Resident Profiles
Chiefs
![Maria Ahmad](/_portrait-pictures/mana-ahmad-wc.jpg)
Hometown: Karachi, Pakistan
Medical School: Aga Khan University Medical College
Favorite Thing About El Paso: The mountains
Hobbies/Interests: Cooking, Painting, Discovering new places
Surgical Interest: MIS, Burns and Trauma
![Natalie Nadia Merchant](/_portrait-pictures/merchant-natalie-wc.jpg)
Hometown: Watsonville, CA
Undergrad: University of California
Medical School: David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Favorite Thing About El Paso: The city lights at night
Hobbies/Interests: Tennis, swimming, cycling, reading, yoga, hiking and meditation
Surgical Interest: Endocrine Surgery
![Lee Swinney](/_portrait-pictures/swinney-lee-wc.jpg)
Hometown: Belleville, MI
Undergrad: Texas A&M Galveston
Medical School: Paul L. Foster School of Medicine at El Paso
Favorite Thing About El Paso: The people and proximity to national parks
Hobbies/Interests: Legos, Rugby, Ice Hockey
Surgical Interest: General Surgery/Critical Care
PGY-4
![Brittany Harper](/_portrait-pictures/harper-brittany-wc.jpg)
Hometown: Dallas, TX
Undergrad: Southern Methodist University
Medical School: Texas Tech University Health Science Center El Paso Paul L. Foster School of Medicine
Favorite Thing About El Paso: Sense of community and low cost of living
Hobbies/Interests: Books, crochet, Netflix, puppies and ice cream
Surgical Interest: Vascular and Endovascular
![Asif Hasan Siddiqui](/_portrait-pictures/siddiqui-asif-wc.jpg)
Hometown: Karachi, Pakistan
Medical School: Aga Khan University Medical College
Favorite Thing About El Paso: The people and mountain scenery
Hobbies/Interests: Music-playing the piano, sports-cricket and tennis, watching formula 1
Surgical Interest: Vascular and Endovascular
![Simon Yaguare, M.D.](/_portrait-pictures/yaguare-simon-wc.jpg)
Hometown: Caracas, Venezuela
Undergrad: Central University of Venezuela
Medical School: Central University of Venezuela
Favorite Thing About El Paso: Restaurants
Hobbies/Interests: Play soccer and guitar
Surgical Interest: Cardiothoracic
PGY-3
![Irving Alvarado Gonzalez, M.D.](/_portrait-pictures/alvarado-irving-wc.jpg)
Hometown: Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico
Medical School: Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez
Favorite thing about El Paso: Diversity, food.
Hobbies/Interests: I enjoy playing the drums, baseball, live music and swimming.
Surgical Interest: General surgery.
![Nicole Biediger, D.O.](/_portrait-pictures/biediger-nicole-wc.jpg)
Hometown: San Antonio, Texas
Undergrad: Texas State University
Medical School: University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine
Favorite thing about El Paso: There’s really a lot to do in the area and everyone here is very friendly.
Hobbies/Interests: Indoor cycling, plant mom, hiking, cooking and baking
Surgical Interest: General surgery and robotics.
![Richard Garza, M.D.](/_portrait-pictures/garza-ricardo-wc.jpg)
Hometown: McAllen, Texas
Undergrad: Baylor University
Medical School: UT Southwestern
Favorite thing about El Paso: The view of the mountains and hills as I drive around town.
Hobbies/Interests: Videogames, the outdoors and rock climbing.
Surgical Interest: Plastics, MIS, bariatrics.
![Jonathan Gevorkian](/_portrait-pictures/gevorkian-jonathon-wc.jpg)
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Undergrad: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Medical School: The University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine
Favorite thing about El Paso: The kind and friendly people
Hobbies/Interests: Fixing things, crafting, basketball, and NASA
Surgical Interest: Trauma and MIS
PGY-2
![Daisy Proksch, M.D.](/_portrait-pictures/proksch-daisy-wc.jpg)
Hometown: Grants Pass, Oregon
Undergrad: Southern Oregon University (the other Raiders)
Medical School: Eastern Virginia Medical School
Favorite Thing About El Paso: Exploring the mountains and the refreshing evening breezes
Hobbies/Interests: Rock climbing, rollerblading, hiking
Surgical Interest: Undecided, possibly vascular surgery
![Edgar Serrato, M.D.](/_portrait-pictures/serrato-edgar-wc.jpg)
Hometown: Edinburg, Texas
Undergrad: The University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley
Medical School: San Juan Bautista School of Medicine
Favorite Thing About El Paso: The mountain scenery
Hobbies/Interests: Soccer, hiking, staying active, weightlifting
Surgical Interest: MIS, acute care surgery
![Alisan Turner, M.D.](/_portrait-pictures/turner-alisan-wc.jpg)
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Undergrad: The University of Texas at Dallas
Medical School: Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine
Favorite Thing About El Paso: The people, mountains, and sunsets
Hobbies/Interests: Hiking, cooking, reading, singing, and playing with my cat
Surgical Interest: Pediatric surgery, general surgery, colorectal, MIS
PGY-1
![Rachel Hassler, M.D.](/_portrait-pictures/hassler-rachel-wc.jpg)
Hometown: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Undergrad: University of New Mexico
Medical School: University of New Mexico
Favorite thing about El Paso: The sunsets and sunrises.
Hobbies/Interests: Mountain bikes, rock climbing, hiking.
Surgical Interest: Minimally invasive, colorectal, trauma
![Jason Raymond Jorgensen, M.D.](/_portrait-pictures/jorgensen-jason-wc.jpg)
Hometown: Sierra Vista, Arizona
Undergrad: Thomas Edison State University
Medical School: University of Arizona COM – Phoenix
Favorite thing about El Paso: It is significantly cooler than Phoenix in the summer.
Hobbies/Interests: Working on cars, basking in the desert sun.
Surgical Interest: General and vascular surgery.
![Josephine Tolan, M.D.](/_portrait-pictures/tolan-josephine-wc.jpg)
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Undergrad: Trinity University
Medical School: McGovern Medical School
Favorite thing about El Paso: I love living close to mountains for the first time in my life.
Hobbies/Interests: Hiking, running, and gardening.
Surgical Interest: Reconstructive plastic surgery.
![Karina Torres Tristani, M.D.](/_portrait-pictures/tristani-karina-wc.jpg)
Hometown: Bayamon, Puerto Rico
Undergrad: University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus
Medical School: University of Puerto Rico, SOM - Medical Sciences Campus
Favorite thing about El Paso: The people and the mountain views.
Hobbies/Interests: Spending time with my dog, yoga, traveling, trying out new things.
Surgical Interest: MIS.
PGY-1 Preliminary
![Aaron Machen, D.O.](/_portrait-pictures/machen-aaron-wc.jpg)
Hometown: El Paso, TX
Undergrad: BYU Brigham Young University
Favorite thing about El Paso: The mountains and the Mexican food.
Hobbies/Interests: Mountain biking, skiing, triathlon, and being a dad to my twin daughters.
Surgical Interest: Undecided.
![Byron Vansh Meshram, M.D.](/_portrait-pictures/meshram-byron-wc.jpg)
Hometown: Wylie, Texas
Undergrad: Southern Methodist University
Medical School: TTUHSC El Paso Foster School of Medicine
Favorite thing about El Paso: I love the sunset, the mountains, the delicious Mexican food, and salsa, and of course the wonderful people. There’s a real sense of community here.
Hobbies/Interests: Drawing, guitar, and cooking.
Surgical Interest: Vascular surgery, critical care/trauma.