Faculty

Ritesh Patel, MD, is an Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University. Dr. Patel graduated from Gujarat University, India and completed his internal medicine residency training at Cooper University Hospital. He is a board-certified general internist within the Division of Hospital Medicine and a member of the Society of Hospital Medicine and the American College of Physicians. Dr. Patel is involved in medical education at both the student and resident level and has special interest in preventive medicine, medical education, clinical skills and clinical research. He has been involved in multiple quality improvement and education committees.

Dr. Patel serves as co-director of the Foundation of Medical Practice curriculum at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University. He also currently serves as a member of American Board of Internal Medicine test writing committee. Dr Patel has won multiple teaching excellence awards in his young career. As an Assistant Program Director at Cooper, Dr. Patel oversees resident simulation laboratory exercises, evidence-based physical diagnosis and weekly updates on high-yield articles from journals.

Samana Shaikh, MD, is an Instructor of Clinical Medicine at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University (CMSRU) and serves as Associate Program Director of the Cooper Cape Internal Medicine Residency Program. She graduated from Drexel University’s seven-year BS/MD program in 2017 and completed her internship at Drexel University College of Medicine/Hahnemann University Hospital before completing her internal medicine residency at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. 

In 2020, Dr. Shaikh returned home to South Jersey, where she has since served the Cape May County community as a board-certified hospitalist. She is passionate about medical education, quality improvement, and advancing patient care. In addition to her role as Associate Program Director, she serves as Site Director for Cooper Cape and contributes to hospital-wide initiatives through her involvement in committees including the Multidisciplinary Peer Review Committee (MPRC) and Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committee. 

Dr. Shaikh is particularly passionate about supporting the growth and development of the next generation of physicians by helping residents build the clinical skills, confidence, and professional foundation needed for successful careers in medicine. Outside of the hospital, she is an avid traveler, foodie, and puzzle enthusiast.