PGY1 Residents

Crister grew up in a tight-knit community of ranchers and farmers along the central coast of California near the town of Lompoc. From an early age he was given opportunities to explore the world by bicycle spending months touring parts of the world as a teenager. He attended the United World College for high school in New Mexico meeting friends from all over the world. At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill he majored in Latin American Studies and Portuguese and became involved in community work centered upon oral histories and racial and housing justice. Before medical school he coordinated a street medicine project in his hometown and worked as a care manager at a federally qualified health center while completing his coursework at community college. At UC Davis School of Medicine Crister was a Rural PRIME Community Health Scholar with significant clinical training in rural hospitals and clinics. He also learned and collaborated with a community of people experiencing homelessness through oral history interviews and health initiatives with the organization Harm Reduction Services. Crister’s clinical interests include community-informed mental health, substance use, and neighborhood health with inspiration from the Cuban health system. He enjoys being outdoors surfing in the ocean and on the trails mountain biking and spending time with his wife Monica. [email protected]

Nicolas was born in Los Angeles before settling with his family in Santa Maria, a growing town known for its BBQ and strawberry festivals. He is from a mixed Mexican-American family and was brought up by his family who immigrated from a small village in Jalisco, Mexico. As a first generation graduate, he found a non-traditional route to medicine by following his passion for academic research and growing his mission to mentor individuals from backgrounds historically underrepresented in the biological sciences. At UC Berkeley, Nicolas studied Molecular and Cell Biology and was an integral part of the Biology Scholars Program (BSP), a program that shared his mission. After graduating, he continued to do molecular genetic and developmental biology research with the Amacher lab at the Ohio State University before returning to LA to complete medical school at UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine. Nicolas appreciates his experiences of growing up in Santa Maria, being a part of BSP, and finding leadership roles in LMSA and the LGBT organization at David Geffen School of Medicine. These experiences strengthened his passion to connect with communities facing economic, educational, gender, and health disparities. When possible, he likes to swim/bike/run, maintain some pretty fish tanks, make new friends, and build things all while drinking coffee. [email protected]

Originally born in Chicago, Talia spent her formative childhood years in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She headed back to the Midwest for her undergraduate degree at the University of Michigan where she obtained a major in Biopsychology and a minor in Community Action and Social Change. She was involved in the Prison Creative Arts Project where she learned about and saw first-hand the effects of institutionalized racism through mass incarceration, and where her interest in correctional medicine began. Before medical school she worked on the west side of Chicago at a Federally Qualified Health Center as a nutrition and physical activity educator. This experience confirmed her desire to be a family physician, developed her love of working with Latinx populations, and inspired her to seek a program committed to reducing health disparities. Outside of residency, Talia enjoys trying new restaurants and watching Netflix with her husband, dancing, exploring beautiful Northern California, and traveling internationally whenever she can. [email protected]

Caitlin spent most of her early childhood abroad with her family in Antananarivo, Madagascar. After moving back to the US, her family eventually settled in New Jersey. Caitlin attended Washington University in St. Louis for undergrad, where she played soccer and studied Anthropology. Caitlin then attended medical school at the University of Colorado, where she was a member of the Urban Underserved Track and one of the founding members of The DAWN Clinic, an interprofessional student-run free clinic serving uninsured patients in Aurora, CO. She also took an extra year at CU to obtain her MPH with a focus on community health. Her interests include LGBT* health, obstetrics, and Integrative Medicine. Outside of medicine, Caitlin enjoys being active, music of all kinds, and spending time with her partner and their huge dog. [email protected]

Emily grew up in Wichita, Kansas and then had an extended stay in St. Louis where she went to Saint Louis University for undergrad and medical school and finally learned what a Billiken is. Emily and her new wife Lyndsey (a UCSF peds intern) made the move out to San Francisco with their yellow lab, Teddy. The three of them spend their time exploring the beaches, mountains and many neigborhoods of the Bay Area. Emily fell in love with family medicine way back while shadowing a family doc in high school and has been excited about caring for families and communities ever since. [email protected]

Cory was born and raised in a predominantly Caribbean community in South Florida. Eventually he ventured out to Harvard University, where he studied the History of Science, focusing on the history of medicine and how it is influenced by societal structures. After college, he pursued a public service fellowship and worked as a case manager at Montefiore Medical Center. After this experience, Cory entered medical school at the Keck School of Medicine of USC knowing he didn’t want just be a physician who is knowledgeable about social determinants of health; he wanted to combat the social barriers that affect the community he serves. During medical school, Cory became very involved in health policy and advocacy working with the American Medical Association, USC’s Preventive Medicine Department, and local organizations in Los Angeles. He chose family medicine because we see patients from all walks of life and all stages of life. We celebrate and mourn with them. We are best positioned to advocate for and engage with communities on a public health level. Cory chose UCSF because every resident and faculty member he met shared the desire to make the world a better place in very tangible ways. My co-residents are some of the coolest, down-to-earth, and compassionate people he’s ever met. In his free time, he hangs out with my co-interns, explores the arts scene in SF, and does a lot of reflective writing. [email protected]

Carolyn grew up in Pasadena CA, went east to Bowdoin College and studied environmental studies, became particularly interested in how built environments affect people’s health and particularly how policies disproportionately discriminated against low income communities of color. She returned to medical school at the University of Michigan after a period of time exploring the world and her place in it. Found the Family Medicine encapsulated perfectly her interest in the interplay between communities, policy and medicine and now at UCSF! Also, she likes comic books and biking and baking in what little free time she’s got. The end. [email protected]

Michelle was born and raised in Bay Area to a large family of seven and is thrilled to be back for residency. She attended UC Berkeley and graduated with a degree in Molecular and Cell Biology. While in college, she grew her passion for social justice and community organizing working for local Asian-American community organizations. She continued to work in diverse and marginalized communities prior to medical school while serving in AmeriCorps Community HealthCorps at a local FQHC in the Bay Area as a health educator and smoking cessation counselor. Michelle attended medical school at UCLA, where she was a part of the PRIME dual-degree program. She completed her MPH in Health Policy at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. A passionate community activist, she was a founding member of the national grassroots #ProtectOurPatients campaign and a national campaign co-chair for Doctors for America advocating for undocumented communities, and involved with multiple immigrant health advocacy organizations. Her interests broadly include immigrant and refugee health, diversity in medicine, public policy, and HIV medicine. Outside of medicine, Michelle enjoys running, hiking, cooking, and exploring new cities. [email protected]

Undergrad: US Naval Academy

Major: Chemistry

Medical Interests: health equity, working with vulnerable populations

Extra Curriculars: Cooking, Cycling, Swimming, Running, Art, Photography, Traveling, Socializing, Time with family and friends

Adeola Oni-Orisan was born and raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She attended college at Yale where she majored in Biology and developed an interest in women's health in Africa. After college, she went to Harvard for medical school. While there, she found opportunities to volunteer in low-income communities in both Boston and Lagos. Motivated by these experiences she decided to take some time away to complete a PhD in medical anthropology at UCSF/UC Berkeley. Her research examines the role of religion in maternal health in Nigeria. She is excited to be able to stay at UCSF for residency where she plans to continue to pursue her interests in women's and adolescent health along with working to address race and racism in healthcare. She is also very in to ocean activities, team movies, and spending time with family and friends, preferably over a tasty meal. [email protected]

Mike was born and raised in Minneapolis, MN and couldn't be more excited for the chance to train and take care of patients in Family and Community Medicine at UCSF! His parents were public school teachers and Mike attended inner-city public schools growing up, and while he almost became a teacher himself, he found his calling in urban, underserved primary care. Mike also has a strong global health research background, most recently having spent 1 year between the 3rd and 4th year of medical school living in Tanzania and working on a quantitative study of social and health systems barriers to care. He is now working on a qualitative follow up to that project. Mike attended Washington University in St. Louis for medical school, where he was a family medicine orphan, but has since found the light. His interests within family medicine include racial disparities, gun violence, criminal justice reform, women's health and addiction medicine. Outside of the medical realm, Mike enjoys urban bike adventures, quiet spaces in nature for hiking/camping, good whiskey, good fiction, outdoor rock climbing, and ice hockey (which has been hard to find). Feel free to reach out! [email protected]

Rachel grew up in Robinson, TX. She graduated from the University of Texas with a degree in psychology, and went on to participate in an immersion program in Xela, Guatemala called Somos Hermanos which focused on learning more about social justice and history of Latin America. She then taught 7th-12th grade sciences and health through Teach for America in San Francisco, and taught 8th grade health for one year in Houston. She attended the University of Chicago for Medical School. Her passions include racial justice, intersectional feminism, reproductive justice, and advocating for a universal, comprehensive single payer national health program. Outside of work, she enjoys running, hiking, yoga, and spending time with loved ones. [email protected]

Eric Tam was born and raised in southern California and was a double bruin, attending UCLA both as an undergrad and as a medical student. During his time at UCLA he was heavily involved with the Mobile Clinic project - a student ran clinic that provides cost-free medical, legal and social services to over 1000 homeless individuals annually. Drawn to addressing health disparities and understanding how we can further use technology to provide care to those that need it most, UCSF for residency was a natural choice. Throughout his time in residency, he hopes to find the intersection between the tech world and the vulnerable populations here in SF with hopes to innovate better care models that emphasizes on both access and value of care. Outside the hospital walls, you can find Eric on the basketball court or offering a co-resident a haircut. If anyone is also in need of company for an outdoor adventure, he is the guy to call. [email protected]

Born and raised in San Diego, Nhi moved to the Bay Area to attend UC Berkeley where she studied Biology and Ethnic Studies. Her passion for public service and community health led her to Asian Health Services, a FQHC in Oakland, where she served as a prenatal health educator and case manager. She then attended UC Davis School of Medicine and participated in the TEACH-MS urban underserved medicine track, and was deeply involved in diversity and inclusion work. Recognizing the importance of systems level change, she obtained a MPH with a concentration in health policy at Harvard T.H. Chan. Nhi aims to use a critical race theory framework and justice-centered approach to healing and serving. She is committed to addressing racial health inequities through policy advocacy, education and mentorship. Outside work, she enjoys karaoke, adult coloring, and is one of the biggest Chargers fans you will meet, despite her disapproval of the NFL corporation. [email protected]

Undergrad: Duke University

Major: Biology

Medical Interests: Team-based care, Primary care transformation

Extracurriculars: Art, Website design, Video editing, Chinese dance, Mindfulness, Meditation, Hiking, Running