Department celebrates four graduating residents

The Department of Psychiatry residents gathered on May 17 at Champions Run to celebrate the graduation of Andi Ngo, MD, Matthew Kelly, MD, Nina Luo, DO, and Emily Royer, MD – all front row center.

On May 17, 2024, the Department of Psychiatry gathered to celebrate the graduation of four residents. 

The ceremony took place at Champions Run Golf Course in Omaha. Faculty, staff, friends, and family cheered as Matthew Kelly, MD; Andi Ngo, MD; and Emily Royer, MD, who graduated from the psychiatry residency program. Nina Luo, DO, was also honored as she prepares to spend her fourth and fifth year of training as a Child and Adolescent psychiatry fellow at Wayne State University in Detroit.

“The residents have excelled in patient care and teamwork,” said Howard Liu, MD, MBA, Chair of the Department of Psychiatry. “I want to thank our incredible program directors, faculty, staff and community partners for their mentorship.”

Dr. Ngo will move to Portland, Oregon, and train as a sleep medicine fellow at Oregon Health and Science University. Dr. Royer has accepted an adult psychiatrist position at Columbus (Nebraska) Community Hospital. Dr. Kelly will remain at UNMC as a faculty member and adult psychiatrist. 

Dr. Kelly said he’s happy to remain at UNMC. He said Lauren Edwards, MD; Alëna Balasanova, MD; and Thomas Magnuson, MD, were strong mentors. 

“Each of them has a different teaching and practice style, but the one thing they share in common is a willingness to dedicate time and effort to my development as a psychiatrist,” Dr. Kelly said. “I’m extremely grateful for their mentorship and role modeling patient-centered, psychologically minded care.”

Dr. Luo said Ryan Edwards, MD, the director of the Child and Adolescent Division, helped her choose child and adolescent psychiatry. 

“Dr. Ryan Edwards helped me explore my interest in child psych and supported me through the fellowship application process,” she said. “What I will remember about my residency were the nice people and the great work-life balance.” 

Third-year resident Bryndis Grissom, DO, MPH, said Dr. Ngo was a great mentor to the younger residents. 

“Dr. Ngo would always go the extra mile to teach us,” Dr. Grissom said. “He would do a lot of research to further his knowledge and be able to better help his patients. He would then share those experiences with us. He would always be willing to share resources and provide guidance to help us navigate our cases.” 

Daniel Gih, MD, Director of Education for the Department of Psychiatry, has known Dr. Royer since her second year of medical school at UNMC. 

“It’s been wonderful to work with Dr. Royer these last couple of years,” Dr. Gih said. “I wish her luck at Columbus Community Hospital. We plan to continue sending our residents to Columbus, and, hopefully, Dr. Royer will be one of those teaching the next generation of psychiatrists.” 

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