Spring 2011
The following are biographical notes of students who were selected for the program in spring 2011.
Note: Records are presented in alphabetical order.
- Aireen Agulto
- Claire Brownfield
- Jane Chang
- Laura Constantine
- Elizabeth Constantz
- Muninder Dhaliwal
- Marissa Hughbanks
- Christopher Khoury
- Christine Kwong
- Lee Lankford
- Yelena Mikityanskaya
- Crisol Rocio Morales
- Erica Neuhaus
- Charleen Pfanner
- Brianna Slatnick
- Randy Tigue
- Sebastian Torf
Fellows
Aside from their internship obligations, the following students manage the spring SIP.
Aireen Agulto
University of California, Berkeley
Aireen Agulto graduated from UC Berkeley in 2008 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and a minor in Education. Aireen was a proud and active member of the Pilipino Association of Student Services and the Youth Mentorship Program at Cal, dedicated to helping first-generation Filipino students in San Francisco grow academically and personally, and acclimate to life in America. She loved being a tangible and realistic role model and still continues that enthusiasm as a Sylvan Learning Center Tutor and Teacher today.
Aireen’s college journey in pursuing a medical career started in her first year as a Molecular and Cell Biology major, but her direction abruptly changed as the pre-med cutthroat environment became her demise. However, after her experience in many neurosurgery and sleep lab research opportunities during her last two years at Cal, Aireen realized she wanted clinical experience and her passion for a career in medicine had not died with her change in majors. Thus, Aireen has completed the pre-medical requirements at Solano Community College in Fairfield, CA as a post-baccalaureate student.
Beyond academics, Aireen volunteers for the American Red Cross at David Grant Medical Center on Travis Air Force Base. She enjoys an active lifestyle of snowboarding, rafting, motorcycle riding, and daily workouts. Aireen can often be found babysitting her two nephews and niece and spending time with her family, with whom she is very close.
Aireen will be applying to medical school this cycle. As an intern, this program gave her a more clear and realistic perspective on what a surgeon encounters on a daily basis, help strengthen her characteristics that are becoming of a physician and helped her identify and resolve any weaknesses, and widened her understanding of health care in America. Now, as one of the academic coordinators, she hopes to provide helpful feedback to the current interns and introduce new and enlightening material to aid them on their journey towards medicine.
Claire Brownfield
University of California, Davis
Claire Brownfield was born and raised in San Jose, California where she lived with her parents and three younger brothers. After graduating from Presentation High School, Claire attended San Jose City College to complete her transfer requirements. While at SJCC, she attained her EMT-B certification and began teaching as a volunteer instructor in the SJCC EMT Training Program. This fall, Claire will transfer to UC Davis to complete her B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology before applying to medical school in 2013.
As well as being a full-time student, Claire holds two part time jobs as a life guard and EMT-B. She also volunteers as an EMT-B at concerts throughout the Bay Area. In her free time, Claire enjoys reading fantasy and science fiction books, swimming, and hanging out with friends and family.
Jane YunCheong Chang
University of California, Berkeley
Jane is a graduating senior at UC Berkeley, majoring in Integrative Biology and minoring in Education with the intent of becoming a physician some day.
Being a very active student in school, she serves as a resident assistant in the residence halls during the semester. As a mentor and role model for her residents, she spends most of her time in the residence halls carrying out large-scaled programs or small activities with residents that are intended to aid them in transitioning to college life. On campus, Jane is Editor in Chief of a science, society, and law journal, The Triple Helix. Being in charge of production and publication, she attends annual leadership conferences with other chapters at different schools across the country. Aside from campus-related activities, Jane volunteers her time at the Epstein research lab at the Children’s Hospital of Oakland Research Institute, helping with the identification of the activation and suppression of genes that lead to skin cancer. She has also been heavily involved with a local YMCA after-school program for the past years, dedicating her time serving the underserved low income community.
Jane spends her leisure time studying photography and hanging out with friends and family as she greatly enjoys being in the company of others. Every weekend after volunteering at a local Kaiser Permanente she visits her father who lives close to Berkeley.
Laura Constantine
University of Pennsylvania, Brigham Young University
Laura Constantine is from Sacramento, California. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Brigham Young University. She worked as a behavioral analyst for a behavioral services company, and eventually became the Associate Clinical Director of Autism Services. Focusing on research, Laura began working for the Department of Psychiatry at UC Davis, where she assisted in investigations of neurodevelopmental disorders at the M.I.N.D. Institute. She studied the neuropsychological functioning in children with autism and ADHD, including functional neuroimaging and the regulation of cortisol. This research resulted in two publications and presentations at several conferences. Deciding to pursue medicine, she completed a Post-baccalaureate Pre-medical Program at the University of Pennsylvania.
After the marathon of medical school applications, Laura is happily looking forward to starting medical school in summer 2011. She continues to be involved in the Pre-medical Surgical Internship Program and also works as a tutor. She loves playing with her two daughters and taking them to parks and museums. She enjoys learning and trying new things. Laura speaks German and Arabic, and has also studied neurobiology, astronomy, and Russian literature. She trained in gymnastics, swimming, running and martial arts, and worked as a zookeeper for two summers during college. She wishes she had more time for traveling, surfing, reading, and taking her dog on walks.
Elizabeth Constantz
University of California, Davis
Elizabeth Constantz grew up as only child in Mountain View, California. The daughter of two medical research librarians, she was exposed to medical terminology from an early age. She developed a passion for medicine early on, watching her older cousin begin her path to medical school. As time passed, and her experiences and knowledge increased, this passion only grew.
Elizabeth recently graduated from the University of California, Davis with a Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences, emphasizing in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior, as well as with a minor in French. She will be applying to medical school in June.
While at UC Davis, Elizabeth has participated in various campus organizations. In her second year she and a friend co-founded the UC Davis chapter of Team HBV, a collegiate branch of the Asian Liver Center at Stanford University. Team HBV is focused on spreading awareness about the Hepatitis B virus on both a national and global scale. Since founding the UC Davis chapter, they have raised money, raised awareness, and most impressively worked with the state of California to provide free HBV vaccines to the Paul Hom Asian clinic in Sacramento. In her third year, Elizabeth had the opportunity to study abroad in Grenoble, France. During her stay, she was able to work with a Ph.D. student conducting research on the differentiation pathway of epithelial cells. The experience left Elizabeth with a greater level of laboratory knowledge and an increased interest in research.
In her free time Elizabeth enjoys white water rafting, and is a certified guide for the UC Davis organization, Outdoor Adventures. She is also a member of UC Davis club field hockey team.
Elizabeth is currently working as both outreach and evaluations coordinator. She is grateful for the friendships and wonderful experiences she has through her work with this internship.
Muninder Dhaliwal
California State University, Stanislaus
Muninder Dhaliwal graduated summa cum laude from California State University, Stanislaus with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in chemistry. During her time at Stanislaus, Muninder was an active member of Psi Chi, the National Honor Society for Psychology students, and worked as a biology and chemistry tutor for both high school and college students. She was also heavily involved in chemistry research, which focused on applying x‐ray fluorescence technology to the field of archaeochemistry. Her research has been showcased at numerous poster and oral presentation events including Hayward, Los Angeles, Burbank, Arizona and Puerto Rico. Muninder’s dedication to her research has not only led to two first place finishes in research competitions, but has also led to her work being accepted for publication in the Journal of Archeological Science.
When not involved in research or volunteering, Muninder works as an emergency department scribe at two valley hospitals. Muninder believes that her work as a scribe not only provides her with a real example of how medicine is practiced, but also gives her an opportunity to learn medicine in a way that is not possible in a classroom setting. Her future goals include trying to learn how to play the guitar, mastering how to do the scorpion position in yoga flawlessly, training for a marathon, and eventually attending a medical school of her choice. Muninder is excited about returning to the internship program as a fellow, and hopes to help further foster the program so that many other premedical students can be given this amazing opportunity.
Marissa Hughbanks
University of California, Davis
Marissa Hughbanks was born in San Jose, California and raised by her two loving and supportive parents in Hollister, California. She is the middle child with an older brother and younger sister.
At a young age, Marissa Hughbanks had a passion for learning. She was an ambitious child who constantly pushed herself to achieve whatever she had set her mind to. Marissa first discovered her interest in the medical field while visiting her childhood pediatrician. In high school, Marissa further developed her interest in the human body and its workings in her biology and human anatomy classes. Her desire to help others, coupled with her fascination with the human body drove her to pursue a career in medicine.
Marissa is currently a junior at the University of California, Davis majoring in Biological Sciences with an emphasis in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior and minoring in Latin American and Hemispheric Studies. She aspires to attend medical school in the fall of 2012 in hopes of becoming a pediatric surgeon.
Marissa currently works as a research assistant for a surgical research lab in the UC Davis Veterinary Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences. In her spare time she enjoys reading, running, riding horses, and spending time with friends and family. Marissa is an optimistic go-getter who enthusiastically looks forward to what the future has in store for her.
Christopher Khoury
Saint Mary’s College of California
Christopher was born in Redwood City California in 1989 during the memorable earthquake that shook the bay area. He was raised in Milpitas as the second child of four and spent his childhood immersed in sports as well as his academics. During the summer after Chris’ sophomore year at Milpitas High, his family moved to Pleasanton where he attended Foothill High. During High School, Chris participated on the soccer and varsity baseball teams.
Chris then chose to attend Saint Mary’s College of California to pursue his BS in Biochemistry with a minor in Theology and Religious Studies. It was here at Saint Mary’s where Chris made the dean’s list while he matured into an adult and found his passion for science as well as medicine, while also being a part of the making of the college’s first men’s club soccer team. Christopher is a TA in General Chemistry after receiving the CRC award for top student in his own General Chemistry class. Chris is also a Health Educator in Peer Health Exchange program at Saint Mary’s, traveling to High Schools in Oakland to teach an HIV and STIs workshop to teenage students. Also while at Saint Mary’s he has taken a prestigious leadership role on campus, becoming a Resident Advisor and being on the frontline of the student residents’ interaction with their college.
Christopher spends a majority of his time at his church, where he has helped establish one of the strongest youth groups in the diocese, participating in fund raisers, volunteer events and lifetime bonding activities. Christopher is the co-director of athletics for his church, managing and coaching two high school teams and one adult basketball team in the Orthodox Youth Athletic Association. It is Christopher’s dream to become a doctor and help those who are less fortunate than himself. Christopher is deeply honored to be a part of this once in a lifetime experience as a pre-medical surgical intern at the UC Davis Medical Center.
Christine Kwong
University of California, Davis
Christine Kwong is a 21-year-old Chinese American currently completing her last quarter at UC Davis as a Biological Sciences major with an emphasis in Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior. She was born and raised in Sacramento as a middle child with two brothers. Alongside being a full-time student, she also works at the UC Davis Lung Cancer Research Laboratory as an intern for Chris Mahaffey Ph.D, whom is a researcher studying the p53 gene within lung cancer patients. In addition, Christine is also a proud member of the LGBT community and actively participates in the LGBT activities and organizations on campus. For example, she is currently a mentor for the Queer Mentorship Program at UC Davis, with hopes to be able to provide support, advise, and friendship to queer individuals in need of guidance.
Christine enjoys staying active everyday and dedicates herself equally to all of her commitments. Although she is a full time student with two internships, she still tries her best to find time to help the smaller, more local fundraisers and community organizations within Davis. Christine also enjoys painting/drawing whenever she can and tries her very best to spend as much time as possible with her family.
Christine’s hero and mentor is her mother, Mary Lew, who gives her the motivation and encouragement to pursue her dreams no matter how many obstacles may arise. Christine plans to graduate in March of 2011 and hopes to continue her education through medical school in hopes of achieving a life career within the medical field.
Lee Lankford
California State University, Sacramento
Lee Lankford is a 25 year old recent graduate of CSU Sacramento as well as a full-time employee at the Java City corporate warehouse in Natomas. In his free time he enjoys playing guitar, reading, as well as spending time with friends and family. Lee was born in Sacramento and grew up in a town just south of there called Elk Grove, where he attended elementary school through high school before moving into Sacramento to pursue an undergraduate degree in Biology at CSU Sacramento. Growing up in Elk Grove helped shape Lee into the person he is today. During his elementary through high school years he spent most of his time playing various sports such as baseball, soccer, and football.
In 2006 Lee attended the International Scholar Laureate Program Delegation on Medicine in China, which was an educational trip throughout many areas of China where he was given basic classes on the Chinese health care system as well as various forms of Traditional Chinese Medicine. This trip not only sparked in Lee a great enjoyment of traveling, but also was his first step in deciding to dedicate his life to becoming a physician. Since this time Lee has steadily put forth great effort to continue to grow academically and as a full-time employee. He has also devoted over 120 hours as a volunteer at Sutter Memorial Hospital in Sacramento, as well as maintained an active role in the UC Davis Dept. of Surgery Pre-Medical Surgical Internship, both as an intern as well as a Student Outreach Coordinator among other activities.
Currently, he is pursing admission to a graduate program at CSU Sacramento and is hoping to continue his journey on to medical school once obtaining a Master’s degree.
Yelena Mikityanskaya
University of San Francisco
Yelena Mikityanskaya was born and raised in Kharkov, Ukraine. After moving to San Francisco with her loving parents and older brother Yelena began studying at the University High School of San Francisco. After high school Yelena went on to study at the University of San Francisco.
Yelena graduated from USF with honors in 2009 with a major in psychology and a minor in natural science and another in neuroscience. While attending USF, Yelena taught art history at the Berkeley Russian School during weekends. During the week Yelena split her time between volunteering at the California Pacific Medical Center labor and delivery department and doing sporadic and familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis research in the department of neuroscience at the California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute.
Yelena is currently working as a physiology, psychology and art history instructor at Heald College which primarily serves disadvantaged individuals. She is also finishing up a certification program in phlebotomy and electrocardiography at the Bay Area Medical Academy because she wants to work in hospitals in addition to volunteering there.
Yelena is very grateful to be part of the Pre-Medical Surgical Internship Program and is eagerly looking forward to learning more about the different types of medical staff involved in the surgical team as well as their unique responsibilities. Armed with the information that she will learn throughout this program, Yelena is sure that she can make a better informed decision about the opportunities that are available in the world of medicine and the path that she should take in the future to achieve her goal of providing excellent medical care to those in need of it.
Crisol Rocio Morales
University of California, Davis
Crisol Rocio Morales, better known as Sol, was born in Culiacan, Sinaloa Mexico. At the age of 3, her and her mother moved to Los Angeles, California where she resided until the age of 22. It was not until 2006, shortly after getting married, that Sol relocated to be with her husband in the Sacramento area. Sol and her husband currently reside in Woodland, Ca and look forward to starting a family together in the near future.
Sol graduated from Gahr High school in Cerritos, CA in 2001 and proceeded to attend and graduate with honors from both Cerritos College and Sacramento City College. Sol has earned 2 AS degrees and 1 AA degree so far in her educational career. Currently, Sol is a 3rd year Animal Biology major at University of California Davis and expects to graduate 2011. She is interested in pursuing a lifelong career in cardiology and surgery.
In addition to being a full time student and wife, Sol is a proud member of Phi Theta Kappa, AMSA ARC and M.A.R. (Mujeres Ayudando la Raza). She is also the first in her family to earn any kind of higher educational degree, as well as the first to attend a University. In her spare time Sol enjoys hiking, camping, butterfly research and has become a very skilled salsa dancer.
Erica Neuhaus
University of California, Merced
Erica Neuhaus is a graduate of the University of California, Merced. She graduated with honors and earned a B.S. in Biology with a minor in History. By attending the university in only its second year of instruction, she was able to partake in the development and creation of the UC Merced community. As a member of the inaugural volleyball team, and a member of the team for her remaining years at UCM, Erica enjoyed being part of the dedicated group of athletes who were able to build up the sports department. Erica was also a Resident Assistant for three years and helped almost 200 freshmen with their transition from high school to college. Being part of such a new campus allowed Erica the opportunity to watch the university grow not only with the number of students, but in character and traditions.
Erica has always dreamed of a career within the medical field. Since elementary school, she has had her mind set on becoming a physician. After volunteering in the Emergency Department of Mercy Medical Center, Merced for two years, she knew that she wanted to enter another program to get her more exposed to medicine. Erica has enjoyed participating in this internship, and is looking forward to the vast experiences she will encounter through another term. As a fellow, Erica is looking forward to getting more involved with the program and its development.
Charleen Pfanner
California State University, Chico
California State University, Sacramento
Charleen graduated in ’02 from CSU, Chico with a BA in Studio Art and a minor in Business Administration. After realizing that she wanted to focus on a career in medicine, she began taking pre med courses at American River College. She then transferred to CSU, Sacramento and received a BS in Biology.
Currently, Charleen has applied to medical schools and is hoping to hear back from her choices soon. While waiting, she is going back to American River College to keep her brain sharp. She is taking various Psychology courses, expecting that they will help her better understand and relate to her patients. Attending school once more has allowed her to be a Beacon tutor again, tutoring Zoology as well as Anatomy & Physiology. During her down time, she volunteers at the AIDS Housing Alliance as a tutor for children who need a little extra help with their studies. She also acts as a Big Sister to one of the teens at the complex. One Saturday a month she hosts Girl’s Night at a local women’s shelter. Also, for the past five years at Shriner’s Hospital for Children, she has carried out orthopedic research and visited children as a certified Pet Partner with her guinea pig, Cliff.
As Outreach Coordinator for the Program, Charleen has been responsible for getting the word out about the internship, through talking with different campuses, working on promotions and providing information to students. She hopes to see many community college students apply for the next round! Good luck all!
Brianna Slatnick
University of California, Davis
Brianna Slatnick is a third-year Microbiology major at UC Davis. She began interning with the Pre-Medical Surgical Internship Program last spring. When it proved to be one of the most defining and rewarding experiences in her pre-medical career, she decided to continue as a Surgical Fellow to help afford other pre-medical students the same experience. Brianna now serves as the Evaluations Coordinator and works on the application committee to select new pre-medical students for the program.
In her free time Brianna enjoys traveling, scuba diving, crocheting, ceramics, eating sushi, and going on random adventures. She loves ice cream, and will eat it at any time of the day. This past summer she spent 7 weeks working at a clinic in Costa Rica, learning Spanish and living with a host family. Her clinic routines helped reveal the gaping disparities between medical care offered in the United States and abroad. She hopes to help bridge this gap by continuing to provide medical care abroad and building a medical career centered on giving service wherever she can to others in need. She loves being around people, and believes that medical care is most beneficial when paired with strong patient-doctor relationships. She is very dedicated to her schoolwork, and has known she wanted to become a doctor since her freshman year of high school. To her, medicine is like solving a puzzle; She loves the satisfaction she gets from figuring things out and craves the ability to ensure others that she is doing everything she can to help. She is not sure what medical specialty she wishes to pursue yet, but she is very interested in the field of surgery.
At UC Davis, Brianna is currently a physics tutor for the Student Academic Success Center. She is excited to continue expanding the Pre-Medical Surgical Internship Program and offer this wonderful opportunity to other enthusiastic pre-medical students.
Randy Tigue
California State University, Sacramento
University of California, Berkeley
Randy Tigue left his hometown of Sacramento, California to attend UC Berkeley as an undergraduate. His most notable experiences come from his time spent with biomechanics researcher Dr. Shelia Patek, Ph.D. He also served as the Delta Omega Chapter President for the national honor fraternity, Phi Sigma Pi, and fulfilled leadership roles for various dance organizations like The Movement and TruElement.
After graduating with a B.A. in Integrative Biology, he was hired by Scientific Certification Systems, an environmental certification body in Emeryville, CA. During his field audits, in agricultural communities, he gained an appreciation for the severity of health care lacking in socioeconomically disadvantaged ethnic labor groups. This catalyzed his decision to pursue a career in medicine.
Randy is a current graduate/post-bac student in the Masters Program of Biological Sciences at CSU Sacramento. He is developing a research grant to investigate the molecular biology of osteosarcomas in canine models, under the guidance of his advisor, Dr. Hao Nguyen, Ph.D. He hopes that his future will involve working in translational medicine.
His non-academic commitments are spent at the Sutter General Hospital, in downtown Sacramento, as an Emergency Medicine Scribe. He also volunteers for UC Davis Hospice. Randy tries to balance his graduate studies, work, and volunteer hours by engaging in active and healthy activities.
Sebastian Torf
University of California, Santa Cruz
Sebastian is a post-baccalaureate studying Biology, Chemistry, Accounting and Welding at Cabrillo College. He currently calls Santa Cruz, California his home and grew up as the first-born in a family with 5 siblings.
He graduated from the University of California at Santa Cruz with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. After spending some time working to apply this knowledge, he is now back in school pursuing degree options in the life sciences.
He has spent equal time growing up in both European & American societies and has spent some time working abroad in Asia as well. Sebastian has studied a variety of foreign languages both formally and informally.
In his free time, Sebastian enjoys working on motorcycles & cars. His keen interest is the repair of machinery that was previously broken. He also enjoys staying active by playing soccer recreationally, doing weight training, running in one of the many parks or on the beaches in Santa Cruz and participating in his local community college’s dance programs.
He is hoping to gain experiences in the health care industry and exposure to the different opportunities and types of specialties available to students pursuing medical degrees and was honored to have been selected for the UCDHS surgical internship.
Interns
The following students, including SIP Fellows, were selected for the spring program.
John Paul Aboubechara
University of California, Davis
John Paul Aboubechara was born in Sacramento, CA. At the age of six, he and his family moved to Lebanon for five years. There, he was introduced to a unique culture and became fluent in Arabic. However, financial and political upheaval in Lebanon forced his family to return to the United States. He excelled in his academics, graduating with honors from Jesuit High School of Carmichael, CA. He is currently a third year undergraduate student at UC Davis, passionately pursuing a major in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and a minor in Physics.
John Paul spends a great deal of his time involved in his research and volunteer activities. For the past eight months, he has had the privilege of working in the lab of John Roth of the Microbiology department of UC Davis. Professor Roth has been extremely generous in enabling John Paul to pursue his own project that works toward a better understanding of adaptive mutation in bacterial populations of Salmonella Enterica. In addition, John Paul has volunteered in the Radiology Department of the UCDMC Emergency Room, gaining valuable experience in communicating with patients.
John Paul does find time to hang out with friends and to be physically active. In his spare time, he enjoys working out and playing sports, especially basketball and soccer. He also enjoys reading books, listening to a wide variety of music, and on occasion cooking up a delicious masterpiece. Mostly, he enjoys the spontaneous moments that he shares with his friends.
John Paul is extremely fascinated by science and medicine in particular. So, he is thrilled to participate in this unique program because he has the opportunity to experience medicine from the perspective of a physician.
Demetrius Booker
San Diego State University
Demitrus Booker was born in Vallejo, CA as the youngest of six children. Graduating from Vallejo Senior High, he was recruited by a number of schools for soccer and settled at San Diego State University. Declaring molecular biochemistry as his major, Demitrus began to work in a structural biochemistry laboratory on a project aimed at the in depth study of the signal transduction pathway of NF-КB; it was here he found his passion for learning and science.
While attending San Diego State University, Demitrus was involved in activities ranging from the chemistry club to peer health educators to the Ambassadors and Momma’s Kitchen. Holding numerous positions such captain and president in these organizations, he was able to sharpen and hone his interpersonal, communication, leadership and analytical skills, which he decided to use in the field of research upon graduating.
Demitrus began working for a biotechnology company where he focused on research of rare genetic diseases. Most specifically, MPS, or mucopolysaccharidosis, a rare genetic disease in which the ability to break down carbohydrates via a lysozomal enzyme is impossible due to little or no translation of protein. Afterwhile, he found that something was missing and decided to pursue medicine. He then applied and was accepted into the UC Davis MD Post Baccalaureate Program and plans to matriculate into medical school in Fall 2012.
Besides his passion for learning and research, Demitrus enjoys working out and staying active and fit. To do this he spends a great deal of time playing soccer–his first love–basketball, tennis, swimming and running. He finds great pleasure in spending time with family and his small but close group of friends. He also enjoys reading and expanding his knowledge base outside of the sciences.
Rachel Borthwell
University of California, Davis
Rachel Borthwell grew up in Valencia, California with her parents and one younger sister. She graduated from Saugus High School in 2008 with Honors before moving to Northern California to begin her undergraduate studies at UC Davis.
Rachel is currently a third year student at UC Davis double majoring in Art History and Biological Sciences with an emphasis in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior. As a freshman, she became part of the Biological Undergraduate Scholars Program where she developed an interest in undergraduate research. Rachel has spent most of her time working in the Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology with Dr. Jonathan Widdicombe. Her research focuses on the genetic disease cystic fibrosis, specifically the development of primary pig tracheal gland cell cultures. With the recent advent of the transgenic pig model of cystic fibrosis, she hopes to develop a reliable method of obtaining well-differentiated gland cultures that may help further our knowledge of airway gland physiology and its alterations in cystic fibrosis.
Rachel’s future goals are to attend medical school in the fall of 2013 and to specialize in the surgical field. She is excited for this opportunity to gain clinical experience and to learn more about what it takes to be successful in the medical field. In her spare time she enjoys reading, sports, the outdoors, and spending time in art museums all over San Francisco.
Alexis Buckley
University of South Florida (Tampa, FL)
Alexis Buckley was born and raised in Tampa, Florida. She grew up with her mother, father, younger brother, grandmother, and chocolate Labrador named Abby. Alexis graduated summa cum laude from the University of South Florida in 2010. She majored in Biomedical Science with double minor in Biomedical Physics and Public Health. Alexis was an active member of AMSA throughout college.
Alexis’ dream to become a surgeon began at a very early age. While volunteering within the developmentally disabled community, Alexis developed the desire to increase medical care to this underserved population. On several occasions, Alexis witnessed numerous people with profound developmental disabilities desperately needing medical services only to be turned away.
Currently, Alexis works as an emergency department scribe at Brandon Regional Hospital in Brandon, Florida. Alexis has cherished this job opportunity for the past year because she has been able to experience the medical world first-hand. Her encounters in the emergency department have only enhanced her passion to practice medicine. In her spare time, Alexis enjoys taking photographs while traveling with her family, spending time with her friends, and watching forensic/medical shows such as C.S.I., House, and Grey’s Anatomy. Her future plans include learning to speak Spanish, learning to play the piano, and playing on Wheel-of-Fortune’s Family Week with her grandmother.
Alexis is currently applying to medical school and she believes that the Pre-Medical Surgical Internship program at UC Davis will provide an unparalleled opportunity to prepare for her medical career.
Michael Carchia
Carnegie Mellon University
Stanford University
Michael graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in 1999 with a B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering and earned an M.S. in Electrical Engineering in 2001 from Stanford University. He subsequently worked as a computer engineer for 9 years at Tensilica Inc. where he contributed to the designs of many widely used consumer electronic devices. Michael is the co-inventor of 2 patents for computer inventions and co-invented four additional patents that are waiting to be granted. In 2009, Michael left his career as an engineer to pursue medical school and plans to integrate his technical background with his medical interests. In this way, he sees a future career in medicine as the logical next step in the evolution of his life; as an engineer he focused on discerning the needs of others, improving living standards, and devising solutions to complex problems. Through the pursuit of a career in medicine, he plans to continue this work in an even more significant way.
Michael is completing his premedical coursework at UC Berkeley Extension and is currently applying to medical school. He is excited by the opportunities this surgical internship will afford him to shadow surgeons and observe the various personal and technical aspects of surgical intervention. When he is not studying, Michael volunteers in the Emergency Department of the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco and enjoys sports such as running and playing ice hockey.
Kevin Carpenter
University of California, Davis
Kevin Carpenter was born and raised in Livermore, CA. In high school he volunteered at an urgent care clinic as a medical assistant, learned French, and played football, soccer, and lacrosse. He graduated in 2008 and was a recipient of the ValleyCare Health Systems Auxiliary Scholarship from the urgent care clinic he volunteered at prior to graduation. Kevin now studies Neurobiology, Physiology & Behavior at UC Davis and is the vice president of his fraternity, Tau Kappa Epsilon.
Kevin volunteers in Clínica Tepati, a student-run clinic that focuses on serving the uninsured Latino population in the Sacramento area. He works in the clinic’s lab, intake, and reception positions, and is currently the co-head of the publicity committee.
Kevin also volunteers his summers at Camp Okizu, a children’s oncology camp located in Berry Creek, CA. He organized a fundraiser in partnership with his fraternity in November 2009 to benefit the camp, and was able to raise a total of over $4,000 dollars for Okizu. Kevin’s camp name is “Sharkbait Ooh Ha Ha!”
Kevin recently began learning Spanish and gains practice with each shift at Clínica Tepati. He plans to travel to Oaxaca, Mexico soon with the Education Abroad Program and eventually earn a minor in Chicano Studies. In his leisure time, Kevin enjoys playing sports, working out, snowboarding, playing the ukulele, and traveling. Currently, Kevin is most interested in Emergency Medicine and Orthopedic Surgery, and he anticipates that the Surgical Internship Program will introduce him to the pace of the operating room while further fueling his passion towards a career in medicine.
Ayse Celebioglu
University of California, Berkeley
Ayse Celebioglu is a fourth-year UC Berkeley student planning to graduate in May with a degree in Molecular Cell Biology Immunology with an emphasis on Infectious Disease. She was born and raised in the South Bay Area with frequent summer trips to visit her extended family in Istanbul, Turkey.
Ayse’s interest in medicine has been a part of her life since she was old enough to talk, but her interest in surgery developed extensively during the dissections portion of her eighth grade biology class. In high school, she volunteered at a camp for disabled adults and children, shadowed a pediatrician, and volunteered at a Turkish orphanage to further cultivate her desire to help people and better understand her love of medicine. At Berkeley, studying infectious disease biology on a molecular level has reinforced her interest in medical science. Also, volunteering in the emergency room at San Francisco General Hospital has enabled her to both learn how to respond to traumas as well as to experience the fast pace of the hospital lifestyle first hand.
As a peer adviser for the Molecular Cell Biology department and a biology tutor at the Student Learning Center, Ayse has come to realize a passion for teaching and helping others. In addition to her interest in medical and biological science, since volunteering at the Turkish orphanage, Ayse has had a deep-seated interest in poverty and has expanded on that interest by taking several global poverty classes at UC Berkeley. She hopes to one day combine her love of medicine and global poverty by working for Doctors Without Borders.
In her free time, Ayse enjoys traveling, trying new things, and dancing. Throughout her lifetime, she has learned jazz, hip-hop, lyrical, competitive standard and Latin styles of international ballroom, bellydancing, and most recently, salsa dancing.
Daniel Copeland
Sierra College (Rocklin, CA)
Daniel Copeland is a currently majoring in Biological Sciences at Sierra College in Rocklin, CA. In the fall semester of 2011 he will be transferring to UC Davis where he will major in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. He chose this major because the subject matter greatly interests him and he feels that it will help him prepare to the greatest extent for medical school.
Upon earning his Bachelors in Science degree, he plans to continue his education and become a doctor. Medicine and Biology have always interested him, but his passion for the subjects developed during his voluntary military service in the Israeli Defense Force. He was honored to serve for three years as a Combat Medic, where he was responsible for medical and mental health of the soldiers around him. Never, before his training in emergency medicine, had he felt such an undeniable and absolute certainty in his future. The training he received and the subsequent service helped him realize the incredible impact a medical professional can have.
Daniel is honored to have been selected for participation in the AMSA ARC/UC Davis Health System, Department of Surgery Pre-Medical Surgical Intern Program. He feels that this internship represents an extraordinarily unique opportunity for gaining medical experience and incredible insight into the medical field.
Katie Corley
University of California, Davis
Katie Corley is a 22 year old student at UC Davis. In June 2011, she will graduate with a degree in Human Development, focusing on cognitive and physiological development. Katie was born and raised in Ventura, California where her family still lives. She has one younger brother who is a senior in high school. After graduating, Katie plans to do some Post-Baccalaureate work in upper-division biology courses to better prepare her for medical school.
In addition to being a full time student, Katie works as a Peer-Coordinator for the Pre-Health Advising department at UC Davis. There, she helps other students plan and enhance their pre-medical experience. Katie is an active volunteer in a UC Davis School of Medicine student run clinic- Clinica Tepati. There, she works with a team of dedicated undergraduates, medical students and physicians to provide free, comprehensive health care to the uninsured Latino population of Sacramento. This experience has helped Katie solidify her desire to pursue a career in community-based medicine in underserved areas. She is also working on her Spanish language skills.
Katie enjoys spending her free time with her close friends. She loves to swim, hike and explore the beautiful nature reserves in Northern California. She also works as a lifeguard and swim instructor during the summer. She looks forward to expanding her knowledge of the medical field through the Pre Medical Surgical Internship.
Brittany Derieg
University of California, Davis
Brittany Derieg is a student at UC Davis majoring in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior. She has played an active role in UCD AMSA since her freshman year, and is the current vice-president. Having wanted to be involved with neuroscience since she was 16, Brittany is now an employee of the UCDSOM Center for Neuroscience, working under Barbara Chapman and researching neuronal activity and development. Now in her second year of independent study, she is proud to have been a presenter at Neuroscience 2010 in San Diego.
Brittany has volunteered her time at many of the hospitals and clinics near Davis, as well as around her home in southern California. Before moving to Davis, She received her Certified Nursing Assistant license after working at Victoria Health Center in Costa Mesa. She enjoys being apart of Student Housing, and has been a maintenance mechanic there for almost three years. She has also been a lead coordinator of the AMSA ARC/UCD Pre-Medical and Pre-Public Health Conference for two years now, and has already started working towards next year’s with high hopes. After graduation, she plans to continue her passion for research and apply to medical school to obtain an MD/PhD. Outside of her academics, she enjoys reading fiction, gaming, and traveling.
Stefan Estrada
California State University, Sacramento
Stefan Estrada is in his third year studying Biological Sciences at CSUS. When he was thirteen years old, he suffered multiple fractures to his right forearm which required two surgeries and six months to correct. During this experience he learned firsthand how exciting, complex and dynamic bones can be. This is what started his interest in bone growth, remodeling and orthopedics.
He has a skull collection of 8 mammalian skulls, and hopes to expand his collection to include full skeletal models. He has been married for four wonderful years and is raising two boys, two dogs and two cats. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family, listening to Lady Gaga, and playing Dance Dance Revolution on Playstation.
Michael Gedestad
University of California, Davis
Michael was born in Sacramento and grew up in Davis. He graduated from UC Davis in the Spring of 2008 with a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences with an emphasis in Marine Biology and a Bachelor of Arts in Italian.
He is now a second year Masters student at UC Davis in the Comparative Pathology Graduate Group. He is also an employee of the university at the Department of Nutrition, where he works in the Keen Lab on studies that investigate trace element biology and a high fat diet in the context of neurobehavior and epigenetics. Michael also spends his winters teaching human gross anatomy to undergraduates at UC Davis, and over the years has become particularly passionate about teaching the wonders of the human body.
During a semester abroad in 2007, Michael cemented his interest in the medical field when he enrolled in an Anatomy & Physiology course at the University of Padua, Italy. Despite a rigorous workload in another language in a small class of native students, Michael was determined to follow through with the course, and finished the semester with high marks. This experience ultimately gave him the confidence to dive head-first into the medical field and not look back once he returned to the United States.
Since this time, Michael has devoted himself to becoming the best pre-medical student he can be. He is thrilled, proud, and very grateful to be a part of the Surgical Internship Program, and knows that it will provide invaluable experience with respect to what he can expect out of the medical profession. He looks forward to exploring the curiosities he has about medicine and learning about what it truly takes to be a great doctor.
Parwana Hakimi
California State University, Sacramento
Parwana Hakimi was born in Pakistan and moved to the US at the age of five. She quickly adjusted to the American culture and the vastly different way of life. At the age of 12, however, she experienced a traumatic event where emergency personnel responded to her home and saved her mother’s life. The compassionate care they provided to her mother inspired Parwana to start her medical experience as an EMT while pursuing her education. Upon graduation from San Lorenzo High, she enrolled at Las Positas College in Livermore, CA where she obtained her EMT-B certificate and shortly after began working for a private ambulance company. Parwana had always held dreams about being a doctor, but her work in the emergency field has solidified those dreams and turned them into near reality. She recently graduated from CSU Sacramento with a B.A. in Psychology and has taken preparations to apply to medical school.
In addition to having attended school full-time and working a hectic work schedule as an EMT, Parwana still manages to find time to volunteer at the Boys and Girls Club where she coaches basketball for the elementary and junior high school age students. Aside from her busy schedule, she enjoys spending time with her family and enjoys hobbies such as rock climbing, weight lifting, and martial arts.
Parwana found the AMSA Pre-Med Surgical Internship when a past professor from Las Positas College, aware of Parwana’s intentions to become a physician, thought she would be a great candidate for the internship and emailed her. Thanks to him, she will now receive a rewarding experience that she will never forget.
Jason Hamamoto recently graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with a Bachelor’s Degree in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology. Jason enjoys working with underserved populations and believes such experiences greatly enhance one’s life by gaining a broader perspective of how others live. He was the workshop coordinator for the Global Medical Training Club at UCLA, which prepared students for a weeklong medical mission trip to Central American countries such as Panama, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republican. He also went on a trip to Panama during his spring break of 2009 and was able to work closely with the native population as well as attending doctors and nurses. Jason was also heavily involved in the UCLA Mobile Clinic as a caseworker. The Mobile Clinic is dedicated to serving the homeless populations of West Hollywood and Santa Monica by providing medical services, legal services, and continuity of care.
Outside of the medical realm, Jason enjoys playing basketball, golf, snowboarding, and working out. He is currently working as a personal trainer for California Family Fitness and wants to share his passion for health and fitness with others. Jason also coaches a youth basketball team for the Sacramento Buddhist Church. Athletics have always been a major part of his life and orthopedic surgery is a prospective career field for him. Jason greatly appreciates the opportunity that this program presents and hopes that it will validate his ambitions of becoming a surgeon and give him a more realistic view of the professional life of a surgeon.
Scott Hirsch
University of California, Davis
Scott Hirsch is a second year undergraduate at the University of California, Davis, and is studying Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior. Scott grew up in Cupertino, California, where he lived with his mother, father, younger brother and younger sister.
Scott’s desire to pursue medicine originated from the rounds he performed at his grandfather’s nephrology practice, working with hemodialysis. He started these rounds when he was six years old, mainly to cheer the elderly patients, which ended up lasting till he was twelve. After this experience, Scott went along to work with a general pediatrician as well as a pediatric orthopedic surgeon. Both experiences further kindled his desire to help people through the practice of medicine. As well as his medical experience, Scott also worked for Peet’s Coffee and Tea as a barista as well as a Tae Kwon Do instructor for West Coast Tae Kwon Do.
In college, Scott researched developmental neurobiology, more specifically axonal pruning, in the Cheng Laboratory, under the watchful eye of Dr. Hwai-Jong Cheng. After that experience, Scott went on to hold a volunteer internship position in the UC Davis Medical Center Emergency Room. He is also part of the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity, as well as the executive secretary for the Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior club. Scott returned to his grandfather’s practice this past summer as a clinical research assistant to continue his interest in practicing medicine.
Scott enjoys anything that has to do with the outdoors, mainly snowboarding and backpacking. His love for backpacking comes from his belief that there is no better way to forget about the world then to be in the most beautiful part of it. He also loves to do anything healthy, which consists mainly of weight lifting, running, and swimming.
Christine Hogan
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Christine Hogan grew up in Benicia, California with her wonderful parents and as the middle child of two brothers. She graduated from California Polytechnic (Cal Poly) State University, San Luis Obispo in June 2009 with a degree in Business Administration. Shortly after Graduation, Christine began her career working in Information Systems Infrastructure at Amgen, the world’s largest independent Biotechnology firm. It is at Amgen where she truly believes in the value her work provides and the company’s mission of serving patients by delivering novel human therapeutics to people who are grievously ill. In fall 2011, Christine will be starting at the University of Southern California (USC) to pursue a Masters Degree in Pathology at the Keck School of Medicine. Her hopes are to have the opportunity to learn and perform research on anatomic, biochemical or microbiological diseases while working to discover diagnosis.
Christine’s interest in medicine stemmed from an early age when she was put in a situation to act in saving her friend in a life-and-death situation. Ever since, she has been gaining exposure and hands on experience as a Lifeguard and Home Healthcare Provider several years ago and now volunteering in the Emergency Room on Friday nights at Los Robles Hospital and Medical Center. She recently completed an Emergency Medical Technician course and is scheduled to sit for the National Registry Exam in Spring 2011. In a couple years, she will apply to medical school and ideally stay in California and practice Emergency Medicine after Residency.
Although she enjoys participating and being involved in a broad range of activities she is sure to fully devote herself to each one. In her free time, she partakes in: dirt bike riding, fishing, wakeboarding, snowboarding, and playing volleyball. Christine’s interests span a broad range from: anatomy, technology, forensics, to the stock market. Christine is extremely thankful for the opportunity to be a part of the Surgery Internship Program and is looking forward to learning a lot!
Soyun “Michelle” Hwang
University of California, Davis
Soyun “Michelle” Hwang was born and raised in Seoul, Korea, until her middle school entrance in Boston, MA. She moved to Hawaii for high school and finally to UC Davis for undergraduate studies in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology with a minor in music performance. Because of her family history of cancer, she found deep-rooted passion as well as an outlet in helping others from similar background. Since the age of 13, she has been traveling to Argentina, Honduras, Bolivia, China, and Uruguay for medical outreach. Thus, helping others and making a unique connection beyond the language barrier have become a pivotal and natural part of her life as well as a humbling privilege.
At UC Davis, in hopes of further contributing to global aid, Michelle is a board member of Global Medical Brigades and coordinates a team of doctors and volunteers to Honduras each year. Working as an organic chemistry tutor and a bartender, Michelle shares and understands the academic disadvantage that financially struggling students at UCD experience; she established a scholarship board through Delta Epsilon Mu to provide opportunities and encourage underprivileged students to continue onto professional school. She loves not only to learn, but also to “pay it forward” in teaching as she is a lab aide for Gross Anatomy Course at UC Davis.
Currently, as a 4th year, Michelle conducts proteomics research under Aldrin Gomes, Ph.D., and assists John Moser, M.D, in his forthcoming book, The Supercivilization, as a research staff of Americans for a Healthier World, a non-profit organization fighting today’s global challenges. Living every day to her heart’s fullest, regardless of the path that may lie ahead, Michelle hopes to continue learning, leading, and inspiring leaders to take a proactive stance in the betterment of humanity.
Aaron Kian
University of California, Davis
Aaron Kian is a 4th year pre-medical undergraduate at UC Davis studying Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior. He was born and raised a Catholic in the Sacramento area in a multicultural household, speaking English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Farsi. He studied at Sierra College in Rocklin for two years before being accepted into UC Davis as a Regents Scholar.
Since an early age, Aaron has demonstrated an active interest in science, arts, and humanities. From placing first in school-wide science projects and landing the lead dramatic roles in elementary school to tutoring college physics and performing advanced drums and classical piano in high school, Aaron always understood that academics and expressing yourself are equally important.
Aaron spends his free time reading, exercising, snowboarding, and playing the drums and piano. He also volunteers weekly at the Sutter Davis Hospital Emergency Room, providing both nurses and doctors with assistance and support. He is a the Transfer Representative for the Regents Scholar Society, assisting in transfer student outreach, event planning, and the orientation of both prospective and current transfer students. He volunteers as a Youth Group organization leader for St. John the Evangelist Church and believes that inner-strength is one of the most important qualities of an individual.
Currently, Aaron conducts neuroscience research with Dr. William DeBello of UC Davis as part of a barn owl connectome project to investigate plastic neuronal pathways involved in learning. Aaron is applying to medical school during the upcoming application cycle and cannot wait to explore the field of medicine to see what opportunities await him.
Aaron Lee
University of California, Davis
Aaron attended UC Davis where he majored in Psychology with a bio emphasis. As an undergraduate he began working with Professor Nolan Zane on a study looking at the effects of sociocultural effects on problem gambling and other outcomes. Concurrently, he was able to get a taste of MRI research by being a pilot subject in fMRI and ERP studies looking at brain activation in decision-making tasks. In 2005, because of his strong interest in the brain and the underlying biological substrates of behavioral disorders Aaron made the jump over to the UCD MIND Institute where he worked as the manager for the Computational Neuroimaging Laboratory where he both helped to develop new protocols for the volumetric analysis of specific brain regions and trained individuals from various affiliated laboratories in established protocols. In 2009 he joined the Autism Phenome Project as a Junior Specialist on the MRI team searching for differences in brain structures between children with autism and their typically developing peers.
Outside of work, Aaron is an avid kendo (Japanese “fencing”) practitioner and is currently an assistant coach for the UC Davis Kendo Club. He also has had a lifelong affinity for art and design and occasionally finds the time to draw and paint.
Ariel S. Lee
University of California, Santa Cruz
Ariel S. Lee was born and raised in Sacramento, CA. Her mother, an English teacher, and her father, a nurse, encouraged her to read and draw, and to become socially and politically aware.
In 2003 she graduated with honors from Mira Loma High School, then went on receive a BA in Fine Arts in 2007 from UC Santa Cruz. She was also a tutor for Honors English at the UCSC Learning Center. During college, she joined the Best Buddies program to befriend disabled adults, and became a counselor for Camp Arroyo, a camp for children with severe physical and mental disabilities.
Upon graduation Ariel supported herself by working as an ABA tutor for children with autism. When one of her favorite students made amazing progress and was promoted to mainstream schooling, she joined him at Natomas Unified School District as an aide. For the next two years, she worked in first and second-grade classrooms to help educate and encourage children academically. She passed the CBEST in 2008.
This May, Ariel will be receiving two AS degrees, one in General Science and the other in Physics Science/Mathematics from American River College. She will be applying for medical school in the summer of 2011, with the eventual goal of starting a clinic for special needs pediatric patients. She is greatly looking forward to this internship opportunity as a future learning experience!
Along with showing her oil paintings and mixed media work, Ariel is a singer-songwriter who has written, self-produced, and sold six solo albums. She continues to write during breaks, and is a member of NOW. In her free time she also enjoys attending MIND lectures, reading about epigenetic disorders, and cooking exotic dishes with her partner Jon.
Wentao Li
University of California, Berkeley
Wentao Li was born in Shanghai, China and moved to America at the age of eight. After exploring various career fields, including legal studies, politics, and teaching, he found medicine to be the most universal and rewarding experience of all. He recently graduated from UC Berkeley with a B.A. in Neuroscience and intends to continue the emphasis through his medical career.
During his current year off, he is volunteering at the Freeport Medical Center, learning the essential duties of a MA and clinic manager while shadowing the physicians on site. He is also collaborating in research projects with both the Cardiothoracic and Neurological Surgical departments at UCDMC. When the opportunity arises, he provides Mandarin translation for Chinese immigrants at CAMAS sponsored community health fairs around Sacramento. In addition to the SIP program, Wentao will also be volunteering at the Methodist ER beginning Spring 2011. Although he has a strong interest in neurosurgery, his current goal is to establish a broad foundation in all fields to prepare for medical school.
Wentao’s hobbies consist of all forms of visual arts. From painting (watercolor, sumi-e, oils, pastels) and drawing to sculpting and CG modeling. During his last year at Berkeley, he took this interest and turned it into an on-campus class on interactive art in new media with cooperation from various Bay Area video game companies and independent developers.
Marisa Liu
University of Puget Sound (Tacoma, WA)
Marisa Liu is the oldest daughter of three in a bi-cultural household. Her mother is a second generation American descended from Danes and Germans. Her father is from Taiwan. She grew up speaking Chinese and English. This combination of cultures led her to dual major in Chinese and English at University of Puget Sound in Washington. Her senior year of college was spent in six different countries throughout Asia, where she took courses such as Comparative Temple Architecture in Cambodia and India and Conservation Biology in Mongolia.
While abroad, she felt a calling toward medicine at the height of the Avian Flu crisis. Upon returning home, she began exploring her interest in medicine as a radiographic technician and rehabilitative therapy instructor at Belltown Spine and Wellness. Working for a naturopath and chiropractor fueled her interest in whole body medicine, but she realized her options for patients would be limited with degrees in either of these fields. With this knowledge in mind, she began a Post-Baccalaureate program at Mills College in Oakland. While completing her pre-med requirements, she worked as a research assistant at Krauss Lab at the Oakland Children’s Hospital working in cholesterol and diabetes. During her second year, she was a teaching assistant for Organic Chemistry. After her rigorous schedule at Mills, she decided to go abroad and finish learning Spanish and spent the year before her participation in the surgical internship in Ecuador, Chile, Argentina, Brazil and Costa Rica participating in a program through CFHI and also teaching science.
In her spare time, she rock climbs and cooks. She’s extremely excited and grateful for the opportunity to participate in the surgical internship program.
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
San Francisco State University
David is a post-baccalaureate student at San Francisco State where he is studying life sciences. He graduated from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo in 2008 with a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering and a focus on biomechanics. It was this focus on biomechanics that initiated his consideration of a career in medicine. He enjoyed the critical thinking and problem solving involved with engineering and feels that many of the skills that made him a great engineer will make him a successful doctor.
During his time as an undergrad, he kept himself busy with plenty of extracurricular activities. He owned and operated a structural design consulting firm through which he funded his college education, earned his fundamental engineers license, played collegiate football receiving the honor of 2004 JC Gridwire Academic All-American as a middle-linebacker, and bought and remodeled his first home.
After graduation and spending some time in industry, he made the difficult decision to leave a career that he enjoyed in favor of a career that he loved. It was then that he applied for the Pre-Health Professions Certificate Program at San Francisco State and returned to school full-time.
David enjoys reading, eating, running, cycling, swimming, martial arts, and working on his ‘73 Mercury Comet in his free time. He is married to Lynda Lowry who is currently applying to clinical psychology Ph.D. programs nationwide. He has a French bulldog named Yoda and a black cat named Vader (i.e. Darth Vader).
David plans to apply to medical school and hopes to matriculate in the Fall of 2012. He is interested in many specialties, but he has a particular interest in surgery. His decision to change careers was a long process filled with many detours, but now that David is on the path to becoming a doctor he cannot wait to begin making a significant contribution in medicine.
Sean Maddox
Sierra College (Rocklin, CA)
Sean Maddox is a full time student at Sierra College in Rocklin. During Fall of 2011, he plans to transfer to UC Davis and receive a B.S. in Psychology. Afterwards, he plans to apply for medical school in the 2013 cycle. He currently maintains a part time job serving at the Melting Pot, a fondue restaurant in downtown Sacramento. In his off time during school, he often spends his time tutoring other students in Human Anatomy and Physiology, his favorite subjects. Outside of work and school, he enjoys snowboarding, wakeboarding, and golf.
Sean currently lives in Roseville, California. He has three step-brothers, one half-sister, and one biological sister, so he has a lot to keep track of sometimes. Sean has many of the same traits as someone with a “Type A” personality, and attributes that to his success in holding a job, school, tutoring, and this wonderful opportunity to see the hospital and its doctors first hand. Sean is a very optimistic person and always has a smile on his face, no matter how good or bad of a day he may be having.
Daniel Morozoff graduated from UCLA last spring (2010). He is interested in working in different areas of science applied to translational medicine. Having moved back to the Bay Area he is in the process of applying to graduate school in Neurobiology.
His last position with Dr. Raymond Walker in Computational Plasma Physics at IGPP, had him examining dynamic magnetic behavior of solar wind plasma around Saturn. Daniel and Dr. Walker attempted to better magneto-hydrodynamic simulations of Saturn’s magnetosphere (a layer magnetic layer surrounding the planet), and satisfy these models with real data produced by the Cassini space probe. Daniel seeks to apply this physical science experience to neurobiology.
Once he has completed a PhD, Daniel looks forward to acquiring a clinical degree and continuing to work with interesting and dedicated people on various collaborative projects on the biological/nano interfaces applied to surgery, and medical methodologies. Concurrently, he is also currently applying to work as a staff research associate at UCSF in Endovascular surgery.
Theodor Morrow
Dominican University (San Rafael, CA)
Teddy was born in Sacramento, California and is a senior at Dominican University of California in San Rafael. Majoring in the Biological Sciences with an emphasis in Molecular Cell Biology, he also has minors in Chemistry and Mathematics. Teddy has always been a hard working and self-motivated individual. He graduated from Mira Loma High School with a diploma in the International Baccalaureate Program in 2007. After seeing an endocrinologist growing up, Teddy began pursuing his interest in medicine and the biological sciences. He now aspires to be an endocrinologist himself, applying for medical school in the upcoming cycle.
At Dominican University, he has spent a great deal of time being a student tutor for science majors. He has dedicated more than two years to Dr. Mohammed El Majdoubi’s research lab at Dominican, studying the differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells, and was named as an Academic Scholar for the research he conducted. Teddy also earned the position of intern in protein research at BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. in 2009. He is a member of the Tribeta Biological honors society and was Secretary for the executive board until 2010.
In his free time, Teddy likes to snowboard, play tennis, watch movies, read, go to the gym, and hang out with friends and family. Teddy also enjoys traveling and has been all over the world including Hawaii, throughout Europe, the Galapagos Islands, and Australia. He enjoys working with people, and is the captain of the Student Ambassadors program for the Admissions Office at DU, helping prospective students find out more about the opportunities available at Dominican.
Thong Nguyen
Sacramento City College
Thong Nguyen was born and raised in Vietnam. He came to the United States in 2007 with his mother and the little sister. As the oldest son and only man in family, he has been the breadwinner of the family. Even though this role represents him to tremendous challenges, it teaches him to become mature, responsible, determined and strong minded so that he can overcome the language difficulties, cultural difference and other obstacles.
Thong is currently taking classes at Sacramento City College (SCC) to finish the pre-med prerequisites and preparing to transfer to U.C Davis in Fall 2011 with the major in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and minor in Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior. Inspired from previous teaching experience at his church, he works as math and organic chemistry tutor at SCC. Thong is also the student technical assistant at SCC’s Chemistry Stockroom where he helps prepare chemicals for each lab and conducts HPLC analysis of lavender, orange peel, etc.
His interest in medicine was fueled from his mother who had worked as a nurse for 28 year since he saw the humane aspect in her work when she was helping the patients. Also, the death of his grandpa due to brain cancer motivated him to pursue the field studying about cancer and become the Oncologist.
In the free time, Thong enjoys reading, jogging, and playing bowling with his sister. He is also the Lakers’ fan and has not been missing any of its games. He is very family-oriented and likes to spend time with his family. While waiting to volunteer at the U.C Davis Medical Center- Oncology Department, Thong is exciting and grateful for the opportunity to participate in the Pre-Med Surgical Internship as he hopes to gain insight about surgeon’s life and perspective.
Andrew Odle
California State University, Sacramento
Andrew Odle is a recent graduate of California State University at Sacramento, earning a bachelors degree in Biologic Science. He is from Vacaville, California and currently works for Genentech Pharmaceutical Company as a Bioprocess Technician in the manufacturing division.
Andrew’s passion for medicine started at a young age as he was constantly surrounded by all things medical since both of his parents worked in the medical field, his mother an ICU nurse and father a paramedic. His choice to become a physician came after he was diagnosed with a medical condition at a young age and the strong bond that he developed with his doctor.
While in undergrad Andrew worked as an EMT for a private ambulance company. He enjoys being outdoors, fishing, playing golf and staying physically fit. He has donated time to charitable causes such as Project Ride, Camp Okizu, Sacramento Food Bank, Run to Feed Hungry, Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, and Shriners Hospital. Andrew is dedicated to helping others and is anxious to soon embark upon his education in medical school.
Christopher Pina
University of California, Davis
Christopher Pina grew up in Sacramento, California. Raised by his grandmother he has always had a passion for helping people and making his grandmother proud of his accomplishments.
Christopher currently attends the University of California, Davis and will graduate spring 2011 with a bachelors of science in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior with a minor in Women and Gender Studies: Sexualities. While attending UC Davis, and to prepare for a future in the health field, Christopher volunteered at the UC Davis medical center pediatrics emergency department and is currently a UC Davis Hospice volunteer in association with the Sacramento Hospice Consortium. Since he cannot yet assist in patient care through being a physician, he can make a positive contribution to the health field through his social interactions.
After beginning UC Davis, Christopher has been part of the Biology Undergraduate Scholars Honors program with a placement in the laboratory of Dr. Neelima Sinha. Then under the recommendation of the UC Davis Dean of Biological sciences Christopher was able to participate in the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Exceptional Research Opportunity Program. He was sent to Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons and participated in neurological research under Nobel Laureate Dr. Richard Axel, and was also part of Columbia University’s Summer Undergraduate Research Program.
Recently Christopher has been involved in volunteering with the UC Davis LGBTQ resource center, founding a queer mentorship program for his peers. Holds a part time job at a local bakery and recently completed an internship with a public relations agent in London, United Kingdom. He is excited to learn from physicians during the surgical internship program and continue on his path towards becoming a prospective medical student.
Adam Quintero
University of New Mexico, Albequerque
Adam Quintero is a graduate of the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with a degree in Biology and a minor in Psychology. He was born and raised in “The Land of Enchantment” but is excited about moving to California to pursue his career goals.
The most important things in life to Adam are his family and friends. He is truly passionate about his education. His ultimate career goals are to attend medical school and become a pediatrician, although he was recently accepted to the Teach For America program in the Bay Area and will do that program for the next two years before medical school.
Adam wants to pursue medicine because he wants to be an advocate for those in need. In his future, he can easily see himself either working in Africa, living in a hut, and helping those affected with AIDS, or living in America, doing research on cancer, and working with kids affected by cancer, because those two occupations are where he finds the most meaning and passion in life.
The best way to describe Adam is ambitious, hard-working, eccentric, and fun. He is all about pushing the limits. He likes to express his creativity through fashion and art and is constantly inspired by people who push the limits of what is considered socially acceptable. On his spare time, Adam loves to swim, play tennis, watch reality television, eat Thai food, nap, dance, hike, rock-climb, obsess about Lady Gaga, and do yoga.
Jacquelynn R. Robinson
University of California, Berkeley
Jacquelynn R. Robinson was born and raised in East Oakland, California where she was raised by her two loving and supportive parents. Jacquelynn’s parents have raised her to be a strong, fearless woman and to never lose her zeal. The characteristics of possessing unwavering perseverance and resiliency have always been a part of her. Jacquelynn developed the desire to pursue medicine very early on, when she received life-changing cardiac surgery at the age of 7 years old. Her future plans are to enter into medical school and to practice medicine as an Obstetrician Gynecologist for it combines her interests in women’s reproductive health, child heath, and surgery all in one specialty.
Jacquelynn is a graduate of UC Berkeley with high honors receiving her B.A. in Social Welfare with concentrations in both Sociology and Psychology. While attending Berkeley, her participation in the Biology Scholars Program and her leadership in the Student Learning Center’s Peer Mentor Program, instilled in her the drive to maintain her confidence academically and the diligence to succeed expectations in the goals that she sets out to accomplish. She has served as a University Health Services’ Health and Sexuality Peer Education Program Coordinator conducting health and sexuality outreaches for Cal campus student organizations and has worked as a CalSO Counselor, and Dorm Residential Assistant. In addition, she was also able to spend a rewarding summer at the University of Alabama, Birmingham’s Summer Medical & Dental Education Program (SMDEP formerly MMEP).
Having recently completed San Francisco State University’s Pre-Medical Post-Baccalaureate Program, Jacquelynn was a NIH Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC Program) Scholar and also a MBRS-RISE Scholar. These two scholar programs afforded her the opportunity to conduct research with mice at UCSF/SFGH in Dr. Laura N. Bull’s genetics laboratory investigating the autosomal recessive liver disease known as Fic-1 Deficiency or Cholestasis.
Currently, Jacquelynn is working in the Emergency Room at Alameda County Medical Center’s Highland Hospital in Oakland, Ca.-a Level One Trauma Center. She is also a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. and has served as Secretary of the Epsilon Phi Zeta Chapter for six years. She is very excited about the opportunity to participate in the UC Davis Pre-Medical Surgical Internship Program, and is looking forward to learning more about the field of medicine from the extraordinary UCD Medical Center surgical staff.
Delaram “Dela” Rostami
University of California, San Diego
Delaram (Dela) is a post-baccalaureate studying various medical-related subjects at Los Rios Community Colleges such as medical assisting, pharmacology, nursing, etc. She is trying to build a stronger resume for medical school by gaining as much experience as possible and maintaining high grades to compensate for her previous academic performance.
She was born in Iran and has two older brothers. She moved to the United States about 11 years ago, when she was fifteen. She lived in San Diego for about ten years and moved to Sacramento last October. She graduated from UC San Diego in 2008 with a Bachelor of Science in biology. She volunteered at UCSD Hospital during her education and is now volunteering at UCD Medical Center. She has volunteered in various areas such as pharmacy, physical therapy, burns unit, etc to get a sense of what she wanted to do. She is now deciding to go for medical school and possibly plastic surgery, which is one of the reasons she joined this program.
She started working as a certified nurse assistant when she moved to Sacramento and is now employed at ACC Nursing Home. She loves to aid the nurses during various procedures such as wound care and catheter insertions. She has never thought of any career outside of the medical field. When she is not at work, school, or studying, she liked to go biking, watch TV, solve jigsaw puzzles, or practice with her Pilates DVD.
Stacey Scheick
University of Florida, Gainesville
Stacey Scheick was born in Florida and has two sisters and one brother. She graduated from the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL in three years with a B.S. in Neurobiological Sciences.
Before moving to CA, she was working as a research assistant investigating nicotine self-administration and taste preference and as a tutor in general psychology. As a senior, she wrote an undergraduate thesis based on her project that attempted to block nicotine withdrawal in rats, and she presented the results in a poster format at two symposiums. She received the University Scholars Award for her research. Even though she will consider integrating research into her future career, she knows that becoming a doctor is her ultimate goal.
She is applying to medical school now and hopes to be admitted to her top choices. Although she is unsure what type of doctor she would like to be, she is thrilled to be a part of this program because she feels that what she can learn from surgeons will be invaluable no matter what field of medicine she pursues. In her free time, she likes to go running, and now that she lives in CA, she’s really excited about being able to go skiing more often.
Kiran Sembhi
Stanford University
Born and raised in Kenya, Kiran moved to California in late 1999 when her family won a Green Card lottery allowing them to immigrate to the United States. She lives in the Greater Sacramento area where she is involved in Community Theatre, Rowing (Crew) and learning Ballroom and Contra Dancing.
While her career shift to Medicine is fairly recent, Kiran has always enjoyed the personal gratification that she receives from helping other people directly whether through volunteer work with the American Red Cross Disaster Service or tutoring at E.S.L schools.
Kiran received her Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University after completing her freshman year at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T). She is currently a post baccalaureate student completing her pre-medical requirements. Since all her work experience is in the Engineering field and she has not worked in Medicine before, Kiran embraces this opportunity to gain more insight into the surgical field and explore the options available to students pursuing medical degrees. She is looking forward to the healthcare experience that the Pre-surgical Internship will provide and is honored to have been selected for the program.
Francisco Solorio
University of California, Berkeley
Francisco Solorio is a native of Sacramento, California. He was introduced to human anatomy, patient assessment and pathophysiology as an American River College (ARC) paramedic intern and became captivated by their capability to differentially diagnose diseases when used in concert. Francisco’s paramedic experience inspired him to augment his medical education and serve the population of Sacramento as a physician. After completing the ARC paramedic program, Francisco attended Sacramento City College (SCC) to fulfill the requirements necessary to transfer to a university. At SCC Francisco distinguished himself as an exceptional chemistry, biology and math student. He used his abilities in math and science to tutor urban underserved Latino youth and community college students for the R.I.S.E. program at SCC.
From SCC, Francisco transferred to the University of California, Berkeley and majored in Molecular and Cell Biology with an emphasis in biological chemistry. At UC Berkeley, Francisco conducted research in biochemistry and structural biology as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Biology Fellow. In addition to participating in undergraduate research, Francisco worked with fellow transfer students to host tours of the UC Berkeley campus and hold transfer student panels for community college students. Having graduated from UC Berkeley in 2010, Francisco is the first in his family to receive a baccalaureate degree. In his spare time Francisco enjoys visiting his family and friends, exercising with his brother and expanding his intellectual horizons by reading European philosophy. Along with tutoring middle school students, Francisco is currently preparing his application for medical school with hopes of beginning his career as a physician in the Fall of 2012.
Kaiyuan “Kennie” Teng
University of California, Davis
Kaiyuan Teng, or Kennie, was born and raised in Taipei, Taiwan. When he was sixteen, he moved to Sunnyvale, California with his supportive parents and older brother, and he continued his high school education there. He recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Biology from University of California, Davis.
Kennie enjoys reading manga, Japanese comics, from which he first discovers his strong interests in medicine. Through undergraduate curriculum, volunteer and clinical experiences, he is determined to pursue a degree in osteopathic medicine. Although Kennie is unsure of his future specialty, he is interested in sports medicine. He currently interns in the UC Davis Medical Center Emergency Department helping physicians with their clinical research as well as volunteers with Paul Hom Asian Clinic in Sacramento.
In summer 2010, Kennie did an internship at a children’s home in Sendai, Japan to teach and interact with underprivileged children. He is fascinated about Japanese arts, cuisine, festivals, architectures, and popular culture. Because of this experience, he plans to teach English in Japan for a year before entering medical school.
Kennie has a wide range of interests. He enjoys playing sports, mostly basketball and badminton, but he also likes football, archery, dancing, and tai-chi. He also enjoys cooking, crafting, solving puzzles, and doing card tricks. He is incredibly excited about participating in the Pre-Medical Surgical Program and is looking forward to amazing experiences that lie ahead.
Chu Fang “Phoebe” Tseng
City College of San Francisco
Phoebe Tseng is currently a sophomore at City College of San Francisco, majoring in Biochemistry. She was born and raised in Taipei, Taiwan. After graduating from Taipei First Girls’ High School, she immigrated to the United States with her family and started taking classes to fulfill transfer requirements at City College of San Francisco. She will transfer to a UC in Fall 2011.
While in high school, Phoebe volunteered at Country Hospital in Taipei. Working with health care professionals and patients, she developed the longing to become a physician with the capability to provide health care. While at CCSF, she worked as a math tutor, a biology mentor and a chemistry study group leader. She also volunteered for the SHINE Project, assisting ESL instructors to help new immigrants. Besides academic-related jobs and volunteer work, she has volunteered at Chinese Hospital at several clinics. She translates doctors’ presentations from English to Mandarin, creates complete files for patients’ lab examination data regarding to Hepatitis B from 2009 to present, promotes San Francisco Hep B Free Program and helps set up the San Francisco Hep B Free Gala dinner event, assists the Health Fair Day in Daly City Clinic, including examinations, health counseling, translations,
event set-up, and promotion of the event. She enjoyed doing various tasks and luckily had the chance to shadow primary care physicians.
Phoebe is enthusiastic about the surgical internship program and thankful for the opportunity.
Tyler Zenga
The Florida State University, Tallahassee
Tyler Zenga is currently a junior at Florida State University, majoring in Biological Sciences. He was born and raised in South Florida where he continues to reside with his very supportive parents and younger sister.
At an early age, it became evident that Tyler would be a hard working and results oriented individual with the passion to achieve personal and academic goals at the highest level. For a number of years, he demonstrated this commitment on the tennis courts that led to top national rankings. In recent years, he has channeled this same level of dedication towards his pre-medical studies and volunteering activity.
Tyler currently works as a volunteer in the Hospital Elder Life Program at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital. He also serves as a Big Brother to a 5-year old youth for the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization based in Tallahassee. Finally, he is actively involved in his local AMSA chapter, spending time on a number of community related activities.
Tyler plans to make a significant commitment to the Pre-medical Surgical Internship Program. His situation is somewhat unique as an undergraduate pre-medical student, because he is in a position academically to spend his Spring 2011 semester focused on the internship program, studying for the May MCAT, and preparing applications for medical school. Of course, Tyler also plans to find time for his other interests, including weightlifting, exercising and reading.
Tyler looks forward to making a substantial contribution to this very elite internship program. He is very grateful for the opportunity to learn and gain from this once in a lifetime experience.
Mark Zheng
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Dr. Mark Zheng is a chemistry instructor at San Jose City College. He has been a successful researcher and educator, teaching various courses in Chemistry to undergraduates, as well as working with nurses and other allied health professionals to gain advanced certifications. In the past few years Mark has become increasingly fascinated by medicine, partly as a result of his own sports injuries, and interaction with allied health professionals has turn a passing interest into a passion to heal and cure. Mark is passionate about surgery, both for its life saving capacity and the daily challenges it brings. He hopes to learn about different surgical disciplines at UC Davis and sharpen his focus on a particular specialty.
In his spare time, Mark volunteers at Stanford Hospital’s surgery reception and patient care units. As a first generation immigrant he has firsthand experience in the needs of immigrants, and leverages his fluency in Mandarin and Cantonese to help patients seeking care. He is an avid tennis player and enjoys cycling, volleyball and the sunny weather of California. Mark received his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and has undergraduate degrees in Chemistry and Economics.