Program Coordinators

Associate Program Director

Jonathan Santos
University of California, Davis

Jonathan Santos is currently a student at UC Davis, majoring in NPB. He first became interested in medicine while interning at the UCDMC for his senior project in high school, and enrolled at American River College shortly thereafter to further explore his options as a pre-med. While there, he co-founded the Surgical Internship Program and began working for the AMSA ARC/UCD Pre-Medical Conference. He continues both of these activities today.

At ARC, Jonathan also became president of the American Medical Student Association and worked to bring speakers and opportunities to its members. Jonathan works for the Department of Radiology at the UCDMC, performing research on medical image registration and analysis.

In his spare time, Jonathan likes to ride dirt bikes, experiment with electronics, and play with his dogs. Once in Medical School, he plans to become a surgeon and serve the underserved.

Faculty Advisors

David Tom Cooke, MD, FCCP, FACS
Assistant Professor, Cardiothoracic Surgery
Associate Program Director, Cardiothoracic Sugery Residency
UC Davis Health System

Dr. David Tom Cooke is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of California, Davis Medical Center, and is the Associate Program Director of the UC Davis Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency. In 2008 he completed a clinical fellowship in cardiothoracic surgery at the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor. Prior to matriculating at the University of Michigan, Dr. Cooke completed his general surgery residency in 2006 at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. In 2004, Dr. Cooke completed a research fellowship in experimental lung transplantation in the Department of Cardiothoracic surgery at Stanford University. Dr. Cooke received his Bachelor’s Degree in Molecular and Cell Biology, Emphasis in Immunology from the University of California, Berkeley in 1994, and his Medical Degree from Harvard Medical School in 1999. He is certified by the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Thoracic Surgery. He is a member of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the American College of Chest Physicians. He is a member of the board of directors of the American Lung Association in California.

Dr. Cooke specializes in non-cardiac general thoracic surgery, thoracic oncology, surgical treatment of malignant and benign esophageal disease, and video assisted thoracic surgery (VATS), including VATS pulmonary resection. Dr. Cooke’s research interests involve clinical studies including oncologic trials, surgical outcomes research, translational research, surgical education and medical social media. He enjoys following down trodden sports teams, such as the Oakland A’s, Golden State Warriors and the Oakland Raiders.

Michael Wong, MD
Associate Professor of Surgery
Director, Plastic Sugery Residency Program
Director, Body Contouring After Weight Loss
UC Davis Health System

Dr. Michael Wong is a 4th generation Sacramentan who returned after completing his BA at UC Berkeley in Biomedical Physics and Chinese History, his MD at Tufts University School of Medicine, his General Surgery training at UC Davis – East Bay, and his Plastic Surgery training at Duke.

He is now Associate Professor of Surgery, serving as the Plastic Surgery Residency Program Director and the Director of Body Contouring After Weight Loss. He has a broad reconstructive and aesthetic practice with special clinical and research interests in postbariatric body contouring as well as the treatment and prevention of sternal problems.

Dr. Shahlaie is a product of Sacramento and attended UC Davis for his undergraduate , where he majored in Physiology and was involved in peer advising and student clinics.

He subsequently attended UC Davis School of Medicine for his MD and PhD in Neuroscience and stayed for his residency in Neurosurgery. After his residency, he completed 2 fellowships. One Fellowship in “functional neurosurgery” at UCSF, then another fellowship in “minimally invasive neurosurgery” at John Wayne Cancer Institute in Santa Monica.

His practice and research consists of treating severe traumatic brain injuries, adult epilepsy surgery, deep brain stimulation , and minimally invasive skull base surgery using endonasal and small, keyhole access craniotomies. In addition to he his clinical duties, Dr. Shahlaie teaches premedical students, medical students, resident, and fellows.

David Wisner, MD
Professor and the Vice-Chair, Department of Surgery
UC Davis Health System

Dave Wisner is a surgeon in the Department of Surgery at the University of California, Davis, and is currently a Professor and the Vice-Chair of the Department. He is a lifelong Californian who, after spending time at UC San Diego, dropping out for a while, going back to school at UC Santa Barbara, and then ending up at UC Davis, finally finished his undergraduate career in 1977 with a degree in chemistry. He graduated from medical school at UC Davis four years later and did his residency at UC Davis starting in 1981. Upon completion of his residency, which included two years as a research fellow in Europe, he joined the faculty at UC Davis as a Trauma and Emergency Surgeon.

Since joining the surgical faculty at UC Davis, Dr. Wisner served for many years as the Chief of the Trauma and Emergency Surgery Service and then as Vice-Chair of the Department. He finished a 3+ year stint as the Acting Chairman of Surgery in 2011 and is once again the Vice-Chair of the Department. He also has served as the Clerkship Director for the third year surgery clerkship since 2007. Dr. Wisner has been active in the American College of Surgeons, particularly on its Board of Governors and the Committee on Trauma, and has also served on the Board of Governors of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma. He has research interests in the areas of shock, head injury, and fluid resuscitation and has a special interest in medical ethics.

Dr. Wisner and his wife Carin have two children and spend a great deal of their time attending soccer games, swim meets, baseball games, piano recitals, school parties, and basketball games depending on the sports season and the time of year!

Resident Advisors

Aaron C. Baker, MD, MS
PGY 5 Surgery Research Resident, Department of Surgery
UC Davis Health System

Dr. Aaron Baker is currently a general surgery resident and research fellow at University of California Davis Medical Center. He received his undergraduate degree in English from Emory University, and a Masters of Science in Physiology and Biophysics and Medical Degree from Georgetown University.

With a strong desire to pursue a career in academic surgery, he is currently in his second year as a surgery research fellow at Shriners Hospitals for Children Northern California studying the molecular genetics of the human glucocorticoid receptor and its contribution to stress and steroid response as well as working on clinical research projects in vascular surgery and surgical education.

In addition to serving as a resident advisor for the Pre-Med Surgery Interest Group, he is the current chair of the Resident Medical Staff Committee. He ultimately plans to pursue a fellowship in Vascular Surgery.

Jason B. Young, MD, PharmD
PGY 5 Surgery Research Resident, Department of Surgery
UC Davis Health System

Dr. Jason Young is currently a resident in the Department of Surgery at University of California, Davis Medical Center. He received his PharmD degree from University of Washington, and MD degree from University of California, Irvine.

He is currently in his second year as a research resident with the Division of Trauma and Emergency Surgery at University of California, Davis Medical Center. His research interests include evaluating crystalloid solutions during resuscitation of trauma and emergency surgery patients, peritoneal macrophage function, prisoner injury patterns, tactical emergency medical support, and surgical education.

In addition to serving as a resident advisor for the Pre-Med Surgery Interest Group, he is the current vice chair of the Resident Medical Staff Committee. He ultimately plans to pursue a fellowship and career in Trauma and Critical Care Surgery.

In his free time, Dr. Young enjoys hiking, surfing, snowboarding, and motorcycle riding.

Medical Student Coordinators

Lara Driggers
UC Davis School of Medicine

Lara Driggers graduated valedictorian from San Clemente High School and received a full ride scholarship to California State University Long Beach, where she majored in Biochemistry, Chemistry and minored in Biology. During college, Lara took a leave of education for two years to dance with Aspen Santa Fe Ballet Company and be a primary care provider for her mother who had terminal breast cancer. Upon returning to college, Lara researched with the VA of Long Beach in cancer immunology and was a coordinator for the Clinical Care Extenders Program at Saint Mary’s hospital. In addition, Lara was a part of the International Scholar Laureate Program where she spent a month in China learning about Eastern healthcare.

Lara is currently part of the Class of 2013 at UC Davis School of Medicine. In her first year, she started this pre-medical surgical internship program with Joubin and Jonathan in addition to being published for past research, starting clinical research in the Department of Vascular Surgery, and co-directing the surgery student interest group and outreach programs. Lara enjoys being a mentor to both high school and college students, where she continues to expose younger generations to the field of medicine. In the fall of 2010 Lara was sworn in to the United States Navy, where she will pursue a career as a Naval Physician upon finishing her medical education.

In her free time, Lara loves to teach dance at local studios and spend time with friends, family, her boyfriend and their two cats and dog. She also enjoys cooking, playing the flute, wine tasting, and traveling. Lara is excited to continue to be involved in the program and continue expanding other opportunities for those interested in a career in the medical field.

Yen Hsieh
UC Davis School of Medicine

Yen Hsieh was born in Taipei, Taiwan. When he was 10 years old, his family moved to Palo Alto, California. In 2005, Yen graduated from Henry M. Gunn High School and began attending UC Berkeley. While at UC Berkeley, he volunteered with various campus organizations serving underserved communities including Oakland Asian Students Educational Services (OASES) and the Suitcase Clinic. With OASES, Yen tutored and planned enrichment activities for students with limited resources in the Oakland area. In the Suitcase Clinic, he volunteered to help provide free health services to the homeless population. Yen was also active in biomedical research both on campus and at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. His efforts resulted in a publication in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. He completed his bachelor’s degree in Molecular and Cell Biology with an emphasis in Immunology in 2009.

Yen began his medical education at UC Davis School of Medicine in fall of 2010. In addition to coursework, Yen is a co-director for Paul Hom Asian Clinic, one of eight free, student-run clinics affiliated with UC Davis. He is also involved in clinical research in the Department of Vascular Surgery. This past spring break, Yen went on a weeklong medical mission trip to Honduras. He enjoys working with others and hopes to continue to build upon his clinical experiences. Yen is looking forward to a career in medicine and aspires to give back to his community.

In his free time, Yen likes to play basketball and spend time with friends and family. He also enjoys watching movies and playing the piano. Yen is excited to become a part of the Pre-medical Surgical Internship Program and to work with everyone involved in the program.

Keisuke “K” Nakagawa
UC Davis School of Medicine

Keisuke “K” Nakagawa is a medical student at UC Davis interested in pursuing cardiothoracic surgery upon graduation.  He is excited to engage undergraduate students and expose them to the field of surgery through the Pre-Medical Surgical Internship Program at UC Davis.  As a medical student, he is involved in cardiac regeneration research while also serving as co-president of the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) chapter at UC Davis School of Medicine.

After graduating from Cornell University with a Biology degree, Keisuke spent a year in Bangladesh as a Fulbright scholar piloting a micro health insurance program for rural villagers.  Upon returning to the United States, he moved to Washington, DC where he worked for the Congressional Budget Office on healthcare reform and was a member of the team that analyzed the Affordable Care Act and helped publish two volumes on healthcare reform.  He also started a non-profit organization called Global Health Bridge that is developing innovative and affordable health technologies for patients and health workers in developing countries.

Keisuke also sits on the National Board of Directors of the Fulbright Association and likes to play golf during his free time.