, as well as the excellent training the program provides to care for the mental health needs of Oklahomans.
Medical School: University of Oklahoma College of Medicine
Hometown: Edmond, OK
About me: Born and raised in Oklahoma! I went to the University of Oklahoma for undergrad and received my MD from OU College of Medicine where I met my wife. I am a die-hard OU football and have never missed an OU-Texas weekend. I love adventures and feel the most alive when traveling, seeing new things and meeting new people.
Hobbies: running, working out, snowboarding, cooking, triathlons
Favorite restaurant(s) in OKC: Broadway 10, Dave's Hot Chicken, Chipotle
Favorite thing(s) to do in OKC: Fourstar Fitness and Sprouts. I also love Thunder games and running around Lake Hefner.
Best thing(s) about the program: The combination of education and culture is unmatched. i completed away rotations/second looks and came to appreciate the quality of the faculty and residents tenfold. There are few programs that are able to balance the positive work environment and education as OU does. Blessed to be a part of this program!