Alfredo "Freddy" Botet, MD
Hi! My name is Freddy and welcome to our program. I was raised in Peachtree city, Ga and attended the University of Georgia. Go Dawgs! I didn’t fully appreciate psychiatry until I got to see it in practice at the Medical College of Georgia. When performed properly, it is a marvel to behold the amount of suffering that can be alleviated with appropriate diagnosis and treatment. At this time, I am primarily interested in inpatient psychiatry as well as neurostimulation. Outside of work, I enjoy going to the gym, spending time with good company, and listening to good music or the Hardcore history podcast.
Ketki Desai, MD
Hey everyone! My name is Ketki and welcome to our program. I believe that Psychiatry truly embodies the art of medicine as the tools and techniques we use as a specialty impact our patients so uniquely. That’s why it was so important for me to choose a program that will provide such a robust experience for my future. I was raised in Marietta, Ga and attended the University of Georgia so of course Go Dawgs! Armed with a passion for mental health, I pursued a career in healthcare at Morehouse School of Medicine. I am also planning to continue my training in child and adolescent psychiatry. Outside of work, I dote on my two affectionate cats. I also love to use my brain on strategy board games, video games, watch anime, and learn about different cultures while traveling.
Timothy Lee, MD
Dr. Timothy Lee was born and raised in the Southeast (having lived alternately in Kentucky, Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, and Georgia) by working-class parents who moved following educational and job opportunities and who homeschooled him through high school as an alternative to attending rural schools with high failure rates. He received his undergraduate education at Eckerd College, a private liberal arts institution nestled on the Gulf Coast in sunny St. Petersburg, Florida, where he majored in Molecular Biology and received extensive training in Chemistry, Physics, Math, Music, Anthropology, and French. He attended medical school at Mayo Clinic's prestigious Alix School of Medicine in Rochester, Minnesota and was part of the first cohort to spend his clinical years training at Mayo's hospital in Jacksonville, Florida. It was during his time at Mayo that he fell in love with psychiatry and the way his mentors used a holistic biopsychosociospiritual approach to address mental and emotional challenges. He has performed significant research and development work in circadian rhythm therapies to treat depression and hopes to continue his work as an MCG resident towards developing targeted strategies to prevent depression in high-risk populations.
Michael McKeighen, MD
Hello! I am originally from Indiana and went to undergrad at Indiana State University where I studied mathematics. I spent six years teaching high school math before earning an accounting degree and working as a CPA. Eventually, I found my way into medicine and studied at University of South Carolina School of Medicine in Columbia. I have yet to figure out what I want to do when I grow up so I’m still very open to opportunities to serve that Psychiatry provides! In my spare time, I love running, hiking, traveling and trying new restaurants with my wife.
Sonam Motani, MD
Hello, I am Sonam! I strongly believe that mental wellness is the most important aspect of one's personality. This led me to pursue my career in Psychiatry and I completed my MD psychiatry in India. My interest in treating and caring for the serious mental health disorder population brought me to MCG Dept. of Psychiatry at Augusta University for the fellowship program. This clinical and research experience gave me the opportunity to learn about MCG psychiatry residency program that offers an effective learning experience by skilled educators, supportive environment and maintains a work-life balance. I am excited to be part of the MCG team and looking forward to shaping up my career in academic medicine.
I am a new mom and currently enjoying every moment with my daughter. I am a trained Indian Classical Kathak dancer, enjoy cooking fusion food and travelling to new places. We love our neighborhood and feel it’s a right place to learn, serve the community and raise a family.
Gabriel Nieves, MD
My name is Gabriel Nieves (Nieves with three syllables if anyone asks) Born and Raised in Puerto Rico I’ve seen how natural disasters and things outside of our control can affect the mental health of everyone in a community. I’ve been interested in psychiatric much more before that, pretty much since I can remember actually even if I didn’t know the word for it and I’m happy to be able to do it for a living. Besides psych I really love sports especially basketball and soccer and love making disastrous cooking experiments.
Sonali Ponkshe, MD
Hello! Thank you for considering our program. I'm Sonali. I grew up in Atlanta, Georgia where I attended Emory University for my undergraduate education. I majored in neuroscience and behavioral biology which sparked my interest in the field of psychiatry. I completed my medical school training at the Medical College of Georgia. I really enjoyed the psych program, the wonderful faculty and staff, and the quality of education we received here, all which led me to stay for residency. After my training, I hope to work in either adult outpatient psychiatry or geriatrics. In my free time, I enjoy baking, watching anime, and going for walks on our local trails.
Nathan Sklar, MD
Hello! I am a San Francisco native who has lived all over the country before finally finding my place here in Augusta. I did my undergraduate education at Cornell University in New York and then medical school at Western Michigan University. I fell in love with psychiatry in fourth year due to its focus on the patient and their story. In my free time, I enjoy board game nights, trying new restaurants, spending time with my cat named Cow, and playing video games.
