Residents at Harbor-UCLA

Where They Studied, What They Like, and More

Class of 2027

Arjan Abar, MD, MBA

Arjan Abar, MD, MBA

  • Hometown:  Chicago, Illinois
  • Undergraduate: University of Michigan
  • Medical School: Harvard Medical School
  • Favorite LA spot: Marugame Udon in Sawtelle
  • Hobbies: Finding LA’s best breakfast burrito, Super Smash Bros, Basketball, English Premier League, Bonsai, Cooking with my family/friends
  • EM Interests: Global Health, Operations Management
  • Next Adventure: Japan!

Brooke Clemmensen, MD

  • Hometown: Reno, Nevada
  • Undergraduate: University of Notre Dame
  • Medical School: University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine
  • Favorite LA spot: I am new to LA and am excited to pick up all beach-related activities!
  • Hobbies: All things outdoors, arts & crafts, reading, gardening, learning Spanish
  • EM Interests: Social EM, Informatics
  • Next Adventure: Backcountry skiing in the Eastern Sierra
Veronica Gonzalez, MD

Veronica Gonzalez, MD

  • Hometown: Gardena, California
  • Undergraduate: University of California, Los Angeles
  • Medical School: Charles Drew University/UCLA
  • Favorite LA spot: Bar Flores, Paradise Bowl, Walking at Hermosa Beach Pier
  • Hobbies: Going to happy hour with friends, crocheting accessories and stuffed animals, going to concerts, hanging out with my family
  • EM Interests: Ultrasound, Social EM, MedEd
  • Next Adventure: Going on a Europe trip with my sisters!
Aileen Guillen, MD

Aileen Guillen, MD

  • Hometown: Cerritos, California
  • Undergraduate: University of California, Santa Barbara
  • Medical School: University of California, Irvine School of Medicine
  • Favorite LA spot: Any of the beaches at sunset!
  • Hobbies: Hiking, Snowboarding, Scuba diving, Skating, Traveling, Coffee, and Tacos
  • EM Interests: Social EM, Ultrasound, Global Health
  • Next Adventure: Italy in the fall
Erika Hollywood, DO

Erika Hollywood, DO

  • Hometown: Vista, California
  • Undergraduate: Oregon State University
  • Medical School: A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Arizona
  • Favorite LA spot: Hollywood Hills of course 😉
  • Hobbies: Surfing, Yoga, Soccer, Rollerblading, Playing outside, Going to live music, Puzzles, Traveling
  • EM Interests: Sports Medicine, Pain Management, Critical Care, Social EM
  • Next Adventure: Sayulita, Mexico
Cynthia Luo, MD

Cynthia Luo, MD

  • Hometown: Cos Cob, Connecticut
  • Undergraduate: Harvard University
  • Medical School: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
  • Favorite LA spot: Griffith Park, Koreatown for naengmyeon
  • Hobbies: Cooking/baking for friends and family, Hiking and being in nature, Thrifting, Singing, Used bookstores
  • EM Interests: Women’s Health, International EM, Palliative Care, Education
  • Next Adventure: West Coast national parks! (Sequoia, Yosemite, Mount Rainier)

Meg Maeda, MD

  • Hometown: Torrance, California
  • Undergraduate: University of California, San Diego
  • Medical School: University of California, Davis School of Medicine
  • Favorite LA spot: Rocketship Park at sunset
  • Hobbies: Traveling, Hiking, Skydiving, Aquascaping my betta fish tank
  • EM Interests: Social EM, EMS, Ultrasound
  • Next Adventure: Kyushu and Shikoku, Japan!
Brendan McIntyre, MD, MBA

Brendan McIntyre, MD, MBA

  • Hometown: Syracuse, New York
  • Undergraduate: Washington University in St. Louis
  • Graduate School: University of California, San Diego Rady School of Management
  • Medical School: University of California, San Diego School of Medicine
  • Favorite LA spot: Malibu
  • Hobbies: CrossFit, Running, Skiing, Surfing, National parks, House music, Dancing, Dog owner
  • EM Interests: Health equity, Medical education, Medical technology, Administration
  • Next Adventure: CDMX
Holly Mulinder, MD, MPH

Holly Mulinder, MD, MPH

  • Hometown: London, England
  • Undergraduate: Southern Methodist University
  • Medical School: Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
  • Favorite LA spot: Our rooftop – especially at sunset
  • Hobbies: Yoga – personal practice & teaching, Pilates, Reading, Traveling, Music, Chasing sunsets, House plants, Spending time with nature
  • EM Interests: Social EM, Global Health
  • Next Adventure: Off to Bali for yoga and surfing
Devika Nadkarni, MD

Devika Nadkarni, MD

  • Hometown: Bangalore, India
  • Undergraduate: Boston University
  • Medical School: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
  • Favorite LA spot: Any and all piers along the beach! Also bloom and plume coffee by Echo Park
  • Hobbies: Yoga, Lifting, Cooking, Reading
  • EM Interests: Social EM, Street Medicine, Global Health, Women’s Health
  • Next Adventure: Italy!
Gilbert Nalula, MD

Gilbert Nalula, MD

  • Hometown: Ifugao, Philippines & Elk Grove, CA
  • Undergraduate: University of California, Berkeley
  • Medical School: University of California, Irvine School of Medicine
  • Favorite LA spot: Howlin’ Rays then Kansha Creamery for dessert
  • Hobbies: Fitness, Travel, Finding local food spots wherever I go
  • EM Interests: Global Health, Social EM, Ultrasound
  • Next Adventure: Cebu & Palawan in the Philippines!
Heather Ngai, MS, MD

Heather Ngai, MS, MD

  • Hometown: Burlingame, California
  • Undergraduate: Tufts University
  • Graduate School: Touro University California
  • Medical School: Morehouse School of Medicine
  • Favorite LA spot: Paseo Miramar Trail, Found Oyster for a splurge meal
  • Hobbies: Hiking, Pilates, Discovering new restaurants, Traveling
  • EM Interests: Social EM, Ultrasound
  • Next Adventure: Morocco!
Priya Rajan, MD

Priya Rajan, MD

  • Hometown: Thousand Oaks, California
  • Undergraduate: University of California, Los Angeles
  • Medical School: University of California, Riverside School of Medicine
  • Favorite LA spot:Palos Verdes beach cliffs at sunset!
  • Hobbies: Making and drinking copious amounts of coffee, Reading, Sleeping, Wordle-ing, Swimming, Hiking, Peloton-ing, Yoga-ing, Watching sunrises/sets around the world
  • EM Interests: Medical Education, Social EM, EMS
  • Next Adventure: Budapest, Prague, & Vienna!
Sahar Rammaha, DO

Sahar Rammaha, DO

  • Hometown: Detroit, Michigan
  • Undergraduate: Oakland University
  • Medical School: Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine
  • Favorite LA spot: Malibu beach and any of the little hiking trails! Coffee shops (check out chitchat coffee)
  • Hobbies: Hiking, Gym, Biking, Doing my nails, Hanging with friends, Watching trash reality TV (i.e, Selling Sunset, 90 Day Fiancé, Love Island, etc.)
  • EM Interests: Social EM, EMS, Disaster Medicine
  • Next Adventure: My sister’s wedding in October!
Sofia Salahpour, MD, MPH

Sofia Salahpour, MD, MPH

  • Hometown: Dominical, Costa Rica & Sacramento, California
  • Undergraduate: University of California, Berkeley
  • Graduate School: Keck School of Medicine of USC
  • Medical School: California University of Science and Medicine
  • Favorite LA spot: The beach!
  • Hobbies: Soccer, Beach, Music, Travel, Tacos
  • EM Interests: Social EM, Global Health, Health Policy & Advocacy
  • Next Adventure: Cliff jumping in Cyprus & Turkey

Class of 2028

Kendra Arriaga-Castellanos, MD

Kendra Arriaga-Castellanos, MD

  • Hometown: Los Angeles, California
  • Undergraduate: University of California, Los Angeles
  • Medical School: University of California, Los Angeles
  • Favorite LA spot: Black Market Flea in South LA, Stormburger in Inglewood, Crossroads thrift in Culver City, any and all beaches
  • Hobbies: Gym girly, yoga, pilates, futbol, hiking, thrifting, exploring coffee shops, singing when I don’t know the lyrics
  • EM Interests: Global Health, Social EM
  • Next Adventure: 2026 World Cup
Josh Chronis, MD

Josh Chronis, MD

  • Hometown: Lancaster, California
  • Undergraduate: Brigham Young University
  • Medical School: Wayne State School of Medicine
  • Favorite LA spot: I’m always finding new spots but currently it’s Abalone Cove in Palos Verdes
  • Hobbies: Skateboarding, surfing, snorkeling, hiking, snowboarding or whatever else gets me outside
  • EM Interests: Wilderness med
  • Next Adventure: Currently planning a Southeast Asia trip!
Aya Ghoneum, MD, MPH

Aya Ghoneum, MD, MPH

  • Hometown: Los Angeles, California
  • Undergraduate: University of California, Los Angeles
  • Medical School: Wake Forest School of Medicine
  • Favorite LA spot: Koreatown
  • Hobbies: Thrifting, surfing (but actually wiping out), swimming, trying new coffee shops, traveling, movies and of course eating
  • EM Interests: Disaster Medicine and Social EM!
  • Next Adventure: Japan to visit family 🙂
Diana Guijarro Gaete, MD

Diana Guijarro Gaete, MD

  • Hometown: Quito, Ecuador & Downey, California
  • Undergraduate: San Diego State University
  • Medical School: Morehouse School of Medicine
  • Favorite LA spot: Art District
  • Hobbies: Dancing (especially Latin music), huge soccer fan of Real Madrid and Ecuador national team , yoga, hiking, beach, gym, traveling, happy hour, exploring new restaurants, reality TV
  • EM Interests: Diversity in medicine, social EM, ultrasound, global health, pediatrics
  • Next Adventure: Skydiving
Sarah Haider, MD

Sarah Haider, MD

  • Hometown: St Louis, Missouri
  • Undergraduate: St. Louis University
  • Medical School: Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine
  • Favorite LA spot: Ranchos Palos Verdes Trails
  • Hobbies: Attempting to surf, snowboarding, trail-running, camping, backpacking, chaotic traveling, watching horror films, thrifting, cooking without a recipe
  • EM Interests: Social EM, EMS/Disaster Medicine, Narrative Medicine
  • Next Adventure: Backpacking in South America
Marlekah Hudspeth, MD

Marlekah Hudspeth, MD

  • Hometown: Gardena, California
  • Undergraduate: Tuskegee University
  • Medical School: University of California, Riverside
  • Favorite LA spot: Monty’s Good Burger
  • Hobbies: Skating, reading, running, reality TV
  • EM Interests: Pediatric EM
  • Next Adventure: Puerto Rico for the new year!
Chetiwe Kapila, MD

Chetiwe Kapila, MD

  • Hometown: Yuba City, California
  • Undergraduate: Pacific Union College
  • Medical School: Loma Linda School of Medicine
  • Favorite LA spot: Love being so close to all the beaches here!
  • Hobbies: Concerts, audiobooks, trying new foods, traveling
  • EM Interests: Global Health, Social EM
  • Next Adventure: Peru!
Lauren Lopez, MD

Lauren Lopez, MD

  • Hometown: Chino Hills, California
  • Undergraduate: University of California, Riverside
  • Medical School: University of California, Riverside
  • Favorite LA spot: Griffith Observatory
  • Hobbies: Traveling, thrifting, running, roller blading, adopting as many plants as my apartment allows, finding the best matcha latte in Southern California
  • EM Interests: Pediatrics and Ultrasound
  • Next Adventure: Tijuana for some food and fun!
Breeanna Messner, MD

Breeanna Messner, MD

  • Hometown: Coupeville, Washington
  • Undergraduate: San Diego State University
  • Medical School: Washington State University Elson S Floyd College of Medicine
  • Favorite LA spot: The beach! and the Marvin Braude trail
  • Hobbies: Spending time outside, running, hiking, yoga, sharing my hobbies with friends and having them share their hobbies with me!
  • EM Interests: Social EM, prehospital medicine, wilderness medicine
  • Next Adventure: Portugal is next on the list!
Vivek N. Shah, MD

Vivek N. Shah, MD

  • Hometown: East Rockaway, New York
  • Undergraduate: Washington University in St. Louis
  • Medical School: SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
  • Favorite LA spot: Laguna Beach
  • Hobbies: Photography, Weightlifting, Cooking, Music
  • EM Interests: Geriatrics, Social EM, Addiction Medicine
  • Next Adventure: A trip to Mexico City!
Melissa Sheber, MD, MS

Melissa Sheber, MD, MS

  • Hometown: Norwalk, Iowa
  • Undergraduate: Iowa State University
  • Graduate School: Iowa State University
  • Medical School: University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine
  • Favorite LA spot: I am new to LA but have been loving all the beach time so far!
  • Hobbies: Exploring new food places with my wife, spending time with our pets, Crossfit, rock climbing, hiking, biking, camping, making bagels
  • EM Interests: MedEd, Social EM, Critical Care
  • Next Adventure: Exploring all the hikes and places to camp nearby!
Karla Tlatelpa, MD, MPH

Karla Tlatelpa, MD, MPH

  • Hometown: Mexico City, Mexico & Fremont, California
  • Undergraduate: University of California, Berkeley
  • Graduate School: University of California, Los Angeles
  • Medical School: University of California, Los Angeles
  • Favorite LA spot: Any hike with an ocean view
  • Hobbies: Dancing with friends, happy hours, drinking iced coffee while window shopping, forcing my husband to leave the house, cuddling my dog
  • EM Interests: Social EM
  • Next Adventure: Día de Los Muertos in Oaxaca
Colin Wang, MD

Colin Wang, MD

  • Hometown: Millbrae, California
  • Undergraduate: University of California, Davis
  • Medical School: University of California, Los Angeles
  • Favorite LA spot: Any one of the beautiful concert and sports venues in LA
  • Hobbies: Adding new restaurants on my Beli account, concerts/festivals, NBA basketball (Warriors and UCLA), and a good game night.
  • EM Interests: Harm reduction, medical education, and sports medicine
  • Next Adventure: Australia and Southeast Asia
Justine Wang, MD

Justine Wang, MD

  • Hometown: Macungie, Pennsylvania
  • Undergraduate: University of Pittsburgh
  • Medical School: University of Pennsylvania
  • Favorite LA spot: Palos Verdes Coastline Trail to look for dolphins
  • Hobbies: Sunset walks by ocean, hiking, stargazing, tennis, watching college basketball, finding the best boba spots
  • EM Interests: Ultrasound, medical education
  • Next Adventure: Solo travel to Japan
Danni Yang, MD, MPH

Danni Yang, MD, MPH

  • Hometown: Beijing, China
  • Undergraduate: University of Texas at Dallas
  • Graduate School: UT Houston School of Public Health
  • Medical School: UT Houston – McGovern Medical School
  • Favorite LA spot: Still new to LA but I love Palos Verdes so far and can’t wait to explore more!
  • Hobbies: Travel, beach volleyball, reading, hiking, pickleball, and exploring new places with friends!
  • EM Interests: Medical education, Admin, Women’s health
  • Next Adventure: Traveling – hopefully internationally!
Luke Yeager, MD

Luke Yeager, MD

  • Hometown: Colorado Springs, Colorado
  • Undergraduate: University of Colorado Boulder
  • Medical School: Rush Medical College
  • Favorite LA spot: Anywhere where the waves are good, followed by a breakfast burrito at Phannys
  • Hobbies: I’ve been embracing LA surf culture down here, otherwise enjoy most outdoor activities including scuba diving, flyfishing, skiing, mountaineering, and running. I also love walking Redondo Beach with my wife and dog, board games, video games, or finding new food spots with friends. Oh, and rooting on the Packers.
  • EM Interests: Out of hospital medicine, whether that is EMS or Wilderness Medicine I am unsure
  • Next Adventure: Mt Rainier or ski descent of some Ecuadorian volcanoes

Class of 2029

Adam Alyafaie, MD

  • Hometown: Fresno, CA
  • Undergraduate: UCLA
  • Medical School: UCSF
  • Favorite LA spot: Chimmelier
  • Hobbies: Cats, traveling, fishing, spending time with family and friends, eating sweets, video games, and anime
  • EM Interests: Crit care and addiction medicine
  • Next Adventure: China

Amad Amedy, MD

  • Hometown: Nashville, TN
  • Undergraduate: Wesleyan University
  • Medical School: Vanderbilt University
  • Favorite LA spot: Any cheap taco truck
  • Hobbies: Playing soccer/pickleball/anything outdoors, trying new restaurants, seeing friends, watching football
  • EM Interests: Med Ed, Ultrasound, Global Health, Social EM
  • Next Adventure: Mexico and Guatemala

David Bronstein, MD, MPH

  • Hometown: Walnut Creek, CA
  • Undergraduate: UC Davis
  • Medical School: George Washington University
  • Favorite LA spot: Bavel
  • Hobbies: Desserts in any form but especially pastries, house music and going to concerts and festivals, practicing hot yoga, reading The Atlantic, listening to TBOY podcast (look it up and thank me later), perfecting my hummus recipe
  • EM Interests: Critical care, social EM, health policy
  • Next Adventure: Mexico City!

Lizeth Carrillo, MD, MPH

  • Hometown: San Pedro, CA
  • Undergraduate: UCLA
  • Medical School: UCLA DGSOM
  • Favorite LA spot: Any and all rooftop brunches
  • Hobbies: Dog park with Luna, taco tour with GC
  • EM Interests: Addiction medicine, ultrasound, medical education
  • Next Adventure: Puerto Vallarta with my co-interns

Leonardo Garcia Heglund, MD

  • Hometown: Born in Bogota, raised in Houston
  • Undergraduate: Harvard
  • Medical School: UCSF
  • Favorite LA spot: Rollerblading down Venice Beach
  • Hobbies: Hiking, rollerblading, cooking, dancing
  • EM Interests: Immigrant Health, Abolition Medicine, Health Justice
  • Next Adventure: Hoping to make it to Berghain before 30

Shimran Kumar, MD

  • Hometown: Discovery Bay, CA
  • Undergraduate: UCLA (go bruins!)
  • Medical School: Vanderbilt University
  • Favorite LA spot: Anywhere with nature or artsy that I can spend the day
  • Hobbies: Beach walks with an audiobook, arts & cracts, exploring local or traveling far
  • EM Interests: Pediatrics, global health, social EM, ultrasound
  • Next Adventure: Thailand

Melissa Lopez, MD

  • Hometown: Santa Rosa, CA
  • Undergraduate: UC Berkeley (go bears)
  • Medical School: UCLA DGSOM
  • Favorite LA spot: LA Beach Bike Path
  • Hobbies: Running, gardening, crosswords, cooking, beach, reality TV
  • EM Interests: POCUS, disaster medicine, social EM
  • Next Adventure: Adopting a dog

Mikaela Mizuno, MD

  • Hometown: Tracy, CA
  • Undergraduate: UCLA
  • Medical School: UC Riverside SOM
  • Favorite LA spot: M Grill Brazilian Churrascaria
  • Hobbies: Walking at the beach, going out to eat, golf
  • EM Interests: Social EM
  • Next Adventure: Probably the Costco Oahu Queen Kapi’olani Hotel Deal

Paola Ortega, MD

  • Hometown: Weston, FL
  • Undergraduate: Boston University
  • Medical School: Boston University
  • Favorite LA spot: Still TBD but for now Hermosa Pier
  • Hobbies: Baking, cooking, yoga, hanging out with friends, going to the beach/being in the ocean, any group sports, reading, drawing
  • EM Interests: Global health, disaster medicine, wilderness medicine? (I still have no idea)
  • Next Adventure: Japan? Colombia?

Anthony Robinson, MD

  • Hometown: Valley Center, CA
  • Undergraduate: UCLA
  • Medical School: Boston University
  • Favorite LA spot: Hermosa beach
  • Hobbies: Beach, volleyball, surfing, snowboarding, backpacking, weightlifting, golf, pickleball, scuba diving, photography, singing covers, and eating burritos
  • EM Interests: Sports medicine, ultrasound
  • Next Adventure: El Salvador surf trip

Rachel Smith, MD

  • Hometown: Danville, CA
  • Undergraduate: Northeastern
  • Medical School: Boston University
  • Favorite LA spot: Still exploring but tie between hiking in Santa Monica mountains or beach at sunset
  • Hobbies: Running, hiking, being outside, reading, podcast walks, comedy shows, hanging out with my friends (including my co-interns)
  • EM Interests: Social EM, EMS
  • Next Adventure: 

Cheyenne Tate, DO

  • Hometown: Walnut, CA
  • Undergraduate: Loyola Marymount University
  • Medical School: Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona
  • Favorite LA spot: My bed
  • Hobbies: Roller skating in roller rinks, hiking, playing with dogs, getting creative in painting my own nails, going to the beach
  • EM Interests: EMS, event medicine
  • Next Adventure: Florida and the Bahamas on a cruise!

Luigi Varilla, MD

  • Hometown: Daly City, CA
  • Undergraduate: UCLA
  • Medical School: UCLA DGSOM
  • Favorite LA spot: Mogu Mogu in Sawtelle
  • Hobbies: Dancing, hiking, playing pickleball, going to concerts, playing video games, especially with my friends and family!
  • EM Interests: Social EM, ultrasound, MedEd
  • Next Adventure: Philippines

Priyanka Vemuru, MD

  • Hometown: Perrysburg, OH
  • Undergraduate: University of Cincinnati
  • Medical School: University of Cincinnati
  • Favorite LA spot: Wherever my co-residents are… but also Rosie’s dog beach
  • Hobbies: Playing any and all sports w/ friends esp volleyball/pickleball/soccer, hyperfixating on a new craft/art style every 2 months, hiking and camping w/ the pup, audiobooks, thrifting, and live music
  • EM Interests: EMS, global health, event med, street med, social EM/population health, Med Ed
  • Next Adventure: Backpacking the Kalalau Trail and vacation in New Zealand

Mai Vu, MD

  • Hometown: Vietnam / Lake Elsinore, CA
  • Undergraduate: UCSD
  • Medical School: UCSF
  • Favorite LA spot: Eating my way through all the yummy Japanese food in Torrance
  • Hobbies: Wandering, thrifting, horror movies, grocery shopping, lover of all whimsical/weird/creepy knick knacks
  • EM Interests: Social EM, critical care
  • Next Adventure: Portugal

Class of 2030

Michelle Bosché, MD

  • Hometown: Bozeman, MT
  • Undergraduate: Columbia University
  • Medical School: Harvard Medical School
  • Favorite LA spot: Hermosa pier, Terranea Cove in Palos Verdes
  • Hobbies: Beach volleyball, trail running, trail walking, backpacking, eating chocolate, updating my Goodreads, watching movies
  • EM Interests: Global Health, Pandemics, Climate Health
  • Next Adventure: Patagonia <3

Isaiah Brown, MD, MBA

  • Hometown: Augusta, GA
  • Undergraduate: University of Kentucky
  • Medical School: University of Chicago
  • Favorite LA spot: I love that there’s always something cool to do here. Always a new pop-up or restaurant or street festival. People also dream big here which is a cool energy to be around
  • Hobbies: thrifting, concerts, reading, vinyl collecting, watching anime, weight lifting, running, roller skating
  • EM Interests: EMS, sports, social EM, entrepreneurship
  • Next Adventure: Brazil??? stay tuned

Elyse Gonzales, MD

  • Hometown:San Jose, CA
  • Undergraduate: USC
  • Medical School: Weill Cornell
  • Favorite LA spot: Mercado La Paloma, Museum of Jurassic Technology
  • Hobbies: Art museums, Concerts, Martial arts, Eating good food
  • EM Interests: Social EM, Ultrasound
  • Next Adventure: Mexico City

Brennan Hand, MD

  • Hometown: Gresham, OR
  • Undergraduate: USC
  • Medical School: Mayo Clinic – Arizona
  • Favorite LA spot: The beach, amazing food and coffee!
  • Hobbies: Camping, Surfing, MTB, Scuba, Costco
  • EM Interests: Wilderness, Critical Care, Ultrasound, EMS, SIM
  • Next Adventure: Maybe Oaxaca for Dia de los Muertos??

Pedro Igorra, MD

  • Hometown: Miami, FL
  • Undergraduate: Florida State University / Florida International University
  • Medical School: FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine
  • Favorite LA spot: Hermosa Beach
  • Hobbies: Volleyball, Traveling, Hiking, Reading, Pickleball
  • EM Interests: Social EM, Critical Care, Global Health
  • Next Adventure: Mexico City

Kayla McDonald, MD

  • Hometown: Prince George’s County Maryland
  • Undergraduate: Spelman College
  • Medical School: Emory University
  • Favorite LA spot: Still figuring it out, just moved here but probably not having to check the weather every morning. 🙂
  • Hobbies: Anything music, travel, outdoors, family time, food
  • EM Interests: Interventional Pain, Global Health
  • Next Adventure: Salt Flats in Bolivia!

Abigail Melton, MD

  • Hometown: Oakton, VA
  • Undergraduate: College of William & Mary
  • Medical School: University of Washington
  • Favorite LA spot: Hermosa at sunset
  • Hobbies: Running, Skiing, Sewing, Listening to Podcasts
  • EM Interests: Social EM, Addiction Medicine, Med Ed
  • Next Adventure: 
    My honeymoon! Location TBD

Claire Nussbaum, MD

  • Hometown: San Diego, CA
  • Undergraduate: Princeton University
  • Medical School: Keck School of Medicine of USC
  • Favorite LA spot: Culver city stairs & dtla!!
  • Hobbies: Boxing, book club, thrifting, comedy shows, salsa/bachata, mutual aid
  • EM Interests: Social EM, street medicine
  • Next Adventure: rediscovering LA with all my new co-rezzies!

Elaine Qian, MD, MS

  • Hometown: Oakland, CA
  • Undergraduate: University of Southern California
  • Medical School: Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University
  • Favorite LA spot: Anywhere with good food and good people
  • Hobbies: Skincare, gymnastics, plants, kpop/ kdramas, mutual aid, exploring cafes, enjoying live music!
  • EM Interests: Social EM, addiction medicine, global health
  • Next Adventure: I can barely plan my life to tomorrow but maybe Taiwan??

Seshaan Ratnam, MD

  • Hometown: Fresno, CA
  • Undergraduate: UCLA
  • Medical School: UCSF
  • Favorite LA spot: Bringing a reclining chair and lounging at any beach
  • Hobbies: Hiking, backpacking, tennis, pickleball, traveling, woodworking
  • EM Interests: Addiction Medicine and Med Ed
  • Next Adventure: Glacier National Park

Emilio Rodriguez, MD

Josiah Shaw, MD

Aidan Picardi, MD, MPH

  • Hometown: Orange County, CA
  • Undergraduate: University of Redlands (BS), University of Florida (MPH)
  • Medical School: A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Arizona
  • Favorite LA spot: major metro center right on the beach with tons of great food!
  • Hobbies:Hiking/outside time with my doggies, painting, ceramics, wine, finding the best coffee shops!
  • EM Interests: Toxicology and social EM
  • Next Adventure: Snowboarding in Japan

Samantha Tham, MD

  • Hometown: Brooklyn, New York
  • Undergraduate: Harvard
  • Medical School: Weill Cornell
  • Favorite LA spot: Ask me when I’m an R4
  • Hobbies: Taking Care of Myself, Reading, Farmer’s Market & Cafe-hopping, Gym & Spin Girlie, Music Festivals, Any Activity with Friends
  • EM Interests: PEM, Social EM, QI
  • Next Adventure: Patagonia or Brazil

Lillian Vang, MD

  • Hometown: Fresno, CA
  • Undergraduate:California State University, Fresno
  • Medical School: UCSF
  • Favorite LA spot: Lots to still explore, but any beach or brewery in LA so far
  • Hobbies: Anything outdoors, coffee and food, lifting/fitness, spending time with family, friends, and my dogs
  • EM Interests: social EM, US, Peds??
  • Next Adventure: Iceland!

Sonia Wang, MD

  • Hometown: Upland, CA
  • Undergraduate: Harvard University
  • Medical School: UCLA
  • Favorite LA spot: The beach!
  • Hobbies: Hanging out with friends and family, finding good eats, crossfit, cats
  • EM Interests: Pediatric EM
  • Next Adventure: TBD!