• UCLA Health
  • myUCLAhealth
  • School of Medicine
Internal Medicine Residency Program

Internal Medicine Residency Program

Internal Medicine Residency Program
  • Application Process
    • Welcome Letter
    • Interview Day
    • Our Strategic Plan
    • FAQs
    • Neurology Prelim Program
  • People
    • Leadership
    • Chief Residents
    • Current Residents
    • Life in LA
    • Life After Residency
    • Fellowship Match List
    • Resident Videos
    • Wellness Initiative
  • Categorical
    • Example Schedule
    • Inpatient Clinical Sites
    • Outpatient Clinical Sites
  • Primary Care
    • Who We Are
    • What We Do
    • FAQ
    • Post-Residency Destinations
  • ProSTAR-PSTP
    • Program Overview
    • Applying to ProSTAR
    • ProSTAR FAQ
    • People
  • Scholarship
    • Mentorship
    • Research Champions
    • Recent Resident Research
    • Quality Improvement
    • Medical Education
    • Global Health
    • Health Systems and Management
    • Procedures
  • Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
    • Who We Are
    • What We Do
    • EDI at UCLA
  • Contact Us
  • UCLA Health
  • myUCLAhealth
  • School of Medicine

Internal Medicine Residency Program

People

People

People

  • Leadership
  • Chief Residents
  • Current Residents
  • Life in LA
  • Life After Residency
  • Fellowship Match List
  • Resident Videos
  • Wellness Initiative
  • Leadership
  • Chief Residents
  • Current Residents
  • Life in LA
  • Life After Residency
  • Fellowship Match List
  • Resident Videos
  • Wellness Initiative
  1. Home
  2. People
  3. Current Residents

Current Residents

Share this
O_Akinrimisi.png

"What really sold me was the unity and camaraderie I felt among faculty and residents. I knew this would be a space where I can cultivate my strengths and expand my interest in medicine with so much support."

PGY-1

Olu Akinrimisi

University of California, San Diego

I was born in Lagos, Nigeria and raised in Long Beach, California. I have an M.S. in Healthcare Management from Johns Hopkins and an M.D. from UC San Diego. I chose to pursue a healthcare management degree because of my interest in quality improvement and problem solving in larger scales. Moreover, I am also passionate about educational inequality and a big advocate of bringing light to populations that are regularly ignored in academia. I chose UCLA because...who wouldn't? Los Angeles is just a phenomenal city. This city is truly home for me and I am happy to be here. What really sold me was the unity and camaraderie I felt among faculty and residents. I knew this would be a space where I can cultivate my strengths and expand my interest in medicine with so much support. Also, the passion and dedication to diversity played a huge role on why I came here. I wanted a program where I could advocate for social inequities, while stressing the positive impact a diverse workforce plays in healing our communities.
T_Araujo.png

"During my interview I felt right at home with the welcoming residents and faculty that I met and I chose the Olive View – Santa Clarita Primary Care track because I want to provide longitudinal care for under-served patients from many cultural backgrounds."

PGY-1

Thaís Salles Araujo

Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG) Faculdade de Medicina

Oi! My name is Thaís, I grew up in Brazil, in the small town of Timoteo in the inland state of Minas Gerais. I completed medical school at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) in 2015 and my internal medicine residency at the Instituto da Previdencia dos Servidores do Estado (IPSEMG) in 2018, both in the state capital Belo Horizonte, Brazil. My particular interests are integrative health and humanistic care and during my residency I completed a medical acupuncture fellowship and came to UCLA for a rotation at the Center for East-West Medicine. Here in Los Angeles I found my soulmate, who is now my fiance, and along the way fell for the city’s culturally diverse communities, beautiful beaches and amazing healthy food scene. During my interview I felt right at home with the welcoming residents and faculty that I met and I chose the Olive View – Santa Clarita Primary Care track because I want to provide longitudinal care for under-served patients from many cultural backgrounds. Outside of medicine, I love being in nature, travelling, bicycling, enjoying the beach, trying new recipes and spending time with my fiance, family and friends. I’m looking forward to meeting my new patients and partnering with them to support their health goals and dreams.
S_Townes.png

"One of the reasons I love UCLA is because during my time here I have felt empowered to be my truest self, advocating for those who come from similar backgrounds, having experienced poverty and lack of access to care. I am proud to say that who I am today is a result of my upbringing, my environment, my culture…but also my education and the rewarding experiences I have had at UCLA."

PGY-1

Tara Townes

University of California, Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine

Hi! My name is Shatara Townes, but everyone calls me Tara. I’m what some people call a "Bruin-4-Lifer" having had all of my post-secondary education here at UCLA, including undergrad, medical school, and now residency! One of the reasons I love UCLA is because during my time here I have felt empowered to be my truest self, advocating for those who come from similar backgrounds, having experienced poverty and lack of access to care. I am proud to say that who I am today is a result of my upbringing, my environment, my culture, but also my education and the rewarding experiences I have had at UCLA. Honestly, it was an easy choice to continue on this journey at the place I call home! I’m not exactly sure what I want to do after residency, but I find that I have a passion for Infectious Diseases, particularly those infections affecting our immunocompromised patients. A goal of mine during residency is to work with the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee to strengthen our pipeline programs and forge new relationships with students in the LAUSD public school system, with the goal of planting and nourishing the seeds of young Los Angeles minds aspiring to be future physicians, as I once was.
K_LeiteAhYo.png

"While interviewing at UCLA, I attended one of its Equity, Diversity and Inclusion socials and I felt the feeling of community, support and diversity which reminded me a lot of home."

PGY-1

Kaahukane Leite-Ah Yo

University of Hawaii, John A. Burns School of Medicine

My name is Kaahukane. A name I proudly share with my grandfather which was given to him by his pure-blooded Hawaiian grandmother. My last name is Leite-Ah Yo, a combination of my mother and father’s families ties to Portugal and China. I am what many of us from Hawaii affectionately call a “mixed plate”. Growing up in a small Hawaiian town made me a firm believer of the sentiment, it takes a village to raise a child. While interviewing at UCLA, I attended one of its Equity, Diversity and Inclusion socials and I felt the feeling of community, support and diversity which reminded me a lot of home. Paired with its history of academic excellence there was no doubt in my mind that UCLA would best develop my mindset, skills, and advocacy to most affect the diverse and underserved populations I wish to serve in the future as a primary care physician. I am passionate about indigenous health, primary care, social determinants of health, and preventative medicine. During my free time, I enjoy playing beach volleyball, surfing, or finding new places to eat delicious food.
M_Obasi.png

"I knew that I would receive diverse clinical training while also being supported to explore my interests in women’s health and addressing health disparities (globally and locally)."

PGY-1

Mary Obasi

University of California, Davis

I am a Bay area native from Richmond, CA. I am also Nigerian (Igbo Kwenu!). I went to UC Berkeley for undergrad, Harvard for my Master’s Degree in Public Health, and UC Davis for medical school. I’m excited that I get to continue my training on the West Coast in a city with similar diversity as the Bay Area, but with warmer weather. UCLA had all that I was looking for in a residency program—camaraderie amongst residents, clinical rigor, and support for career development. Additionally, attending the EDI Open House really confirmed that this institution is striving for equity, diversity, inclusion, and justice. I knew that I would receive diverse clinical training while also being supported to explore my interests in women’s health and addressing health disparities (globally and locally). In my free time I enjoy cooking, trying new restaurants, attending group exercise classes, and practicing African hair braiding.

"Training at UCLA allows for the perfect blend of clinical rigor with diverse training sites and patients from all walks of life…"

PGY-2

Shirin Poustchi

Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Born and raised in New Jersey, I went to school at Rutgers University through the PharmD/MD program at the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy and Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. I made the move across the country to continue my training at UCLA after being blown away by the commitment, dedication, and sincerity of the residents and faculty I met on my interview day. The culture of the program shined throughout my interview day, and I knew this was the place for me. Training at UCLA allows for the perfect blend of clinical rigor with diverse training sites and patients from all walks of life with a superb and genuine culture at one of the premier health services research institutions in the country. My research interests are design-thinking, healthcare system science, and health policy. I am specifically interested in exploring the dynamic between communities and healthcare institutions in order to address social determinants of health and improve practice models of primary care. I hope to continue to build a career that will allow me to blend clinical care and leadership of care systems redesign.

"My favorite UCLA moment was bonding with my favorite VA patient – buying him his daily ice cream, sitting with him when there was some down time, and listening to his colorful stories and jokes."

PGY-2

Gavin Ho

Georgetown University

I grew up in beautiful, foggy San Francisco. After spending many years on the East Coast, it’s great to be back west. I enjoy playing golf and basketball – shout out to Hoop Diuretics, our resident rec league team! I was drawn to UCLA because the program focuses on both training strong generalists (for example, the Primary Care tracks) and being at the forefront of many of the subspecialty fields. Also, the interview dinner was by far my favorite one. There was an obvious sense of community and camaraderie among the residents, and I wanted to be a part of that! My favorite UCLA moment was bonding with my favorite VA patient – buying him his daily ice cream, sitting with him when there was some down time, and listening to his colorful stories and jokes. Also, there are so many amazing places in LA! On a typical day off, you may find me on the beach doing absolutely nothing, then in Sawtelle or Koreatown eating Asian food for dinner.

"I felt the health science/clinical informatics opportunities were particularly strong, and I'll be pursuing the Health Systems & Management Pathway, QI scholarship, and the Resident Informaticist Program during my training here."

PGY-2

Michael Ahlers

Vanderbilt University

Hi there! My name is Mike Ahlers and I'm an intern. I grew up in Le Mars, Iowa, attended Vanderbilt University for medical school, and now am on a new adventure here at UCLA! I came to UCLA for a number of factors - namely the diversity and strength in clinical training experiences (having tertiary academic, VA, and county hospital experiences) and also the culture of the way the residents interact with each other. I felt the health science/clinical informatics opportunities were particularly strong, and I'll be pursing the Health Systems & Management Pathway, QI scholarship, and the Resident Informaticist Program during my training here. In my spare time, I play pick-up basketball (you can play outside year-round here) and hit up the many hiking trails nearby. If you have some extra time in LA, I highly recommend getting out to the beaches - either Venice or Manhattan!

"I have found at UCLA that the people here are not only nice, they deeply care—about patients, learning, our healthcare system, and each other."

PGY-2

Laura Santoso

University of Massachusetts

Born and raised in Massachusetts, I left behind my favorite efficient coffee supplier that is Dunkin Donuts and came to train in the Golden State. I have found at UCLA that the people here are not only nice, they deeply care- about patients, learning, our healthcare system, and each other. It's pretty special to be surrounded by good humans who are also fierce clinicians and engaged advocates. UCLA is also an institution that can support my interests in engineering and design, and the diversity of Los Angeles is hardly paralleled. Outside of the hospital, I can be found moving in the ocean, mountains, Home Depot, or a boxing gym. Any outdoor adventure and I'm there! Ice cream and podcasts are also important. My life wouldn’t be complete without with my amazing husband, family, and friends. 

"…I immediately felt like I created a home away from home; from the co-resident family I’ve made to the amazing mentorship I quickly gained!"

PGY-3

Samira Nourbakhsh

George Washington University

Hi! My name is Samira and I’m currently a PGY-3 in the UCLA Primary Care Track (Olive View/ Santa Clarita). I’m originally from Maryland and am a recent East-Coaster turned West-Coaster. I never thought I’d leave the DC/Maryland area but came to my UCLA interview and fell in love with the program! While intern year can be rough, I immediately felt like I created a home away from home; from the co-resident family I’ve made to the amazing mentorship I quickly gained! During my intern year I was even able to join my worlds and travel back to DC with a group of my co-residents to attend the SGIM (Society for General Internal Medicine) Annual Conference! My favorite thing about UCLA is being surrounded by fun, passionate, caring, and dedicated people--from the ancillary staff to my co-residents to my attendings; I really feel like we’re all a team!

"I am interested in innovative research and technology and am fortunate to explore these interests through clinical care, research mentors, and formal teaching in the Health Systems and Management Pathway."

PGY-3 Couple

Perry Wu

University of Iowa

I was born in China and moved to NorCal to live with my grandparents when I was 3. I went to Berkeley for undergrad, where I met my wife, Marielle. We couples matched from different medical schools to come to UCLA! I was able to be closer to her and my family in the Bay Area for a year during medical school as a Sarnoff Cardiovascular Fellow doing research on dilated cardiomyopathy. That year, we adopted a puppy and named her after the genome editing tool my lab used, CRISPR-Cas9. That’s right, she is Cas9 the canine. Marielle and I knew UCLA would be the perfect new place for the three of us. In addition to the clinical rigor, diverse patient population, and supportive environment, UCLA provides residents with room for exploration and career development. I am interested in innovative research and technology and am fortunate to explore these interests through clinical care, research mentors, and formal teaching in the Health Systems and Management Pathway. Outside of the hospital, my favorite activities include rock climbing (currently recruiting for our interest group), taking our dog out for hiking adventures, drinking unhealthy amounts of boba (just had my A1C checked recently and it was fine though), beach volleyball during the summer, and snowboarding in the winter.

"I am interested in Geriatrics, health policy, and primary care for underserved populations…When Perry and I went to the Primary Care Welcome Dinner at Dr. Ma’s house, we knew we picked the right place!"

Marielle Bolano

University of California, Davis

I grew up in the Bay Area with a large family that finds a reason to get together and eat great food almost every weekend. I managed to stay in NorCal with this support network until residency, but during interviews, I knew UCLA would be the perfect place to grow. My husband and I couples matched from different medical schools and really wanted a program that would be a strong fit for the both of us. This was a bit tricky since we have different academic interests—he was doing a Cardiology research fellowship in basic science, and I am interested in Geriatrics, health policy, and primary care for underserved populations. We had quite the dream wish list—clinical rigor, academic opportunities, good people, and a place where we could see each other happy. We had a gut feeling UCLA was all of those things. When Perry and I went to the Primary Care Welcome Dinner at Dr. Ma’s house, we knew we picked the right place! Everyone was so down to earth and close knit—you could tell you were joining a family. We are always grateful to have teammates at the hospital who make the hard work enjoyable. On our days off, you’ll find us hiking, playing with our dog, hanging out with co-residents, and still eating great food.

"UCLA was at the top of my match list because of its rigorous training and diversity of clinical sites coupled with the people and supportive environment."

PGY-3

Salam Beah

Thomas Jefferson University

My name is Peter Salam Beah, but everyone just calls me Salam. I'm from Silver Spring, Maryland and lived in the Maryland area until medical school. I went to medical school at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. UCLA was at the top of my match list because of its rigorous training and diversity of clinical sites coupled with the people and supportive environment. I remember feeling very at home with the residents during my interview dinner. My big interests are addressing health care disparities in Gastroenterology (future GI or Hepatology fellow I hope) as well as improving Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion here at UCLA and in the medical field in general. I've gotten to take part in quality of care projects involving patients with cirrhosis and patients with IBD. I have also been involved with the GME and Residency EDI efforts. Outside of medicine I love to cook and bake and earned the moniker Chef Doc Salam. I'm also a huge live music fan, museum frequenter, and beach napper.



UCLA Internal Medicine Residents 2020-2021

PGY-1 Medical School
Alex Kokaly Michigan
Alex Levin Oregon
Anna Lee Wayne State University
Annie Xiao University of Chicago
Anoushka Dua Rutgers
Aradhana Verma California Northstate University
Ashley Pournamdari UCSF
Beda Cha University of Pennsylvania
Brian Young UCLA
Caitlin Yumori Columbia University
Christine Willinger University of Pennsylvania
Claire Daniel University of Illinois
Clare Drolen University of Pennsylvania
Damond Ng UCLA
Daniel Wang Weill Cornell
Danny Xu University of Texas Southwestern
David Kellner UCLA
Edgar Asiimwe Stanford University
Felicia Hsu Harvard
Georgia Lill UCLA
Giuliana Repetti University of Arizona
Hollyann Loui University of Hawaii
Ibrahim Ainab Oregon
Ivana Ganihong University of Pennsylvania
Jacqueline Vuong Boston University
Jenny Lee Loyola University Chicago
Jessica Zhang Case Western Reserve University
Jetrina Maque UCLA
Jonathan Labin Washington University in St. Louis
Julian Lejbman University of Pennsylvania
Kaahukane Leite-Ah Yo University of Hawaii
Katherine Bailey UCLA
Karen Keniston UCSD
Katie Durant UCLA
Katie Fruin Rush Medical College
Kristina Brown Western Michigan University
Kyle O'Meara University of Southern California
Lindsey Ward UCSF
Lisa Zhang UCLA
Madeline Treasure University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Mary Obasi UC Davis
Megan McLeod University of Michigan
Nikko Gonzales UCSF
Nolan Pearson University of Michigan
Olivia Jordan University of Chicago
Olu Akinrimisi UCSD
Patrick DeGregorio Weill Cornell
Phillip Chen UCLA
Priyanka Moolchandani Baylor
Punya Chittajallu University of Texas Southwestern
Ram Sundaresh Yale
Rebecca Samuel Tulane University
Rose Shan UCLA
Rui Li Zhejiang University
Sarah Takimoto UCSF
Seewan Kim Yale
Shailavi Jain University of Texas Southwestern
Sophia Taleghani UCLA
Sophie Carlson Oregon
Spencer Chang Duke University
Tara Townes UCLA
Thais Salles Araujo Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG) Faculdade de Medicina
Tirth Patel Washington University in St. Louis
Vivian Shen State University of New York Downstate
Wilson Ricketts University of Pennsylvania



PGY-2 Medical School
 Michael Ahlers Vanderbilt
 Refka Al-Beyati George Washington
 Sriram Anbil UT San Antonio
 Roshni Bhatnagar Northwestern
 John Bosco New York Medical College
 Matthew Carroll Georgetown
 Shawna Chagoury University of Arizona
 David Chen Cornell
 Evaline Cheng UCSD 
 Courtney DeCan University of Washington
 Ken Dekitani Saint Louis University
 Neal Dixit Tulane
 Elias Fanous UC Riverside
 Kathleen Fenerty Indiana University
 William Flavin Loyola
 Mary Fok University of Alabama
 Aleksandr Gorin UCLA
 Andrew Gregg Cornell
 Cameron Henneberg Boston University
 Gavin Ho Georgetown
 Preetha Iyengar University of Louisville
 Yejoo Jeon Yale
 Nikhita Kathuria UCLA
 Mark Kelly University of Wisconsin
 Katelyn Klein Georgetown
 Noah Kojima UCLA
 Philip Kozan Albert Einstein
 Alina Kung UCSF
 Sung Hyun Lim UCLA
 Catherine Lindsay University of Utah
 Tracey Liu Mount Sinai
 Jocelyn Lo Columbia
 Colin McCrimmon UC Irvine
 Matthew Mulroy USC
 Shaya Noorian Albert Einstein
 Minori Ohashi UCLA
 Rachel Ohman UCLA
 Robert Pedicini Tufts
 Brittney Pham Drexel
 Jennifer Plotkin Johns Hopkins
 Shirin Poustchi Rutgers RWJ
 Preeti Prakash Baylor
 Renee Rao USC
 Utpal Sandesara University of Pennsylvania
 Laura Santoso University of Massachusetts
 Rachel Sarnoff NYU
 Katherine Seibert Albert Einstein
 Brandon Smith Brown
 Samantha Sovich Ohio State University
 Marina Sprague UCLA
 Adrianna Stanley Dartmouth
 Katherine Stricker George Washington
 Nadeem Tabbara George Washington
 Julia Tong UC Davis
 George Tran Duke
 Katie Truong OHSU
 Jane Wang Johns Hopkins
 Jiexi Wang USC
 Stephanie Wang UCLA
 Jamie Yabuno UC Irvine
 Allen Yu UC Irvine
 Stanley Yuan UCLA
 Alexander Yuen UCLA
 Yuliya Zektser UCLA



PGY-3 Medical School
Melissa Abel Duke
Abigail Arons UCSF
Ishan Asokan Vanderbilt
Jassimran Bainiwal USC
Chesca Barrios UCLA
Shire Beach UCSF
Peter Salam Beah Thomas Jefferson
Marielle Bolano UC Davis
Houda Boucekkine University of Miami
Adam Braun UCLA
Karissa Britten UCLA
Aileen Bui Brown
Aaron Burkenroad Albert Einstein
Neha Chandra UCSD
Jessica Channick Tufts
Weijia Chua UC Davis
Adam Custer SUNY Upstate
Kimberly Dang UCLA
Gwenyth Day Wake Forest
Pooja Desai UC Riverside 
Jose Escobar UCLA
Jeffrey Fujimoto UCLA
Patrick Holman Chicago Medical School
Kieran Holzhauer University of Illinois
Nicholas Hornstein Columbia
Sarah Jensen UCLA
Christina Kaba George Washington University
Nathan Kim Stanford
Puneet Kumar UT Southwestern
Phuong Le Washington University
Wendi LeBrett UCSD
Richard Leuchter UCLA
Christina Lin UCSD
Jonathan Lin University of Rochester
Mark Looman University of Illinois
Sarina Lowe NYU
Jessica Lucier UCLA
Megan May Johns Hopkins
Megan McConnell UCLA
Margaret Mongare Stanford
Sami Natour University of Virginia
Bao Sean Nguyen USC
Benjamin Noor NYU
Samira Nourbakhsh George Washington University
Daniel O'Brien USC
Nathaniel Pedley Columbia
Eian Prohl Brown
Soniya Rabadia UCSD
Harman Rahal UCLA
Brenda Ramirez UCLA
Noah Ravenborg George Washington University
Sarah Schoenbrun University of Washington
Emily Schwitzer Duke
Paul Shao UCLA
John 'Jack' Sharp UC Davis
Asaad Traina University of Vermont
Jeannie Tran Albert Einstein
Wen-Ching Tran UCSF
Megan Trieu UCLA
Rebecca Tsevat Columbia
Annie Wang UCLA
Eric Wu University of Hawaii
Perry Wu University of Iowa
Zhenzhen 'Jane' Xu Yale
Monica Zell Albert Einstein




Like Us on Facebook Follow Us on Twitter Subscribe to Our Videos on YouTube Follow us on Instagram Connect with Us on LinkedIn Follow us on Pinterest
UCLA Health hospitals ranked best hospitals by U.S. News & World Report
  • UCLA Health
  • Find a Doctor
  • School of Medicine
  • School of Nursing
  • UCLA Campus
  • Directory
  • Newsroom
  • Subscribe
  • Patient Stories
  • Giving
  • Careers
  • Volunteer
  • International Services
  • Privacy Practices
  • Nondiscrimination
  • Billing
  • Health Plans
  • Emergency
  • Report Broken Links
  • Terms of Use
  • 1-310-825-2631
  • Maps & Directions
  • Contact Us
  • Your Feedback
  • Report Misconduct
  • Get Social
  • Sitemap
Like Us on Facebook Follow Us on Twitter Subscribe to Our Videos on YouTube Follow us on Instagram Connect with Us on LinkedIn Follow us on Pinterest

Sign in to myUCLAhealth