Class of 2029

Medical School: University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine

Hey y’all, my name is Anis (he/they)! I grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, went to college in Colorado, and graduated from the University of Missouri School of Medicine. I am passionate about providing healthcare for the queer and trans community, anti-racism work and education, and practicing medicine through the lens of collective liberation. I developed an interest in medicine as a teenager accessing gender affirming care. I wanted to provide the same life changing care I received, to other trans youth. In medical school I also realized that I enjoy HIV management, abortion care and other reproductive care, and palliative medicine. Family medicine is the speciality where I found I could pursue all of my clinical interests and develop long term relationships with my patients.

One of my top priorities in a residency program was finding a place that encouraged me to think about health as a product of communities and systems, opposed to individual choices or luck alone. The social medicine program here at Montefiore has already helped me broaden my perspective. Our patients are medically and socially complex, and have proven to be excellent teachers through their lived experiences. I was also drawn to our strong inpatient training opportunities, HIV track, and abortion training. The one thing I never could have predicted has been my coresidents, who are amazing and make even the most challenging moments seem manageable.

In my free time I enjoy gardening, biking, and otherwise being outside, as well as reading and hanging out with my cat. I live in Norwood, a few blocks from the hospital, and I love the neighborhood! Between the little kids running around on the playgrounds, the elders walking at night, the Bengali and Latin American shops down the street, and my community garden plot, I already feel at home here. I can’t wait to spend my next three years exploring and deepening my connection to the Bronx

Medical School: Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Hi! My name is Anuva (she/her) and I am a PGY-1 in Family and Social Medicine at Montefiore!

I grew up in Central Jersey, and went to Brown University for undergrad, where I majored in Neuroscience and Public Health. I then attended Albert Einstein College of Medicine for medical school, where I was involved in the student-run ECHO free clinic and organizing through SNaHP and NYCASH, as well as community engagement with older adult and disabled populations.

As an Einstein student, I had the opportunity to work with countless faculty and residents from the Family Medicine program, and I was particularly drawn to the emphasis on teaching and the dedication to advocating for the Bronx community. Having lived in the Bronx for five years, I knew I wanted to serve the vibrant, diverse, immigrant communities within the Bronx, while getting a rigorous training both inpatient and outpatient with the opportunity to pursue tracks within Addiction Medicine and Homeless Medicine and build my organizing skills - all things that attracted me to the Montefiore Family Medicine residency program!

My favorite part of residency so far has been the community - my co-residents, the faculty, and the patients are the most incredible people I’ve met! I enjoy spending time with my co-residents outside of the hospital, while also baking, cooking, exploring the food scene around the city, and trying to make it upstate and enjoy the natural beauty out there!

Medical School: University of Michigan Medical School

Interests: Addiction Medicine, Adolescent Medicine, Health Policy, Health Equity in Medical Education

Hi! My name is Emaun. I’m originally from Nashville, TN and went to medical school at the University of Michigan. I initially became interested in family medicine while working as a high school science teacher in East Harlem, NYC, during the COVID-19 pandemic. I saw the ways that my students were unable to fully access their education because the pandemic worsened their physical and mental health, and I wanted to have better tools to take care of the community in New York City that I had grown to love dearly. As I continued through medical school, family medicine and its emphasis on community health, advocacy, and longitudinal care for all ages felt like a perfect fit for my goals.

As I applied to family medicine residency, I knew that I wanted to come back to New York City, and it became clear very quickly that Montefiore was the best program for me. Every resident and faculty member I met felt incredibly passionately about taking care of the Bronx community through primary care, local advocacy, and community involvement. I knew that I wanted supportive, rigorous inpatient training so that I could learn to deal with medical complexity in the outpatient setting. Montefiore also has a very robust and interdisciplinary addiction medicine training program for residents of all specialties, which was important to me as someone potentially interested in addiction medicine fellowship.

Outside of medicine, I love being active through running, hiking, weightlifting, and long walks around the city. I cook nearly every day, particularly foods from my Persian and Palestinian roots. I am an avid reader when I can find the time, and I love watching sports of all kinds. I live in the South Bronx, and I enjoy the ability to explore the many vibrant areas of the Bronx while being so close to Manhattan!

Medical School: Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Hi y’all! My name is Roula (she/her). I’m originally from Stratford, CT,  went to Harvard for undergrad, and Einstein for medical school. I was raised working in my family’s diner, where I gained a deep appreciation for forming longitudinal relationships and learning people’s stories. I chose family medicine to continue forming these relationships with patients, with the ultimate goal of being someone they trust to work alongside to achieve their health goals.

I’m so excited to be an FM intern and to continue exploring my interests in full-spectrum medicine at Monte. Having gone to Einstein as a medical student, I knew that I wanted to stay here for residency because of the program’s commitment to community partnership and centering social medicine—not just in name, but in practice. The diversity and medical complexity of the patient population in the Bronx, along with the opportunity to learn from and alongside the community, makes this an incredibly special place to train.

I have been involved in mentoring high school and premedical students in the Bronx. This work is incredibly meaningful to me, as I firmly believe that advancing health equity requires creating pathways for people from historically underrepresented communities to pursue careers in medicine. Part of why I wanted to stay at Monte was so that I could continue nurturing the relationships and connections I fostered as a medical student, while also building new ones alongside the incredible community-based organizations that the program partners with to meet the needs of our community.

The city, and the Bronx in particular, has so much cultural diversity to be explored. In my free time, I enjoy exploring new neighborhoods across the boroughs, especially by trying new restaurants with friends! I also enjoy going for walks through the parks, catching the sunset, and watching reality television.

Medical School: NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine

Hiiii, my name is Crystal! I am an Iranian-American from the Maryland suburbs and have spent the last few years in NY for medical school.

I chose family medicine after working at an FQHC in Washington, DC because I love how close FM docs are to the communities they care for. Studying Spanish and Public Health for my bachelors introduced me to the inequities and injustices that are perpetuated by our healthcare system. I knew the next step of my training needed to be in a place that would challenge me to be the best physician and advocate that I could be. 

The first thing that drew me to Montefiore were the people. The stories of our patients in the Bronx are complex. We often care for people who have been failed by systems that should have protected them, including the healthcare system. Our work as FM docs to practice medicine that uplifts them is intentional and deeply purposeful. I was also inspired by the trailblazers that came through this program; they were the type of radically-compassionate doctors I wanted to be. I also liked the fact we have our own inpatient service with a mix of continuity and complexity in our cases. Also, our residents are unionized which mattered to me when comparing NYC programs.

Monte is the perfect place for me because I want to practice broad-spectrum FM for the underserved. I am passionate about immigrant health, harm reduction, HIV care, LGBTQ+ health, and working in non-traditional primary care settings. I love my co-interns SO much. They are such a thoughtful, smart, and creative group of people. Training alongside people who are aligned in our motivations to practice FM has been so grounding. We really look out for one another and have a super supportive PD and APD. I have complete faith that I will be the doctor I want to be after training here. 

Outside of medicine I have the best friends anyone could ask for, a wonderful partner, and a rescue dog. I love people-watching in Van Cortland Park, thrifting, and painting all day with my windows open.

Medical School: Tulane University School of Medicine

Hi everyone, my name is Krishna! I am originally from Chapel Hill, North Carolina but spent 90% of my adult life in New Orleans, Louisiana.

I chose family medicine for many reasons: I loved all of my clinical rotations in my 3rd year and wanted to be able to address a wide range of medical needs for my future patients. In addition, I love the concept of longitudinal care. I think it's really cool that through my job I am able to develop relationships with patients who I would not normally cross paths with if I wasn't their PCP. Djs

As an applicant, I felt like all of the FM programs I was considering (especially the ones in NYC) seem to blend together. The main reason why I chose Montefiore was because I wanted to serve a diverse community with a lot of medical complexity (which I have definitely found here in the Bronx). I also wanted a program that felt like a family which I am very thankful to have found in my coresidents. Moving to New York as a person with no ties to the city was a challenge but they have given me a strong community. Montefiore's FM program has a strong inpatient medicine track, which is something I looked for in a program as I want to do a mix of inpatient and outpatient medicine in the future. I also am passionate about immigrant/refugee health and HIV care!

Outside of the hospital I love fitness and enjoy lifting with my co-residents (shout out to Anis and Emaun). I recently bought a pair of rollerblades which have been a fun way to make my way around the many parks up here. I also enjoy exploring the city, especially the Bronx! There is so much ethnic and cultural diversity in Norwood and you can find amazing Caribbean, Latin American, South Asian, and West African food within a mile of the hospital. I have also had a lot of fun finding cool concerts, old movie theaters (there are some awesome indie theaters in the city), and fun DJs to dance to! I am beginning to be a reader again as my phone loves to die on the subway. Monte FM is an amazing program and I am very happy to be here!

Medical School: Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine - Carolinas Campus
 

Interests: Migrant health / asylum & refugee medicine, Advancing the right to health, CHW integration in primary care, Homelessness & housing insecurity, Hospice & compassionate end-of-life care

I'm Gaby – I was born and raised in Miami, FL, to a Colombian mom and a Cuban dad. I graduated from the University of Miami in 2019, where I was deep into public health and the work of Paul Farmer / Partners In Health (PIH). After finishing my MPH, I moved to Lima, Peru to volunteer with PIH, where I learned all about the roots of social medicine & liberation theology in Latin America through figures like Salvador Allende and Gustavo Gutiérrez. During those COVID post-grad years, I was heavily involved with PIH Engage, the national grassroots student-led arm of PIH, where I learned to organize with other young people in the US who firmly believe that health care is a human right. In 2022, I moved to South Carolina for medical school, where I was lucky enough to find LMSA and kept organizing on the national level with other Latino medical students.

I first learned about Monte's DFSM after catching the social medicine bug in Peru, and it quickly became my dream program. My favorite part about FM as a specialty is that we don’t have to turn anybody away. I take the "cradle to grave" mantra quite seriously; I really do see L&D and hospice as two sides of the same coin. Primary care is the backbone of our health care system, and I am so grateful to be immersed in it here in the Bronx! Outside of medicine, I love practicing yoga and cuddling with my pitbull, Chicken Man.

Medical School: Saint Louis University School of Medicine

Interests: Health Policy, Insurance Expansion and Coverage, Medical Ethics

After growing up in suburban western Massachusetts, I moved to Boston and graduated from Northeastern University in 2019 with a BS in Chemistry with minors in Biology and Ethics. I spent my first year out of undergrad scribing and eventually embarked on a Midwestern adventure to Missouri to attend the Saint Louis University School of Medicine. While there, I worked closely with the student-run free clinic, where I was chosen to serve as a co-director. Building off of my work with the free clinic, I felt inspired to learn more about public health and health policy. That interest eventually led me to pursue an MPH at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health where I discovered the universally fascinating world of health insurance. I even gained some experience in the State House, acting as a Spring Intern for Rep. Christine Barber of the 34th Middlesex District. Returning to the world of medicine for my 4th year, I felt there was still more work to be done. To that end, I looked for a residency program that would train me on how to serve my patients in more ways than just prescribing medication. I wanted to learn what parts of the healthcare system had failed our most vulnerable communities and what I could do to start moving the needle with a newly inked degree next to my name. I couldn't be happier to find myself in the Montefiore Family Medicine Department which shares my values of social justice and equity. I’m confident I'll gain the experience and skills needed to push the policies that will expand healthcare access, especially for those who need it most. When I'm not trying to get people to talk about insurance, I love indulging in simply too many hobbies including board games, pottery, various racket sports, going to musicals, and baking (but more importantly eating). 

Medical School: Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University

Hi I’m Adora! I grew up on Long Island and went to Swarthmore College for undergrad. Afterwards I stayed in Philadelphia and worked as a research assistant in pediatrics before going to medical school at Thomas Jefferson University. Throughout medical school I worked at our shelter based clinic where I provided care, coordinated resources and was involved with an interview based QI project. I also hosted programming with our family med interest group and journal club. 

I am in family medicine because I wanted to be in a field that is centered around building relationships and advocating for the people and communities we take care of. I chose this program because I wanted to train and work alongside colleagues who practice medicine with a justice oriented lens and I am so grateful to be supported by a community that aligns with my values.  I’m still figuring out what I want my career to look like but some areas of medicine I’m interested in include reproductive health, addiction medicine and gender affirming care. 

Outside of medicine I love crafting (I’ve been working on my junk journal and making slow progress on my cross stitching projects), playing board games (currently obsessed with obscurio and hanabi), going to the climbing gym and spending time outside (I’ve loved exploring the city via bike!). I’m so glad I moved to NY and have been able to find so many things that bring me joy in our city!

Medical School: Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Interests: patient education, universal healthcare, reproductive justice, addiction medicine

Hi everyone, I'm Julia! I've spent most of my life in and around Philadelphia and briefly worked in healthcare administration in Michigan before moving to the Bronx for medical school at Albert Einstein/Montefiore. I'm very happy to be staying at Montefiore DFSM for residency!

I chose family medicine because I felt like it was the most value-aligned field for me. Most of the family doctors I worked with in medical school, especially those at DFSM, prioritized patient-led care, biopsychosocial frameworks, and saw advocating for patients at both the individual and systemic levels as essential to the role of physician.  I love preventative medicine, reproductive healthcare, and working with kids/the family unit, and being a FM PCP is the way I can do all three of those.

I was drawn to DFSM because I had worked with some of our program's residents as a medical student and had seen how competent, empathetic, and engaged in the community they were. I wanted a program that would train me to be an excellent physician both clinically and systemically and have certainly found that here. In medical school, I became involved in reproductive healthcare and New York Health Act legislative advocacy. I also worked with harm reduction and pro-abortion organizations in the Bronx. I hope to continue that work throughout residency. 

Outside of medicine, you can find me constantly falling into a new creative obsession (some would call them hobbies). This past year, I've done a lot of crocheting, interior decorating, and line dancing. I also love exploring NYC. There's a never-ending list of neighborhoods and community events to learn about. I'm also a reader and podcast listener - I've become a big fan of public transit as it builds in time to do both of those things during residency!