Current Emergency Medicine Residents

Nagehan Ayakta, MD

Hometown: Istanbul, Turkey and Voorhees, NJ

Medical School: Stanford University

Extracurricular Interest: Hosting dinner parties and game nights with my hubby, exploring new restaurants, at-home workouts and strength training, hiking, binging TV (The Office, Scrubs, This is Us), and concerts! 

Professional Interests: Social EM, ultrasound, medical education, and quality improvement.

Alexandra Bensel, MD

Hometown: New Orleans, LA

Medical School: University of Mississippi

Extracurricular Interest: Running, hot yoga, ballet, trying new restaurants and outdoor activities (next up: surfing!), crafting cocktails, breweries, true crime documentaries/podcasts, and traveling.

Professional Interests: Pediatric EM, toxicology, pharmacology, telehealth, disaster medicine, physician wellness.

Shane Bierly, MD

Hometown: Emerald Isle, NC

Medical School: University of North Carolina

Extracurricular Interest: Trail running with my dog, sea-kayaking, surfing (poorly, but with enthusiasm), backpacking, Russian lit, drinking hot coffee on a cool porch in the early morning, listening to the musical collection of Taylor Swift

Professional Interests: Toxicology, wilderness medicine, FFR Coronary CT imaging

Daniel Brownstein, MD

Hometown: Washington, D.C.

Medical School: UCLA

Extracurricular Interest: Surfing, snowboarding, diving, cooking, travel, and hiking with my pup.

Professional Interests: Health policy, global health, wilderness medicine, street medicine.

Zachary Fica, MD, MS

Hometown: Pocatello, ID

Medical School: University of Utah

Graduate School: University of Utah

Extracurricular Interest: Sports (especially triathlon, basketball, and curling), Dungeons & Dragons, baking, video games, math and engineering.

Professional Interests: Palliative Medicine, Education, Administration, Medical Spanish, Humanism in Medicine

Dhu'l-kifl "DK" Franklin, MBChB

Hometown: Nairoby, Kenya and Los Angeles, CA

Medical School: University of Nairobi

Extracurricular Interest: Soccer (Manchester United Fan), Formula 1 (Big Lewis Hamilton Fan), Cooking, Running, Hiking, Train Modeling, Prototyping, Reading, Social Justice, Community Service, Watching Movies and TV shows.

Professional Interests: EMS, Social EM, and International EM.

Nicole Franklin, MD

Hometown: Denver, CO

Medical School: Case Western Reserve University

Extracurricular Interest: Mountain biking, camping/backpacking, skiing, dog parks, charcuterie boards, and now a novice surfer.

Professional Interests: Undifferentiated - medical education, clinical research, population health, wilderness medicine, QA, ultrasound

Paulyne Lee, MD

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

Medical School: George Washington University

Extracurricular Interest: Escape rooms, playing at my favorite arcade (Dave & Buster's), piano, annoying my little sister, and exploring coffee shops. 

Professional Interests: Medical education, ultrasound, and social emergency medicine.

Michael Navarro, MD

Hometown: Brawley, CA

Medical School: UCSD

Extracurricular Interest: PC gaming, building PC rigs, COD Warzone, supporting local breweries, Off roading, paintball, watching movies and TV shows.

Professional Interests: Community medicine and underserved communities. Toxicology and ultrasound.

Brandon Schabacker, MD

Hometown: Virginia Beach, VA

Medical School: Eastern Virginia

Extracurricular Interest: Competitive powerlifting, rugby, wrestling, hiking/backpacking (exploring as many National Parks as possible), surfing, snowboarding, music festivals (big EDM fan!), and abysmally learning the saxophone. 

Professional Interests: Sports Medicine, Wilderness Medicine, Toxicology, Aerospace Medicine and operational / tactical medicine. 

Sidra Speaker, MD, MS

Hometown: Santa Cruz, CA

Medical School: Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University

Graduate School: Case Western Reserve University

Extracurricular Interest: Hiking, climbing, gardening, cooking, painting, traveling, and writing.

Professional Interests: Social EM, data science, health care delivery & health systems science, pain & addiction medicine

Drew Weinstein, MD, MS

Hometown: Santa Rosa, CA

Medical School: Chicago Medical at Rosalind Franklin

Graduate School: Chicago Medical at Rosalind Franklin

Extracurricular Interest: Finding the best taco, cooking, backpacking, fitness, traveling, sending postcards, snowboarding, and napping on the beach.

Professional Interests: Medical education and simulation, pediatric emergency medicine, and social emergency medicine.

Sophia Aguirre, MD

Hometown: Tuscon, AZ

Medical School: Mayo Clinic Alix

Extracurricular interests: Hiking, working out, dancing, cooking, and watching lots of reality T.V.

Professional interests: Patient satisfaction research, medical education, and EMS.

Bill Chan, MD

Hometown: Millbrae, CA

Medical School: George Washington University

Extracurricular interests: Spending time with friends and family, staying active (weight lifting, basketball, beach volleyball, flag-football), traveling, and drinking cold brew coffee.

Professional interests: Health Policy, Addiction Medicine, Social EM, and Ultrasound.

Tyler Dohm, MD

Hometown: Traverse City, MI

Medical School: Indiana University

Extracurricular interests: Rock climbing, skiing, reading, sports (basketball/football), music, and video games!

Professional interests: Palliative care and global health.

Allison Donahue, MD, MMS

Hometown: Wayne, PA

Medical School: Drexel University

Graduate School: Drexel University

Extracurricular interests: Anything outside and anything social! running, hiking, camping, playing tennis, meditation, and live music.

Professional interests: Pediatric EM, critical care, social EM, and climate change/disaster medicine.

Alyssa Lane, MD

Hometown: Mesa, AZ

Medical School: University of Arizona, Tuscon

Extracurricular interests: Trail running, yoga, Pilates, hiking with my pup, woodworking, game nights, breweries, concerts, and traveling!

Professional interests: Social EM, medical Spanish, ultrasound, global health, and austere medicine.

Elizabeth Luu, MD

Hometown: San Diego, CA

Medical School: UC Riverside

Extracurricular interests: Cooking, baking, reading, playing piano, ballet, hiking, badminton, tending to my houseplants, board games, video games, binging tv, spending time with friends/family/pets, and the San Diego Zoo/Safari Park.

Professional interests: Ultrasound, Medical Education, Simulation, and Critical Care.

Weston McCue, MD

Hometown: Cody, WY

Medical School: University of Hawaii

Extracurricular interests: Surfing, skydiving, flying (anything with wings), snowboarding, rock climbing, dogs (all of the dogs), anything outside, magnets, whitewater kayaking, and fish tacos.

Professional interests: Aerospace and Flight Medicine, Wilderness/Expedition Medicine, Global Health, Rural Medicine, and Underserved Medicine.

Taylor Murray, MD

Hometown: Superior, CO

Medical School: University of Colorado

Extracurricular interests: Traveling, exploring new restaurants and coffee shops, hiking, volleyball, cooking, spending time with family and friends (and most importantly with my dog Cheyenne).

Professional interests: Social emergency medicine, global health, pediatric emergency medicine, and medical education.

Scott Ninokawa, MD

Hometown: Fullerton, CA

Medical School: Tulane University

Extracurricular interests: SCUBA diving, ice climbing, weight lifting, backpacking, snowboarding, disc golf, and true crime tv.

Professional interests: EMS, research, acute trauma care, tactical medicine, and hyperbarics.

Rachel Pile, MD

Hometown: Phoenix, AZ

Medical School: University of Arizona, Tuscon

Extracurricular interests: Solo travel, game nights, team trivia, planning events, DIY projects, creative cooking, exploring new hobbies, and keeping my plants alive.

Professional interests: Pediatric emergency medicine, social emergency medicine, global health, child welfare, and survivor advocacy.

Nicholas Simon, MD

Hometown: Kamuela, HI

Medical School: University of Hawaii

Extracurricular interests: Surfing, being outdoors, sneaker collecting, sampling hot sauces, and supporting local breweries.

Professional interests: Social emergency medicine, ultrasound, indigenous health, and global health.

Kylie Van Hoesen, MD

Hometown: Evergreen, CO

Medical School: University of Colorado

Extracurricular interests: Anything outdoors; skiing, biking, climbing, hiking (excited to get into surfing and paddle boarding!), park hangs with friends, coffee shops, cooking, fitness, and traveling.

Professional interests: Global health, wilderness medicine, social emergency medicine and wellness.

Matthew Baniqued, MD

Hometown: Cerritos, CA

Medical School: Hackensack Meridian

Extracurricular interests: Cooking, hiking, weight-lifting, tennis, video games, sneaker collecting, travel, and finding the best places to eat.

Professional interests: Medical Education, Administration, Quality Improvement, Clinical Informatics, and serving the underserved.

Stevin Bienfait, MD

Hometown: Norcross, GA

Medical School: University of Illinois

Extracurricular interests: Playing pick-up soccer, hanging out with friends, and being outdoors. Excited to try surfing out! 

Professional interests: Health Tech, Quality Improvement, and Ultrasound.

Sarah Chaides, MD

Hometown: Pasadena, CA

Medical School: Wayne State University

Extracurricular interests: Rock climbing, backpacking/camping, biking, snowboarding, traveling, soccer, eating tacos, going to too many concerts, and petting other people's dogs.

Professional interests: Sports Medicine, EMS and Disaster Medicine, and Wilderness Medicine.

Eric Chen, MD

Hometown: San Diego, CA

Medical School: Indiana University

Extracurricular interests: Cooking, playing sports/weight-lifting, going out and trying new restaurants/bars, getting 2nd to last place at trivia nights.

Professional interests: Social EM, Simulation, Disaster Medicine, and Medical Education.

Philip Fallah, MD

Hometown: Redmond, WA

Medical School: University of Washington

Extracurricular interests: Cooking, eating, staying active (lifting, running, hiking, snowboarding, spikeball, basketball), fantasy football heartbreak, game nights, having an irrational fear of sharks, and doing things despite having irrational fears about them (surfing???).

Professional interests: Addiction & Pain Medicine and Community Health

Megan Keys, MD

Hometown: San Jose, CA

Medical School: UC Irvine

Extracurricular interests: Any crafty activities (recently Cricut crafts and knitting), spending time outdoors especially with my husband and two dogs, finding tasty sour beers, and playing old Nintendo video games.

Professional interests: Medical Education, EMS, and Pediatric Emergency Medicine.

Avi Patel, MD

Hometown: San Jose, CA

Medical School: Tufts University

Extracurricular interests: Hiking/camping, snow sports, tech/new technologies, space/aviation, and cinematography.

Professional interests: EMS, Critical Care, Wilderness Medicine, Admin/Operations, and Health Tech/Informatics.

Aarish Shahab, MD

Hometown: Chicago, IL & Columbia, MO

Medical School: University of Illinois

Extracurricular interests: Photography, Travel, Hiking, Scuba Diving, Skydiving, Game nights, and Bubble tea.

Professional interests: EMS, Palliative Care, Pain Management, and Global Health.

Christine Stafford, MD, MS

Hometown: Gardena, CA

Medical School:  Tufts University

Graduate School: USC

Extracurricular interests: Outdoor activities (SCUBA diving, hiking, skiing, volleyball), reading, and traveling.

Professional interests: Women's Health, Hyperbaric Medicine, and Wilderness Medicine.

Louie Wang, MD, MS

Hometown: HangZhou, China and Flushing, NY

Medical School: UC Los Angeles

Graduate School: UC San Diego

Extracurricular interests: I am a big foodie! You can probably catch me in the kitchen trying a new recipe or sampling the local mom&pops. Otherwise, I like to take nature/landscape photographs, play video games, and lift weights.

Professional interests: Ultrasound and Medical Education, but I recently gained interest in EMS & Disaster Medicine as well.

Sarah Alzaabi, MD

Hometown: Abu Dhabi, UAE

Medical School: United Arab Emirates University

Extracurricular Interests: Exercise, hiking, road trips, reading, spending time with friends and family.

Professional Interests: Global health, social medicine, critical care, sports medicine, and wellness.

Connor Babbush, MD

Hometown: Los Angeles and San Diego, CA

Medical School: University of Arizona, Tucson

Extracurricular Interests: Snowboarding, climbing, keeping REI in business, exploring new countries, La Puerta happy hours, live music, cooking, making cocktails for friends, still starting every Padres season with “This is going to be our year.”

Professional Interests: Rural Medicine, Ultrasound, and Social EM.

Robert Burns, MD

Hometown: Thousand Oaks, CA

Medical School: UC Davis

Extracurricular Interests: Spending time with my wife, family and friends, surfing, snowboarding, being outdoors, bbqing, and playing/watching most sports.

Professional Interests: Rural medicine, medical education, sports medicine, flight medicine, and underserved.

Julia Hermann, MD

Hometown: Los Angeles and San Diego, CA

Medical School: University of Southern California

Extracurricular Interests: The outdoors! (hiking, camping, skiing...), gardening, cooking/baking, and art (painting, drawing, crafting).

Professional Interests: Wilderness medicine, education/simulation training, and pediatric EM.

Max Kaito, MD

Hometown: Los Angeles & Torrance, CA

Medical School: Nova Southeastern University

Extracurricular Interests: Tennis, pickleball, running, board/video games, car karaoke, brewery-hunting, and finding cute dogs to pet!

Professional Interests: Medical education, administration, ultrasound, critical care, and palliative medicine.

Michael Kortz, DO, MBA

Hometown: Denver, CO

Medical School: Kansas City University

Graduate School: Rockhurst University Helzberg School of Management

Extracurricular Interests: Time with close friends and family, any outdoor activity (hiking, camping, diving, skiing, etc), reading, fitness, aerospace/astronomy, philosophy, traveling, museums, and music.

Professional Interests: Aerospace and Extreme Environments Med, Wilderness Med, Dive Med, EMS, Critical Care, Research and Education, Health Policy, Global Health, Neurotrauma, Human Enhancement and Neuroprosthetics

Sai Maddike, MD

Hometown: Chicago, IL & Martinez, CA

Medical School: Northwestern University

Extracurricular Interests: Cooking, tennis/pickleball, lazing on the beach, and trivia nights.

Professional Interests: Addiction medicine, social EM, and pain management.

Michael Orcutt, MD

Hometown: Casper, WY

Medical School: Marian Unviersity

Extracurricular Interests: Distance running, mountain biking, knitting, surfing, and playing live music.

Professional Interests: Harm reduction, toxicology, and EMS/ community oriented medical intervention.

Byron Rosenthal, MD

Hometown: Los Angeles & San Diego, CA & Shenzhen, China & Paris, France

Medical School: Georgetown University

Extracurricular Interests: Boxing/Muay Thai, drawing, video games, catching the perfect wave for 2 seconds before wiping out🤙

Professional Interests: Social EM, Peds EM, and EMS.

Jeremy Santiago, MD

Hometown: Riverside & San Diego, CA & Fayetteville, NC

Medical School: UC Riverside

Extracurricular Interests: Overlanding, mountain biking, camping, autocross, woodworking, working on cars, and spending time outdoors with my three dogs.

Professional Interests: EMS, Tactical medicine, Disaster medicine, Ultrasound, Critical Care, and Rural Medicine.

Theresa Sonka, MD

Hometown: Corpus Christi & Houston, TX

Medical School: University of Texas Southwestern

Extracurricular Interests: Sitting on the beach, Hanging out with friends, Exploring restaurants, Movies, and Sand volleyball.

Professional Interests: Ultrasound, Medical Devices, Global Health, and Social EM.

Serena Tally, MD

Hometown: Maplewood, NJ

Medical School: UC Irvine

Extracurricular Interests: Hiking, rock climbing, yoga, roller skating, thrift-shopping, live music, macrame, figuring out pop songs on the guitar, reading a juicy mystery/thriller novel, and binging true-crime podcasts or atrocious reality TV.

Professional Interests: Social EM, Global Health, Harm Reduction, Wilderness Medicine, Ultrasound, and Medical Education.

Theresa Thomas, MD

Hometown: Inver Grove Heights, MN & Phoenix, AZ & San Diego, CA

Medical School: Creighton University

Extracurricular Interests: Surfing, breakfast burritos, climbing, sleeping in weird places, and trying to keep my houseplants alive.

Professional Interests: Global emergency medicine and ultrasound in limited resource settings.

Bianca Yugar, MD

Hometown: Diamond Bar, Monterey Park & West Los Angeles, CA & Jersey City, NJ

Medical School: Rutgars New Jersey Medical School

Extracurricular Interests: Karaoke, road trips, concerts/music festivals, trying out new pilates/barre studios, running at a snail's pace, finding the best boba spots, and soaking up the sun with my two Pomeranians (Gizmo & Bean).

Professional Interests: Toxicology, Border Health, Event Medicine, and Pain Management.