|
|
|
PGY-1
|
|
|
 |
|
Myra Khawar, DO
Medical School: Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine
Graduate: MS in Biomedical Sciences, Rutgers University Undergraduate: Rutgers University
Hometown: Somerville, NJ
Family Medicine interests: Health Equity & Policy Reform, Reproductive Justice, LGBTQIA+ Advocacy, Outpatient Procedures
Why did I choose to train with FHCW? When searching for a residency program, I knew I wanted to train in an inclusive and collaborative environment. UMass Queen Street FQHC allows me the opportunity to learn from diverse populations, while providing compassionate care for the underserved. UMass also allows me to utilize my osteopathic manipulative medicine training to better serve patients!
Hobbies: Painting, Food Blogging, Playing Board Games, Collecting House Plants, Watching Cat Videos on TikTok
Fun Facts: I love putting hot sauce on everything. I secretly enjoy the challenge of putting IKEA furniture together.
|
 |
|
Bahati Mweze, DO
Medical School: AT Still University Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine
Undergraduate: UMass-Amherst
Hometown: Pittsfield, MA
Family Medicine interests: Outpatient Geriatrics Medicine, OMM in management of musculoskeletal problems, chronic disease management.
Why did I choose to train with FHCW? I chose to train at UMass because of the diverse patient population that it serves. I was also drawn to the program because of its commitment to creating a diverse environment where every patient regardless of race, gender, religion, sexuality, or class feels heard and seen.
Hobbies: Spending time with my parents and their dog Diesel, hanging out with my friends from church, watching Celtics basketball and whichever team LeBron James plays for, English Premier League Football (go Man Utd), road biking, reading about different religions.
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
Tekiyah Shabazz, MD
Medical School: Wayne State University School of Medicine
Graduate: MS in Biotechnology, Johns Hopkins University
Undergraduate: Ohio State University
Hometown: Stafford, Virginia
Family Medicine interests: Obstetrics, HIV care, Academics, Global Health, Behavioral Health, Women’s Health
Why did I choose to train with FHCW? I knew I wanted to train in a FQHC with a diverse patient population. As someone with many interests, I wanted to make sure I ended up at a program that had strong OB and HIV care, which is rare in Family Medicine. UMass has all that I was looking for, along with some of the most patient and kind attendings and residents that I now have the opportunity to learn from and train with. To say I’m lucky would be an understatement.
Hobbies: Traveling, playing with my dog Adrienne (Malti Tzu), Peloton, shopping, kickboxing, interior decorating
Fun Facts: Disney enthusiast, I worked for The Mouse for a year and I have a goal of traveling to all 6 castles.
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
Jonathan Smith, DO
Medical School: Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine
Graduate: MS in Interdisciplinary Sciences, SUNY-Albany
Undergraduate: SUNY-Albany
Hometown: Chestnut Ridge, New York
Family Medicine interests: Primary Care, Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine, Obstetrics, primary care psychiatry, addiction medicine, rural medicine, serving underserved communites.
Why did I choose to train with FHCW? I chose to train at UMASS because it offered a diverse training experience in both faculty and patient population. I like that UMass provides care to urban, suburban, and rural areas even though Worcester is a city. having completed a fourth year rotation within the UMass system, I knew that UMass Chan aligned perfectly with my desire to serve underserved communities.
Hobbies: Playing videogames, football, and basketball. Falling into YouTube rabbit holes, and budding car and watch enthusiasts.
Fun Facts: Even though I grew up in a NY Giants household I have always been a New England Patriots fan.
|
PGY-2
|
|
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
Divya Bhatia, MD
Medical School: UMass Chan Medical School
Undergraduate: Brown University
Hometown: Sharon, MA
Family Medicine interests: caring for underserved communities, women's health, adolescent health
Why did I choose to train with FHCW? An amazing community of residents and faculty in the best city of Worcester!
Hobbies: Anything outdoors (hiking, kayaking, biking), spending time with my family, gardening and caring for numerous houseplants, woodworking, do-it-yourself projects, painting, eating yummy food, traveling to eat more yummy food!
Fun Facts: I have lived abroad in India, Vietnam and South Africa! |
| |
|
|
 |
|
Sean Hurley, MD
Medical School: Virginia Commonwealth University
Undergraduate: University of Maryland
Hometown: Millis, MA
Family Medicine interests: Social justice, addiction medicine, correctional medicine, homeless medicine, mental health
Why did I choose to train with FHCW? I felt a sense of community at UMass unlike other programs. Residents, faculty, and staff all seem to enjoy working together as a team and supporting each other. Queen Street felt like the perfect clinic fit to be able to care for the most underserved communities in Worcester while receiving excellent training.
Hobbies: Watching and playing basketball, playing guitar, reading non-fiction, drinking cold brew, and watching movies (I've become a huge Alfred Hitchcock fan since the start of the pandemic).
Fun Facts: I've never been to Disney World. I once attended an Aaron Carter comeback tour concert at Patriot Place. I will cancel plans to watch the Celtics (even the summer league.)
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
Claire Porterfield, MD
Medical School: University of Rochester School of Medicine
Undergraduate: Alleghany College
Hometown: Allegany, NY
Family Medicine interests: LGBTQ+ care, HIV, Latino health & Refugee health, Prenatal care, Women's health, Outpatient procedures, POCUS, Dermatology
Why did I choose to train with FHCW? The ultimate decider was the people - I loved how they joked with each other & Family Health Center seemed like a collection of wonderfully weird and hard-working residents. This was on top of having access to all the areas of interest & training I am interested in, located in a medium-sized city with lots of diversity, parks and good food!
Hobbies: I am a major foodie - I love cooking food from different parts of the world & eating it! To counteract all my food-love, I enjoy hiking, kayaking, ice skating, tennis, racquetball, yoga... I'm also really into knitting & DIY projects.
Fun Facts: I removed two of my own moles in my third year of medical school. My husband is from the Dominican Republic & he immigrated 2 days before moving to Worcester. I have four awesome younger siblings, the youngest of which is 11 years younger than me.
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
Nicole Somes, MD
Medical School: Frank Netter School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University
Undergraduate: UMass Amherst
Hometown: Princeton, MA
Family Medicine interests: Everything! Especially reproductive healthcare, LGBTQ+ care, behavioral health, addiction medicine, advocacy
Why did I choose to train with FHCW? In talking to the residents, faculty and administrative staff on my interview day, I felt that I would “fit” here and be able to get the training I was looking for from a residency program. I was impressed with the focus and quality of training in the areas of family medicine that I love most, and especially on the focus of advocacy. I also knew that by choosing to come to Worcester, I would be caring for a diverse population of wonderful people.
Hobbies: Hiking, spending time with family and friends, hanging out with my dog, knitting, reading
Fun Facts: I love pasta, and I’m learning how to make fresh pasta!
|
| |
|
|
PGY-3
|
|
|
 |
|
Robin Christian, MD, Chief Resident
Medical School: University of Colorado School of Medicine
Undergraduate: University of Colorado
Hometown: Aurora, CO
Family Medicine interests: LGBTQ care, reproductive justice, mental health, addiction medicine, adolescent medicine
Why did I choose to train with FHCW? I wanted an academic program with plenty of opportunities for teaching, as well as a community health setting where I could learn to serve patients with high medical and social needs. I am interested in social justice and using my skills to support communities in need. The Queen St. program is everything I want to do in my career!
Hobbies: Drawing, painting, yoga, meditation, surfing, paddleboarding, exploring new places with my husband
Fun Facts: Before becoming a physician, I was an EMT for 6 years. I also had a career in amusement parks and arcades before starting in medicine. If my life had gone a different direction, I would probably be managing an amusement park or designing carnival games.
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
Stephany Giraldo Eierle, DO
Medical School: NOVA Southeastern University College
of Osteopathic Medicine
Undergraduate: Florida International University
Hometown: Born in LA but lived in South FL for the last 15 years
Family Medicine interests: All of it! If I had to name a few, It would be: immigrant, minority, and refugee health; maternal & child health; mental health; prevention, integrative and sports medicine!
Why did I choose to train with FHCW? I fell in love with UMass even before doing an audition rotation during the winter months (I have never lived in a place with real winter). Its patient population truly captiviated me. As a Latina, I was drawn to the fact that 50% of the patients only spoke SPA. In addition, the diversity of the clinic and its status as a FHQC made me feel like I would have all the tools I needed to help my patients as much as possible & learn about all culturals to become a more culturally competent physician.
Hobbies: I love cooking with my husband while enjoying a glass of wine. I'm also what I like to call a frugile fashionista who loves to put low budget outfits together & do DIY projects around the house. I'm an avid outdoor person so I'm excited to be able to be outside more (FL's humidity is terrible!)
Fun Facts: I got married this year (2020), right before COVID-19 started to close everything down! I have a dog named Cookie who we treat like a human child. I'm the eldest of three and the first generation American, college grad, and doctor in my family.
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
Henry Louis, MD
Medical School: Ben Gurion University of the Negev (Israel/Palestine)
Undergraduate: Tufts University
Hometown: Medford, MA
Family Medicine interests: health equity, addiction medicine, chronic disease care, refugee health, and community health worker programs.
Why did I choose to train with FHCW? I chose to train at UMASS, specifically at the Family Health Center of Worcester, because of its focus on community medicine, health equity, and social medicine. To be able to care and serve in a community that brings a diverse array of cultural and social backgrounds with a strong consideration for the social determinants of health and the branching effects they have on health and wellness was something I appreciated about my interview process and the goals UMASS has. The focus on teaching and teamwork that UMASS is known for was further motivation for my ultimate desire to become part of the team.
Hobbies: History books, community organizing, true comic book nerd, weightlifting, MMA, basketball, traveling in the Middle East and beyond, and pursuing my Armenian heritage.
Fun Facts: I have spent most of the last decade living, working, volunteering, and studying outside of the US, but always appreciate being back home.
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
Katherine Price, MD
Medical School: Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont
Undergraduate: UMass-Amherst
Hometown: Concord, MA
Family Medicine interests: Maternal child health, interconception care, adverse childhood events, health literacy, lifestyle medicine and prevention, group-based visits, population health, health disparities
Why did I choose to train with FHCW? I was drawn to UMass for both the program and the Worcester community. Professionally, I was drawn by the strong inpatient curriculum in the program as well as the opportunity to work in a variety of outpatient clinic settings. I was especially interested in FHCW Queen St for their group-based visits and interconception care. I spent some time prior to med school working on a project affiliated with UMass during which I loved getting to know a bit about the city of Worcester and its residents and I'm thrilled to be joining this program!
Hobbies: Container gardening, sewing crafts (beeswax wraps, masks, reusable bags, etc), casual indoor rock climbing, group fitness classes (pre-COVID), cooking, podcasts (Gastropod, Hidden Brain, Freakonomics, The Nocturnist, Uncivil...)
Fun Facts: Once, before med school, I flew with a life-sized, bubble-wrapped, plastic dummy for work. Also, I like trying to take apart and fix things with the help of Youtube. In the moving process, I've tried to fix a blender, tea kettle, vacuum. |
| |
|
|
