Third Year (PGY-6)
Peter Bleszynski
Hometown / Vancouver, BC, Canada
Medical School / Jagiellonian University Medical College
Residency / University of Rochester
Hobbies / Interests / Traveling, trying new foods, working out, tennis, skiing
Why did you choose Rochester for Fellowship training? URMC provides outstanding education with a friendly atmosphere.
Favorite Activities To Do In Rochester: Exploring Canandaigua lake on the boat, hiking through the beautiful parks, wine tours around the Finger lakes
Jesse Doran
Hometown / Sudbury, MA
Medical School / University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry
Residency / University of Rochester Medical Center
Hobbies / Interests / Fishing, spending time in the Adirondacks, traveling, beer league softball, football (especially the New England Patriots)
Why did you choose Rochester for Fellowship training? Great atmosphere, wonderful faculty, balanced fellowship
Favorite Activities To Do In Rochester: Trout & salmon fishing, Finger Lakes wineries, summer festivals, softball
Michael Gagnier, Chief Fellow
Hometown / Rochester, NY
Medical School / University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Residency / University of Massachusetts
Hobbies / Interests / Working out, cooking, playing guitar, golf and playing other sports
Why did you choose Rochester for Fellowship training? Location is close to family, complete training with EP, interventional cardiology, and advanced heart failure along with kind fellows and attendings.
Favorite Activities To Do In Rochester: Spending time in the finger lakes, trying new restaurants, going to Wegmans
Sinan Tankut
Hometown / Tulsa, OK
Medical School / University of Oklahoma
Residency / University of Rochester
Hobbies / Interests / Tennis, basketball, traveling, playing the piano, biking
Why did you choose Rochester for Fellowship training? Excellent clinical program with great opportunities to conduct research, supportive faculty and staff who are heavily invested in the education and training of fellows.
Favorite Activities To Do In Rochester: Biking along the Erie Canal, golfing, spending time with friends and family, trying out new restaurants
Michael Wilber
Hometown / Fairfax, VA
Medical School / Virginia Commonwealth University
Residency / University of Maryland
Hobbies / Interests / Cooking, eating, wine, beer, cocktails, travel, biking, NHL hockey, EPL football, playing music
Why did you choose Rochester for Fellowship training? Great blend of academic research opportunities with large breadth of clinical pathology and available experiences in all areas of cardiology. Affordable and beautiful city with nice people and plenty to do.
Favorite Activities To Do In Rochester: Eating and drinking around Rochester and the finger lakes. Biking along the many river and canal paths. Hanging out with my wife and daughter at the Strong museum, public market, beach. Going to performances at the Eastman Theatre.
Second Year (PGY-5)
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
First Year Fellows (PGY-4)
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)
Alan Brooks, M.D., Ph.D.
Home Town / Louisville, KY
Medical School / University of Louisville School of Medicine
Residency / University of Rochester Medical Center - Internal Medicine
Hobbies/Interests / Cooking, hiking
Why did you choose Rochester for Fellowship training?
I chose URMC for research fellowship training for its strengths in Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Disease clinical training combined with truly protected research time.
Favorite Rochester Activities / Hiking local parks and visiting the Finger Lakes
Graduation Year / 2020
Plans beyond graduation / Continue research as an ABIM Research Pathway Fellow for one more year and work towards a career development award to support further research. Ultimately, I would like to be hired as an Academic Cardiologist and maintain my own research lab.