Meet Our Residents

Map of the US with logoos representing colleges and universities

*This map shows where our current residents went to medical school.

First-year residents (PGY-1)

2024-25 IM Interns


	Zayd Ahmed, MD, MS Undergraduate: University of Illinois Graduate: University of Illinois Medical School: University of Illinois Fun Fact: I have an Irish twin, and for one month each year, we’re the same age.
	Chris Babiarz, MD Undergraduate: University of Wisconsin Medical School: Medical College of Wisconsin Fun Fact: I ran The Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon in 2021 as a punishment for losing my fantasy football league. I was never much of a runner before training for it!
	Benish Baqai, MD Undergraduate: Loyola University Medical School: Medical College of Wisconsin Fun Fact: I was born with an extra digit (was surgically removed at birth), but it is considered a sign of luck in some cultures!
	Jon Barreto, MD Undergraduate: University of Illinois Medical School: University of Illinois
	Alivia Blumenstein, MD, MS Undergraduate: University of Colorado Graduate: University of Colorado Medical School: Chicago Medical School Fun Fact: I like to cook, but I love to eat! Currently, I'm on a journey to find the best burrito in the area and appreciate any and all recommendations.
	Zachary Carrasco, MD Undergraduate: University of Texas, Austin Medical School: University of Texas, San Antonio Fun Fact: I grew up on a ranch in South Texas with a lot of horses and cows.
	Frida Cervantes Diaz, MD Undergraduate: University of California, Riverside Medical School: University at Buffalo
	Daniel Cesario, MD Undergraduate: University of Illinois Medical School: University of Illinois
	Alan Chen, MD Undergraduate: University of California, LA Medical School: Saint Louis University Fun Fact: In my free time, I enjoy ice skating and playing the trumpet. I am also a huge fan of collecting and building various Lego sets.
	Dayana Dobrikov, DO Undergraduate: University of Illinois Medical School: Lake Erie COM
	Kyle Espejo, MD Undergraduate: University of Illinois Medical School: University of Illinois Fun Fact: I like to go to National Parks to hike and climb in my free time!
	Thomas Granado, MD Undergraduate: University of Arizona Medical School: University of Arizona Fun Fact: During medical school as a fun way to relax and prevent losing my Spanish, I read the Harry Potter series translated in Spanish.
	Paul Halliday, MD Undergraduate: Case Western Reserve University Medical School: RUSH Medical College
	Nicholas Horst, MD Undergraduate: Whitman College Medical School: Creighton University Fun Fact: I was on my college's competitive rock climbing team!
	Namrata Kadambi, MD Undergraduate: University of Michigan Medical School: Northwestern University Fun Fact: I was in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade once in high school.
	Brian Kokta, MD, MA Undergraduate: University of Wisconsin Graduate: Loyola University Medical School: Loyola University
	Koushik Kondapi, MD Undergraduate: University of Michigan Medical School: Northwestern University Fun Fact: I've played tennis since I was 5 years old, and while I was in undergrad my club tennis team won the Club Tennis National Championship!
	Jon Lee, MD Undergraduate: University of Washington Medical School: Loyola University Fun Fact: I met Bill Gates while standing in line for some late-night burgers at Dick's Drive-In during undergrad in Seattle.
	Ashley Lester, MD Undergraduate: University of Texas Medical School: Texas A&M Health Science Center
	Margo Mekjian, MD Undergraduate: University of Michigan Medical School: Wayne State University Fun Fact: I am a big Michigan Football fan and was in Houston to see them win the 2023 National Championship!
	Max Melchioris, MD Undergraduate: Ohio State University Graduate: Ohio State University Medical School: Ohio State University Fun Fact: I’m an award-winning apple pie baker!
	Samantha Mutai, DO Undergraduate: University of Maryland Medical School: CCOM Fun Fact: I’m a Sagittarius that loves to travel. My favorite place I’ve been is Costa Rica!
	Ramkumar Narendran, MD Undergraduate: Washington University Medical School: University of Illinois Fun Fact: I immigrated to Chicago from India when I was four years old!
	Dina Nashed, MD Undergraduate: Lewis University Medical School: University of Illinois Fun Fact: I went skiing for the first time ever in March and attended ski school to prevent major injuries.
	Noah Nelson, MD Undergraduate: Howard University Medical School: Howard University
	Isaac Ngo, MD Undergraduate: University of Illinois Medical School: University of Illinois Fun Fact: I’m a big foodie and love to travel (most recently to Vietnam) for good eats!
	Graylynn Oatess, MD Undergraduate: Vanderbilt University Medical School: University of Cincinnati Fun Fact: I once sang the national anthem at an Indiana Pacers game.
	Yudai Okabe, MD Undergraduate: Northwestern University Medical School: Loyola University Fun Fact: I have a titanium rod in my right femur after fracturing it as a gymnast in high school.
	Max Olash, MD Undergraduate: University of Louisville Medical School: University of Louisville Fun Fact: I am a post-bac and studied philosophy and French prior to starting medical school.
	Guy Olson, MD Undergraduate: University of Wisconsin Medical School: Loyola University Fun Fact: I prefer to eat my deep dish pizza cold.
	Chinma Onyeukwu, MD Undergraduate: Purdue University Medical School: RUSH Medical College Fun Fact: I explored the SS Antilla shipwreck, a vessel from World War II, while snorkeling in Aruba.
	Jinal Patel, MD Undergraduate: University of Wisconsin Medical School: RUSH Medical College Fun Fact: I love hosting game nights! My favorite games to play are Spot It, Catan, and Monopoly Deal.
	Kirin Saint, MD Undergraduate: University of Michigan Medical School: University of Michigan Fun Fact: My name has Indian, Japanese, and Irish roots – and so do I!
	Kim Tran, MD Undergraduate: Tulane University Medical School: Louisiana State University Fun Fact: One of my hobbies is origami. I started doing it in middle school.
	Govind Verma, MD, MS Undergraduate: University of Illinois Graduate: Rosalind Franklin University Medical School: Chicago Medical School Fun Fact: I was on a dance team throughout college and continue to dance in my free time.

Second-year residents (PGY-2)

2023 Intern Orientation


	Ummesalmah Abdulbaseer, MD Undergraduate: University of Illinois Medical School: University of Illinois Fun Fact: I shamelessly throw puns into everything, even my residency personal statement.
	Sierra Anderson, MD Undergraduate: University of Illinois Medical School: University of Massachusetts Fun Fact: I wrote a cookbook!
	Caroline Canning, MD, MS Undergraduate: University of Michigan Graduate: Harvard Medical School Medical School: Northwestern University Fun Fact: My lovable ausiedoodle pup, Cedric, is named in honor of Harry Potter — Cedric Doggory of House Rufflepuff!
	Madeline Cook, MD, MS Undergraduate: University of Colorado Graduate: Oregon Health and Science University Medical School: Oregon Health and Science University Fun Fact: I love to do all things art and craft, from knitting to stained glass to woodworking and more.
	Thomas Cunningham, MD Undergraduate: Tufts University Medical School: RUSH Medical College Fun Fact: I have driven coast to coast (Seattle - Boston) three times.
	Alexandra Diaz-Cruz, MD, MPH Undergraduate: University of Arkansas-Fort Smith Graduate: UAMS Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health Medical School: University of Arkansas Fun Fact: I love ecology! I have a saltwater tank with corals and fish I like to stare at.
	Brittany Doll, MD Undergraduate: Iowa State University Medical School: Medical College of Wisconsin Fun Fact: My fiancé and I are trying to go to a game at each MLB stadium! PNC Park (Pittsburgh Pirates) is our favorite thus far!
	Benjamin Eastburg, MD Undergraduate: Grand Valley State University Medical School: Michigan State University Fun Fact: I am a part owner of the Green Bay Packers.
	Jane Edmunds, MD Undergraduate: University of Missouri Medical School: University of Missouri, Columbia Fun Fact: I have a 6 year-old goldfish named Mermaid Man.
	Louis Filipiak, MD, MBA Undergraduate: University of Notre Dame Graduate: University of Notre Dame Medical School: University of Toledo Fun Fact: Check out my band “Where’s John?” on Spotify or Apple Music!
	Melissa Gunchenko, MD Undergraduate: Temple University Medical School: Temple University Fun Fact: I’ve eaten at the oldest restaurant in the world!
	Sarah Herrera Mercedes, MD Medical School: Universidad Iberoamericana Fun Fact: I can make the most random music playlists ever!
	Emanuel Irizarry Berrios, MD Undergraduate: Villanova University Medical School: University of Puerto Rico Fun Fact: I have recently started playing Padel. One of the main reasons I want to have a car in Chicago is to be able to drive to the Padel courts, which are located 50 min from RUSH ;)
	Isna Khaliq, MD Undergraduate: Youngstown State University Medical School: Northeastern Ohio University Fun Fact: I own 2 birds as my pets. They are parakeets, also known as budgies. Their names are Rose and Kiwi. They are the cutest little thing ever.
	Evan Klein, MD Undergraduate: Washington State University Medical School: RUSH Medical College Fun Fact: I’m a triplet!
	Annie McGregor, DO Undergraduate: University of New England Medical School: University of New England, COM Fun Fact: I studied abroad in Tangier, Morocco for a semester during undergrad.
	Maxwell McKee-Proctor, MD Undergraduate: Hamilton College Medical School: Temple University Fun Fact: I was a French major in college (and subsequently forgot a lot of it, so let me know if you want to practice some French).
	Brendan McQuillen, MD, MS Undergraduate: Tulane University Graduate: Tulane University Medical School: Tulane University Fun Fact: I recently spent a week living on a sailboat while diving the Exuma chain!
	Juan Ortiz Rodriguez, MD Undergraduate: University of Puerto Rico Medical School: University of Puerto Rico Fun Fact: Back home, most of my close friends don’t even know my real name or forget it, just because everyone knows me by my nickname “Paco”. So each time they hear someone calling me “Juan” they get surprised!
	Philip Papayanis, MD Undergraduate: University of California, San Diego Medical School: Loma Linda University Fun Fact: I have dual citizenship in America and the UK and am eligible to obtain Greek citizenship.
	Jake Pecorin, MD Undergraduate: DePaul University Medical School: University of Illinois Fun Fact: I love fishing on the Chicago lakefront!
	Allison Poles, MD Undergraduate: University of Michigan Medical School: Loyola University Fun Fact: When I was younger, I had a bird named Tad Poles.
	Olivia Ramsey, MD Undergraduate: Miami University Medical School: University of Louisville Fun Fact: I rode horses competitively through college!
	Nicholas Rigler, MD Undergraduate: University of Washington Medical School: RUSH Medical College Fun Fact: One morning I woke up and decided to go on a 34-mile run.
	Enmanuel Rosario Diaz, MD Medical School: Pontificia Universidad Fun Fact: I used to play in my University’s table tennis league.
	Yazmin Rustomji, MD Undergraduate: Marquette University Medical School: RUSH Medical College Fun Fact: I recently won free Jeni’s ice cream for a year! Let me know if you want some, I have too much in my freezer!
	Chandler Shapiro, MD Undergraduate: Wake Forest University Medical School: State University of New York at Stony Brook Fun Fact: I love “Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern”, and it’s made me an extremely adventurous eater!
	Arnav Singla, MD Undergraduate: University of North Carolina Medical School: Tufts University Fun Fact: I was, at one point, one of the top players at Catan in the country!
	Corrina Smith, MD Undergraduate: University of Washington Medical School: RUSH Medical College Fun Fact: My baby was born at RUSH while I was a medical student at RUSH!
	Reno Stramaglia, MD Undergraduate: Lewis University Medical School: Chicago Medical School Fun Fact: I’ve always felt I should have been born in another era, as my favorite music originates from the decades spanning the 1950s to the 1980s.
	Cody Uhlich, MD Undergraduate: Kansas State University Medical School: University of Kansas Fun Fact: I worked at Walt Disney World when I was in college!
	Sheel Vasavada, MD Undergraduate: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Medical School: Chicago Medical School Fun Fact: I love baking vegan desserts. Recently I’ve enjoyed baking a vegan version of the Levain chocolate chip cookie!
	Brian Ybarra, MD Undergraduate: San Diego State University Medical School: RUSH Medical College Fun Fact: I went spelunking in Portugal and was stuck between several rocks for several minutes before contorting my way out.
	Zhongyuan Zhang, MD Undergraduate: University of Michigan Medical School: Boston University

Third-year residents (PGY-3)

Residents gather on a grassy area with a gravel path.


Image	Nitika Agrawal, MD Undergraduate: Ohio State University Medical School: Wright State University Fun Fact: I went parasailing in Costa Rica, it was fun until we were dropped in open water (I have a fear of sharks).
Image	Dalia Alkhawaga, MD Undergraduate: Kent State University Medical School: Northeast Ohio Medical University Fun Fact: I make the best chocolate chip cookies around!
Image	Ellie Belilos, MD Undergraduate: Cornell University Medical School: Georgetown University Fun Fact: I have snorkeled between tectonic plates!
Image	Kesany Boupapanh, MD Undergraduate: Tulane University Medical School: Tulane University Fun Fact: My due date was New Year's Day, but I was born on Christmas Day.
Image	Janelle Castellino, MD Graduate: Ohio Northern University, Pharm. D Medical School: University of Nevada, Las Vegas Fun Fact: I grew up in Scranton, PA where the TV show The Office was set.
Image	Evangelina Cedeno, MD Medical School: Universidad Iberoamericana Fun Fact: I’m a huge fan of Korean Dramas
Image	Ana Maria Davila Morales, MD Undergraduate: University of Puerto Rico Medical School: University of Puerto Rico Fun Fact: I almost became a professional baker, but I decided medicine was best for me.
Image	Joshua Dein, MD Undergraduate: University of Wisconsin Medical School: University of Illinois Fun Fact: I am a huge Game of Thrones fan and had the opportunity to see many of the filming locations in Dubrovnik, Croatia!
Image	Matthew Golden, MD Undergraduate: University of Iowa Medical School: California Northstate University Fun Fact: I am addicted to chicken parmesan and am making a blog about the best dishes in Chicago.
Image	Isabel Hart, MD Undergraduate: University of Wisconsin Medical School: Wayne State University Fun Fact: I once carved my own wooden canoe paddle.
Image	Lincoln Kavinsky, MD Undergraduate: Beloit College Medical School: Tulane University Fun Fact: I started volunteering at RUSH during my sophomore year of high school! Now I get to work here in the capacity as an actual doctor!
Image	Mehwish Khan, MD Undergraduate: University of Illinois Medical School: CCOM Fun Fact: I taught myself to play several musical instruments, including piano, ukulele, and rabab (traditional Pakistani instrument).
Image	Sushant Koirala, MD Undergraduate: University of Pennsylvania Medical School: Saint Louis University Fun Fact: By the age of 10, I had already lived in three separate continents.
Image	Shannon Manz, MD Undergraduate: University of Michigan Medical School: Central Michigan University Fun Fact: I was scuba certified at 12 years old! My favorite sea creature to swim alongside is an eagle ray.
Image	David Martinez Marin, MD Undergraduate: Northeastern Illinois University Medical School: University of Illinois Fun Fact: I love to snowboard.
Image	Daniel Moreno, Jr., MD Undergraduate: University of Texas at El Paso Medical School: Texas Tech University Fun Fact: I have over 200 video games that I’ve been collecting since I was a kid.
Image	Natalie Otto, MD Undergraduate: University of Oklahoma Medical School: University of Oklahoma Fun Fact: I’m learning to make stained glass art.
Image	Laura Owczarzak, MD Undergraduate: Canisius College Medical School: RUSH Medical College Fun Fact: My favorites hobbies include reading, walking my corgi, and shopping at Costco.
Image	Ajay Patel, MD Undergraduate: University of Louisville Medical School: University of Louisville Fun Fact: I am so superstitious that I wear the same bengals t-shirt when watching football on Sundays for the last few years.
Image	Ankur Patel, MD Undergraduate: University of Louisville Medical School: University of Louisville Fun Fact: I have a twin brother, I bet you will never guess who it is.
Image	Alejandro Pinedo, MD Undergraduate: University of Miami Medical School: Ponce Health Sciences University Fun Fact: Every once in a while, when I find time, I like to grab a beer and run a Dungeons and Dragons campaign with my friends.
Image	Kate Pommert, MD Undergraduate: University of California, San Diego Medical School: Oregon Health & Science University Fun Fact: I collect records; mostly soul, funk, disco, and house music.
Image	Sydney Rabin, MD Undergraduate: Washington University Medical School: Chicago Medical School Fun Fact: I danced for a professional company in college but have been described as "embarrassing on the dance floor" by family and friends.
Image	Sonia Rao, MD Undergraduate: Rice University Medical School: Texas A&M College of Medicine Fun Fact: I have lived in 3 countries.
Image	Dauris Rosario Lora, MD Medical School: Pontificia Universidad Fun Fact: I've climbed, entirely on foot, to the highest peak in the entire Caribbean!
Image	Ryan Shapiro, MD Undergraduate: University of Kansas Medical School: University of Kansas Fun Fact: I was an actor when I was younger.
Image	Antonios Skondras, MD Undergraduate: University of Illinois Medical School: RUSH Medical College Fun Fact: I learned Greek before English.
Image	John Stathopoulos, MD Undergraduate: Boston College Medical School: RUSH Medical College Fun Fact: I was a music major in college and my main instrument was the cello.
Image	Michael Sunnaa, MD Undergraduate: California Lutheran University Medical School: Saint Louis University Fun Fact: My first job was at Chuck E Cheese, and I was often in the costume!
Image	Manvita Tatavarthy, MD, MS Undergraduate: University of California, Davis Graduate: Boston University Medical School: RUSH Medical College Fun Fact: I was part of a Guinness World Record.
Image	Diego Valenzuela, III, MD Undergraduate: University of Notre Dame Medical School: RUSH Medical College Fun Fact: I have been stung by a scorpion not once, but twice.
Image	Robert Vargas, MD Undergraduate: University of Nevada, Las Vegas Medical School: University of Nevada, Las Vegas Fun Fact: I love going to music festivals and have been to EDC 6 times!
Image	Caroline Wang, MD, MS Undergraduate: University of Toronto Graduate: University of Alberta Medical School: Stony Brook University Fun Fact: Within the last twenty years, I've lived in 3 different countries and moved more than 10 times!
Image	Bart Wilder, Jr., DO, M.Biol.S. Undergraduate: Georgia State University Graduate: Georgia State University Medical School: Touro COM - New York Fun Fact: I love a good burger spot. My favorite team is the Dallas Cowboys. I am a sneaker head.

Meet Our Residents

First-year residents (PGY-1)

Zayd Ahmed, MD, MS

Chris Babiarz, MD

Benish Baqai, MD

Jon Barreto, MD

Alivia Blumenstein, MD, MS

Zachary Carrasco, MD

Frida Cervantes Diaz, MD

Daniel Cesario, MD

Alan Chen, MD

Dayana Dobrikov, DO

Kyle Espejo, MD

Thomas Granado, MD

Paul Halliday, MD

Nicholas Horst, MD

Namrata Kadambi, MD

Brian Kokta, MD, MA

Koushik Kondapi, MD

Jon Lee, MD

Ashley Lester, MD

Margo Mekjian, MD

Max Melchioris, MD

Samantha Mutai, DO

Ramkumar Narendran, MD

Dina Nashed, MD

Noah Nelson, MD

Isaac Ngo, MD

Graylynn Oatess, MD

Yudai Okabe, MD

Max Olash, MD

Guy Olson, MD

Chinma Onyeukwu, MD

Jinal Patel, MD

Kirin Saint, MD

Kim Tran, MD

Govind Verma, MD, MS

Second-year residents (PGY-2)

Ummesalmah Abdulbaseer, MD

Sierra Anderson, MD

Caroline Canning, MD, MS

Madeline Cook, MD, MS

Thomas Cunningham, MD

Alexandra Diaz-Cruz, MD, MPH

Brittany Doll, MD

Benjamin Eastburg, MD

Jane Edmunds, MD

Louis Filipiak, MD, MBA

Melissa Gunchenko, MD

Sarah Herrera Mercedes, MD

Emanuel Irizarry Berrios, MD

Isna Khaliq, MD

Evan Klein, MD

Annie McGregor, DO

Maxwell McKee-Proctor, MD

Brendan McQuillen, MD, MS

Juan Ortiz Rodriguez, MD

Philip Papayanis, MD

Jake Pecorin, MD

Allison Poles, MD

Olivia Ramsey, MD

Nicholas Rigler, MD

Enmanuel Rosario Diaz, MD

Yazmin Rustomji, MD

Chandler Shapiro, MD

Arnav Singla, MD

Corrina Smith, MD

Reno Stramaglia, MD

Cody Uhlich, MD

Sheel Vasavada, MD

Brian Ybarra, MD

Zhongyuan Zhang, MD

Third-year residents (PGY-3)

Nitika Agrawal, MD

Dalia Alkhawaga, MD

Ellie Belilos, MD

Kesany Boupapanh, MD

Janelle Castellino, MD

Evangelina Cedeno, MD

Ana Maria Davila Morales, MD