Our Residents

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PGY 2

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 Varun Ayyaswami, MD 

 Varun grew up in Yardley, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia. He attended the University of Pittsburgh for undergrad where he majored in Biological Sciences and completed an honors thesis studying muscle stem cells. After college, he served in the National Health Corps as a Patient Advocate in West Philadelphia which engendered a strong interest in primary care and working with socioeconomically disadvantaged patients. He completed medical school at the University of Maryland in 2020 where he was a member of the primary care track. During medical school, he dedicated a year to pursuing intensive research in the area of health literacy and digital health, publishing his work in several peer-reviewed journals. He is excited to join the inaugural class of the Internal Medicine/Primary Care Track Residency at UMass!  Ultimately, Varun hopes to pursue a career in general internal medicine as both a primary care physician and hospitalist. In his spare time, Varun enjoys watching his favorite Philly sports teams, trying new cuisines, international travel, meditation, and listening to podcasts.

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 Zaneta Franklin, MD

 Zaneta did her undergraduate and medical education in Pittsburgh, majoring in Biological Sciences and minoring in Chemistry and Religious Studies. She became actively involved in teaching, as a peer tutor at the Writing Center and as a UTA for Genetics for three semesters. She received the Chancellor’s Undergraduate Teaching Fellowship to conduct a project with weekly guided practice sessions for struggling students. After college, she spent a year working as a practice administrator for a primary care clinic, improving workflow and establishing community partnerships. 

During medical school, Zaneta worked at the Center of Creativity, volunteered as a Spanish translator at a free medical clinic, and developed a culinary medicine elective. Zaneta did an additional year of training in the Clinical Scientist Training Program, completing foundational coursework in clinical research methods (survey design, qualitative, community-based participatory) and healthcare disparities. During this program, she worked on longitudinal research projects examining the applications of mobile technology in behavioral medicine and the role of neighborhood walkability for patients with heart failure.   

Zaneta is dedicated to providing medical care that reinforces patients’ autonomy and agency while taking into account the complex behavioral and psychosocial factors affecting their health. She also loves the differential diagnosis process and the strong emphasis on clinical reasoning within internal medicine. Zaneta is thrilled to be in Worcester, MA as part of the inaugural Primary Care residency program! In her free time, Zaneta enjoys dancing, watching plays, making art, traveling, being outdoors, and spending time with friends/ family.

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 Alexia Hwang, MD 

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 Lauren Needell, DO, MPH 

Victor grew up in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, and obtained his undergraduate  studies    in Natural Sciences at Sacred Heart University (Universidad del Sagrado Corazón) in San Juan. During his time in college, he was a teaching assistant to the STEMmED program director and helped design an online course for his university. Furthermore, he was working as an administrative assistant in a primary care office in his hometown which fueled his interest in primary care medicine and patient care. He then moved to Ponce where he obtained his master’s degree in Medical Sciences from Ponce Health Sciences University where he later attended medical school and obtained his medical degree. As a medical student, he joined the TUNA music group, where he played traditional Spanish folklore music and partook in community and volunteer work, especially after the events of Hurricane Maria, the earthquakes of 2020, and helped in the administration of COVID-19 vaccines.  In his free time, Victor likes to relax at home with his wife and dog, watch TV or play guitar.

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 Elizabeth Douglas, DO, MPH

 Liz grew up right outside of San Antonio, Texas. She completed her undergraduate degree at Texas A&M University then moved to Fort Worth, TX after graduation. She attended medical school at the University of North Texas Health Science Center where she completed her MS, DO, and MPH. She then later focused on social determinants of health in primary care. During her career at UNTHSC, she stayed busy leading the medical student government, volunteering in various community gardens, and working on QI projects at the institution's COVID testing site. 

While Liz loves the variety and acuity of inpatient medicine and taking care of patients on the wards, she also wants to prevent hospitalizations with high-quality evidence-based primary care. She is excited to be a part of the best primary care track in New England and is settling in well at UMass Chan. In her free time, she gardens, lifts weights, and takes her dog's hiking. 

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 Eric Nielsen, MD

Eric is from central Connecticut. He attended the University of Rochester for his undergraduate and medical school, graduating with a BS in Neuroscience, a BA in Chemistry, and his MD. During medical school, he helped start and run the Rochester chapter of Primary Care Progress and was in the Latino Health Pathway, a specially designed track for developing medical Spanish. Following medical school, he was commissioned in the US Navy, completed an IM internship at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego where he also completed Navy dive school in Panama City, FL. Here he trained in dive/hyperbaric medicine. Eric completed a tour as an Undersea Medical Officer, practicing primary care at a submarine squadron in Norfolk, VA.  Ultimately, Eric hopes to pursue a career in academic internal medicine and primary care. Additional interests include Geriatrics and Palliative Care. In his spare time, Eric enjoys running and hiking with his wife Lauren and dog Sadie. He’s also thrilled about the Italian food here in Worcester!