Faculty

Dr. Schuller is chair of the Department of Internal Medicine – Transmountain. He obtained his medical degree from the National Autonomous University of Mexico and went on to complete an internal medicine residency at Sinai Hospital in Detroit, Michigan and a fellowship in pulmonary and critical care medicine at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Dr. Schuller subsequently served on the faculty of Washington University for 14 years, where he held roles as director of the pulmonary consult service at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and director of the pulmonary and critical care fellowship program. He was also the chief of the pulmonary and critical care division and medical director of the intensive care unit at Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska from 2002 until 2012, where he developed a multidisciplinary academic intensivist program with the highest standards for clinical care, medical education and research. Before joining Texas Tech Health El Paso, Dr. Schuller served as chief of medical critical care and director of a newly developed pulmonary critical care fellowship program at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas.

Zeeshan Afzal, M.D., is an assistant professor in the Department of Internal Medicine – Transmountain.

Dr. Afzal was born and raised in Pakistan. His decision to become a physician was mainly driven by an innate sense of compassion and need for health care providers in underserved communities.

Dr. Afzal graduated from King Edward Medical University, Lahore, one of the best medical schools in Pakistan, after securing a scholarship to study in that medical school. He served as an internist in a rural area of Pakistan for a few years.

He moved to the United States in pursuit of graduate medical education. He completed his internal medicine residency at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center at the Permian Basin and a rheumatology fellowship at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

Dr. Afzal is board certified in internal medicine and rheumatology. He has more than ten years of clinical experience working as a consultant rheumatologist.

Dr. Afzal has now decided to change his career path toward academics, where he can share his clinical knowledge with medical students and residents while continuing to serve the community in a clinical setting. His areas of clinical interests include inflammatory myositis and scleroderma. His hobbies include traveling, running and spending time with family.

Dr. Afzal is the founding Medical Director of the Infusion Center at The Hospitals of Providence – Transmountain

Dr. Chohonis attended medical school at the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, Maryland, and completed her residency training in internal medicine at Eisenhower Army Medical Center in Augusta, Georgia.

She served 15 years in the military as an active-duty physician before joining the faculty at Texas Tech Health El Paso’s Transmountain campus. She’s passionate about medical education and helping learners get to where they want to be. Her professional interests include teaching diagnostic reasoning, use of point-of-care ultrasound, and advocating for primary care.

Outside the hospital, she is the mother of three rowdy boys and spends most of her time trying to keep them out of trouble. She enjoys running, hiking, exploring national parks, rooting for New York sports teams, and spending time with her family.

Dr. Azucena Del Real is an Assistant Professor and an Associate Program Director for the Internal Medicine residency program at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso - Transmountain.

Dr. Del Real was born and raised in Mexico and earned her medical degree from Centro de Estudios Universitarios Xochicalco in Tijuana, Mexico. She completed a Master of Advanced Studies in Clinical Research at the University of California, San Diego. She finished her Internal Medicine residency at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley–DHR and is board certified in Internal Medicine and Obesity Medicine.

Her clinical and academic interests include obesity-nutrition, preventive care, research, and teaching.

Dr. Del Real has expanded her work in outpatient weight management and serves as a director of an upcoming Obesity Medicine elective for medical students at Texas Tech University. This collaborative effort is designed to increase knowledge, understanding, and exposure among medical students.

Her approach reflects a commitment to understanding obesity as a complex chronic disease that requires multidisciplinary care and patient education. Her most important goal is to improve the health of individuals living with obesity while reducing stigma.

Dr. Eliogu was born and raised in Nigeria, she developed an interest in medicine at a very young age. Growing up, she watched her parents run a family practice clinic in their community, where she witnessed firsthand the balance of compassion, clinical expertise, and dedication required to care for patients. Their example inspired her commitment to delivering thoughtful, patient-centered care.

After graduating from medical school, she gained extensive experience in both inpatient and outpatient settings, caring for a large underserved population and developing a strong foundation in comprehensive patient care.

She later completed her Internal Medicine residency at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso in El Paso. During residency, she developed a deep appreciation for the community and its people, which inspired her to continue serving the area through her medical practice and ultimately led her to remain with the program.

Outside of medicine, she enjoys spending time with her family, watching sitcoms, shopping, and exploring her passion for cooking as an amateur chef.

Dr. Sindhu Goddanakoppal Rajendra is dedicated to providing exceptional health care in hospital and outpatient settings.  

As a hospitalist, she manages complex and acute conditions throughout hospital stays, ensuring seamless care from admission through discharge. In her role as a primary care provider, Dr. Rajendra focuses on preventive medicine, chronic disease management, and routine wellness care to help patients achieve and maintain long-term health.  

Alongside her clinical practice, Dr. Rajendra serves as an Assistant Professor, mentoring and educating resident physicians to help shape the future generation of healthcare professionals 

She is committed to delivering personalized, high-quality care tailored to each patient’s unique needs, whether caring for them in the hospital or in the clinic.

Dr. Hernandez was born and raised in El Paso, TX. He obtained his medical degree from Boston University and completed his residency training in Internal Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. During residency, he cultivated a strong commitment to medical education, earning multiple teaching awards. He is dedicated to fostering a supportive and inclusive learning environment where medical students and residents feel empowered to ask questions, learn from mistakes, and develop clinical confidence. Dr. Hernandez has long aspired to return to his hometown to serve the El Paso community and is honored to bring his clinical expertise and passion for teaching back home. Outside of medicine, he enjoys trying new recipes, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.

He obtained his undergraduate degree from the University of West Alabama and attended Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, earning his medical degree.  He then completed an Internal Medicine residency at William Beaumont Army Medical Center in El Paso, Texas and a fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.  Before joining Texas Tech Health El Paso, Dr. Kicker served in the U.S. Army as a Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine physician at William Beaumont Army Medical Center.  His clinical interest and expertise includes thoracic malignances and advanced diagnostic bronchoscopy services including endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS), for the diagnosis and staging of lung cancer.

Dr. Murali is a compassionate and dedicated internal medicine physician with over a decade of clinical experience. 
Dr. Murali obtained his medical diploma from Yenepoya Medical College, India and completed his Internal Medicine residency training at St. Mary Mercy Hospital, Michigan. He subsequently served as a chief resident for quality improvement and research at St. Mary Mercy Hospital. He has extensive experience in both out patient and hospital practice. He has worked in rural clinics and hospitals as well as large urban teaching hospitals. His previous faculty appointments include the position of Clinical Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine with Central Michigan University. He has served in leadership roles, including being the medical director of primary care clinic and hospitalist service. He has been the recipient of teaching awards during his residency and as faculty. He believes in building strong rapport with patients, serving as their first point of contact for all their health concerns. Commitment to preventive care, health education, and disease management is of prime importance to him.  He is excited to provide the following services and more to patients: Comprehensive health assessments, Annual physical exams, Chronic disease management (including but not limited to diabetes, hypertension, asthma), Preventive screenings (immunizations, cancer screenings), Women’s health (including annual exams, mammograms, pap smears).  He believes that every patient deserves personalized care. To that end, he takes time to listen, understand individual needs, and collaboratively create treatment plans. A warm demeanor and empathetic communication are amongst his strengths. Outside of medicine, he indulges in spending time with family, hiking, traveling, reading, creative writing, yoga, meditation, playing cricket and swimming.

Maria Theresa De Gracia Opina, M.D., is an assistant professor in the Department of Internal Medicine – Transmountain.

Dr. Maria Theresa De Gracia Opina completed residency training in Internal Medicine prior to attending Wake Forest School of Medicine where she completed fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine followed by additional advanced research training through a National Institutes of Health T32-supported post-doctoral research fellowship in Gerontological and Geriatric Research. Her research interests include understanding pulmonary physiology, disease, and the aging lung with a focus in the older adult population. She enjoys teaching. She is also passionate about educating patients and their families and believes that all patients should be a part of the decision-making process in the management of their complex pulmonary disease.

Lela Ruck, M.D. is an Assistant Professor in The Department of Internal Medicine - Transmountain.  

Dr. Ruck was born and raised in El Paso, TX.  She went to medical school at Texas Tech University Health Science Center in Lubbock, TX.  She pursued Internal Medicine residency at Washington University in St. Louis, MO and subsequently stayed on as faculty in The Division of Hospital Medicine as an academic hospitalist.  As an academic hospitalist, she found a passion for teaching residents and medical students.  She is excited to be able to bring her clinical and educational skills home to care for her community.  Her interests are in caring for the hospitalized patient and helping patients transition from inpatient to outpatient care.  Dr. Ruck looks foward to continue to teach new generations of doctors to help bring more highly skilled physicians to the border community.    

Dr. Sharma is an Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) El Paso. Born and raised in Meerut, a small town in India, Dr. Sharma was drawn to the medical profession from an early age, inspired by the nobility and service that define it.

She earned her medical degree from Manipal College of Medical Sciences in Nepal, where her commitment to patient care was exemplified through her proud service to the nation during the devastating Nepal earthquake in 2015.

Dr. Sharma completed her internal medicine residency at TTUHSC Transmountain in El Paso. During her training, she developed a deep connection with the community and the program, which ultimately inspired her to continue her journey there as a faculty member.

She is passionate about medical education and finds great fulfillment in teaching medical students and residents. As a hospitalist, she is deeply committed to patient care, and her guiding motto has always been to serve the underserved.

Dr. Sherwood is a graduate of the University of Kansas School of Medicine, where he attended school on the Army's Health Professional Scholarship Program.  He completed his internship and residency training at Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii.  

After practicing as an internist for one year, he went on to complete his sub-specialty training in infectious diseases at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. During his military career, he demonstrated a particular interest in public health and earned a master's degree in tropical medicine and hygiene from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. He was also stationed at Fort Bliss, where he deployed to support combat operations in Afghanistan.  

After leaving the military, Dr. Sherwood relocated to the Midwest, where he enjoyed a hospital-based infectious disease practice as well as Kansas City Chiefs season tickets for several years.  However, he met his wife in El Paso and returned to the community to be closer to family.  When he isn't killing bacteria or suppressing viruses, Dr. Sherwood enjoys spending time with his two daughters and colleting sports memorabilia.

Dr. Brittany Shoemake is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medical Education and a Clinical Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, where she specializes in wound management and medical education. She earned her medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston and completed her residency training in Internal Medicine at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, followed by fellowship training in wound management with Vohra Wound Physicians.

Dr. Shoemake is board certified in Internal Medicine and Wound Management. Her academic and clinical work focuses on medical education, advanced wound care, global health, and community outreach. She is dedicated to mentoring future physicians and fostering the integration of compassion, professionalism, and clinical excellence in medical practice.

At the Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Dr. Shoemake serves as Director of the College Colloquium Course, Unit Director for the Scientific Principles of Medicine course, and Co- Director of the Global Health Distinction Program. Through these leadership roles, she contributes to curriculum development, student mentorship, and experiential learning initiatives that prepare students to care for diverse patient populations.

In addition to her academic responsibilities, Dr. Shoemake participates in local and international volunteer medical outreach efforts, including service with Amazon Outreach providing care to underserved riverine communities in the Brazilian Amazon.

Outside of medicine, she enjoys running, hiking, and spending time outdoors with her husband and three children.

He attended medical school at Boston University School of Medicine and subsequently completed his internal medicine residency at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA. He continued to practice at Cedars Sinai for three years as a hospitalist where he developed a passion for hospital medicine.

Dr. Soskin is dedicated to guiding patients through complex medical systems with compassion and shared decision-making. He values educating patients and families about their illnesses and treatment plans, and helps empower patients for successful transitions home. His clinical interests include inpatient pain management, palliative medicine, and goal-concordant care.

Dr. Soskin is also deeply committed to medical education and helped develop a new hospitalist rotation for internal medicine residents with his former practice at Cedars Sinai.

He now serves as the Program Director for the Transitional Year residency program at TTUHSC El Paso Transmountain, where he maximizes his advocacy for and commitment to the education and mentorship of resident physicians.

Outside of the hospital, he enjoys cooking, traveling, learning whatever he can about coffee, playing the piano, and of course, spending time with family.

Itzel Rivera earned her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in nursing from the University of Texas at El Paso.

She is a board-certified Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner. She is  fluent in Spanish.