Meet the Residents

Erica Fermon
PGY level: PGY-1
Hometown: San Francisco, CA
Undergraduate: University of Washington, Bothell
Medical School: Meharry Medical College
Favorite hobbies/weekend activities: Rom-coms, picnics, wine tasting, yoga, RnB music and rollerskating
Pathology interest(s): Women’s Health

Joseph Giessinger
PGY level: PGY-1
Hometown: Westlake Village, CA
Undergraduate: University of California San Diego
Medical School: A.T. Still University
Favorite hobbies/weekend activities: Weightlifting, Bad reality TV, Professional Champagne Connoisseur, Baking
Favorite LA restaurant: Craig's, Hotel Bel-Air
Pathology interest(s): Dermatopathology and Molecular pathology

Joel Raqueno
PGY level: PGY-1
Hometown: Buena Park, CA
Undergraduate: UC Riverside
Medical School: Kansas City University
Favorite hobbies/weekend activities: Listening to music, working out, video games, basketball, going out to eat, watching shows
Favorite LA restaurant: Asakuma Sushi & Poke, Sun Nong Dan
Pathology interest(s): Undecided

Yuan Shui
PGY level: PGY-1
Hometown: Wuhu, China
Medical School: Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, China
Graduate School (PhD): Capital Medical University, China
Favorite hobbies/weekend activities: Spending time with my family, trying new restaurants
Pathology interest(s): Undecided

Rosa Valencia
PGY level: PGY-1
Hometown: Corona, CA
Undergraduate: California State University - San Bernardino
Medical School: Western University of Health Sciences - College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific
Favorite hobbies/weekend activities: Binge-watching TV shows, watching movies, reading, baking, cake decorating, spending time with friends and family
Favorite LA restaurant: Gracias Madre
Pathology interest(s): Forensics

Weibo Yu
PGY level: PGY-1
Hometown: Henan, China
Medical School: Xinxiang Medical University (MBBS), Peking Union Medical College (MD)
Favorite hobbies/weekend activities: Hiking/Road trips/Outdoor Adventuring, cooking, watching movies, listening to music
Favorite LA restaurant: In-N-Out, Meizhou Dongpo Restaurant
Pathology interest(s): Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary Pathology

Taylor Howard
PGY level: PGY-2
Hometown: Las Vegas, NV
Undergraduate: University of Pennsylvania
Medical School: University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine
Favorite hobbies/weekend activities: Powerlifting, playing with and walking my dog, hiking, reading, watching TV/movies, podcasts and good food
Favorite LA restaurant: Bluey’s and Two Guns Espresso for coffee
Pathology interest(s): Dermatopathology, GYN Pathology

Andrea Oliveria-Kowaleski
PGY level: PGY-2
Hometown: Sao Paulo, Brazil
Medical School: Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos (UFSCar) – Brazil
Anatomic Pathology Residency: AC Camargo Cancer Center (Sao Paulo – Brazil)
Favorite hobbies/weekend activities: Hiking, swimming, taking walks with my partner and my birds
Favorite LA restaurant: Hibachi Papi, The Brazilian Taste
Pathology interest(s): Thoracic Pathology, Pediatric Pathology
Joshua Pierce
Name: Joshua Pierce
PGY level: PGY-2
Hometown: Lubbock, TX
Undergraduate: Texas Tech University
Medical School: UT Southwestern (PhD as well)
Favorite hobbies/weekend activities: Video Games, Board Games, RPGs, and Indoor Rock Climbing, Running
Favorite LA restaurant: CoCo Ichibanya
Pathology interest(s): Dermatopathology, Bone and Soft Tissue

Rakshit Tyagi
Name: Rakshit (Rak) Tyagi
PGY level: PGY-2
Hometown: Hicksville, NY
Undergraduate: Cornell University
Medical School: SUNY Upstate
Favorite hobbies/weekend activities: PC gaming, musical jam sessions, cars, biking, running, hiking, balisong flipping
Favorite LA restaurant: Tacos 1986, Marugame Udon
Pathology interest(s): Informatics and Transfusion Medicine/Blood Bank

Alexandria Wellman
PGY level: PGY-2
Hometown: Bloomington, IL
Undergraduate: The University of Notre Dame
Graduate: Saint Louis University School of Medicine, MS Anatomy
Medical School: Southern Illinois University School of Medicine
Favorite hobbies/weekend activities: Tennis, boxing, ballet, drawing, travel
Favorite LA restaurant: Millet Crepe
Pathology interest(s): Dermatopathology

Amanda Zand
Name: Amanda Zand
PGY level: PGY-2
Hometown: Laguna Niguel, CA
Undergraduate: University of California, Irvine
Medical School: University of Missouri School of Medicine - Columbia
Favorite hobbies/weekend activities: Cooking, hiking, stand up paddle boarding, relaxing with my two cats
Favorite LA restaurant: Baltaire
Pathology interest(s): Gastrointestinal Pathology and Cytopathology

Precious Fortes
Name: Precious Fortes
PGY level: PGY-3
Hometown: Stockton, CA
Undergraduate: Johns Hopkins University
Medical School: David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Favorite hobbies/weekend activities: Spending time with my partner and three kids, hiking and trying new foods
Favorite LA restaurant: Jasmine Market & Deli (Burmese food)
Pathology interest(s): Health Disparities Focus, Dermatopathology, Informatics, Transfusion Medicine, Cytology, Hematopathology, and Molecular pathology

Sophia Hwang
PGY level: PGY-3
Hometown: Loma Linda, CA
Undergraduate: La Sierra University
Medical School: Loma Linda University School of Medicine
Favorite hobbies/weekend activities: Trying new restaurants, hanging out with my dog, reading, video games, house music, documentaries
Favorite LA restaurant: Ham Ji Park, Tokki
Pathology interest(s): Hematopathology, Molecular pathology

Tara Narasimhalu
PGY level: PGY-3
Hometown: Lake Forest, CA
Undergraduate: UC Berkeley
Medical School: UC Davis
Favorite hobbies/weekend activities: Spending time with family and friends, baking, reading mystery novels, knitting
Favorite LA restaurant: Tsujita, Sidecar Donuts
Pathology interest(s): Gastrointestinal Pathology

Irene Riahi
PGY level: PGY-3
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Medical school: Kermanshah University, School of Medicine
Favorite hobbies/weekend activities: biking at the beach, swimming, snowboarding, live music, spending time with my family and friends
Favorite LA restaurant: Baltaire, Study, Los Pollos Hermanos!
Pathology interest(s): Gastrointestinal Pathology
Arash Roohani
PGY level: PGY-3
Hometown: Las Vegas, NV
Undergraduate: UC Berkeley
Medical School: University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine
Favorite hobbies/weekend activities: Traveling, photography and eating sushi
Favorite LA restaurant: Sugarfish
Pathology interest(s): Forensics

Ting Zhang
PGY level: PGY-3
Hometown: Shanghai, China
Medical School: Shanghai JiaoTong University, School of Medicine
Graduate School (PhD): Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles
Favorite hobbies/weekend activities: spending time with my family
Favorite LA restaurant: Tsujita Ramen/Killer noodle, HaiDiLao Hotpot
Pathology interest(s): Neuropathology
Tracie Goh
Name: Tracie Goh
PGY level: PGY-4
Hometown: Daly City, CA
Undergraduate: University of San Francisco
Medical School: Western University of Health Sciences – College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific
Favorite hobbies/weekend activities: Swimming, listening to music, watching movies, reading fantasy/sci-fi series, trying new foodie hotspots, visiting museums
Favorite LA restaurant: Menya Tigre, Bopomofo Cafe
Pathology interest(s): Hematopathology

Tiffany Lin
PGY level: PGY-4, Chief Resident
Hometown: Arcadia, CA
Undergraduate: University of Southern California
Medical School: University at Buffalo
Favorite hobbies/weekend activities: playing video games/board games, trying new restaurants/bars/cafes, traveling, collecting trading cards, snuggling my cats
Favorite LA restaurant: Bestia, Sun Nong Dan, Santouka
Pathology interest(s): Forensics
Eduardo Rodriguez
PGY level: PGY-4, Chief Resident
Hometown: Everett, WA
Undergraduate: University of Portland
Medical School: Oregon Health & Science University
Favorite hobbies/weekend activities: Theater, Board games and MTG, exploring the city with my family, and cycling
Favorite LA restaurant: Tlaco Tacos and Sugarfish
Pathology interest(s): Dermatopathology

Chana Sachs
Name: Chana Sachs
PGY level: PGY-4, Chief Resident
Hometown: West Hills, CA
Undergraduate: University of California, Santa Barbara
Medical School: University of Iowa, Carver College of Medicine (GO HAWKS!)
Favorite hobbies/weekend activities: Rock climbing, board games, long walks on the beach, petting other people’s dogs
Favorite LA restaurant: Broxton Brewery, Schnitzly
Pathology interest(s): Surgical Pathology and Medical Education

Sarah Zhang
Name: Sarah Zhang
PGY level: PGY-4, Chief Resident
Hometown: Edison, NJ
Undergraduate: Rutgers University
Medical School: New York University School of Medicine
Favorite hobbies/weekend activities: Reading fiction novels, watching bad reality TV, browsing thrift stores and antique shops
Favorite LA restaurant: Pizzeria Mozza
Pathology interest(s): Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary Pathology