Resident Profiles

Board certified former Texas Tech Health El Paso internal medicine resident

Why did I choose to come to Texas Tech Health El Paso for residency: I have been living here for about six years now and one thing I can vouch for are the wonderful welcoming people in this city and Texas Tech Health El Paso. The program is geared towards teaching at the same time is very laid back. Another advantage is diverse pathology we see in UMC of El Paso – I truly believe that the best teacher in order to become a good doctor is to learn from your patient pathologies.
Favorite things about El Paso: Sunny days in El Paso!
Hobbies /interest: Cooking, meditating.
Plans after residency: Neurology hospitalist.
Something unique or interesting about myself: I am board certified Internal Medicine physician from Texas Tech Health El Paso IM program.

Why I chose to come to Texas Tech Health El Paso for residency: I chose El Paso because I was genuinely impressed by my interviewers and the program director. El Paso is also my original home and it’s an absolute dream come true to be able to come back and serve my community.
Favorite things about El Paso: The close-knit community, fantastic Mexican food on both sides of the border, safe city, plenty of outdoor activities, close to a couple lakes and the Lincoln national forest.
Hobbies/interests: Hiking, Mountain biking, Camping, Off-roading, boating.
Plans after residency: Open a local clinic serving the Borderland community.
Something unique or interesting about yourself: I hiked Angels landing in Zion Utah at night.

Why I chose to come to Texas Tech Health El Paso for residency: I attended medical school at the Foster School of Medicine, and I was impressed by the unique patient diversity and the professionalism and educational expertise of the neurology department.
Favorite things about El Paso: The people in this city are so welcoming and kind, lack of humidity, and many great travel destinations are close by!
Hobbies/interests: Creative writing, playing piano
Plans after residency: Undecided.
Something unique or interesting about yourself: Played soccer for 15 years and used to officiate games.

Why I chose to come to Texas Tech Health El Paso for residency: The Southwest and U.S.-Mexico border region became my new home since attending medical school in nearby Las Cruces, New Mexico. It is a privilege to continue my residency training as a physician serving familiar communities at the border and helping meet the healthcare needs of the Paso del Norte region.
Favorite things about El Paso: To me, El Paso is a hidden gem with its diverse mix of U.S. and Mexican culture, food, art, and history. Whenever I travel to other parts of the U.S., I share my love for this is bicultural city with its year-round sunshine and scenic desert landscapes and mountains.
Hobbies/interests: I enjoy outdoors and physical activities that keep both my mind and body active and healthy, particularly going on hikes and training for mud runs and obstacle races (i.e., the Spartan Race). I also enjoy learning new languages, including being fully bilingual with Spanish as my first language and having basic competency in French, Haitian Kreyol, Portuguese, and Malawian Chichewa.
Plans after residency: After my Neurology residency, I plan on completing a fellowship in either neurorehabilitation or neuroimmunology sub-specialties and continue practicing medicine in service of border populations of the Paso del Norte region.
Something unique or interesting about yourself: I have lived in San Salvador, New York City, Houston, Southern New Mexico (Las Cruces, Lovington and Roswell), and now, El Paso. I had temporary professional opportunities for public health, social medicine and clinical work in Malawi and Haiti.

Why I chose to come to Texas Tech Health El Paso for residency: I chose Texas Tech Health El Paso for my neurology residency because of its strong academic foundation, diverse patient population, and the opportunity to serve a medically underserved community. The program offers excellent clinical exposure, supportive faculty, and a collaborative learning environment that fosters both personal and professional growth. 

Favorite things about El Paso: El Paso has an incredibly welcoming and vibrant culture. I love the warm, sunny weather almost year-round, the stunning desert landscapes, and the close-knit community feel. 

Hobbies/Interests: Outside of medicine, I’m passionate about dance and music. I also love to travel and make it a point to explore new cultures, cuisines, and languages whenever I get the chance. 

Plans after residency: After residency, I plan to pursue a fellowship in epilepsy. 

Something Unique or interesting about myself: I am a classically trained violinist with over ten years of experience

Why I chose to come to Texas Tech Health El Paso for residency: I didn't choose to come to El Paso, and it's a long way from home, but so far it's the best thing that's ever happened to me!

Favorite things about El Paso: The culture is so inviting here. Everywhere I go, people are super nice, which is so hard to find in a large city. It's sunny and hot. It has everything a large city has to offer but feels like a small tight knit community.

Hobbies/Interests: I enjoy playing basketball, hanging out with friends and family, exploring new things, and playing video games.

Plans after residency: I was planning on going back to my hometown in Syracuse, New York, but so far this place is tempting me to stay!

Something unique or interesting about myself: I enjoy making steaks. I also like to make light of most situations. I try to always give people a reason to smile!

Why I chose to come to Texas Tech Health El Paso for residency: During my interview, I was greatly impressed by the neurology residency program. The program offers many educational and clinical experiences in regards to epilepsy and stroke. 

Favorite things about El Paso: I like the sunny weather in El Paso. It stimulates me. 

Hobbies/Interests: On a personal level, I’m interested in programming, painting, horology and exercise. 

Plans after residency: After residency, I’m planning to pursue further training in either stroke or movement disorders. 

Something unique or interesting about myself: Previously I established and managed a neuroanatomy lab and have extensive work on the subjects of diffusion tensor imaging and interventional procedures.

Why I chose TTUHSC: During my interview, I felt welcomed by the faculty and residents. The atmosphere was supportive and collaborative, which made me feel confident this would be a place to grow professionally and personally. I am also impressed with dedication to resident education 

Favorite things about El Paso: Great drives into work, late sunsets. 

Hobbies/Interest: I enjoy playing basketball and relaxing with friends over video games

Plans after residency: No plans for fellowship yet. I plan to work as a neuro hospitalist.

Why I chose to come to Texas Tech Health El Paso for residency: I chose to come to El Paso for its familiarity and for my wife, who is also a psychiatry resident here. El Paso’s border-town nature provides a sentiment of “home away from home” as my hometown is also a border town. The people of this city have always been so hospitable and friendly no matter what side of town I have visited. Plus, the border town culture was a huge part of my upbringing and it is a privilege to serve the people of this community alongside my wife.

Favorite things about El Paso: Even though we are the furthest West in Texas one could be, the cultural diversity of food options is more than what is expected from a border town. Korean, Filipino, Japanese, Mediterranean, and more are represented in the different corners of town. Despite being here for several years now, there is always something new to enjoy.

Hobbies/Interests: I enjoy taking my dog on walks, exploring new restaurants to eat at with my wife, and am trying to become more consistent with the gym. If whenever I have time, I like hopping onto comfort video games on my PC. When I really am feeling myself, I love tackling escape rooms with my wife.

Plans after residency: Although not currently decided, I have an interest in pursuing a career clinical neurophysiology and epilepsy. Though recently I have been interested in neurocritical care. Time and residency will tell which I ultimately pursue.

Something unique or interesting about myself: My family and cousins have a tradition of using some form of “Chris” followed by a middle name. Chris Ronald is myself, Christian Ronel is my brother, Chis Paolo is a cousin, and Christine Joyce.

Why I chose to come to Texas Tech Health El Paso for residency: I chose El Paso for residency in part due to the opportunity to train at a comprehensive stroke center with a large catchment area as the only academic neurology program in region. 

Favorite thing about El Paso: Daily views of the mountains, close proximity to several great national parks and skiing/snowboarding, excellent cost of living, and the lack of humidity. 

Hobbies/Interests: Cooking, board games, camping/hiking, playing and watching hockey, reading. 

Plans after residency: I plan to pursue fellowship and continue working in academic medicine. 

Something unique or interesting about myself: I taught myself to play ice hockey goalie with no prior hockey experience while studying for my first set of licensing exams.

Why I chose TTUHSC El Paso neurology residency: During my interview, this was the program that I connected with the most. The patient population looked a lot more like my home country. The attendings have excellent academic credentials; this was the program with the most structured program that helps any resident thrive. The track record of graduated residents that have continued their fellowship in prestigious institutions inspired me to come here and train.

Favorite thing about El Paso: Its calmness; its friendly people

Hobbies and Interest: I love watching soccer. I enjoy hiking whenever I get the opportunity.

Plan after Residency: Vascular neurology ± IR

Something Unique about me: I was born and raised in Ethiopia. I am a trained neurosurgeon who worked for 8 years.

Why did I choose Texas Tech?: I chose Texas Tech because it’s a border town, which feels similar to my hometown in the Rio Grande Valley. I’m excited about the chance to train in a program that values cultural competency and serving diverse patients.

Favorite things about El Paso: I’ve really grown to appreciate the mountain scenery, and I love how fresh the air feels after it rains.

Hobbies/Interests: I enjoy activities like Pilates and yoga to help me stay grounded and centered outside of work.

Plans after residency: After residency, I hope to return to my hometown to work as a general neurologist, though I’m keeping an open mind about subspecialties.

Something unique or interesting: My friends tell me I’m very expressive and use lots of hand gestures when I talk.

Why I chose to come to Texas Tech Health El Paso for residency:

I was drawn to Texas Tech Health El Paso because it offers the opportunity to care for a diverse and underserved patient population while receiving strong clinical training and gaining experience with complex pathology in a busy academic environment. I also really value the welcoming, close-knit community and the opportunity to grow both personally and professionally in a place that feels connected to its patients.

Favorite things about El Paso:

One of my favorite things about El Paso is definitely the sunsets, they never seem to get old! I also love the beautiful mountain scenery and the welcoming community and culture. 

Hobbies/Interests:

Outside of the hospital, I love staying active and making the most of my time outdoors. I enjoy hiking, working out, and especially horseback riding, which is a great way to unwind and spend time outside. I also love baking and experimenting with new recipes whenever I get the chance. Between the trails, the saddle, the gym, and the kitchen, I’m always finding something fun to keep me busy!

Plans after residency:

I’m still exploring the different subspecialty options and trying to keep an open mind throughout residency. Vascular neurology is currently one of the areas I’m considering, but I’m excited to see where my experiences during training take me and remain open to different possibilities.

Something unique or interesting about myself:

I went skydiving! It was definitely an adrenaline-filled experience and probably one of the most adventurous things I’ve ever done. It was equal parts exciting and terrifying, but I’m very glad I did it!

Why I chose to come to Texas Tech Health El Paso for residency: I chose to come to El Paso for residency because of the combination of strong clinical training and the opportunity to serve a diverse patient population. I was particularly drawn to the Comprehensive Stroke Center and the exposure to a wide range of neurologic pathology. At the same time, I really valued the opportunity to train in a community where I could connect with my patients on a more personal level. Being able to speak Spanish with many of my patients allows me to build trust and communicate in a way that I feel can make a meaningful difference in their care.

Favorite thing about El Paso: The pancakes at “Breakfast by Hot Dog Kings.”

Hobbies/Interests: I enjoy trying different restaurants, traveling with my friends and spending time with my dog.

Plans after residency: I am interested in pursuing fellowship in either neuro-oncology or vascular neurology. 

Something unique or interesting about myself: I have a bilingual wiener dog. 

Why I chose Texas Tech Health El Paso: I'm from El Paso, and there's something special about training in and learning to serve the community that raised me. Texas Tech Health El Paso's mission of meeting the healthcare needs of this culturally diverse population is aligned with my desire to address the needs of underserved populations.

Favorite things about El Paso: I've lived in several places throughout my life, but El Paso has consistently stood out for its warm and welcoming community. I also genuinely love the sunsets here and how easy it is to take a quick road trip and explore the surrounding areas.

Hobbies/interests: I love trying new things and getting out of my comfort zone, whether that is traveling to new places or exploring new restaurants/events/cuisines. I enjoy spending time outdoors in the mountains or on the water. Hiking, baking, listening to music, and hanging out with people I care about is how I usually spend my free time.

Plans after residency: I haven't decided on a fellowship yet, but I find movement disorders like Parkinson's disease fascinating. 

Interesting fact about me: My first time traveling to Europe was actually to move there for work! I lived in Switzerland for two and a half years, during which I spent my time soaking up Swiss culture and learning to ski for the first time in the Alps.

Why I chose Texas Tech Health El Paso: Everyone was so kind in my interviews. The curiosity everyone had getting to know me was authentic. I believe fate brought me here for a reason, and I'm eager to see what else is in store for me!

Favorite things about El Paso: The best Mexican food north of the border is right here, no contest! I enjoy the opportunities every day to talk to people in Spanish like I used to back in Guadalajara.

Hobbies/Interest: I like playing video games, swimming and studying 日本語 . So far I have covered half of the material on JLPT N5. I want to read Korean Hangul as well.

Plans after residency: I am interested in outpatient neuromuscular neurology. Dr. Andrew Wong, a neuromuscular neurologist from San Antonio, has been an inspiring mentor for me since I worked with him at the start of my fourth year.

Something unique or interesting about myself: I have traveled a lot, so I became a licensed scuba diver to go diving on future trips!