PGY-1
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Aya Bassatne, MD
Hometown: Beirut, Lebanon Undergraduate School: American University of Beirut Medical School: American University of Beirut Career Plan: Endocrinology! Hobbies/Interests: Traveling, discovering new places, tennis, and all things Disney! Why did you choose ACMC? Even virtually, I could feel the friendly and supportive environment of the program. Leaving my country and family, I wanted a program that would feel like home! |
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Vivian Chukwuma, MD
Hometown: Enugu, Nigeria Undergraduate School: University of Maiduguri Medical School: University of Maiduguri College of Medical Sciences Career Plan: Undecided Hobbies/Interests: If it looks and smells like food, I love it. So I enjoy cooking, sometimes, just to admire the meal. I also like traveling. Why did you choose ACMC? The plan was always to get into a program that offered exceptional training and could get me to my goal of becoming an excellent physician. Knowing I was going to be far away from home and everything familiar, I knew that how I would feel while in training was going to be as important as the training itself. So I decided to prioritize warmth and compassion in making my decision. My interaction with the ACMC team pre-match was beautiful. The excellence of the program also eliminated the need to prioritize one thing over the other. ACMC is a great place to be. |
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Alexandria Clarke, DO
Hometown: Bourbonnais, IL Undergraduate School: Loyola University Medical School: Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine Career Plan: Pulmonary & Critical Care Hobbies/Interests: Hiking with my husband and dog, cooking and nutrition Why did you choose ACMC? ACMC has a very diverse patient population, interesting pathology, and a very supportive learning environment. |
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Nerissa Fernandes, DO
Hometown: Buffalo Grove, IL Undergraduate School: Loyola University Chicago Medical School: New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine Career Plan: Hospitalist, but open to specialties Hobbies/Interests: Working out, traveling, reading, cooking, spending time with family and friends Why did you choose ACMC? I was very impressed with the diverse pathology and population the hospital serves, and I knew training here would mold me into the best physician I could be! |
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Emil Joseph, MD
Hometown: Libertyville, IL Undergraduate School: University of Illinois at Chicago Medical School: Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University Career Plan: Undecided, but most likely hospitalist Hobbies/Interests: Netflix, board games, spikeball, anything outdoors Why did you choose ACMC? I absolutely loved my time as a medical student at ACMC. I love that it's a community program with the academic rigor of a university program and you serve a diverse patient population. More importantly, it's the attendings and residents who are all so brilliant and eager to teach that made it a really easy decision for me |
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George Kalapurakal, DO
Hometown: Willowbrook, IL Undergraduate School: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Medical School: Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine Career Plan: I’m interested in specializing in either Cardiology or Hematology/Oncology Hobbies/Interests: Playing/watching all sports, fantasy football, baking, exploring new restaurants, spending time with friends and family Why did you choose ACMC? ACMC has a great combination of patient pathology/volume and a nurturing/compassionate environment. There is a lot of autonomy as well, which lends itself to developing as a clinician in your own way |
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Michael Kim, DO
Hometown: Lincolnshire, IL Undergraduate School: Northwestern University Medical School: Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine Career Plan: Rheumatology or Pulmonary/Critical Care Hobbies/Interests: Tennis, Travel, Cooking, Ultimate Why did you choose ACMC? ACMC stood out as it was a welcoming environment with warm and kind people! The mix between the service we could provide to the community, the high level of acuity and diverse array of pathology, and the amazing people clinched it as the place I wanted to go to become a well rounded physician. |
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Stephanie Kim, MD
Hometown: Palatine, IL Undergraduate School: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Medical School: Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University Career Plan: Hospitalist Hobbies/Interests: Baking, traveling Why did you choose ACMC? I chose ACMC because of their reputation for a great learning environment and supportive residents. I also loved that the patient population is diverse, as are the types of cases that come in |
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Allison Kunze, DO
Hometown: Springfield, Missouri Undergraduate School: Washington University in St Louis Medical School: Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine Career Plan: Pulmonary Critical Care or Hospitalist Hobbies/Interests: Biking around Chicago, working out, cooking, trying new restaurants Why did you choose ACMC? I wanted to be somewhere that had high acuity and a diverse patient population where I’d receive excellent hands-on training. The people I interviewed with were extremely friendly and easy to talk to, and it felt like somewhere I would enjoy working |
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Nicolas Lalanne, DO
Hometown: Porterville, California Undergraduate School: California Polytechnic State University Medical School: Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine Career Plan: Undecided Hobbies/Interests: Sports, outdoor activities, travel |
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Mohammad Leghari, MD
Hometown: Lahore, Pakistan Undergraduate School: Aga Khan University Medical School: Aga Khan University Career Plan: Infectious Disease or Hospitalist Hobbies/Interests: I love to play and watch football (soccer). I am also a casual video game player and like to go on hikes whenever I can. I would love to travel but I'm broke so that doesn't pan out too well Why did you choose ACMC? It was quite stressful choosing which programs to apply for during the match season. ACMC was a no brainer though. I was looking for programs in and around the Chicagoland area and ACMC was probably top of my list from the beginning. I had heard amazing things about the program from previous alumni and I think the experience of the interview day just sealed the deal for me. I'm not sure many programs can boast a Program Director as cool as ours or the fact that whenever you have a bad day in the hospital you can take your frustration out (or probably get more frustrated in my case) by playing a game or two of SMASH on the Nintendo in the Resident's lounge |
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Arian Nowrozi, MD
Hometown: Los Angeles, California Undergraduate School: University of California Irvine Medical School: Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University Career Plan: Gastroenterology Hobbies/Interests: Cooking, spending time with family and friends, coffee snob, exercise and fitness freak, long walks, podcasts, listening to books on audible at 2X speed, and obviously binge watching any TV show Why did you choose ACMC? After doing my clerkship and Sub-I at ACMC, I knew it was the best place for me to receive my training. The diverse pathology in combination with the amazing attendings and residents made this program my top choice |
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Matthew O'Reilly, MD
Hometown: Palos Heights, IL Undergraduate School: Purdue University Medical School: St. George's University School of Medicine Career Plan: Hematology/Oncology Hobbies/Interests: Sports hanging with friends and family Why did you choose ACMC? I choose ACMC because of its diverse patient population and family culture. I also love being able to serve the community I am from |
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Noor Qaddour, DO
Hometown: Overland Park, Kansas Undergraduate School: University of Illinois - Urbana Champaign Medical School: Lincoln Memorial University - DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine Career Plan: Undecided Hobbies/Interests: Running, soccer, hiking, baking, reading, kayaking, anything outdoors Why did you choose ACMC? I chose ACMC for its diverse patient demographic and the multitude of various pathology you see. I loved the camaraderie that I saw amongst the residents during my interview. It’s truly had a team oriented atmosphere. |
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Tazeen Rizvi, DO
Hometown: Frisco, Texas Undergraduate School: UT Dallas Medical School: Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine Career Plan: Hospitalist Hobbies/Interests: Learning and planning engaging activities for my daughter during my free time Why did you choose ACMC? I was fortunate enough to get a chance to rotate at Christ multiple times as a student, I believe that made me fall in love with the environment here, as well as with the pathology. As a student and now as an intern, I always feel heard at this program |
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Ashley Roberts, DO
Hometown: Schererville, Indiana Undergraduate School: Loyola University Chicago Medical School: Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine Career Plan: Interested in Geriatrics or hospitalist, but undecided Hobbies/Interests: Traveling, Walking by the lake, Swimming, Peloton, anything Disney! Why did you choose ACMC? The diverse pathology and the people. Even though I was unable to rotate at Christ due to COVID, I could see how supportive the faculty and other residents were of one another throughout my interview day. I was told several times during my interview that we would see and learn "everything" at Christ. I can already see that all of this will hold true just within my first few months of being here |
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Hector Roman Perez, MD
Hometown: Mayaguez, Puerto Rico Undergraduate School: Universidad de Puerto Rico Recinto Universitario de Mayaguez Medical School: American University of Antigua College of Medicine Career Plan: Pulmonology and Critical Care Hobbies/Interests: PC Gaming, Sightseeing, Travelling and Cooking. TV Shows >> Movies. Big advocate for helping others in need; Charity trips abroad Why did you choose ACMC? The main reason I chose ACMC was because of the "vibe" I felt during my interview. I honestly, felt extremely welcomed by everyone from the Program Directors to the residents and residency coordinators. Everyone was extremely friendly, and now as an Intern I can strongly confirm this. So in conclusion, I chose ACMC because I felt like it would be the best environment to learn, practice medicine and evolve in my professional career and be happy during that process |
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Mehul Shah, DO
Hometown: Naperville, IL Undergraduate School: Loyola University Chicago Medical School: New York Institue of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine at Arkansas State University Career Plan: Still deciding between Hospitalist and Fellowship (Cards, GI, Endocrine) Hobbies/Interests: Love keeping up with the NBA and NFL (Bear Down!), video gaming, and trying new restaurants in the city! Why did you choose ACMC? I wanted to join a program where I felt a sense of camaraderie between the residents and faculty. The collegial culture played a large role in choosing to come to Advocate Christ! |
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Baani Singh, MD
Hometown: Burr Ridge, IL Undergraduate School: Northwestern University Medical School: University of Minnesota Medical School Career Plan: Undecided- the list includes hospitalist, endocrinology or nephrology Hobbies/Interests: Spending time with family and friends, dancing, karate, cooking, baking, and traveling (which I will hopefully be able to do again soon) Why did you choose ACMC? I chose ACMC because I wanted to train at a program that was both academically and community oriented- in multiple ways. I had read and heard a lot about ACMC from peers who had rotated there. In terms of practicing medicine, I felt that it would challenge me to be a better physician every day. There is a lot of complex pathology and complex social situations that physicians here have to navigate multiple times every day. I also felt that residents and administration had a community-oriented culture. When you are spending a lot of time and energy at work, it is important to be with a group of people that make you feel supported, allow you to be yourself, and challenge you (in the right ways) to be the best you can be. Overall, it was my top choice and I am very happy I matched here |
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Morena Valdizon, DO
Hometown: Rogers, Arkansas Undergraduate School: University of Arkansas Medical School: Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine Career Plan: I would love being a hospitalist but I am considering GI or ICU as well Hobbies/Interests: I love cooking and trying new restaurants and breweries in the Chicago area! (Limitless options!) Why did you choose ACMC? I choose ACMC because the program not only cares about their residents learning and growing as physicians but they also cared about their residents outside of the hospital. ACMC values your mental and physical well-being in addition to you being a great doctor. I’m incredibly happy with my decision! |
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Chandler Walsh, DO
Hometown: Fairfax, Virginia Undergraduate School: George Mason University/Georgetown University Medical School: Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine Career Plan: Currently undecided! I love inpatient medicine and will either practice as a hospitalist or specialize in critical care medicine Hobbies/Interests: Puzzling, audible enthusiast, huge fan of the IBCC podcast, chilling with my 80lb mastiff or playing with my gimpy orange tabby, cooperative video gaming, baking (to eat!) Why did you choose ACMC? I found this program online from Virginia and was instantly blown away. After reaching out to VCOM alumni and hearing about their experience at the program I knew ACMC would be an amazing place to learn and grow over the next three years. There was no question for me that this was my top choice residency program |
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Ryan Wolsky, DO
Hometown: Denver, Colorado Undergraduate School: University of Colorado, Boulder Medical School: Touro University Nevada College of Osteopathic Medicine Career Plan: Cardiology Hobbies/Interests: Skiing, cycling, ice hockey, exploring Chicago's bars and restaurants Why did you choose ACMC? I wanted to be at a big hospital with high acuity and diverse pathology. As someone who wants to pursue fellowship, Christ has a proven track record of placing residents into competitive specialties at well-known programs across the country. During interviews the residents were charismatic and made this seem like the place to be! |
Preliminary Residents
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Mahmoud Abdel, MD
Hometown: Oak Lawn, IL Undergraduate School: Benedictine University Medical School: University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine Career Plan: Philanthropy and PM&R Hobbies/Interests: Eating out almost 7 days a week, buying stocks, helping out with many Chicago events: Marathon/Lollapalooza Why did you choose ACMC? This was my hometown hospital growing up. It feels like a high school reunion every day on the job. This is also a program where you basically have the fundamentals to be a competent physician by the end of one year from the amount of pathology you see and autonomy given. This was an opportunity I could not pass up on as a pre lim. |
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Sumaiya Salman, MD
Hometown: Oak Brook, IL Undergraduate School: Loyola University Chicago Medical School: Medical College of Wisconsin Career Plan: Radiology Hobbies/Interests: Hanging out with my family and friends, visiting state parks, trying new foods Why did you choose ACMC? I know some former graduates of the IM program that had wonderful things to say about Christ. Christ just seemed like the best place for me to build a solid clinical foundation for the future. And so close to my hometown. |