"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-2Olu AkinrimisiUniversity of California, San DiegoI 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. |
"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-2Thaís Salles AraujoUniversidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG) Faculdade de MedicinaOi! 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. |
"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-2Tara TownesUniversity of California, Los Angeles David Geffen School of MedicineHi! 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. |
"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-2Kaahukane Leite-Ah YoUniversity of Hawaii, John A. Burns School of MedicineMy 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. |
"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-2Mary ObasiUniversity of California, DavisI 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-3Shirin PoustchiRobert Wood Johnson Medical SchoolBorn 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-3Gavin HoGeorgetown UniversityI 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-3Michael AhlersVanderbilt UniversityHi 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-3Laura SantosoUniversity of MassachusettsBorn 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 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 CouplePerry WuUniversity of IowaI 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 BolanoUniversity of California, DavisI 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. |
