The group prides itself on its availability, its sensitivity to resident needs, and its commitment to continuous one-on-one teaching and mentoring.

Jennifer R. Olges, M.D., MPH, FACP, is an Associate Professor in the University of Louisville Department of Medicine and serves as Director for the Internal Medicine Residency Program.

Dr. Olges was born and raised in Louisville. She received her bachelor's degree in biology at the University of Kentucky in 1998. After several years of laboratory research and obtaining her master of public health degree, she pursued medical school at the University of Kentucky, where she graduated AOA in 2009. She began her residency in a combined internal medicine and pediatrics program at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN and completed her training at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, IL.

During her fourth year of residency she was named the program's Med/Peds Chief Resident and went on to serve as Pediatric Chief Resident the following year. She remained at Loyola University as an Assistant Professor in Hospital Medicine before moving back to Louisville in 2016.

Clinically, she serves as an inpatient teaching attending at UofL Health - UofL Hospital.

"I am proud to return to Louisville and practice medicine in my hometown. I chose to stay in academic medicine because I believe that a team-based approach provides the best patient care, and I value the emphasis on lifelong learning. It is such an honor and privilege to work directly with the residents and help develop their medical knowledge, critical thinking and professional character."

Kaitlin S. Gordon, M.D., FACP, is an Associate Professor in the University of Louisville Department of Medicine and serves as an Associate Program Director for the Internal Medicine Residency Program.

Dr. Gordon was born and raised in Louisville, Ky. She spent four years in Athens, GA, where she played lacrosse for the University of Georgia Bulldogs and graduated with a bachelor of science in Cellular Biology with a minor in African Language and Literature.

She graduated from the University of Louisville School of Medicine in 2016 and completed her residency in internal medicine in 2019. She remained at UofL and served as Chief Medical Resident for one year before joining the program leadership team. Clinically, she serves as an inpatient teaching attending physician at UofL Health - UofL Hospital.

"I am honored to remain on faculty here at UofL. The strong female leadership continues to support me in my efforts to become a respected academic physician. The clinical exposure is outstanding due to the unique nature of Louisville being a big city in a predominantly rural state. My passion lies in caring for vulnerable populations in my home city of Louisville while teaching and mentoring resident physicians."

Justin R. Kingery, M.D., Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the University of Louisville Department of Medicine and serves as an Associate Program Director for the Internal Medicine Residency Program

He received his MD/PhD degree from the University of Louisville School of Medicine, where his research focused on cardiac physiology and immunology with specific interest in the immune mechanisms of the chronically failing heart. During his Internal Medicine residency at UofL, Dr. Kingery developed further interest in global cardiovascular diseases, and upon graduation, became the first Global Health Fellow at the Weill Cornell Medicine Center for Global Health.

While at Cornell, Dr. Kingery expanded his research to include investigation of cardiovascular health and epidemiology at the population level. His research included one of the first population-based estimates of heart failure prevalence in a low-income country in Haiti and investigation of the immunology of cardiovascular diseases in relation to infectious diseases (HIV and schistosomiasis) in Tanzania, where he lived for many years. For his work, he was awarded a K23 grant from the National Heart Lung Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health and was a finalist for the Weill Cornell Young Investigators Award. He has also co-authored numerous manuscripts which have been cited over 1,300 times.

In addition to research, Dr. Kingery has maintained educational and clinical excellence. During residency, he received the Excellence in Teaching award and was elected to the Gold Humanism Society for teaching excellence. He has also served as a clinician educator in multiple countries as well as serving as the Director of the Weill Cornell Advanced Hospital Medicine Elective.

"The University of Louisville has always felt like home to me. The amazing opportunities within the program combined with world-class research, clinical teaching and program leadership are unmatched. While I’m forever indebted for the opportunities I've had globally, I always knew that working with the incredible UofL residents, co-attendings and leadership was my dream, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to get to work with such amazing people daily."

Nishant Patel, D.O., is an Assistant Professor in the University of Louisville Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and serves as an Associate Program Director for the Internal Medicine Residency Program.

Dr. Patel was raised in Lexington, KY. He received his Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Louisville in 2015. He graduated from medical school in 2019 at Lincoln Memorial University - Debusk College of Osteopathic Medicine in Harrogate, TN and then returned to Louisville where he completed his Internal Medicine Residency at UofL in 2022.

Following residency, Dr. Patel completed a clinical fellowship in Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, TN in 2024. While there, his research focused on evaluating adverse effects of antibiotics prescribed in outpatient clinics and assessing prescribing appropriateness. Clinically, he now serves as an ID teaching attending physician at UofL Health - UofL Hospital. His special interests include general inpatient and critical care ID, antimicrobial stewardship, and medical education.

"I am delighted to return to UofL to not only care for patients with a variety of serious infections, but also serve as APD of the internal medicine residency program which helped shape me into the physician I am today. I am passionate about medical education and look forward to enhancing the educational experience of our residents. Additionally, I am excited to work with and mentor our amazing residents while helping them achieve their career goals."

Emily S. Hartman, M.D., is the Chief Resident for Education

Originally from Setauket, NY, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies from Gettysburg College in 2016.

Prior to attending medical school, she worked for two years in a Hematology and Oncology laboratory back on Long Island, where she studied mouse models for bone marrow suppression. She then went on to earn her medical degree from the University of Louisville School of Medicine. Upon graduating medical school, she continued her training at the University of Louisville Internal Medicine program, graduating in June of 2025.

After her chief resident year, Dr. Hartman plans to pursue fellowship training in Pulmonary and Critical Care. She is particularly interested in Cystic Fibrosis and lung transplantation. She is excited to continue her medical education training through fellowship with the goal of remaining in academic medicine in the future.

"It has been a privilege to learn and train at the University of Louisville from medical school through residency. This program is full of encouraging and supportive individuals and I am thrilled to give back to this community in my role as chief resident of education."

Nicholas T. Pavlatos, M.D., is the Chief Medical Resident for Ambulatory Education.

Dr. Pavlatos is originally from Springfield, OH, and completed a six-year, B.S./M.D. program through Northeast Ohio Medical University. In 2025, he completed his Internal Medicine Residency at the University of Louisville.

Following his chief resident year, Dr. Pavlatos plans to pursue fellowship training in Cardiovascular Medicine. He has a particular interest in lipidology and preventive cardiology.

During his time at UofL, he has been an active contributor to cardiovascular research, with ongoing projects focused on atherosclerosis, lipid disorders, and innovative prevention strategies.

"My training at UofL has immersed me in a dynamic, collaborative community and helped me grow as a clinician. I'm genuinely excited for the opportunity to mentor outstanding residents and students in my role as Chief Resident!"

Zyad O. Smiley, D.O., is the Chief Medical Resident for Scheduling.

Dr. Smiley grew up in Toledo, OH, and completed an undergraduate degree in chemistry in 2015 at Ohio University in Athens, OH. He then spent two years working as a researcher at the University of Michigan and earning extra cash at his uncle's butcher shop before completing a Master's degree in Biomedical Science in 2018 at the University of Toledo. He returned to Ohio University to earn his medical degree in 2022, ultimately completing his internal medicine residency in 2025.

After completing his chief resident year, Dr. Smiley plans to pursue fellowship training in pulmonary/critical care medicine, with particular interests in sepsis, pulmonary hypertension and interventional pulmonology. His scholarly work includes publications of clinical research and case reports, as well as poster presentations at local, national, and international specialty conferences.

As a resident, Dr. Smiley never turned down an opportunity to perform procedures or practice his bedside ultrasound skills. He is passionate about medical education and looks forward to fulfilling a leadership role as chief medical resident. When he is not at work, you can find him playing the drums with his band, writing movie reviews, or trying out new recipes in the kitchen.

"The education and training I received at UofL was exactly what I was looking for when I applied to residency. I was able to gain confidence and develop autonomy as a clinician without ever feeling unsupported or overwhelmed. Not only that, but I have made so many lifelong friends and connections. The culture at this program is truly something special and I feel privileged for the opportunity to be a part of it as a chief resident."