Class of 2026

Hometown: Benbrook, Texas 

Favorite things to do outside the hospital: Cuddle my dog, watch movies in the theater, hiking 

What led you to choose Family Medicine as a specialty? I wanted a job where I can form long term relationships with my patients and really become part of a community of caring genuine people

Why did you choose El Paso to train for residency? El Paso is a beautiful city and has everything you could need but still feels like a small town. The mountains are gorgeous and I love knowing Mexico is right there. 

Professional/Clinical Interests: LGBTQA+-focused medicine, reproductive rights, mental health, preventative medicine 

Favorite quote/movie/TV show/book: On my book shelf there is a copy of “The Complete Tales & Poems of Winnie the Pooh” that I have had since I was 9. A lot of what I learned about being a kind caring human is thanks to Pooh Bear. 

Random fact about yourself: I am a competitive powerlifter! 

Plans after Residency: Only the future knows! 

Hometown: Dallas, Texas 

Favorite things to do outside the hospital: Play soccer, game night with friends. 

What led you to choose Family Medicine as a specialty? In addition to the prominent emphasis on patient interactions, I liked the fact that I could start off my career as a general practitioner and eventually tailor my career to any 30+ subspecialties down the line. Having that flexibility while having ample opportunity to establish relationships with patients was one of the driving forces that led to choosing Family Medicine.  

Why did you choose El Paso to train for residency? After attending medical school here at TTUHSC El Paso, the city has become home for me. The city, the people, and the school all made me feel like a genuine El Pasoan. And after I factored in all the other common features an applicant looked for in a residency program, I knew that the best place to choose for me would be one that would make me happy both on and off campus. El Paso and our Family Medicine program was that place. I’ve learned that the faculty and staff treat you like family and will undoubtedly love and support you like you’re one of their own. So, in addition to El Paso feeling like home, I chose this city to train also because it’s where I feel like I have family.  

Professional/Clinical Interests:  

• Public health 
• Serving underserved populations  
• Serving homeless communities  

• Academia and teaching 

Favorite quote/movie/TV show/book:   

• Quote: “Damn it! I can’t find my driving moccasins anywhere.”  
• Book: The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende 

Random fact about yourself:  

• I did not know how to speak Spanish until I turned 20. During undergrad, I studied abroad in Spain to learn Spanish and returned fluent.   

Plans after Residency:  

• Fellowship in street medicine and a career in teaching. 

Hometown: Brownsville, Texas 

Favorite things to do outside the hospital: I enjoy spending quality time with my family, especially my son. When spending quality time together, we enjoy the outdoors. I particularly enjoy going for runs while my son rides his bike. I also enjoy being a good role model by staying active at the gym and lifting weights. 

What led you to choose Family Medicine as a specialty? I have an array of experiences that have led me to desire serving my patients without restrictions. My interests include geriatric, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, and preventative medicine. These interests stem from my very closeness to my grandmother and learning the specific attention and love the geriatric population needs. The birth of my son led me to become in love with OB/GYN and pediatrics. Lastly, having the privilege of practicing preventive medicine, women’s health, and primary care provided me with the confidence to do more for my community. 

Why did you choose El Paso to train for residency? I was born and raised in the border-city town of Brownsville, Texas, which has a diverse and underserved population like El Paso. The first time I visited El Paso, I immediately fell in love with the beautiful mountains that give El Paso a picturesque and gorgeous scenery. As a bonus, I have a good friend of mine who currently resides at El Paso. 

Professional/Clinical Interests: Inpatient and outpatient work, geriatrics, hospice and palliative care, and sports medicine. 

Favorite quote/movie/TV show/book: Remember the days you prayed for the things you have now. Everything is hard, but you choose your hard.  

Random fact about yourself: I enjoy playing chess. 

Plans after Residency: Work inpatient and outpatient. I would like to one day open my own clinic and also provide hospice and palliative care.  

Hometown: Austin, TX 

Favorite things to do outside the hospital: Spending time with my wife and corgi, videogames, watching Texas Longhorns games.  

What led you to choose Family Medicine as a specialty? The wide breadth of training, the opportunity for forming longitudinal relationships with patients, and the flexibility of work after residency.  

Why did you choose El Paso to train for residency? I wanted to work with Hispanic patients and continue to practice my Spanish speaking. The mountains and delicious food also don’t hurt.  

Professional/Clinical Interests: Behavioral health, addiction medicine, PRP/prolotherapy. 

Favorite quote/movie/TV show/book: “Sometimes the best way to solve your own problems is to help someone else” – Uncle Iroh. 

Random fact about yourself: When I was little I knew how to speak some Euskara (Basque)!  

Plans after Residency: Undecided 

Hometown: Nicaragua 

Favorite things to do outside the hospital: Cooking! I love challenging myself with new recipes. I also love trying different breweries and cycling.  

What led you to choose Family Medicine as a specialty? Because I believe that Family Medicine provides a unique opportunity to manage a wide range medical conditions, while also developing close relationships with patients and their families. 

Why did you choose El Paso to train for residency? My goal is to become a well-prepared physician who provides quality care to all of my patients, regardless of their background or circumstances, and El Paso, being a border city, requires special attention to hispanic and underserved communities. 

Professional/Clinical Interests: Women’s health and Obstetrics  

Favorite quote/movie/TV show/book:  Friends, Documentaries and movies/TV shows based on true stories. 

Random fact about yourself: I’m an Irish twin! My brother and I are only 10 and a half months apart. 

Plans after Residency: Pursue an Obstetric fellowship and work with underserved communities. 

Hometown: Aguada, Puerto Rico 

Favorite things to do outside the hospital: Love to travel, go on walks, visit parks, listen to podcasts. 

What led you to choose Family Medicine as a specialty? I chose Family Medicine because it gives me the opportunity to build a relationship with patients and their families.  I enjoy how diverse the specialty is and the opportunity I have as a provider to educate my patients. 

Why did you choose El Paso to train for residency?  The people and their kind souls. The warmth of the patients and the community in general. The fact that working in a border city  provides great advantages in my training career  due to unique cases that can be seen in this type of population.  

Professional/Clinical Interests: Community health and preventative care.

Favorite quote/movie/TV show/book:  What if you knew that you were never meant to get it right the first time, but to build it through trial and error?- Brianna Wiest, The Pivot Year

Random fact about yourself: I’m half Mexican/ half Puerto Rican but I don’t like pasteles or tamales. I might not be the best representation. 

Plans after Residency: Practicing community medicine. 

Hometown: San Juan, Puerto Rico 

Favorite things to do outside the hospital: Travel, hiking, yoga (been practicing for over 12 years)

What led you to choose Family Medicine as a specialty? I decided to pursue a family medicine residency because I have a strong passion for providing comprehensive and continuous care to patients of all ages and backgrounds, and I believe that family medicine offers a unique opportunity to build long-term relationships with patients and make a positive impact on their lives.

Why did you choose El Paso to train for residency? I chose to go to El Paso, Texas for my residency because I was drawn to the city's rich cultural diversity and vibrant community, which I believe will provide me with valuable exposure to a wide range of patient populations and medical cases, enhancing my clinical skills and broadening my understanding of healthcare disparities. Additionally, El Paso's proximity to the U.S.-Mexico border presents unique opportunities to address cross-cultural healthcare needs and contribute to improving health outcomes in underserved communities.

Professional/Clinical Interests: academic medicine/research/public health/pain medicine/integrative medicine/point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) 

Favorite quote/movie/TV show/book:

Favorite quote: “Two roads diverged in a wood and I - I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” - Robert Frost 

Favorite movie: “Lost in Translation” and “Ferris Bueller's Day Off” Favorite TV show: The Office/Breaking Bad/Portlandia/Doctor Who

Book: “The Catcher in the Rye” by JD Salinger 

Random fact about yourself: I am an aviation geek, and a certified soap maker. 

Plans after Residency: After completing my family medicine residency, my plan is to specialize in Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) and pursue a career in either pain medicine or integrative medicine, with a focus on academic research and teaching. 

Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada 

Favorite things to do outside the hospital: paint, draw 

What led you to choose Family Medicine as a specialty? Throughout medical school, I was unsure of what field to pursue as I enjoyed aspects of every specialty and subject I studied. Though I enjoyed my family medicine rotation as a third year medical student, I had the opportunity to do a family medicine sub internship as a fourth year. As a sub intern, I had many more responsibilities than I did as a third year and felt like I was actually part of the treatment team. I especially enjoyed taking care of patients of all ages with a wide range of diseases. This experience was incredibly enjoyable and rewarding and ultimately drove me to pursue family medicine. 

Why did you choose El Paso to train for residency?  I learned Spanish in school from first to twelfth grade but I never had much opportunity to speak it until I lived in Spain for two months before starting medical school. Due to my lack of use though, I had lost a lot of what I learned in school. America has a growing Spanish-speaking population and to be able to speak Spanish would help provide quality health care for them. Located on the border of Mexico, El Paso would help me learn medical Spanish as well as brush up on my casual conversational Spanish. Secondly, I have lived in Nevada my entire life and so I have always wanted to see how medicine in done in other parts of the country. Lastly, having grown up in Las Vegas, I have always enjoyed warmer weather compared to colder weather.  

Professional/Clinical Interests:  General practice 

Favorite quote/movie/TV show/book:  Being Mortal Illness, Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande 

Random fact about yourself: I taught myself painting and digital art 

Plans after Residency:  I hope to return to Las Vegas where there is a great need for primary care physicians. If there is a certain subspecialty that catches my eye, I would do a fellowship after residency.