Our Residents
Chief Resident
Bethany Marbaker, M.D.
Medical School
State University of New York Upstate Medical University, 2022
Hometown
Endicott, NY
What impressed you about our program?
Rochester has been a place where I have been challenged and supported, and I have grown significantly as a doctor and a person. Our med-peds family, including our program leadership, admin team, faculty, and co-residents, all care deeply about one another; they all work tirelessly to make our residents and program the best they can be.
What are your hobbies and interests?
Knitting, reading, running, spending time with my husband and dog, trying new restaurants and craft beers!
What are your career interests?
I picked med-peds because I love everything, so I am excited to pursue a career as a combined internal medicine - pediatric hospitalist, hopefully including some component of medical education!
PGY- 4th Year
Jai Ahluwalia, M.D.
Medical School
New York Medical College
Hometown
Little Falls, NY
Kavya Bana, M.D.
Medical School
University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
Hometown
Simsbury, CT
Who inspires you?
My parents inspire me the most. They have sacrificed so much to build a life for my sister and me in America and without them I would not be here today.
What are your career interests?
Primary care and hospital medicine
Shri Karri, M.D.
Medical School
Texas Tech University - Health Sciences Center, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine
Hometown
Dallas, TX
Kathy Lu, M.D.
Medical School
Tufts University School of Medicine
Hometown
Rochester, NY and Plano, TX
Imani Miles, M.D.
Medical School
University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
Hometown
Destrehan, LA
Nathan Rotundo, M.D.
Medical School
Michigan State University College of Human Medicine – Grand Rapids
Hometown
Marquette, MI
Who inspires you?
My Mom, for reasons too numerous to list.
What are your career interests?
As of right now I am interested in being a combined hospitalist and potentially pursuing something in the field of medical education.
Mallory Rowley, M.D.
Medical School
SUNY Upstate Medical University, Norton College of Medicine
Hometown
Syracuse, NY
Aidan Sullivan, M.D.
Medical School
Albany Medical College
Hometown
Chester NH
What are your hobbies and interests
Reading, watching TV, going to the movies, going to a brewery or winery, pickle ball.
What impressed you about the program during your interviews?
The alumni presence during the interview day.
What are your career interests?Hospital medicine.
PGY- 3rd Year
Emily Briceno, M.D.
Medical School
Loma Linda University School of Medicine
Hobbies & Interests: I really enjoy baking. The best part of baking, in my opinion, is trying out a new recipe or new skill. My best dish is a tres leches cake!
Last good book you’ve read or movie or TV show you’ve seen?: I haven't watched any movies recently but I did start watching the show Ghosts. 10/10 would recommend.
What impressed you about the program during your interviews?: I was impressed by bonds between residents and faculty.
Marco Caiola, M.D.
Medical School
Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo
What are your hobbies and interests?
Woodworking, tennis, pickleball, golf, skiing, reading, video games.
Last good book, story, article, TV show, or movie?
I recently finished season 2 of Severance, started re-reading The Way of Kings and I'm working on playing through Expedition 33.
What impressed you about the program during your interviews?
The comradery of the residents and faculty, felt like one big family.
Layton Camren, D.O
Hometown: Moulton, AL
Medical School: Midwestern University - Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine
Hobbies & Interests: I'm learning how to exercise using gymnastic rings and am currently on my third play through of Dark Souls 3.
Last good book you’ve read or movie or TV show you’ve seen?: My favorite book genre is gothic novels. My favorite book is Wuthering Heights with a close second being House of the Seven Gables. I love how immersive these books are, I always feel like I'm traveling back in time when I read them. A good movie I recently watched was 'Poor Things' with Emma Stone; it's on Hulu.
What impressed you about the program during your interviews?: I was impressed with how well integrated the med-peds program is but also how independent it is at the same time. I was also drawn to the fact that graduates from the program have pursued the career I am pursuing.
David Deleon, D.O.
Medical School
New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine
Brian Garcia Valdez, M.D.
Hometown: Laredo, TX
Medical School: Loyola University Chicago Stitch School of Medicine
Hobbies & Interests: Hiking, biking, furniture building.
What are you most looking forward to in residency? Becoming the best physician I can be while building strong relationships with my patients and colleagues.
What impressed you about the program during your interviews?: The warm and welcoming nature of every person I spoke to during the interview. Additionally, one of the things that impressed me the most was the strong med-peds presence and seamless integration we have with the categorical IM and Peds programs.
Omotara Ogundeyi, D.O
Hometown: Lagos, Nigeria
Medical School: William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Hobbies & Interests: Cooking, theater, afternoon tea, travelling, table tennis.
Last good book you’ve read or movie or TV show you’ve seen?: Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
What impressed you about the program during your interviews?: The Residents and their camaraderie! The desire to lend a helping hand as we went through the interview trail even if it had nothing to do with University of Rochester residency. Dr. Robbins, Dr. Caiola and Dr Scofield were also very warm and created a comfortable space to be myself and upfront during the interview. I also fell in love with culver on my visit. The preceptors and the staff were individuals I remembered for a long time and looked forward to seeing and learning from again and again.
Julie Self, D.O.
Hometown: West Monroe, LA
Medical School: Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine – Louisiana Campus
Hobbies & Interests: Board games, escape rooms, reading, cooking.
Last good book you’ve read or movie or TV show you’ve seen?: House of God - a great book for every resident physician to read
What impressed you about the program during your interviews?: I was very impressed by the camaraderie of the faculty and residents. The interview day felt supportive and kind, which was exactly what I was searching for in my ideal program.
Anna Yolitz, M.D.
Hometown: Chattanooga, TN
Medical School: University of Tennessee Health Science Center
Hobbies & Interests: Baking, nature walks, biking, and cuddling with my cat.
Last good book you’ve read or movie or TV show you’ve seen?: And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini. Another wonderful piece from this author that beautifully describes the best and worst parts of humanity.
What impressed you about the program during your interviews?: The amount of care they showed even before the interview by sending a gift card to buy a meal since we were interviewing over Zoom. It was just a glimpse into how deeply they care for their residents before they even become one.
PGY- 2nd Year
Kate Brashear, M.D.
Medical School
Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo
Hometown
Hong Kong
Hobbies & Interests: Roller derby, crosswords and word puzzles.
Favorite food: Cha siu fan (Chinese barbecue pork) is my ultimate comfort food. Also, chocolate.
What are you most looking forward to during residency?
Figuring out what my style of practice looks like and really getting to take ownership of patients!
What are your career interests after residency?
Hospice & palliative care.
Zaphrirah Chin, M.D.
Medical School
University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria
Hometown
Brooklyn, NY / Jacksonville, NC
Hobbies & Interests: Anime, fashion, reading, music, mentorship, traveling, snowboarding.
Favorite food: Ital is Vital.
What impressed you about our program during your interviews?
Interview day truly reflected the values of the institution.
What are your career interests after residency?
Applying for fellowship!
Kaitlin Davis, M.D.
Medical School
Albany Medical College
Hometown
Clifton Park, NY
Hobbies & Interests: Reality TV, sewing, cooking, being outdoors, Survivor, Harry Styles.
Favorite food: Pizza, preferably margherita.
What impressed you about our program during your interviews?
I was struck by how kind and supportive everyone was! I immediately felt comfortable and relaxed.
What are your career interests after residency?
MedPeds hospitalist? We shall see!
Melissa Endy, M.D.
Medical School
Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine
Hometown
Westfield, NJ
Hobbies & Interests: Reading, traveling, hiking.
Favorite food: Ice cream.
What impressed you about our program during your interviews?
How friendly everyone is! Definitely laughed more interviewing here than anywhere else.
What are your career interests after residency?
Complex primary care and medical education.
Nathan Logan, M.D.
Medical School
Saint Louis University School of Medicine
Hometown
St. Charles, MO
Hobbies & Interests: Baking, hiking, running.
Favorite food: Toasted ravioli (a St. Louis classic).
What impressed you about our program during your interviews?
Supportive learning environment, relationship between faculty and residents.
What are your career interests after residency?
Undecided! Maybe primary care? Maybe ICU?
Lily McGovern, M.D.
Medical School
Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo
Hometown
Belmont, NY
Hobbies & Interests: I love gardening, houseplants, cycling, The Buffalo Bills, The Grateful Dead, camping/hiking with my husband and dog, and spending time with my family (especially my little sister)!
Favorite food: Peaches, strawberry shortcake, coffee flavored/infused anything - I also love a garbage plate.
What impressed you about our program during your interviews?
I was blown away by how kind and supportive everyone was! It truly felt like a place where I could learn and grow to be the best possible physician alongside my colleagues.
What are your career interests after residency?
I'm fairly undifferentiated at this point! I love working with adolescents/young people who carry complex medical histories into adulthood. I can see myself working in primary care for all ages and also have an interest in palliative care!
Folasade Odeniyi, M.D.
Medical School
University of Illinois at Chicago
Hometown
Philadelphia, PA
Hobbies & Interests: Cooking.
Favorite food: Jollof rice.
What impressed you about our program during your interviews?
An emphasis on psychological safety and resident wellness.
What are your career interests after residency?
Undecided, but emphasis on serving underserved communities.
Emma Wilcox, M.D.
Medical School
The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Hometown
Lawrenceville, NJ
Hobbies & Interests: Painting, crocheting, embroidery, reading, baking, and anything outside.
What are you most looking forward to during residency?
Providing primary care to my own patients!
What are your career interests after residency?
Primary care, transitions of care, street medicine.
PGY- 1st Year
Danielle Abdallah, M.D.
Medical School
The Ohio State University College of Medicine
Hometown
Strongsville, OH
Hobbies & Interests: All things outdoors! Hiking, biking, sand volleyball, etc. I also grew up doing hip-hop dance and still love going to classes/sessions.
Favorite food: Too hard to decide--but I love a good, deep-fried sushi roll.
Last good book you’ve read or movie or TV show you’ve seen: The Great British Bake Off is always my go-to comfort show :)
What are you most looking forward to during residency?
Becoming a well-trained Med-Peds doc!
What are your career interests after residency?
I'm mostly interested in primary care but still want to explore other specialties and see what I like best!
Isadora Fan, M.D.
Medical School
West Virginia University
Hometown
Chesterbrook, PA
Hobbies & Interests: Relearning how to play the piano, doing puzzles, going on walks and hikes, Philadelphia sports teams.
Favorite food: I love any kind of Thai food, but especially pad kee mao (drunken noodles).
Last good book you’ve read or movie or TV show you’ve seen: Bridgerton! I started watching it during my 4th year of medical school, and I've enjoyed every season so far.
What impressed you about our program during your interviews?
I was immediately impressed by the kindness of all the residents and program leadership I was able to meet on interview day. It was also clear this program prioritized both the formal and informal educational opportunities to best prepare residents for their careers.
What are you most looking forward to during residency?
I am excited to see how my skills and capabilities grow over the next few years, but especially during intern year. I know the learning curve will be steep, but I look forward to reflecting on my personal and professional growth this time next year!
What are your career interests after residency?
Not completely decided, but leaning towards primary care!
Grace Faulkner, M.D.
Medical School
Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo
Hometown
Victor, NY
Hobbies & Interests: Hot yoga, buying iced lattes, hosting game nights, ballet, playing the NY Times games, and being outside!
Favorite food: Tiramisu!
Last good book you’ve read or movie or TV show you’ve seen: I'm currently reading The Wedding People by Alison Espach! I've also been watching Summer House on Bravo and Shrinking on Apple TV.
What impressed you about our program during your interviews?
I was most impressed by how happy and well supported the residents were here! Also, everyone I interacted with on my interview day seemed genuinely interested in getting to know me as both a person and a physician, which was the type of culture I was looking for in a program!
What are you most looking forward to during residency?
I'm most looking forward to building relationships with my co-residents, faculty mentors, and patients!
What are your career interests after residency?
As of right now, I am hoping to pursue a career in primary care. However, in true med-peds fashion, I like almost everything, so I am keeping an open mind!
Alexandra Kaplan, M.D.
Medical School
University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry
Hometown
Hollidaysburg, PA
Hobbies & Interests: Finding Little Free Libraries, reading, arts and crafts, trying new restaurants and coffee shops.
Favorite food: Any form of dip! I grew up celebrating “Dip Nights” (a meal comprised only of dips) with my family. I’ve kept up this tradition with my friends, and I’m excited to bring it to residency.
What impressed you about our program during your interviews?
The emphasis on high-quality teaching and the strong Med-Peds identity and family at Rochester.
What are you most looking forward to during residency?
Bonding with my co-residents, developing long-term relationships with my patients, and teaching medical students.
What are your career interests after residency?
Allergy/Immunology and medical education!
Mirai Omote, M.D.
Medical School
Kanazawa Medical University
Hometown
Kanazawa, JPN & Seattle, WA
Hobbies & Interests: Yoga, embroidering, going to farmers’ markets, trying out new restaurants!
Favorite food: I love all Japanese food! Sushi, ramen, tempura, the list goes on!
Last good book you’ve read or movie or TV show you’ve seen: I recently watched The Devil Wears Prada and loved it!
Who inspires you?
My 102-year-old grandmother is my inspiration. She is always so positive, kind, wise, and takes everyday day by day. She reminds me to be appreciative and live in the moment.
What impressed you about our program during your interviews?
How genuine and down-to-earth everyone was! I could tell that I would be very well supported by faculty and have a very robust and fruitful Med-Peds residency experience.
What are you most looking forward to during residency?
I'm most excited about the amazing and inspiring people I will get to meet!
What are your career interests after residency?
I'm interested in complex care and transitions of care. I would also like to be involved in legislative and disability advocacy.
Shrey Patel, M.D.
Medical School
The Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine at The University of Vermont
Hometown
Tampa, FL
Hobbies & Interests: I love art, literature, poetry, music, food, coffee, and celebrations.
Favorite food: Anything that counts as food inside bread (sandwiches, burritos, dumplings, etc.).
Who inspires you?
My partner June!
What impressed you about our program during your interviews?
The program leadership, the warmth, and all the amazing things I heard from friends and mentors who had already trained here.
What are your career interests after residency?
Pediatric/AYA and hematology-oncology!
Anna Scott, MBBS BSc
Medical School
St George's, University of London
Hometown
London, ENG
Hobbies & Interests: I love spending time with my pets, doing crafts, being outside, finding new small businesses and bookstores, exploring good food places.
Favorite food: Sourdough crust pizza!
What impressed you about our program during your interviews?
I was impressed by how established it was as its own program but how it also nicely integrated into both internal medicine and pediatrics. Also, everyone was so happy!
What are you most looking forward to during residency?
Spending time with like-minded people who have all met due to a shared passion.
Cherise Thomas, M.D.
Medical School
Emory University
Hometown
Watertown, NY and Harrogate, North Yorkshire
Hobbies & Interests: I like cooking and learning about different places through food. I also like music, writing poetry and watching anime — Attack on Titan, Haikyu!!, and Demon Slayer are my favorites. I like spending time in nature (walking and biking), travelling and napping.
Favorite food: Doubles!
Last good book you’ve read or movie or TV show you’ve seen: I watched the extended-cut versions of the LOTR earlier this year — and they were amazing, so I bought a copy of The Hobbit.
Who inspires you?
My mum! She’s sacrificed a lot for me and my siblings. I love and owe her so much!
What impressed you about our program during your interviews?
Honestly, the people! Everyone I met was so lovely and funny. I spent the entire day laughing and felt strongly that this was the program for me.
What are you most looking forward to during residency?
I look forward to learning and growing, both personally and professionally, while getting to know my co-residents.
What are your career interests after residency?
Right now, I’m interested in pursuing a fellowship in Addiction Medicine, with plans to practice as a dual Med-Peds hospitalist afterwards — but we’ll see!