Third Year Fellows
Zaid Al-Jebaje
Hometown / Baghdad
Medical School / University of Baghdad
Residency / University at Buffalo – Catholic Health System
Hobbies / Interests / Soccer, hiking, travel
Why did you choose Rochester for Fellowship training? Two things: Amazing people and amazing food.
Favorite Activities To Do In Rochester: Walk/brunch on Park Avenue and of course Garbage Plate
Erin Armenia
Hometown / Niskayuna, NY
Medical School / University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Residency / University of Colorado
Hobbies / Interests / skiing, hiking, running (badly), dabbling in snowboarding, video games, annoying my wonderful husband, and our two cats
Why did you choose Rochester for Fellowship training? As an Upstate New York native, I knew that Rochester was the most awesome tertiary care hospital in the region, with tons of exposure to all different areas of cardiology (including transplant). Also, Western New York is known for its friendly people, and the glory that is WEGMANS!
Favorite Activities To Do In Rochester: Wegmans (see above!), eating garbage plates, biking or running on the Erie Canal/Genesee River paths, going to the public market
Daniel Chun
Hometown / Rochester, NY
Medical School / University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
Residency / University of Michigan
Hobbies / Interests / Tennis, Duke basketball, working out, traveling, watching Korean TV shows with my wife
Why did you choose Rochester for Fellowship training? I wanted to return home to train at an excellent academic center with friendly faculty and co-fellows.
Favorite Activities To Do In Rochester: Trying different restaurants around town, shopping at Wegmans, going to the different festivals throughout the year, spending time with family/friends
Michael Hannon
Hometown / Danville, PA
Medical School / Penn State
Residency / University of Rochester
Hobbies / Interests / Running, cycling, skiing (snow and water), anything outside
Why did you choose Rochester for Fellowship training?
I liked the residency program when I interviewed due to the friendly people and focus on education. I am lucky to be able to stay for fellowship at a great academic center with active advanced heart failure and mechanical support program and not be in a major city.
Favorite Activities To Do In Rochester: Run and XC ski at Mendon Ponds Park, cycle the canal path, explore the Finger Lakes region
Elliot Mahlof
Hometown / Monmouth County, NJ
Undergraduate / Johns Hopkins University
Medical School / Emory University School of Medicine
Residency / Emory University School of Medicine
Hobbies / Interests / Cooking, food blogging on TheMDChef.com, hosting dinner parties, travel and exploring new foods/cultures, hiking, and CrossFit
Why did you choose Rochester for Fellowship training? URMC offers outstanding clinical training in all areas of Cardiology, great research opportunities, and an incredibly approachable and dedicated faculty.
Favorite Activities To Do In Rochester: Wine tasting in the Finger Lakes (highly recommend Herman Wiemer Vineyard), Crossfitting on Park Ave, waking up early on a Saturday to shop at the Public Market, attending the various music/outdoor festivals
Second Year Fellows
Joshua Gorski, MD
Hometown / Alden, NY
Medical School / SUNY Downstate Medical Center
Residency / University of Rochester
Hobbies / Interests / Hiking, drone photography, biking, camping, Buffalo Bills football
Why did you choose Rochester for Fellowship training? I saw firsthand the great experience the cardiology fellows had during my residency here at the University of Rochester. This program would give me the chance to work with some of the fields best clinicians and researchers. It would also prepare me to comfortably go directly into clinical practice, or help me become a competitive applicant if I decided to pursue an advanced fellowship.
Favorite Activities To Do In Rochester: Biking the Erie canal, summer festivals, Fingerlakes wine tasting, going to Letchworth State Park
Joshua Haswell, MD
Hometown / Hamilton, NY
Medical School / University of Rochester
Residency / University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Hobbies / Interests / Spending time with family, playing with my dog, board/card games,
reading
Why did you choose Rochester for Fellowship training? URMC offers a singularly unique balance of exceptional and comprehensive training at the frontier of Cardiology - including advanced heart failure therapies, EP, and Interventional - and a collegiate, friendly, and supportive culture in a smaller city.
Favorite Activities To Do In Rochester: Walking/biking along the Genesee Riverway Trail, visiting Letchworth State Park, Ontario Beach Park, and summer festivals
Anas Jawaid, MD
Hometown / Overland Park, Kansas
Medical School / University of Cincinnati
Residency / University of Rochester
Hobbies / Interests / Watching and playing soccer. Trying new restaurants.
Why did you choose Rochester for Fellowship training? Excellent clinical training and abundant research opportunities with dedicated, approachable faculty.
Favorite Activities To Do In Rochester: Highland Park, Canandaigua Lake, Pittsford Dairy for ice cream
Everett Sinibaldi, MD
Hometown / Buffalo, New York
Medical School / University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Residency / University at Buffalo
Hobbies / Interests / Hockey, Baseball, Fishing, Reading, Traveling
Why did you choose Rochester for Fellowship training? The combined strengths of a phenomenal clinical experience that encompasses all subspecialties of cardiology, in addition to vast research opportunities that correspond with my personal interests and goals.
Favorite Activities To Do In Rochester: Exploring new places to go fishing, new restaurants, and new breweries
Harry Wang, MD
Hometown / Hatfield, PA
Medical School / University of Rochester
Residency / Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
Hobbies / Interests / Exploring new restaurants, traveling, hiking, volleyball, cooking
Why did you choose Rochester for Fellowship training? Great academic program with a perfect blend of unique clinical experiences, volume, and supportive faculty who are heavily invested in education.
Favorite Activities To Do In Rochester: Pittsford Dairy, hiking at nearby state parks, trying new restaurants (partial to Sticky Lips, Good Luck, and Han Noodle Bar)
First Year Fellows
Jeffrey Fitch, M.D.
Hometown / Ellicot City, MD
Medical School / Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University
Residency / University of Maryland Medical Center
Hobbies / Interests / Soccer (and pretty much every other sport), European History, writing fiction, trying to learn some home DIY
Why did you choose Rochester for Fellowship training? Happy fellows, large academic center with excellent faculty and opportunities, and Rochester is an awesome place to live.
Neil Gupta, M.D.
Hometown / Rochester, NY
Medical School / Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo
Residency / University of Rochester Medical Center
Hobbies / Interests / Boating, Exercising, Cooking, Travelling, Buffalo Bills football, Good Food
Why did you choose Rochester for Fellowship training? I was looking for a diverse program that Strong’s fellowship provides with plenty of research opportunities. I really appreciated the collegiality I saw between the fellows and the approachability of the faculty.
Sina Salehi Omran, M.D.
Hometown / Toronto, Canada
Medical School / Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Residency / University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Hobbies / Interests / salsa dancing, cooking, working out on my Peloton bike; interests: cardio-oncology, heart failure, MCS
Why did you choose Rochester for Fellowship training? URMC offers exposure to every aspect of cardiology, including significant VAD and transplant volume which are important to me. The center also benefits from a large catchment area. Finally, the welcoming atmosphere was very apparent, even through online interviews!
Ming Wu, M.D.
Hometown / Cherry Hill, NJ
Medical School / State University of New York Upstate Medical University
Residency / University of Rochester Medical Center
Hobbies / Interests / Golf, Badminton, Volleyball, Cooking/Eating, Hiking, Traveling, Investing
Why did you choose Rochester for Fellowship training? Having trained as an internal medicine resident here, I really enjoyed working with happy and enthusiastic cardiology fellows and attendings. There is a wonderful culture of camaraderie and friendliness throughout the hospital, which makes for great quality of life in and out of work. The Cardiology program offers comprehensive academic training with high volume tertiary care and exceptional subspecialty exposure. You also can’t beat living in Rochester with all the great food, fun activities, and beautiful nature in all four seasons.
Emily Xiao, M.D.
Hometown / Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
Medical School / Albany Medical College
Residency / University of Maryland Medical Center
Hobbies / Interests / Hiking, kayaking (or anything outdoors), creating new recipes, playing water polo, reading about marine biology, and exploring new places.
Why did you choose Rochester for Fellowship training? URMC offers comprehensive clinical training in a medium-sized city with a wide catchment area. The faculty and fellows seemed to be happy and well-rounded. I was also very excited to see the leadership include a Med-Peds trained faculty member!