Class of 2021

 

Hometown: Houston, Texas.

Favorite things to do outside the hospital:

Movies, shopping, and spending time with my family.

What led you to choose family medicine as a specialty?

The diversity, and every day is different.

Why did you choose El Paso to train for residency?

The weather, the friendliness of people and cost of living.

Professional/clinical interests:

Preventative Medicine, Geriatrics, and Palliative care.

Favorite quote/movie/TV show/book:

“If it doesn’t help you grow or glow, let it go” –Malcom MJ Harris.

Random fact about yourself:

I was a teacher before I became a physician.

Plans after residency:

Practice in Texas and travel the world.

 

Hometown: Toronto, Canada.

Favorite things to do outside the hospital:

Exploring El Paso, cooking new recipes, and singing Karaoke with friends.

What led you to choose family medicine as a specialty?

Family medicine allows me to educate and empower my patients to make medically sound decisions that will help them achieve healthy lifestyles and mitigate ailments. I love building relationships with my patients and getting to know them better.

Why did you choose El Paso to train for residency?

El Paso is full of nice people! Patients are respectful and grateful for your service. Makes going to work so much easier and a rewarding experience.

Professional/clinical interests:

Women’s health and palliative care.

Favorite quote/movie/TV show/book:

“Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations.” - Unknown.

Random fact about yourself:

I was raised in Saudi Arabia until I was 7 years old.

Plans after residency:

Fellowship in obstetrics.

 

Hometown: Vancouver, Canada.

Favorite things to do outside the hospital:

Anything active: work out, running, basketball, and martial arts.

Eating and making food, hanging out with my family and friends, keeping up with the latest in technology.

What led you to choose family medicine as a specialty?

Broad spectrum of practice, ability to narrow interests, care for the whole family; and continuity of care.

Why did you choose El Paso to train for residency?

Wide spectrum of disease processes due to proximity to the border, good program with a sports medicine fellowship, friendly and motivated residents, faculty and staff.

Professional/clinical interests:

Holistic care with interest in musculosketal system, rehab and recovery.

Favorite quote/movie/TV show/book:

“No pain, no gain”

Motivational videos.

Random fact about yourself:

I am quite tall for an Asian, 6’3”.

Plans after residency:

Fellowship but looking forward to a future with options.

 

Hometown: Rosenberg, Texas.

Favorite things to do outside the hospital:

Outside the hospital I can be found living in and exploring the desert life of West Texas with my husband. In the fall I definitely love watching college football (Hook ‘Em Horns!). Otherwise I enjoy finding new things to do around El Paso.

What led you to choose family medicine as a specialty?

I fell in love with primary care for its strong commitments to continuity of relationships with individuals and families, education, and preventive medicine. Throughout medical school, I really enjoyed the opportunities to hear patients’ stories, not only in terms of their health, but in all the aspects that compose their lives. 

Why did you choose El Paso to train for residency?

The mountains!!! No, but for real, I love the people here. Everyone is so nice, and the patients are really grateful. I also love that I can improve my Spanish proficiency here, and this program was one of the interviews where I felt especially welcome, and really felt like I belonged, so the choice was pretty easy.

Professional/clinical interests:

Primary care for the LGBTQ community, especially patient care for the HIV+ population and caring for the transgender population. 

- Health care for underserved communities.

- Gynecological and sports medicine procedures.

- Socioeconomic determinants of health and barriers to health care.

Favorite quote/movie/TV show/book:

Not that I have a ton of time for TV anymore, but I do love HBO shows like Insecure, Game of Thrones, West World, and Veep, as well as other subscription shows like Hulu’s Handmaid’s Tale, Netflix’s Grace and Frankie, and Black Mirror.

Random fact about yourself:

I don’t know how to swim.

Plans after residency:  

Academic medicine! Not sure where yet, but as long as I’m in a city with a substantial LGBTQ population and a large Spanish-speaking population, I’ll be happy.

 

Hometown: Fort Collins, Colorado.

Favorite things to do outside the hospital:

Spending time outside, hiking, swimming, trail running, gardening, painting, biking, yoga, traveling, skiing, hot springs, climbing mountains, exploring new places and doing new things, making and eating good food, spending time with family and friends, and playing with my dogs.

What led you to choose family medicine as a specialty?

I really enjoy the variety of patients, pathology, and the connection and continuity that is created with patients in practicing family medicine.

Why did you choose El Paso to train for residency?

I found the community and program to be very warm, welcoming, and friendly! I wanted to expand my Spanish speaking skills. And I thought that training at Level 1 Trauma academic teaching hospital on the border would provide an unparalleled experience, in terms of patient volume, unique pathology, and working with multiple other residency specialties.

Professional/clinical interests:

Health and wellness, preventative medicine, integrative and holistic medicine, functional medicine, interpersonal neurobiology, relationships, psychology, nutrition, rural medicine, wilderness medicine, trauma, Ayurveda medicine, and sports medicine.

Favorite quote/movie/TV show/book:

Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed.

“Most disease is lifestyle related and preventable” - Andrew Weil.

Random fact about yourself:

I’m a choco-cookie-holic.

Plans after residency:

Possibly a fellowship in integrative medicine and/or sports medicine.

 

Hometown: El Paso, Texas.

Favorite things to do outside the hospital:

Going to the gym, spending time with family and friends, exploring new places with my husband, reading, and watching movies.

What led you to choose family medicine as a specialty?

I wanted to care for patients of all ages from birth to end of life; treat several generations within a family; and treat a wide range of medical problems, with an emphasis on health maintenance and preventive medicine.

Why did you choose El Paso to train for residency?

I wanted to come back home to help and treat my community. Love the mountains, people, and weather.

Professional/clinical interests:

I am interested in preventive medicine, working with underserved communities, inpatient medical care, and chronic disease management.

Favorite quote/movie/TV show/book:

“Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life”.

Random fact about yourself:

I discovered my passion for medicine when I was an EMT in the past.

Plans after residency:

Stay in El Paso and practice in an underserved area.

 

Hometown: San Antonio, Texas.

Favorite things to do outside the hospital:

A big part of maintaining my sanity in medical school (and so far throughout residency) has been the gym. I love to lift and see the changes it has on my body and the fact that I can make small goals each session to push myself further. On the other side of the spectrum, I love to cook and have recently tried to start baking more. My philosophy is that butter makes everything better and you can never have too much bacon… just don’t tell my patients that.

What led you to choose family medicine as a specialty?

I was attracted to family medicine for the breadth of practice and versatility that it would afford me as a physician. I enjoy the fact that as FM physicians, we are qualified to see all types of patients, from pediatrics to geriatrics, and provide care for both acute and chronic conditions.

Why did you choose El Paso to train for residency?

As a born and raised Texas kid, staying in the state was a big part of my decision when ranking programs. When interviewing at TTUHSC in El Paso, one of the things that I noticed was how friendly the people are. My hospital tour lasted about an hour and a half because our senior resident tour guides stopped to hug EVERYONE they saw along the way. There was a genuine, welcoming vibe from everyone I encountered during the interview. The lack of humidity in this region is also a nice change of pace after living in Central Texas and going to medical school in the Caribbean. Lastly, El Paso provides an opportunity to train in a county hospital with support from a major academic program along the Mexican-United State border. This results in a wide array of pathology from which to learn in a unique setting that can’t be found in other locations.

Professional/clinical interests:

Sports medicine, emergency medicine, LGBTQ Health.

Favorite quote/movie/TV show/book:

Books: The Robert Langdon series by Dan Brown.

TV Show: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

Random fact about yourself:

Prior to medical school, I worked as a medical technologist/blood banker for 3 years.

Plans after residency:

Possibilities include a fellowship in sports medicine or emergency medicine.

Hometown: El Paso, Texas.

Favorite things to do outside the hospital:

Spending time with family and friends, going to the movies, and outdoor activities.

What led you to choose family medicine as a specialty?

The continuity of care for the patient.

Why did you choose El Paso to train for residency?

I want to serve the community where I grew up and the population here is diverse and caring.

Professional/clinical interests:

Preventative medicine.

Favorite quote/movie/TV show/book:

“The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today.” – H. Jackson Brown Jr. 

Random fact about yourself:

I ran track in high school.

Plans after residency:

Private practice.