Residents
 |
Rebecca DeCarlo, MD |
Rebecca DeCarlo, MD, PGY-7
Hometown: Gainesville, GA
Medical School: Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University
Undergraduate Education: University of North Georgia, BS Biology, Psychology
Academic Honors: Dean’s Clinical Honor Society, honored at the White House for her work developing protocols for COVID-19 contact tracing with the Georgia Department of Public Health
Q & A
What do you enjoy most about your training here? I’ve most enjoyed the operative experience by far. I’ve seen through multiple courses and fellowship how dramatically the pure volume of cases and diversity of surgical experiences puts us ahead of others. From the junior years we develop more confidence acting independently in the OR. There is of course great support and supervision, but you are allowed the room to grow and develop your surgical skills in a way that is not as common.
How would you describe the program culture? I think we have a great culture. The residents have a good relationship and we frequently meet for events or dinner outside of work. The program structure has been set up well to support us and are very receptive to feedback.
What are you most looking forward to in the remainder of your residency? I’m looking forward to really refining my skills during my chief year. I’ve met all my minimum to graduate as a PGY-5 so I really have the freedom to focus my last year on the cases that I want to be a part of my practice.
What do you enjoy doing outside of residency? My husband and I developed a love for scuba diving during my PGY6 fellowship in Australia. It’s now one of my favorite activities. I also enjoy hiking, kayaking and riding my e bike on some of Charlotte’s many beautiful greenways.
 |
Trent VanHorn, MD |
Trent VanHorn, MD, PGY-6
Hometown: Fort Wayne, IN
Medical School: Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Undergraduate Education: Wake Forest University, BS in Biology; Minor in Chemistry
Academic Honors: Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society, Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Academic Honor Roll, Tim Duncan Leadership Award
Q & A
What attracted you to our residency program? I immediately noticed the uniquely high clinical volume at Carolinas Medical Center, which incorporates the full spectrum of complexity and allows for unlimited learning opportunities as comprehensive, efficient neurosurgical management is delivered in all phases of patient care. The experience gained from training at one of the busiest Level 1 trauma centers is supplemented by intimate and longitudinal exposure to one of the most respected private practice neurosurgery groups in the country. I believe this rare combination offers a dynamic training experience unlike many others. The rapid growth and success of the program at CMC is energizing and is fueled by a group of faculty who are dedicated to resident development in all phases of life. Perhaps most importantly, I admired the residents for their leadership in helping to build a relatively new program and for taking pride in its representation by excelling in all aspects of their training.
What have you enjoyed most so far? The opportunity to learn and improve technical skills begins on day 1 of intern year. Our faculty each bring unique techniques and perspectives from excellent neurosurgical training backgrounds and are some of the most approachable and down to earth people I have ever worked with. My co-residents and the mid-level providers are gifted teachers and promote early autonomy in clinical decision making and performance of neurosurgical procedures. Monthly “chief dinners” have been a major highlight. These gatherings allow our group to enjoy time together away from the hospital in the setting of high-quality food and beverages, compliments of our chief!
What are your personal hobbies? I enjoy playing many sports including basketball, golf, tennis, spikeball, pickleball and beach volleyball; all of which can be played year-round in Charlotte. Charlotte offers all the advantages of a big city in terms of restaurants and attractions and is just a short drive from both the mountains and the beach. I am excited to see the continued growth of the city in the years ahead and look forward to exploring all it has to offer.
 |
Daniel Zeitouni, MD |
Daniel Zeitouni, MD, PGY-5
Hometown: Charlotte, NC
Medical School: University of North Carolina School of Medicine
Undergraduate Education:University of North Carolina, BS in Public Health with Highest Honors; Minors in Chemistry and Religious Studies
Academic Honors: Kevin R. Stone Travel Fellow for neurosurgery sub-internship at the Mayo Clinic, President of UNC Chapter of AANS, Carolina Summer Research Fellow
Q & A
What attracted you to our residency program? I am fortunate to be entering this program at the perfect time. As a medical student, I did a sub-internship at Carolinas Medical Center, and the operative experience was the best I had seen. The complexity of cranial and spine cases that junior-mid level residents are actively participating in, and senior residents were leading was incredibly impressive. On top of a very hands-on experience, the level of clinical research that residents have the opportunity to pursue and the support they have to do so is a quickly growing part of the program. The addition of the Charlotte campus of the Wake Forest School of Medicine will only result in more academic opportunities and makes it a very exciting time to join the program.
What have you enjoyed most so far? The neurosurgical faculty and residents have already invested countless hours preparing me for managing the Neuro ICU and participating in operating room. I was immediately treated as a colleague who my seniors were excited to teach so that I can quickly become a productive part of the team. Outside the hospital, I have enjoyed eating at the countless restaurants Charlotte has to offer and attending sporting events here.
What are your personal hobbies? I enjoy playing sports like soccer, basketball, disc golf and spikeball. I love to watch and attend college basketball games (Go Heels!), Panthers NFL football games and Charlotte Football Club MLS soccer matches. My wife and I also love walking and hiking with our dogs.
Erin Miller, MD, PGY-4
 |
Erin Miller, MD |
Hometown: Nashville, TN
Medical School: University of Tennessee Health Science Center
Undergraduate Education: Middlebury College, B.A. in Neuroscience
Academic Honors: Gold Humanism Honor Society, Sam Houston Sanders Merit Scholarship, Bland W. Cannon Scholarship
Q & A
What attracted you to our residency program? The neurosurgery program at Carolinas Medical Center is a unique intersection of one of the largest private practice neurosurgery groups with a busy level 1 trauma center serving a wide catchment area. The recent merging of Wake Forest with CMC has further strengthened educational and research opportunities. Incredible case volume and academic support aside, there is a sense of enthusiasm amongst all team members. During my sub-internship, I recognized how this mentality fosters not only inspiration but team-based dedication to patient care. The independence offered to residents at Carolinas Medical Center sets high expectations, promotes ownership of patients, and encourages earned autonomy in the operating room. As such, residents are treated as colleagues and taught to be leaders.
What have you enjoyed most so far? I was immediately welcomed onto the team and have been involved in all aspects of neurosurgical care, from neuro ICU to trauma, skull base, spine, vascular, neuro oncology, and more. There are endless opportunities here. It is an honor and an inspiration to work alongside enthusiastic residents and learn from highly experienced attendings.
What are your personal hobbies? There are numerous opportunities for outdoor adventuring around Charlotte. I have enjoyed running along the Greenway and nearby trails as well as exploring the many hikes in the surrounding area. I also enjoy cooking, drawing, scuba diving, and reading.
Austin Allen, MD, PGY-3
 |
Austin Allen, MD |
Hometown: Asheboro, NC
Medical School: UNC School of Medicine
Undergraduate Education: East Carolina University Honors College, BS in Biochemistry
Academic Honors: Robert H. Wright Alumni Award, American Athletic Conference Commissioner’s Postgraduate Leadership Award, ECU Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Q & A
What attracted you to our residency program? I completed an away rotation at CMC as a medical student and absolutely loved the experience. From the outset, I was included as a member of the team and challenged to grow both my knowledge and skillset. The entire faculty and resident group were skilled surgeons who were also incredibly kind mentors that invested deeply in my education. The CMC/CNSA program provides a unique training opportunity with the high patient volume, diverse pathologies treated, and early operative experience. I felt coming to CMC for residency would provide unparalleled training in an engaging and enjoyable work environment that prepares me to deliver quality patient care.
What have you enjoyed most so far? I have enjoyed being in Charlotte and becoming an active member of the CMC/CNSA team. The high expectations for residents promote early autonomy, which makes engaging in neurosurgical patient care both highly enjoyable and rewarding.
What are your personal hobbies? Fishing (especially saltwater), College Sports, Tennis, Spending time with my wife and family.
What are you looking forward to the most? I am excited to continue my professional development in a world-class training program and look forward to serving patients in my home state of North Carolina.
Peter Drossopoulos, MD, PGY-2
 |
Peter Drossopoulos, MD |
Hometown: Charlotte, NC
Medical School: UNC School of Medicine
Undergraduate Education: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, BS in Biology
Academic Honors: Recipient of Carolina Medical Student Research Program fellowship in cardiology, Top Histology Scholar, Top Poster Award at First and Second Annual Medical Student Research Symposium
Q & A
What attracted you to our residency program? During my sub-internships, I had the opportunity to experience several excellent neurosurgery programs, but what set Carolinas apart was the unmatched level of early operative autonomy. From the very beginning, residents are trusted with appropriate but meaningful responsibility in the operating room while still being supported by approachable, invested faculty and co-residents. The chance to learn in a high-volume environment with that degree of hands-on training made this program stand out immediately.
What have you enjoyed most so far? The early operative experience has been the most rewarding aspect of training so far. Being able to actively participate in cases from day one has accelerated my growth and confidence. Beyond the OR, the culture of teamwork and mentorship here makes it easy to learn and improve every day. Together, the mix of early responsibility, collaboration, and guidance has made this an incredibly fulfilling place to train so far.
What are your personal hobbies? Outside of medicine, I enjoy skiing, golfing, playing pickup soccer, grilling-out, sauna and cold plunging, and spending time with my wife.
What are you looking forward to the most? I am looking forward to continuing to build on the early foundation we are afforded at Carolinas—taking on more complex operative responsibility, furthering my clinical judgment, and contributing to the academic mission of the program. Most of all, I’m excited to keep learning alongside such a dedicated group of mentors and co-residents while preparing to serve patients as a capable neurosurgeon.
Daniel de Souza, MD, PGY-1
 |
Daniel de Souza, MD |
Hometown: Kalispell, MT
Medical School: New York University Grossman School of Medicine
Undergraduate Education: United States Naval Academy, BS in Mechanical Engineering
Academic Honors: Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society, multiple military medals for his service in United States Navy
Q & A
What attracted you to our residency program? The people and the training philosophy. When I rotated here, I noticed that the residents were humble, yet confident, capable, and clearly entrusted with real responsibility early on. You were expected to show up prepared, know what was going on, and earn more trust as you demonstrated you could handle it. That's the environment I wanted to be in. I've always believed you grow the most when you're kept just outside your comfort zone, and from everything I saw, CMC operates exactly that way. There was also a strong sense of collegiality between the faculty and the residents, and I really felt like I would fit in this group of people.
What are you looking forward to most about your residency at Carolinas Medical Center? The operative training. I want to develop the best clinical judgement and technical skill that I can to benefit the patients I serve, and then everything else will build off of that foundation. CMC offers a volume and breadth of cases that is genuinely rare, and the graduated autonomy means you're developing real technical skill early in your training. More repetitions early means more repetitions overall, and I believe that will make a difference. Beyond the OR, I'm excited to continue contributing through my research within a program that's growing rapidly in its academic mission. At the core of it, I'm here to become the best neurosurgeon I can be, and I believe this is the right place to do that.
What advice would you give to students interested in neurosurgery? Work hard, but more importantly, spend your time on things you actually care about. Neurosurgery is a long road with a lot of difficulty built into it. The training is demanding, the stakes are high, and you will be humbled. What sustains you through all of that isn't just willpower, but genuine passion for what you're doing. I also think the willingness to struggle for something meaningful is underrated. Don't choose this field because you think it's prestigious or impressive, choose it because you want to be here and you want to make a meaningful difference for your patients.
What are your personal hobbies? Outside of work, I prioritize spending time with my wife and daughter, keeping up with friends, and exercising most days with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and running. I can get into pretty much any sport, but particularly love college and professional football, March Madness, and the New York Knicks.
Griffin Laird, MD, PGY-1
 |
Griffin Laird, MD |
Hometown: Jackston, TN
Medical School: University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine
Undergraduate Education: Rhodes College, BS in Chemistry
Academic Honors: Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society, NIH Medical Student Research Fellowship Recipient for clinical pediatric neurosurgery research, Phi Beta Kappy Honor Society
Q & A
What attracted you to our residency program? The residency program at CMC/ CNSA has unmatched surgical training, combined with an excellent community of attendings, residents, and other providers. From day one as a sub-intern at CMC, I was entrusted with meaningful responsibility and autonomy in patient care, which allowed me to more fully develop as a future neurosurgeon. The growth I experienced during that month under the staff and residents made me realize that CMC was the best fit for me to continue my journey into neurosurgery.
What are you looking forward to most about your residency at Carolinas Medical Center? I am excited to continue providing high-quality patient care alongside staff and residents who are deeply committed to excellence and one another.
What advice would you give to students interested in neurosurgery? Always have a plan and be intentional about your approach. Utilize advice from mentors and never be afraid to ask questions. None of us reached this point alone.
What are your personal hobbies? I love running, golfing, cooking, spending time with friends and family, and cheering on the LSU Tigers in football and baseball.