Meet The Residents
![Highland EM 2023-2024[60]](https://www.highlandemergency.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Highland-EM-2023-202460-1024x683.jpg)








- Class of 2023
- Class of 2024
- Class of 2025
- Class of 2026
- Class of 2027

Simisola Alalade
Hometown: Chicago/C.C.Hills, IL
High School: Rich Central
Undergraduate School: Emory University
College Majors: Anthropology and Human Biology
Medical School: Rush Medical College
Interests / Hobbies: journaling, anime/manga, thrifting, trying ramen in new cities, concerts, science fiction novels, volleyball, mentorship, social justice, women’s health, wellness
5 Year Plan: develop into a thoughtful and confident EM physician to patients across the globe, meet many new folks and learn from them, give back to the community, support my family and friends, experience joy, and remain open to wherever the universe takes me (Hellooo Cali!)

Tara Benesch
Hometown: Washington D.C. metro area
High School: Thomas Jefferson
Undergraduate School: Washington University in St. Louis
College Majors: Psychology
Graduate School: UCSF-UC Berkeley Joint Medical Program (JMP)
Graduate School Degree: M.S. in Health and Medical Sciences
Medical School: UCSF
Interests / Hobbies: being outside, lifting heavy things (sometimes for prizes), learning about new places and people, cooking, singing in my car and dancing in the kitchen
5 Year Plan: Be a humble, competent, and compassionate doctor who spreads joy and works with others to fight inequities. Finish a library book before I have to return it. Eat a lot of ice cream.

Jeremiah Cross
Hometown: Baltimore, MD
High School: Baltimore Polytechnic Institute
Undergraduate School: Harvard University
College Majors: Psychology
Graduate School: Johns Hopkins University
Graduate School Degree: MS Education
Medical School: Yale School of Medicine
Interests / Hobbies: Social determinants of health, diversity in medicine, community-engaged research, photography, stargazing, podcasts, learning to cook, the planet fitness black card spa, long car rides featuring trap music and late 90s/early 00s r&b
5 Year Plan: Become a competent and compassionate EM doc, build community with my colleagues and the people of Oakland, be the best husband I can be, maintain gratitude and awe for life and my journey now and in the future

Amy Do-Nyguen
Hometown: Irvine, CA
High School: Irvine High
Undergraduate School: UCLA
College Majors: Biology, Evolutionary Medicine
Graduate School: n/a
Graduate School Degree: n/a
Medical School: UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine
Interests / Hobbies: global medicine, healthcare disparities, wilderness medicine, playing outside - rock climbing, running, backpacking, traveling, being healthy, pretending to be healthy, most pastries, ice cream...
5 Year Plan: Becoming an empathetic and effective doctor, learning to expand my impact in and out of the hospital, climb big rocks, run long trails, travel to far away places, and keep an easy smile

Claire Hirschmann
Hometown: Seattle, WA
High School: Seattle Preparatory School
Undergraduate School: Yale University
College Major: English
Graduate School: Harvard Graduate School of Education
Graduate School Degree: Masters in Education
Postbacc: Goucher College
Medical School: University of Pennsylvania
Interests/Hobbies: Outdoor adventuring (doing, planning); dystopian teen novels (reading, envisioning myself the heroine of); games (board, lawn); reproductive health (teaching, discussing, providing); color-coordinating (closets, phone apps); breakfast sandwiches (consuming), etymology (researching, misreading social cues and assuming others are also interested in).
5-Year Plan: Be proud of the doctor I've become, have a network of people who make me feel strong, learn a lot, teach a lot, say thank you..

Jamal Jefferson
Hometown: Washington, DC
High School: St. Albans School
Undergraduate School: Williams College
College Majors: Biology
Graduate School: MBA from The Simon Business School
Medical School: University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
Interests / Hobbies: basketball, squash, hiking, running, and podcast on politics, history and economics
5 Year Plan: Continue to fill my mind with all medical knowledge to be a well train EM physician, fill my body with endorphins from exercise and good food (especially from my crockpot) , and fill my soul by being a caring and compassionate physician, partner and human-being

Robert Kim
Hometown: Westchester, NY
High School: Byram Hills High School
Undergraduate School: Washington University in St. Louis
College Majors: Anthropology and Public Health
Medical School: SUNY Downstate
Interests / Hobbies: searching for the best fried chicken, board-game nights, sun-bathing, thrift shopping, dancing wildly, social medicine, physician wellness, and LGBT health
5 Year Plan: learn to be a humble, thoughtful, compassionate, and competent EM doc and patient-advocate / create deep and loving roots within my partner, my family, my friends, and my work / be happy and joyful

Lexi Lambeck
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
High School: Chaminade High School
Undergraduate School: UC Berkeley
College Major: Cognitive Science
College Minor: Spanish Language
Medical School: UC San Diego
Interests / Hobbies: Salsa dancing, backpacking, tea, mystery novels, cross-cultural literacy and humility
5 Year Plan: Become the kickass doctor I dream of being, learn a new language, plant a vegetable garden (and keep it alive)

Brian Lentz
Hometown: Iowa City, Iowa
High School: Iowa City West High School
Undergraduate School: University of Southern California
College Majors: Biological Sciences
Graduate School: University of Southern California
Graduate School Degree: MS in Marine and Environmental Biology
Medical School: Johns Hopkins
Interests / Hobbies: Biking, giving surf lessons, swimming, running, climbing, skiing, wishing I had a couple huskies and a cat, anything in/on/near the ocean, hiking/backpacking, periodically trying to improve my Spanish, coffee, hot sauce, cooking, medical education, wilderness medicine.
5 Year Plan: Adopt an animal, explore Oakland, learn as much as I can from the incredible people around me, spend time in the sun, be a good uncle, watch The Wire.

Virginia Tran
Hometown: Boston, MA
High School: Lynnfield High School
Undergraduate School: Brown University
College Majors: Cognitive Neuroscience
Medical School: Harvard Medical School
Interests / Hobbies: Ukulele, board game nights, spicy street food, collecting ugly-cute things, international travel, human rights, global health, spending quality time with family and friends
5 Year Plan: Learn medicine, treat and care for people well, make my family proud

Octavio Viramontes
Hometown: Earlimart, California
High School: Delano High School
Undergraduate School: Harvard College
College Majors: Neurobiology
Medical School: Harvard Medical School
Interests / Hobbies: running, tennis, swimming, soccer, hiking, reading, traveling, museum/art gallery hopping, journaling, and salsa dancing.
5 Year Plan: To continue strengthening my ideals of providing compassionate and equitable healthcare to the people of Oakland and the Bay.

Nadir Zaidi
Hometown: Carmel, Indiana
High School: Brebeuf Jesuit
Undergraduate School: Georgetown University
College Majors: Biology
Graduate School: Loyola Marymount University
Graduate School Degree: Masters in Urban Education
Medical School: Weill Cornell Medical College
Interests / Hobbies: Basketball, reading fiction, dancing Bollywood and bhangra, scuba diving
5 Year Plan: Explore the Bay Area, travel, be a good husband/son/brother/friend, enjoy life, serve my patients, learn as much EM as possible

Jose Acosta
Hometown: Kerman, CA
High School: Kerman High School
Undergraduate School: Fresno State
College Major: Biology
Medical School: UC Davis School of Medicine
Interests/Hobbies: Traveling, sports, eating good food, video games, social justice, healthcare disparities, music, mentorship, quality time with family and friends, diversity in medicine, learning about different cultures.
5 Year Plan: Learn as much as possible, become the best doctor I can, maintain well-being physically and mentally, make lifelong friends, explore and serve the Bay area, stay true to myself, make my family and community proud, be a good son/brother/friend/partner, invent something, be happy, have fun, tie my interests together in a meaningful and happy career.

Elaine Dellinger
Hometown: Memphis, TN
High School: Hutchison School
Undergraduate School: Middlebury College
College Majors: Biochemistry
Medical School: SUNY Downstate
Interests / Hobbies: container gardening on my patio, cooking new recipes, running, hiking, kayaking, reading Agatha Christie and other mystery novels, novice bird watching
5 Year Plan: learn emergency medicine, build relationships and community in Oakland, grow lots of vegetables, run many trails, adopt a puppy

Alexandra Friedman
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
High School: University School of Nashville
Undergraduate School: Yale University
College Major: Political Science
Graduate School: University of Cape Town
Graduate School Degree: MSc in Emergency Medicine
Medical School: UCSF
Interests/Hobbies: exploring (wilderness/backpacking, new food, new places), global health equity, playing musical instruments by myself, elevating everyone’s spice tolerance/cooking for big groups, chasing sunshine, community empowerment, dumplings
5 Year Plan: grow into a compassionate and competent EM doctor, cultivate a garden with that East Bay sunshine, embed myself in a new community, and see my family as much as possible

Megan Heeney
Hometown: Omaha, NE
High School: Marian High School
Undergraduate School: Saint Louis University
College Majors: International Studies and Theology
Medical School: Mayo Clinic School of Medicine
Interests / Hobbies: social medicine, punning, improving access to mental healthcare, experiencing musical theater, making kombucha, drinking coffee, finding delicious vegetarian food, playing board games and card games- especially Settlers of Catan, Hanabi, Euchre and Spades.
5 Year Plan: Become a compassionate, energetic, prepared EM Physician, be a thoughtful partner, celebrate my amazing coworkers, enjoy living in the Bay area especially being surrounded by passionate people, community organizations and nature, build community.

Jeffrey Herrala
Hometown: Andover, Minnesota
High School: Anoka High School
Undergraduate School: U.S. Air Force Academy
College Majors: Biology & Mandarin Chinese
Medical School: Harvard Medical School
Interests / Hobbies: Public & Community Service, Recruitment & Mentorship, Ultrasound / Training our pup Quinn, capturing meaningful events via film & photo, enjoying wind, water, and snow-fueled activities, traveling to appreciate the magnificence of our world’s cultures, languages, and cuisines, instigating the occasional and inexpert freestyle rap sesh.
Previous Lives: Swim instructor, chemistry tutor, skydiving jumpmaster
5 Year Plan: Become the most skilled, caring, and joyful physician I can be. Contribute to equity inside and outside the ER. Nourish relationships with my partner, our families, and lifelong friends. Learn to kiteboard without an injury worthy of an HGH trauma activation.

DaShawn Hickman
Hometown: Columbia, SC
High School: A.C. Flora
Undergraduate School: Yale University
College Majors: Biomedical Engineering
Graduate School: Case Western Reserve University
Graduate School Degree: M.S. in Biomedical Engineering/PhD in Pathology
Medical School: Case Western Reserve University
Interests / Hobbies: Dancing/Choreographing, Traveling, making videos documenting my travel, hiking, leading
5 year plan: I plan to be a clinically excellent, culturally humble, socially conscious emergency medicine physician-scientist who is using my training to provide outstanding medical care, perform world-class translation research and working to eliminate health disparities while effortlessly balancing an amazing personal life with my partner, family and friends

Claire Lamneck
Hometowns: Los Altos, CA; Denver, CO; St. Pete, FL; Tucson, AZ
High School: Shorecrest in St. Pete, FL
Undergraduate School: Tufts University
College Major: Biology
Graduate School: Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health
Graduate School Degree: MPH (Social Behavioral Sciences)
Medical School: University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson
Interests / Hobbies: Gardening, rock climbing, hiking & napping with my dog. Public health, LGBTQ+ health, border health issues.
5 Year Plan: Absorb wisdom from all those around me, learn EM the Highland way, stay connected to myself & my people, immerse myself in the East Bay

Azad Molla Hosseini
Hometown: Montreal, Canada
High School: Desert Mountain
Undergraduate School: University of Arizona
College Majors: Economics, Political Science
Graduate School: James E. Rogers College of Law at the University of Arizona
Graduate School Degree: J.D.
Medical School: University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson
Interests / Hobbies: Asylum and refugee law, human rights law, global health, medical-legal partnerships. In my free time I love to explore, go camping, watch motorsports, play hockey, soccer, and basketball.
5 Year Plan: Continue to learn every day from each interaction to become the most compassionate, caring, and knowledgeable physician that I can be; develop lasting relationships with my colleagues and staff at Highland; and to be involved in improving the community both inside and outside the hospital.

Henry Schwimmer
Hometown: Oakland, California
High School: Redwood High School
Undergraduate School: UCLA
College Major: Psychology
Medical School: Emory University
Interests / Hobbies: Snowboarding, cycling, fly fishing…all the outdoor -ings, playing in the water with my dog, building bicycles, the science of firearm injury prevention.
5 Year Plan: Become the doctor you would send your grandmother to, become a father my son is proud of, and be a supportive and nurturing partner.

Tushara Surapaneni
Hometown: New Hartford, NY
High School: New Hartford Senior High School
Undergraduate School: SUNY Geneseo
College Major: International Relations - Developing World Politics
Medical School: Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Interests/Hobbies: Cooking for people I love, learning languages, drawing/painting, global health, savory snacks
5 Year Plan: Learn EM, see more national parks, grow vegetables, work abroad, make art

Aravind Addepalli
Hometown: Toronto, Canada
High School:St. Francis Xavier
Undergraduate School: McGill University
College Major: Anatomy & Cell Biology and Economics
Medical School:Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Interests/Hobbies:Music - hip hop/techno/house/soul/rock, national parks, landscape/travel photography, perfecting art of brewing coffee while being snobby about it, winning basketball intramurals, weight-lifting to reach elusive 1000-lb club, running (slowly), reading crisp prose, liberation medicine, health capacity building
5 Year Plan: To strive to learn EM in a manner that will make my family (blood and otherwise) and myself proud, embrace and become a productive part of the Oakland community, work in global/public health, and cultivate personal growth.

Alexander Ayala
Hometown: Sacramento, California
High School: West Campus HS
Undergraduate School: Occidental College
College Major: Kinesiology
Medical School: Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Graduate School: Northwestern University The Graduate School; Masters in Public Health
Interests / Hobbies: Picking up heavy things and putting them back down, supporting Liverpool FC, watching Formula 1, binging Curb Your Enthusiasm, Better Call Saul, and Succession, and feeding my caffeine dependence.
5 Year Plan: Learn how to be a great EM doc, continue reading and learning about injustices within our communities, and build the foundation of a career that blends my clinical and public health interests. Deadlifting 600 pounds would also be cool.

Moises Bravo
Hometown: Las Vegas, NV
High School: Mojave High School
Undergraduate School: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
College Major: Biology
Medical School: UCLA
Interests/Hobbies: Mentorship, traveling, grilling, hiking, trying new restaurants, binging movies/shows
5-year plan: Soak up as much knowledge as possible, become a competent and compassionate EM physician, explore the Bay Area, travel to new countries, visit more national parks

Joia Brosco
Hometown: Diego Martin, Trinidad & Tobago High School: St. Joseph's Convent Port of Spain Undergraduate School: University of Pennsylvania College Major: Health and Societies, with a concentration in Public Health Medical School: University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine Interests/Hobbies: having a steady census of at least 5 DIY projects that take over the house, practicing yoga preferably ashtanga, tending to my thriving (?) plant family, begging my little puppy for more cuddles, dancing, dancing, laughing really hard, and more dancing 5 Year Plan: To grow into a competent, caring EM doc, hold onto my inner child's sense of humanity and wonder, and be a super good neighbor, friend, sister, daughter and wife to loved ones near and far

Raghav Goyal
Hometown: New Hyde Park, NY
High School: Herricks High School
Undergraduate School: SUNY Binghamton / Oberlin College
College Major: Comparative Literature
Medical School: Larner College of Medicine
Interests/Hobbies: speaking my truth even at risk of it being bruised or misunderstood, bikes, books, stick and poke tattoos, meditation, podcasts, bougie IPAs, and Dole mandarin oranges in 100% fruit juice.
5 Year Plan: be kind and present for my partner, my family, my friends, be a great teammate for my co-interns, new Highland family, and Ohlone/"Oakland" community, interrogate and confront my colonizer status, and get as good at medicine as I can, so I can advocate for the alternative.

Kristen Hancock
Hometown: Carson, California (Los Angeles County)
High School: Junipero Serra High School
Undergrad: UC Berkeley
College Major: Molecular & Cellular Biology and Sociology
Medical School: Michigan State University College of Human Medicine
Interests/Hobbies: Amazon shopping, exploring the Bay Area, trying new restaurants, quality time with friends and family, traveling, dancing, youth mentorship (especially at-risk youth) and social justice.
5 year plan: My goal over the next 5 years is to learn as much as possible from all of my favorite people at Highland and develop the skills to practice emergency medicine anywhere in the world!

Letitia Li
Hometown: Carmel, IN
High School: Carmel High School
Undergraduate School: Harvard College
College Major: Chemistry
Medical School: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Interests / Hobbies: wilderness backpacking, rock climbing, stargazing, & eating delicious food
5 Year Plan: become the best EM physician I can be, grow as a person, learn to cook, explore the Bay, adopt a cat & dog

Jordan Petersen
Hometown: Longview, WA
High School: R.A. Long High School
Undergraduate School: University of Washington
College Major: Music, Psychology
Medical School: Harvard Medical School
Interests / Hobbies: Producing and writing music, live music, karaoke, Drag Race, breakfast, outdoor adventures, health equity, and wellness
5 Year Plan: Be a good plant dad and dog dad, learn some new skills in the ED, and be an effective patient advocate

Noah Sanders
Hometown: Minneapolis, MN
High School: Breck School
Undergraduate School: The University of Pennsylvania
College Major: English
Medical School: The University of Minnesota Medical School
Interests/Hobbies: reading, writing, biking, climbing, baking carbs, eating carbs
5 Year Plan: become an awesome and empathetic provider, continue to learn and grow as an advocate for my patients, carve out time to read and write, work up the courage to bake bagels with actual lye

Chloe Solomon
Hometown: New York, NY
High School: United Nations International School
Undergraduate School: University of Toronto, Canada
College Major: Psychology
Graduate School: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Graduate School Degree: MS, Biomedical Research
Medical School: Rush Medical College
Interests / Hobbies: Exploring neighborhoods, eating foods from around the world, long walks, camping, pilates, laughing, TV binging, thinking about adopting a dog
5 Year Plan: Learn emergency medicine the Highland way to become the most badass, compassionate, and skilled emergency physician for my community. Learn how to best advocate for and empower survivors of violence. Eat at every Ethiopian restaurant in Oakland. Stay close with friends & family. Enjoy that West Coast sunshine!

Alexandra Walton
Hometown: Albany, NY High School: Academy of the Holy Names Undergraduate School: Johns Hopkins University College Major: Molecular and Cellular Biology Medical School: University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Interests/Hobbies: Cooking, running, playing volleyball and spending time outdoors. 5 Year Plan: Become a compassionate EM doctor. Explore Oakland and learn more about the community that I live in. Make a conscious effort to make time for friends, family and hobbies outside of medicine. Visit national parks and run the Napa to Sonoma half marathon.

Omonivie Agboghidi
Hometown: Moreno Valley, Ca
High School: Canyon Springs High School
Undergraduate School: University of California, Berkeley
College Major: African American Studies/Public Health
Medical School: Wright State University Boonshoft SOM
Interests / Hobbies: I love listening and dancing to AfroBeats, hip hop, and R&B music. Enjoy improv and stand up comedy. Interested tech and cool tech gadgets
5 Year Plan: In 5 years I hope to become a passionate, confident and innovative EM Physician ready to handle any emergency that comes my way. I want to continue my work in diversifying the healthcare workforce and mentoring underrepresented students. On this journey, I plan to enjoy my family, friends and all the gems Oakland has to offer.

Henry Ashworth
Hometown: Ventura, California
College Major: Philosophy and Biochemistry
Medical School: Harvard Medical School
Interests / Hobbies: Skipping instead of walking, Hugging friends and family, Late night dancing, Early morning adventures, Being in, around, or on any body of water (puddles included), Playing the bass, Trying to speak Nepali or Spanish but end up speaking Spanpali.
5 Year Plan: Become the most thoughtful and loving human I can be by learning from those around me and my patients. Work as an EM doc in a community setting while trying to implement disruptive programmatic innovations.

Lily Berrin
Hometown: Sacramento, California
High School: Rio Americano High School
Undergraduate School: Occidental College
College Major: Cognitive Science and Spanish
Medical School: University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Interests / Hobbies: Exploring recipes in the kitchen, baking everything but especially cakes, running, biking, swimming, hiking, backpacking, traveling and eating all the foods
5 Year Plan: Reconnect with the vibrant Oakland community in and out of the ED. Learn from my patients, peers, and teachers how to be a compassionate EM physician. Make the ED a better place for geriatric patients. Be a caring and supportive daughter, sister, partner, and friend to my loved ones. Go on more backpacking trips and do another triathlon. Continue to appreciate California sunshine and produce!

Laeesha Cornejo
Hometown: San Francisco, CA High School: Drew School Undergraduate SchoolPomona College College Major: Neuroscience Medical School:UCSF Interests/Hobbies: Ceramics, storytelling, reading fiction, taking long walks, backpacking, roadtripping, vegetarian cooking, and most things creative. 5 Year Plan: grow and learn with humility, prioritize joy, seek out wonder and awe, pause, breathe, go outside, and adventure with my partner, friends, and family.

Nadia Gaber
Hometown: Memphis, TN
High School: Lausanne Collegiate School
Undergraduate School: Harvard College
College MajorHistory & Literature / Women, Gender & Sexuality
Medical School: UCSF
Interests/Hobbies:Premier league football (Liverpool!), local art, last-minute dinner parties, thrifting, interior design
5 Year Plan: Making sure I become the doctor I would like to see in a crisis, giving back to my adopted hometown of Oakland, deepening relationships, exploring new horizons, finishing my manuscript, bringing environmentalism to medicine, finishing my miscellaneous sewing projects, getting my dog to run Lake Merritt again.

Carmen Lee
Hometown: Oakland, CA
High School: Head-Royce
Undergraduate School: Yale (+ postbaccalaureate at Bryn Mawr)
College Major: Ethics, Politics, and Economics + International Studies
Medical School: UCSF
Interests / Hobbies: Climbing, meditation, outdoor yoga, any and all live music, arts + crafts, vegetables, too many pets
5 Year Plan: Loving and serving the community where I grew up and where I worked in public schools, learning and loving my incredible new community of providers and friends, research and advocacy to help build a more just health care ecosystem, ultrasounding everyone I know and machine learning, epidemiology

Eman Mesgina
Hometown: Placentia, CA
High School: Cherokee Trail
Undergraduate School: Colorado State University
College Majors: Biology
Medical School: University of Colorado
Interests / Hobbies: basketball, volleyball - any team sport really... anime, podcasts, social determinants of health, URM mentorship
5 Year Plan: grow as a person, be humble and confident, meet awesome people/stay in touch with some, learn to cook, explore Oakland, keep my plants alive.

Jordan Mullings
Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
High School: Nova High School
Undergraduate School: University of Florida (Go Gators!)
College Major: Economics
Graduate School: University of Florida
Graduate School Degree: Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Medical School: George Washington University
Interests / Hobbies: Dancing, playing basketball, listening to podcasts, traveling with my wife
5 Year Plan: Embrace mission/adventure & build community as I live, work and worship in Oakland; maximize every personal and professional growth moment, be physically fit enough to still dunk a basketball.

Joanna Ortega
Hometown: Berkeley, CA
High School: Berkeley High School
Undergraduate School: UC Santa Barbara
College Major: Global Studies
Graduate School: UC Berkeley, MPH
Medical School: UC Davis
Interests / Hobbies: Anything that involves being outside (hiking, camping, swimming!), cooking and eating delicious food, weightlifting, traveling, trail running, and spending time with family and friends.
5 Year Plan: Enjoy this incredible journey as much as possible, learn a lot, be an advocate for my patients, explore the beautiful outdoors in the Bay Area, make new friends, have fun, and always be kind.

Andrew Wang
Hometown: Hockessin, DE
High School: Charter School of Wilmington
Undergraduate School: University of Southern California
College Major: Neuroscience
Medical School: Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Interests / Hobbies: Nodding to and dancing to live music (house/techno/experimental electronic), vinyl collecting, looking at and creating art, climbing, hiking, cooking, baking, dessert with every meal, hanging out with my disabled cat named Pia, global health, health equity, LGBTQIA+ health
5 Year Plan: Learn emergency medicine from some incredible human beings, serve and uplift the Oakland community, make time for those that I love, and cherish the nature around me

Robin Yu
Hometown: Newton, Massachusetts
High School:Newton South High School
Undergraduate School: Harvard College
College Majors: Organismic and Evolutionary Biology / Visual and Environmental Studies
Medical School: University of Michigan
Interests / Hobbies: Mushroom foraging, illustration, birding, bug-keeping, eating and admiring ocean critters, thriftin' hikin' climbin' campin'
5 Year Plan: Be thoughtful, be true, stretch daily, publish my YA novel

Tessa Adler
Hometown: San Diego, CA
High School: Point Loma High School
Undergraduate School: Yale University
College Major: Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
Graduate School: McGill University
Graduate School Degree: Kinesiology & Physical Education
Medical School: New York University
Interests / Hobbies: reading queer sci-fi/fantasy, climbing, misinterpreting tarot cards so my friends always have good news, exploring Oakland, spoiling our kittens, adventures to the ocean/ mountains/ desert
5 Year Plan: Grow towards a sustainable career in EM based on compassion, skills, and curiosity. Show up for social justice and community. Love my partner and family well.

Kayla Authelet
Hometown: Cumberland, RI
High School: Moses Brown
Undergraduate School: Boston College
College Major: Biochemistry
Medical School: George Washington University
Interests / Hobbies: reading (especially sci-fi), drawing, hiking, running, frequenting comedy shows, trying out any and all sports, having a good conversation over coffee
5 Year Plan: I want to become the doctor that eases everyone's nerves when they are on shift. I will work towards giving the best care to every one of my patients. Also, I want to be a loud voice for my patients' interests and help decrease community violence in Oakland.

Matthew Campanella
Hometown: South Jersey & Los Angeles
High School: St. Joseph’s Preparatory School (Philadelphia)
Undergraduate School: Loyola Marymount University
College Major: Film and Television Production
Medical School: University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix
Interests / Hobbies: exploring the great outdoors/hiking/kayaking/camping, politics, visual and performing arts, migrant health & the U.S.-Mexico border, substance use disorders and recovery, travel, bodybuilding
5 Year Plan: become a skilled, thoughtful, and empathetic emergency physician, integrate into and contribute to the community, expand and deepen my personal relationships and passions, rotate abroad, work rurally

Ivis Casillas
Hometown: Oakland, Ca
High School: Fremont High
Undergraduate School: San Francisco State University
College Major: Cell and Molecular Biology
Medical School: UC Davis School of Medicine
Interests / Hobbies: Spending time with my family, eating out, hiking, laughing, napping, reading, attempting to stay physically
active, existing, parrot trick training and free flight.
5 Year Plan: Learn as much as I can from my patients and all of the remarkable people at Highland. Become an exceptional EM doctor and a better human being. Give back to my community and care for my family
Kaylin Gonzalez

Deidre Gubac
Hometown: Jackson, MS
High School: Jefferson City High School
Undergraduate School: Tuskegee University
College Major: Chemistry
Medical School: University of Missouri School of Medicine
Interests / Hobbies: Cooking vegan food, making playlists especially including Afrobeats and 90s R&B, watch track and field, traveling, mentoring first-gens and HBCU family, and fighting for systemic changes to provide equitable care for all.
5 Year Plan: Be a better person, wife, friend; become a top notch EM Doc with the skills clinically to succeed while also being culturally competent and socially conscious of the ways I can enact change in the world.

Scar Guo
Hometown: San Ramon, CA
High School: Dougherty Valley
Undergraduate School: Stanford University
College Major: Human Biology
Medical School: Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Interests / Hobbies: Eating new foods with friends, playing with other people's pets, nature walks, video games, and reading cute stories.
5 Year Plan: Learn more about myself. Learn EM. Care for a bee colony. Play games with my loved ones. Beat Zelda BOTW/TOTK on master mode.

Jason Khoo
Hometown: Hong Kong
High School: International Christian School
Undergraduate School: Stanford University
College Major: Human Biology
Medical School: Stanford University
Graduate School: Stanford Graduate School of Business
Graduate Degree: Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Interests / Hobbies: healthcare innovations, entrepreneurship, board games, rewatching The Office, squash, swimming, spearfishing, pranks, looking for the best BBQ brisket, tarts, and Napoleon.
5 Year Plan: Grow into a kind and competent physician, improve our systems of care, build amazing communities, make my parents proud, continue to believe that I'll take up running, find the best BBQ brisket, tart, and Napoleon, have fun, be generous

Mahan Naeim
Hometown: Northridge, California
High School: Grover Cleveland High School
Undergraduate School:UC Irvine
College Major: Biomedical Engineering
Medical School: UC Irvine
Interests/Hobbies: Harm reduction, video games, reading, music/concerts/festivals, movies, meeting all the dogs, cooking, Seahawk football, EATING delicious meals with friends and family, traveling
5 Year Plan: Become the best physician, person, son, partner, and brother possible. Take a sledgehammer to the War on Drugs. Laugh, cry, grow, make memories, celebrate life, and support my colleagues/community.

Shreya Thatai
Hometown: Lexington, MA
High School: Lexington High School
Undergraduate School: Wellesley College
College Major: Women's and Gender Studies
Medical School: UC-Berkeley/UC-San Francisco Joint Medical Program
Interests / Hobbies: Cycling around the Bay Area, knitting, exploring bookstores/libraries, taking long and aimless walks
5 Year Plan: Grow and learn to become an empathetic and effective EM doc, deepen my connection to my adopted Bay Area community, read many books and watch many sunsets, learn how to knit socks, stay connected to myself and my family.

Lily Wilkinson
Hometown: North Platte, Nebraska
High School: North Platte High School
Undergraduate School: Harvard
College Major: Developmental and Regenerative Biology
Medical School: University of North Carolina School of Medicine
Graduate School: UNC Gillings
School of Global Public Health
Interests / Hobbies: Being outside, exploring new places, spending time with family and friends, water sports, and country swing dancing
5 Year Plan: Learn how to be the best EM doc I can be while maintaining a strong sense of curiosity and humility, care for and about lots of people, explore as much of the West as I can with my partner, and make it back to Nebraska to visit my family

Mimi Williams
Hometown: San Jose, CA
High School: Evergreen Valley High School
Undergraduate School: UC Davis
College Major: Cell Biology
Medical School: University of Iowa
Interests / Hobbies: Cooking (and eating!), exploring new coffee shops, thriller/true crime shows and podcasts, board games, playing Overcooked, lifting weights
5 Year Plan: Grow into the person and physician I've always dreamt of being, maintain health and wellness, make a positive impact in my community, and continue to stay connected with family/friends.