Current Residents
Class of 2024
Haneen Abdelkhaleq, D.O.
Hometown: Houston, TX
Medical School: University of North Texas Health Science Center, Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine in Fort Worth, TX
About me: I was born in Amman, Jordan where I lived for 6 years before moving to Houston. I attended the University of Texas in Austin. In my free time, I enjoy doing a number of things whether it be trying a new recipe, discovering new music, checking out a different coffee shop, visiting a museum, or getting lost in a book. When the Texas heat isn't crazy, I like to hike, go on bike rides around the city, and spend time with my loved ones.
Why UTSW Family Medicine: Although my interview day with UTSW was virtual, the supportive and passionate culture of the program was still very evident. I chose UTSW because the diversity of the faculty and residents paralleled the diversity of the patients we will serve. I knew at UTSW I would become the well-rounded family physician I aspire to be, especially with the unique balance of academic and community based medicine. Additionally, I was impressed with the plethora of opportunities to pursue my unique passions and integrate them into my training - whether it be osteopathic manipulative medicine, integrative medicine, or becoming a better advocate for my patients. I'm so very excited and grateful to be part of this family.
Rabeea Ahmad, M.D.
Hometown: Atlanta, GA
Medical School: Medical College of Georgia
About me: I was born in Atlanta and attended the Georgia Institute of Technology. I'm an amateur photographer, baker, and cat lover. I also enjoy painting, especially with watercolors and gouache.
Why UTSW Family Medicine: I chose UTSW because it truly felt like a family, even during my virtual interview. Also, this program works with a diverse group of patients and underserved communities, which is in line with my future goals. I am also excited to be moving to Dallas; this is such a vibrant community with so much to do and explore!
Rupini Alla, M.D.
Hometown: Boston, MA
Medical School: Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine - Auburn Hills, MI
About me: I was born in India but grew up in the Boston area. I've lived in so many different areas across the US but this is my first time in Texas. I attended the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. I love exploring nature trails, trying out new recipes, watching period dramas, and long conversations with friends.
Why UTSW Family Medicine: I chose UTSW because I loved my interactions with all the residents and faculty on interview day. I liked the blend of academic and community medicine. Being able to be in such a vibrant city for residency is also a huge perk!
Liliana Bonilla, M.D.
Hometown: Granada Hills, CA
Medical School: Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso - Paul L. Foster School of Medicine
About me: I was born in California and attended the University of Texas at Arlington. I love spending time with my family. My nieces and nephews always keep me on my toes. My husband and I love to travel. My favorite vacation was to Colombia and eating all those delicious foods. Some of my hobbies include scrapbooking, movies and show marathons.
Why UTSW Family Medicine: First, UTSW felt like coming back home. I used to volunteer in the free clinic at NDSM, and community health fairs where I met many of the wonderful FM physicians. Also, my family lives in the DFW area. Secondly, the program offers many ways to engage in my interests: Integrative medicine, Community medicine, and the HEART track. Lastly and most importantly all the people are very nice. From the residents to faculty and PD I felt very comfortable and welcomed.
Evan Dittmar, M.D.
Hometown: Dallas, TX
Medical School: UT Health San Antonio - Long School of Medicine
About me: I was born in Dallas and attended the University of Alabama. I come from a family of volleyball coaches / players, and finally picked up indoor and sand volleyball in med school. At Alabama, I played on the club ultimate frisbee team and I still try to throw every now and then or go disc golfing. I love watching shows and movies, especially westerns. When traveling, I especially enjoy going to art museums. I follow most major sports leagues, and root for the Spurs, Stars, Astros, Cowboys, PSG, the French national team, and of course Bama (roll tide). Most of all, my favorite thing to do is spend quality time with my family, my girlfriend, and their dogs Huey, Cali, Piggy, and Peanut.
Why UTSW Family Medicine: I chose Southwestern because the program stands alone in the extent of patient experiences that it exposes you to. The unique opportunity to practice at both the Parkland and Texas Health Resources clinics gives me the chance to have significant interaction with both underserved and insured populations. Working in both systems provides ample time to learn how to navigate the public and private sides of primary care, and I believe this will give me the best opportunity to be prepared for whatever clinic I work in after residency. Beyond that, everyone I met during my interview experience was kind and welcoming, and I felt the program encouraged a positive environment.
Juliana Dixon, M.D.
Hometown: Stamford, CT
Medical School: University of Massachusetts
About me: I was born in Connecticut and went to the University of Arizona. I love being outside in nature, running, or going for long walks with my dog Yoda. I'm also a bit of a theater nerd and am looking forward to exploring the music / art scene in Dallas.
Why UTSW Family Medicine: I wanted to be in a program with a strong emphasis on community medicine and underserved populations. I was also attracted to the strong behavioral health curriculum. I felt strongly that UTSW would be a place where I would get excellent overall training and have opportunities to grow in the areas I am most passionate about.
Waale Gbara, M.D.
Hometown: Golden Valley, MN
Medical School: Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA
About me: I was born in Minnesota and attended the University of Iowa. I enjoy going to hip hop workout classes, traveling, reading novels, and trying different ethnic dishes that are spicy and flavorful.
Why UTSW Family Medicine: I was drawn to UTSW because of the diversity in the staff and residency classes, the opportunity to take care of patients from marginalized backgrounds, reside in the vibrant city of Dallas, and live closer to loved ones.
Priyanka Jethwani, M.D.
Hometown: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Medical School: Boston University School of Medicine
About me: I was born in California but lived there for only two years before moving to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which is where I grew up. I attended Northwestern University in Chicago. I have always loved spending time by and in the water, whether it be a pool or the ocean. I enjoy doing art projects such as painting or drawing and trying new crafts. I also try to carve time out to spend with my family and friends.
Why UTSW Family Medicine: One of the most important aspects to me when picking a program was the people. Even though it was virtual, I felt so at home during my interview with UT Southwestern and really felt like it had a supportive community that would help me thrive during residency.
Kay Min, M.D.
Hometown: Seoul, Korea
Medical School: University of Missouri - Columbia School of Medicine
About me: I was born in Korea and attended the University of Missouri in Columbia. I enjoy music, playing guitar, hiking, traveling, watching comedy shows, reading fiction novels and learning Spanish.
Why UTSW Family Medicine: I wanted to go to an academic institution with lots of learning and teaching opportunities. Working with an underserved and a big immigrant patient population was a big factor. I liked the diversity and generally had a good feeling on the interview day. I'm also interested in community medicine.
Bishop Mitchell, M.D.
Hometown: Munster, IN
Medical School: University of Texas Health Science Center Houston - McGovern Medical School
About me: I was born in Indiana but grew up in Texas. I attended Texas A & M in College Station. In my spare time I enjoy playing poker, basketball, cooking and spending time with my family.
Why UTSW Family Medicine: I chose UTSW because it is a great program and really close to my hometown of McKinney.
Mouctika Paluri, M.D.
Hometown: Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India
Medical School: Texas A & M College of Medicine - Dallas
About me: I was born in India and attended the University of Texas at Dallas. In my spare time I enjoy dance, learning languages, exploring new museum exhibits and restaurants, (beginner) hiking, and meeting new friends.
Why UTSW Family Medicine: I was amazed by this program's genuine commitment to diversity, comprehensive wellness, and valuing resident feedback. I see myself receiving a unique, well-rounded training experience here that will allow me to learn from experts in community medicine, patient advocacy, and diversity and inclusion while maintaining work-life balance and personal wellness.
Luiz Santos, M.D.
Hometown: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Medical School: University of Tennessee Health Science Center
About me: I was born in Brazil and attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. In my free time I enjoy being outdoors and cooking.
Why UTSW Family Medicine: I chose the UTSW Family Medicine Program because it is a respected program with a lot of opportunities.
Prachi Thapar, D.O.
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Medical School: University of North Texas Health Science Center, Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine in Fort Worth, TX
About me: I was born in Chicago and attended Washington University in St. Louis. My interests are dance, painting, reading, board games, crossword puzzles and movies.
Why UTSW Family Medicine: I love the diversity UTSW offers both with academic opportunities and patient demographics. The Family Medicine program's focus on community medicine and chances to work with underserved populations are experiences that truly interested me! I believe the challenging training at Parkland and Texas Health Resources will allow me to become a well-rounded physician in the future. Most importantly, the residents and faculty alike have been extremely welcoming. The strong relationship they fostered made me confident that I would be well supported and part of a family throughout my time here.
Sandy Trevizo, D.O.
Hometown: Cuauhtemoc, Chihuahua, Mexico
Medical School: Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine - Auburn Campus
About me: I was born in Mexico but grew up in Dallas. For undergrad I attended the University of North Texas. In my spare time I love spending time with my family and friends. I enjoy reading, traveling, DYI projects and dancing.
Why UTSW Family Medicine: Growing up in Dallas I've always heard of the great reputation uf UTSW and knew it would be a great place to join and train. I love the patient population the hospital system serves and the diversity of the residency program.
Class of 2025
Dolapo Adejumobi, M.D.
Hometown: Lagos, Nigeria
Medical School: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
About me: I was born in Lagos, Nigeria and attended the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Anything art related (makeup especially), you can find me there. I also love cooking for family and friends and spending time with them.
Why UTSW Family Medicine: Besides getting a well-rounded training, UTSW is ideal to me because it is clear they are fulfilling their mission of diversity, from the faculty who are training, residents being trained, and the patients being cared for. This resonates with my values. In addition, I'm glad that I'll be able to work with underserved populations while learning how best to serve and advocate for them. Therefore, the option of participating in the HEART program during my training was a strong pull to the program. Overall, I'm thankful to be able to work with this amazing institution and all its members.
Crystal Cassimere, D.O.
Hometown: Beaumont, TX
Medical School: University of North Texas Health Science Center, Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine in Fort Worth, TX
About me: I was born in Beaumont, TX and attended the University of Texas at Austin. I enjoy spending time outdoors with my family & Siberian husky - Jax, reading, traveling, binge watching T.V. shows, being a foodie, and playing board games.
Why UTSW Family Medicine: I chose UTSW because of their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. During my interview and afterwards, the faculty and residents were genuinely welcoming. I knew I would get the opportunity to work with underserved communities and have access to great research and technology. UTSW being in Dallas was an added bonus!
Katherine Cranston, M.D., MPH
Hometown: Louisville, KY
Medical School: University of Mississippi School of Medicine in Jackson, MS
About me: I was born in Louisville, KY and attended Penn State University for undergrad and Thomas Jefferson University for grad school. In my spare time, I enjoy spending quality time with my boyfriend and hanging out with friends and family, or napping. I am always planning my next trip or foodie adventure! I also like running, playing Scrabble and the daily Wordle, and learning Spanish via Duolingo when I am relaxing with a good movie or the latest binge-worthy show. I am an ESTJ, a 3 wing 2, & a Gryffindor!
Why UTSW Family Medicine: I chose UTSW for the opportunity to train at a large academic medical center as well as a community-based urban program. I ultimately wanted a diverse and well-rounded training environment with a robust and comprehensive behavioral health curriculum and to train alongside likeminded individuals passionate about addressing the social determinants of health and working with underserved populations. The opportunities to be part of the special health equity, advocacy, and research track and teach medical students were also very appealing to me and aligned with my career goals. During my virtual interview, I really felt like I jived with the residents and faculty and I liked that the residents all seemed happy and that they made it a priority to hangout outside of work. While on the interview trail, it was the commitment to diversity and inclusion at UTSW that really stood out to me! I wanted to be in a residency class with people from different paths to medicine and unique backgrounds and cultures. I got all the family vibes I was seeking after interviewing here and I am so happy to be joining the UTSW family! Dallas is such a fun city with so much culture, a great food scene, and tons to do! I am grateful for the opportunity to train and thrive here and I cannot wait to explore all the city has to offer with my class.
Fatema Dabdoub, M.D.
Hometown: Atlanta, GA
Medical School: American University of Beirut
About me: I was born in Atlanta, GA and attended the American University of Beirut. I love to hike, swim, and try new outdoor activities! I also love to read.
Why UTSW Family Medicine: The program at UTSW really stood out to me because it is strongly engaged with the community and is active in primary care and public health research, all of which are areas I am passionate about. I felt at home during my interview and am very excited to relocate to and serve the Dallas community!
Jane Gu, M.D.
Hometown: Dallas, TX
Medical School: UT Southwestern Medical School
About me: I was born in Dallas, TX and attended the University of Texas at Dallas. My hobbies include rock climbing, playing music, and baking.
Why UTSW Family Medicine: I was drawn to UTSW because of its emphasis on community medicine and its dedication to underserved populations. With such dedicated faculty, UTSW offers incredible training opportunities and a supportive environment. I know I will be able to grow in areas I'm most passionate about, among a family of wonderful residents.
Nicholas Holton, M.D.
Hometown: Plano, TX
Medical School: McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston
About me: I was born in Plano, TX and attended Baylor University. My interests include hiking, collecting vintage sports memorabilia, reading philosophy, and playing baseball.
Why UTSW Family Medicine: Growing up in the Dallas area, I have envisioned myself training at UTSW since I began my medical career. During my interview, the supportive culture and welcoming environment further solidified this desire. UTSW will provide me the opportunity to develop a comprehensive fund of medical knowledge and high quality clinical practice in both a hospital and outpatient setting. The curriculum and resources available allow me to further pursue my interests in community health, preventative medicine, and various sub-specialties. Additionally, I have the privilege to serve the DFW community and diverse patient population that helped form the person I am today.
Mahvash Husain, M.D.
Hometown: Aligarh, India
Medical School: Medical University of South Carolina
About me: I was born in Aligarh, India and attended the College of Charleston in Charleston, SC. My interests are art, travel and food, and my favorite activities are eating, yoga, running and baking.
Why UTSW Family Medicine: I chose UTSW because the program provides the opportunity to train in both an academic and community hospital setting. I am excited to be able to serve a diverse patient population and learn about a wide range of pathologies.
Young-Jee Jung, M.D.
Hometown: Stillwater, OK
Medical School: Texas A&M College of Medicine
About me: I was born in Stillwater, OK and attended the University of Texas at Austin. Some of my favorite things to do are: exploring new walking/hiking trails with my dog, gardening, sending snail mail, writing, learning languages, and visiting new coffee shops!
Why UTSW Family Medicine: I truly had a fantastic interview experience and felt welcomed at all the virtual events. Finding a residency program that felt like home is very important to me, because my family lives in South Korea, and I found that at UTSW. In addition, I was drawn to the diversity that this program continually seeks out and encourages. I am also drawn to the diverse patient population we will get to build relationships with and serve. I know that learning, living, and growing in a big diverse city will be invaluable to me not only in my growth as a new doctor, but also as an evolving person.
Aysegul Karaca, M.D., MPH
Hometown: Turkey
Medical School: Istanbul Medical School
About me: I was born and raised in Turkey and have an MPH degree from the University of Alabama. Prior to coming to UTSW I spent my first year of residency in South Dakota. My hobbies include biking, archery and art. I was an art teacher for three years, teaching water marbling, a traditional Turkish artform.
Why UTSW Family Medicine: UTSW is a great place to thrive as a medical doctor. Excellent learning experience with many exceptional faculties and many opportunities to teach as we have medical students around.
Maliha Khan, M.D.
Hometown: Dallas, TX
Medical School: Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin
About me: I grew up in North Carolina and moved to Texas at the start of college, attending the University of Texas at Dallas. I enjoy any opportunity to be outdoors and by nature, cooking, spending time with family and friends, traveling, and reading.
Why UTSW Family Medicine: I really appreciated the diversity I saw on interview day as well as the available tracks and focus on behavioral health. My family lives in Dallas so I also appreciated the opportunity to come home.
Megan Lutchman, M.D.
Hometown: Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Medical School: University of Texas Health Science Center Houston - McGovern Medical School
About me: I was born in Mississauga, Ontario and attended The University of Texas at Dallas. I love to run, play and watch basketball (I am a huge Phoenix Suns fan), and do anything outdoors! I also love spending time with my family, friends, and my fiancé.
Why UTSW Family Medicine: I chose UTSW because I felt that everyone I met during my interview day was incredibly kind and supportive, and wanted to help me thrive in residency and as a future family physician. I also wanted to be back in Dallas, near my family!
Rachel Manuel, M.D.
Hometown: Dallas, TX
Medical School: UT Southwestern Medical School
About me: I was born right here in Dallas, at the St. Paul Medical Center and attended University of Texas at Dallas. I enjoy spending time with my family, singing, songwriting, playing piano, baking, and sketching.
Why UTSW Family Medicine: I absolutely loved working with the faculty and residents here during my 3rd and 4th year rotations! I knew that I would have a very rich experience here as a resident, treating the people of Dallas from all walks of life and training in this robust academic environment. I have lived in the Dallas area all my life and I am delighted and grateful to continue my training here!
Kainat Pasha, M.D.
Hometown: Houston, TX
Medical School: Texas Tech University Health Science Center El Paso
About me: I was born in Houston, TX and attended the University of Houston. I enjoy spending time with family and going out with friends, exploring new restaurants around town (a big foodie!), hiking, visiting art exhibits, practicing my Español, and painting.
Why UTSW Family Medicine: UTSW felt like home from day one. The opportunity to train in a premier academic center and a community-based urban hospital for a comprehensive residency program piqued my interest. During my interview, I was impressed by the strong faculty support, camaraderie amongst the residents, and unique specialty tracks that aligned with my areas of interest including integrative medicine and health equity and advocacy. I felt that UTSW had a strong commitment to aiding underserved/marginalized communities and this was very appealing to me. Ultimately, the dedication to diversity, equity and inclusion from the second look was what sealed the deal! I am so excited and cannot wait to officially start and join the UTSW family!
Josh Schulte, M.D.
Hometown: Anamosa, IA
Medical School: University of Iowa
About me: I was born in Anamosa, IA and attended Loras College. My interests include football, basketball, rock climbing, pickleball, paddleboarding, and hiking.
Why UTSW Family Medicine: I chose UTSW because of the great training opportunities, the people I met on interview day, and my fiancée is here as well.
Maryam Ali, M.D.
Hometown: Houston, TX
Medical School: UT Southwestern Medical School
About me: : I was born in Karachi, Pakistan, grew up in Houston, and attended the University of Houston for undergrad. I like staying active and pushing myself through various activities - yoga, dance, hiking, weightlifting, and jiu jitsu! At one point, I was able to squat 1.5X bodyweight. I have, unfortunately, atrophied quite a bit since. I'm also a huge foodie, and love exploring the DFW food scene.
Why UTSW Family Medicine: Going to medical school here, I had the great opportunity to work with and get to know some of the awesome faculty and residents here at UTSW. The family medicine program is wonderful, and I'm excited to be part of it!
Gita Chandrasekhar, D.O.
Hometown: Plano, TX
Medical School: University of North Texas Health Science Center, Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine
About me: I was born and raised in the Dallas-Fort Worth area! I grew up in Plano and attended the University of Texas at Dallas for undergrad. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my fiancé, family, and friends, trying new recipes and restaurants, and playing the Indian classical flute. My favorite TV show is Friends. I have many Friends themed items and have completely lost count of how many times I've seen all the episodes!
Why UTSW Family Medicine: I was first drawn to the UTSW Family medicine residency program when I did my primary care preceptorship here during my first year of medical school. I met several faculty and residents and everyone was so kind, welcoming, and passionate about family medicine. As a dual degree DO/MPH student, I valued training in a setting with a very diverse patient population with several social determinants of health needs. I loved UTSW Family Medicine for several reasons: it is a large academic center with expert faculty in different fields, promotes research, has unique inpatient and outpatient training experiences at Parkland and THD with distinct patient populations, and an integrative medicine track. I consider Dallas my home, and I wanted to train and serve my home community.
Sandra Chang, M.D.
Hometown: Rochester, NY
Medical School: Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine
About me: I was born and raised in Rochester, NY and attended Brown University for undergrad. I love traveling and eating all different kinds of foods. I'm also a proud plant mom! Interesting fact: I have a bartending license that I earned from a weekend class in college. I've never utilized it, but it was a fun experience learning about all the drinks mixologists can make!
Why UTSW Family Medicine: I moved to Dallas right after college for an AmeriCorps VISTA position and a medical scribe position thereafter. It was my intro to Texas and I loved being able to help diverse communities navigate the complex healthcare system. I chose UTSW because I felt the faculty, residents, and institution expressed similar passions to mine in making this system more equitable. The residency program also felt like one supportive family. I'm excited to come back to the community that has so greatly influenced my career aspirations.
Atiya Chukwurah, M.D.
Hometown: New Jersey
Medical School: Howard University College of Medicine
About me: I was born and raised in New Jersey and attended Howard University for both med school and undergrad. My interests/hobbies include: workout classes, hair and skincare, going to the beach, amusement parks, and hanging with family and friends. Interesting fact: I was bitten by a lion cub during my trip to South Africa!
Why UTSW Family Medicine: I choose UTSW because I want to train at an academic center while also practicing community medicine. The curriculum and different tracks offered here give me the opportunity to explore my many interests within Family Medicine. I'm really looking forward to exploring the city of Dallas!
Cameron Conner, D.O.
Hometown: Coppell, TX
Medical School: Lincoln Memorial University- Debusk College of Osteopathic Medicine
About me: I was born and raised in Coppell, TX and attended Texas A & M University for undergrad. My interests include exercise, nutrition, sports, cooking, and video games. Interesting fact: I worked at Lululemon.
Why UTSW Family Medicine: I chose UTSW because it provides me the opportunity to train and learn with the best of the best while serving the community I grew up in. Having the support of my family and friends close by is a plus too. I feel blessed to be able to continue my education at UTSW.
Christopher Contreras, M.D.
Hometown: Naga City, Philippines
Medical School: Saint Louis University, School of Medicine, Baguio City, Philippines
About me: I was born and grew up in Naga City, Philippines, and attended Universidad de Sta. Isabel. I studied nursing for my pre-med, then went to medical school, graduated, and worked as a general physician in the Philippines catering to the needs of the underserved. My hobbies include playing airsoft, muay thai, & jiu jitsu. I also enjoy playing drums, acoustic & electric guitar, and piano. I love trying new things. Live-looping and making music is a new hobby I recently discovered. I also love spending time with my family.
Why UTSW Family Medicine: While working at Parkland hospital as a nurse, I was aware of the wide breadth of pathologies and cases that I can learn both from the hospital and the clinic. UTSW Family Medicine program offers the best of both academic and community medicine maximizing exposure and learning which aligns with my personal quest on becoming the best physician that I can be, elevating patient care. Furthermore, when I did my observership with the department, I had a delightful and positive experience. I saw that the faculty are extremely welcoming, are very supportive of their residents and their well-being, and the residents, themselves, are friendly and helpful. This inspires me to want to continue to be in this kind of environment during residency training.
Anima Gnawali, D.O.
Hometown: Dallas, TX
Medical School: University of North Texas Health Science Center, Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine
About me: I was born in Nepal but I grew up in Dallas, TX. I attended the University of Texas at Dallas for undergrad. My interests include hiking, rock climbing, live music, and cooking. I am a foodie! Interesting fact: I used to work as a Behavioral Therapist.
Why UTSW Family Medicine: I appreciate the combination of community and academic medicine.
Keren Kahsai Seyum, M.D.
Hometown: McAllen, TX
Medical School: The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
About me: I was born in Indianapolis, IN and grew up in McAllen, TX. I attended the University of Texas at Austin for undergrad. I love to travel, spend time with my 8-month-old son, and check out new restaurants. Interesting fact: I'm double-jointed in both of my shoulders!
Why UTSW Family Medicine: As the daughter of Eritrean immigrants, I wanted to serve an Eritrean community as a physician, and Dallas is the perfect place for that! Coupled with UTSW's emphasis on community medicine, this program was the right fit for me.
Priscilla Kha, D.O.
Hometown: Murphy, TX
Medical School: University of North Texas Health Science Center, Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine
About me: I was born in Dallas, TX, grew up in Murphy, TX, and attended Baylor University for undergrad. Years ago, I was welcomed to this world by the healing hands at Parkland Memorial Hospital. After college, I was welcomed to medicine at Texas Health, and now, I am excited to return for this next chapter of my life where I will be learning at both institutions! When my orange tabby cat, Bartholomew is done giving me attention, I enjoy painting with gouache and playing with new art mediums! My active pastimes include hiking, yoga, baking, cooking, (and then eating)!
Why UTSW Family Medicine: The mission and values of the UTSW Family Medicine program matched my own personal and professional values while still offering balanced training in academic and community-based medicine, a diverse patient population, and ample opportunity for growth. The faculty and residents appeared supportive and positive, and I am looking forward to sharing these next few years with my new family.
Areeba Mubarik, M.D.
Hometown: Daska, Pakistan
Medical School: Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
About me: I was born in Daska, Pakistan and spent the first 16 years of my life there. I then moved to Lahore with my family and then to Karachi for medical school. I enjoy watching movies with my three beautiful younger sisters, playing and watching cricket, baking, reading mysteries and crime fiction, trying new restaurants with my friends and spending time with my huge and close-knit Punjabi family. I started baking when I was 7 years old.
Why UTSW Family Medicine: I believe that it's the people that make the program and on my interview day I felt that I could really connect with the residents, and I enjoyed all the interactions that I had. The opportunity to train at UTSW in a mix of academic and community settings and to serve such a diverse population piqued my interest even more. The UTSW Family Medicine program aligns with all my interests and needs, and I see myself thriving and succeeding here.
Yvonne Ofodile, M.D.
Hometown: Kaduna, Nigeria
Medical School: Tulane University School of Medicine
About me: I was born and raised in Kaduna, Nigeria and attended Canisius College in Buffalo, NY. My hobbies include watching T.V., sharing meals with loved ones, reading novels, listening to podcasts, traveling, and spending time with friends and family. I could probably give you a detailed review of any major Nollywood movie made in the last 10 years.
Why UTSW Family Medicine: I was excited about the program values and curriculum. I also really enjoyed my interactions with the residents and faculty on interview day, as well as during the open-house. I look forward to caring for such a diverse patient population, and I am thrilled that I get to live and train in the vibrant city of Dallas!
Hadia Tahir, M.D.
Hometown: Lahore, Pakistan
Medical School: King Edward Medical College, Lahore, Pakistan
About me: I was born and raised in Lahore and attended Kinnaird College for Women. As a huge foodie, with a taste for particularly spicy food, you'll find me scavenging the latest restaurants in town. Moreover, my childhood love for anime inspired my hobbyist journey as a comic artist. I run a personal blog that pokes fun at the satire that medlife can be at times, whilst occasionally, promoting educational content on the platform as well. As they say, happiness walks on busy feet!
Why UTSW Family Medicine: UTSW is one of the most esteemed FM programs out there, also I visited Dallas during my rotations last year and fell in love with the city. In addition, to having family there-the weather, multicultural diversity, and overall vibe really reminded me of my beloved hometown Lahore, Pakistan. So it was a very natural choice!
Meiline Troeung, D.O.
Hometown: Rowlett, TX
Medical School: University of North Texas Health Science Center, Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine
About me: I was born in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, but I grew up in Rowlett, Texas. I attended University of Texas at Dallas for undergrad. I love doing puzzles, playing board games, and exploring different cuisines. I have career interests in geriatrics and women's health. I played women's Ultimate Frisbee in college and even co-captained for one club season.
Why UTSW Family Medicine: During my interview, I could see that the faculty valued the residents and receptive to resident feedback. The residents, themselves, were extremely welcoming and thoroughly answered questions. With UTSW, I knew I would be able to treat a very diverse patient population due to the program's hospital affiliations with both Parkland and Texas Health Presbyterian- Dallas. On top of everything, I wanted to stay close to my family and friends here in the DFW Metroplex.
Mubashir Wani, M.D.
Hometown: Sopore, J&K, India
Medical School: Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Srinagar, India
About me: I was born and raised in Sopore, India and attanded St Joseph's School. I am a wandering soul. Visiting new places, traveling new roads and learning about new cultures excites me. I have always had a good taste for trekking and camping. Walking through woods while observing colorful birds and foliage, smelling the aroma of spruce and pine trees, and listening to a soothing running stream simply clears my mind and makes me feel good. I equally enjoy good food, watching movies, board games and sports.
Why UTSW Family Medicine: UTSW provides the perfect environment for intellectual engagement, academic skills and cultural engagement. The programs rich diversity, equity and inclusion greatly aligns with my goals! I am very excited to be starting my journey at such a wonderful institution.