Click here to see a slideshow of our current residents.
Fourth-Year Residents: Class of 2024
Lindsey Alpeter, MD
Hometown: Darien, CT
Medical School: Wake Forest School of Medicine Baptist Medical Center
Undergraduate: Wake Forest University
Major: Psychology
Hobbies and Interests: Tennis, cooking, baking, watering skiing, yoga and long walks on the beach with my pup
Maria Alzamora, MD
Medical School: Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia Facultad de Medicina Alberto Hurtado
Hobbies and Interests: In my free time, I enjoy reading mostly classical novels and autobiographies. I also try to be very consistent with spending 1 hour a day on sporting activities, mostly running, cycling or yoga. Whenever I have the opportunity, I like to travel especially places I haven’t been before. I like going to museums, as I’ve always had an interest in classical art.
Mariam Barseghyan, MD, MS
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Previous Residency Program: Kern Medical Center, Bakersfield, CA
Internal Medicine Internship: Adventist Health White Memorial Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
Medical School: University of California Davis School of Medicine
Graduate: University of California Los Angeles
Major: Physiological Science
Undergraduate: University of California Los Angeles
Major: Physiological Science and Russian Language and Literature
Hobbies and Interests:
• Learning languages, traveling, exploring different cultures
• Playing chess and ping-pong
• Hiking and camping
• Baking bread and pastries
Andrew Braun, MD
Hometown: Dallas, TX
Medical School: The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine
Undergraduate: The Ohio State University
Major: Microbiology and International Studies
Hobbies: Hiking (Texas, Maine, and PNW so far), skiing, Ohio State football, art history/museums, exercise (megaformer pilates, cycling, yoga, running, gym), traveling (favorite trips: AP art history trip to Spain, family trip to China where my dad was the first American referee in international Shuai Jiao Olympics, archaeological dig in Belize), reading, music/theatre/pop culture, podcasts (Who Weekly, Las Culturistas, Mystery Show, This American Life), and of course, tipping my local drag queens.
Julia Goldberg, MD
Hometown: New York, NY
Medical School: Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
Undergraduate: Tufts University
Major: Biochemistry
Hobbies and Interests: Reading, crossword and KenKen Puzzles, hiking and singing
Bethany Kette, MD
Medical School: Georgetown University School of Medicine
Undergraduate: New York University
Major: Psychology
Hobbies and Interests: Traveling and scouting for clothing as souvenirs
Wish list: Japan, Galapagos Island, Antarctica, Iceland, Egypt, Morocco
Literature:
Favorites (general):
The Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan, The Interestings by Meg Molitzer, Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
Favorites (medical):
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese, House of God by Samuel Shem, Being Mortal by Atul Gawande
Fashion trend forecasting, and vintage shopping, Yoga and competitive beach volleyball
Karen Schirm, MD
Hometown: McLean, VA
Medical School: Georgetown University School of Medicine
Undergraduate: Princeton University
Major: Molecular Biology and Global Health
Hobbies and Interests: Travel, reading historical fiction, swimming, scuba diving, painting and drawing, cycling and baking
David Schlee, MD
Hometown: Kansas City, MO
Medical School: University of Kansas School of Medicine
Undergraduate: Pittsburgh State University
Major: Exercise Science, Biology
Hobbies and Interests:
- Kansas City Chiefs football and Royals baseball. (How bout them Chiefsssssss)
- BBQ. Kansas City has the best bbq in the world. No question.
- Photography (architecture, landscape, portrait)
Stephanie Sun, MD
Medical School: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine
Undergraduate: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Major: Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Hobbies and Interests: baking/cooking, hiking, ceramics, spending time with family and friends
Allison Ward, MD
Hometown: Potomac, MD
Medical School: Georgetown University School of Medicine
Undergraduate: Wake Forest University
Major: Biology
Hobbies and Interests: Running, indoor cycling, college football and basketball, Wake Forest University sports, cooking, trying new restaurants, traveling, book club
Third-Year Residents: Class of 2025
Courtney Ford, MD
Medical School: Howard University College of Medicine
Graduate: Georgetown University
Major: Physiology
Graduate: George Mason University/Georgetown University
Major: Advanced Biomedical Science
Undergraduate: Spelman College
Major: Biology
Hobbies and Interests: Movies, physical fitness, spending time with family and friends, playing with my dog Carte
Lauren Harris, MD
Medical School: University of Kentucky College of Medicine
Undergraduate: Florida Southern College
Major: Biology
Hobbies and Interests:
- Competitive Water Skiing: previously placed top five nationally
- Marathon Running: completed three marathons (Nashville, TN; Boulder, CO; and Duluth, MN)
- Yoga: instructor during college and for the Salvation Army Clinic in Lexington, KY
- Traveling: including a summer abroad in Alicante, Spain
- Dog Lover: especially my two dogs, Lily (Border Collie) and Haley (Sheltie)
- Donut Connoisseur: specializing in Lexington, KY local donut shops
Wakako Horiuchi, MD
Medical School: University of Hawaii, John A. Burns School of Medicine
Undergraduate: Johns Hopkins University
Major: Neuroscience
Hobbies and Interests: Painting (digital, gouache, watercolor), ink drawing and sketching.
Kylie Mulvaney, DO
Medical School: Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific
Undergraduate: University of California
Major: Public Health; Integrative Biology
Hobbies and Interests: 1,000+ piece jigsaw puzzles; Settlers of Catan (Strategy: go for the longest road); Podcasts (True Crime, Comedy, and the V word); Yoga-lates; Baking lemon bars and banana bread; Contraception in COVID-19: I created an Instagram profile, @stay_safeinbed_athome, to provide pandemic-friendly resources and virtually connect my peers with women's health resources.
Rachel Paquette, DO
Medical School: University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine
Undergraduate: University of Massachusetts Lowell
Major: Biology
Undergraduate: Elmira College
Major: Biology
Hobbies and Interests: Yoga (teacher, student, AcroYoga), rock climbing, skiing, hiking and camping, Dog Mom
Rosanna Sobota, MD
Medical School: Weill Cornell Medicine
Graduate: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Major: Health Policy
Undergraduate: University of Pennsylvania
Major: Biological Basis of Behavior
Undergraduate: Brown University
Major: Computer Science
Other: Lehman College, City University of New York
Hobbies and Interests: Board games, rock climbing, hiking, re-creating restaurant recipes, Craigslist trading, local government
Gwendolyn Towers MD
Medical School: Yale School of Medicine
Undergraduate: Wellesley College
Major: English
Hobbies and Interests: Dancing ballet, reading the New Yorker, baking, exploring DC by bike, visiting the Smithsonians, attending symphony concerts and theater performances
Bathsheba Wariso, MD
Medical School: Meharry Medical College
Graduate: Harvard T.H. Chan
Major: Global Health
Graduate: Meharry Medical College
Major: Health Sciences
Undergraduate: Stillman College
Major: Biology
Hobbies and Interests:
- Animal Care Activities: Cared for and fostered over 20 dogs
Intramural Sports: Member of “The Colemans” softball team at Meharry Medical College. - Rookie of the Year for Division II Softball Team at Stillman College 2012-2013 season.
Fashion/crafting: Sewed and donated over 200 masks as part of COVID Relief Efforts
Kristen Williams, MD
Medical School: Meharry Medical College
Undergraduate: University of Maryland-College Park
Major: Theater: Design and Production
Other: Montgomery College
Major: Basic Sciences
Hobbies and Interests:
- Contemporary Broadway Musicals (Hamilton: An American Musical, On Your Feet, Shuffle Along, Kinky Boots)
- NPR podcasts (Up First, It's Been A Minute, Code Switch, The NPR Politics Podcast, Fresh Air)
- Knitting and Crocheting (hats, scarves, and blankets)
- Creative Writing (poetry, short stories, and journaling)
- Leather Care and Conditioning (shoes, boots, bags, clothing, and furniture)
Mary Taylor Winsten, MD
Medical School: Baylor College of Medicine
Undergraduate: Baylor University
Major: Biology
Hobbies and Interests:
- Reading: Participating in the BCM Book club and read over 50 books during medical school
- Camping and hiking in National Parks
- Gluten free cooking
Second-Year Residents: Class of 2026
Noha Ahmed, DO
Medical School: University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine
Graduate: Tufts University School of Medicine
Major: Biomedical Sciences
Undergraduate: Tufts University
Major: Biopsychology
Hobbies and Interests: Crafting (watercolors, polymer clay earrings), Indian classical dance, running, gardening, rock climbing, reading, women's health and working with older adults
Karmen Brooks, MD
Medical School: Howard University College of Medicine
Graduate: Meharry Medical College
Major: Medical Sciences
Graduate: American University
Major: Global Environmental Policy/Global Health
Undergraduate: Spelman College
Major: Environmental Science and Spanish
Hobbies and Interests:
• Recipe creator and curator
• Host of dinner parties with expertly crafted menus
• Content creator on my digital platform, @aroseinthekitchen
• Sauce connoisseur with a keen ability to easily pick up flavor profiles
• Strengthening my proficiency in both Spanish & Portuguese through engaging in virtual lessons and conversations
• Traveling to visit every continent by 30 - only Australia and Antarctica left
• Running with Peloton Treadmill Workouts
• Hiking with my dog, Abigail Indigo Brooks
Jessica Fine, MD
Medical School: University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine
Undergraduate: University of Miami
Major: Chemistry
Hobbies and Interests:
• Peloton rides
• Perfecting the recipe for homemade black & white cookies
• Skiing
• Hiking
• Football (Baltimore Ravens and University of Miami Hurricanes)
Bria Johnson, MD
Medical School: Georgetown University School of Medicine
Graduate: Georgetown University
Major: Physiology and Biophysics
Undergraduate: University of Virginia
Major: Biology
Hobbies and Interests: Health and exercise enthusiast, cooking/baking, music, reality television, brunch, and spending time with friends and family!
Crystal Johnson, MD
Medical School: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine
Undergraduate: Harvard University
Major: Human Evolutionary Biology
Hobbies and Interests:
YouTube, crochet, all things self-care, museum hopping, and eating my way through DC
Claire (CJ) Jones, MD
Medical School: Georgetown University School of Medicine
Undergraduate: Columbia College at Columbia University
Major: Biochemistry
Hobbies and Interests: Spending time and keeping up with my friends, exploring restaurants on Eater DC, designing and hosting themed birthday parties, reading 52 novels each year, playing with my two kittens named Ghost and Uno, fitness boxing, indoor cycling, traveling with the aim of one day visiting all seven continents, baking cupcakes with intricate designs from the cookbook “Hello Cupcake”
Gurpinder Kaur, MD
Medical School: New York Medical College
Undergraduate: Adelphi University
Major: Biology
Minor: Chemistry
Concentration: English and Humanities
Hobbies and Interests:
I love hosting (and catering/decorating for) events, DIY-ing crafty projects, and doing makeup and photography. In my free time I like to be in Queens (where I’m from) trying out all the endless brunch spots there with my friends and family
Allison Kumnick, MD, MPH
Medical School: University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine
Undergraduate: Miami University
Major: Biochemistry and Neuroscience
Hobbies and Interests:
• CrossFit and Olympic-style weightlifting (since 2016)
• Hiking: summited Mt. Kilimanjaro (2016) and reached Everest Base Camp (2017)
• Using art and imagination to create personalized, thoughtful gifts
• Spending time with my eight siblings & stepsiblings spread between two continents
Nicole Legro, MD
Medical School: Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine
Undergraduate: University of Toronto
Major: Biochemistry
Hobbies and Interests:
• Running: Toronto Waterfront Marathon, 2016; Mountains 2 Beach Marathon, 2018; Mountains 2 Beach Marathon,
• Skiing: Participated in travel ski-racing program in high-school, attended weekly ski club in college, spent one winter ski season in France after college
• Learning French: Completed immersive French language program after college, achieved proficiency in written and oral French
Ria Richards, MD
Medical School: Ohio State University College of Medicine
Undergraduate: Wayne State University
Major: Nutrition and Food Science
Hobbies and Interests: Running (ran a half marathon to Canada and back), reading, singing, traveling with my husband and son, enjoying, and dancing to Bollywood music, and trying new restaurants
First-Year Residents: Class of 2027
Olubunmi Ajao, MD
Medical School: Drexel University College of Medicine
Graduate: Weill Cornell Medical College
Major: Physiology
Graduate: George Mason University & Georgetown University
Major: Advanced Biomedical Science
Undergraduate: University of Virginia
Major: Chemistry, African American and African Studies
Hobbies and Interests: “For as long as I can remember I've enjoyed the intricacies of styling hair. In my free time, I enjoy binge watching Netflix, reading novels, and traveling and exploring new places. I also enjoy learning and embracing my Nigerian heritage and culture. In addition, I take pleasure in crocheting, knitting, and sewing. I enjoy listening to different musical playlists while roller skating.”
Milena Aksentijevich, MD
Hometown: Bethesda, Maryland
Medical School: University of Maryland School of Medicine
Graduate: Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
Major: International Health Management
Undergraduate: University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland
Major: Economics
Hobbies and Interests: "For the mind and body, I love listening to history and science podcasts, weightlifting and HIIT, and am currently learning how to golf. For the soul, I love family barbecues and Olympics, playing card games (especially rummy), very long walks, and getting dressed up to go out with friends. I'm also very connected to my Serbian heritage and am actively involved in the Serbian American Medical Association and cheering for Novak Djokovic!"
Mia Benavidez, MD
Medical School: University of Texas Medical Branch John Sealy School of Medicine
Undergraduate: The University of Texas at Austin
Major: Biochemistry
Hobbies and Interests:
Playing volleyball and basketball, listening to audiobooks, trying new restaurants, and going on walks
Ariana Davis, MD
Medical School: Georgetown University School of Medicine
Graduate: Loyola University
Major: Medical Physiology
Undergraduate: Vanderbilt University
Major: Spanish, Medicine, Health, and Society
Hobbies and Interests:
"I love exploring the DC food & drink scene, working out, and spending time with friends & family"
Deborah Druckerman, MD
Medical School: Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine
Graduate: Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine
Major: Premedical Graduate Program
Undergraduate: University of Virginia
Major: Biomedical Engineering
Hobbies and Interests:
"Cooking/Baking: I've had my sourdough starter for 6 years. I share my homemade eats on @DebsHomemade on Instagram Woodworking: build and finish fine furniture with my family. I am most proud of my solid maple butcherblock table
Mindfulness: certified mindfulness guide through Contemplative Sciences Center at UVA. I also love yoga
Gardening: I grow my own potted Meyer lemons and a variety of herbs
Hiking: exploring the many trails of Shenandoah with my partner and my dog
In progress- creating latte art"
Hadjira Ishaq, MD
Medical School: Rutgers New Jersey Medical School
Graduate: University of Maryland College Park
Major: Certificate in Global Health
Undergraduate: University of Maryland College Park
Major: Cellular Biology & Molecular Genetics
Hobbies and Interests:
"Playing the cello explains, in part, my interest in surgery because I enjoy improving my manual skills. A melody can always be sweeter, your fingers can fly faster, and your tone can be richer; becoming a musician is a process of constant evolution. I use cooking recipes from different countries and reading novels by diverse authors to explore the world. On the weekends, I enjoy watching movies or going salsa dancing with friends."
Alma Jusufagic, MD, MPH
Hometown: Campbell, CA
Medical School: Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine
Graduate: UCLA Fielding School of Public Health
Major: Health Policy and Management
Undergraduate: UCLA
Major: Neuroscience (major), Spanish (minor)
Hobbies and Interests:
"Swimming (advanced), kayaking, traveling, being a tourist in my own city, hiking, cooking (especially Persian and Thai cuisine), baking (mostly Bosnian goodies), and Crafts"
Madalyn Myers, MD
Hometown: Norfolk, MA
Medical School: University of Maryland School of Medicine
Undergraduate: Loyola University Maryland
Major: Biopsychology (major), Natural Sciences (minor)
Hobbies and Interests:
"Exercising: after 15 years of competitive swimming, I have happily hung up my goggles in exchange for weights
Hiking: most recently Grand Canyon, Rocky Mountain, & Shenandoah National Parks
Traveling: backpacked across 10 European cities in 30 days
Other favorite pastimes include going for walks with friends, eating delicious foods, listening to podcasts, and drinking coffee"
Michelle Regal Ludowieg, MD
Medical School: Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia Facultad de Medicina Alberto Hurtado, Peru
Hobbies and Interests:
"Volleyball: Played at national competitions; as team captain I developed my leadership skills, discipline, and sense of responsibility.
Knitting: Explore my creativity knitting scarves and cardigans while strengthening my fine motor skills and attention to
detail.
Crosswords: Every Sunday, I bring my problem-solving skills to the breakfast table, looking forward to complete the
newspaper's puzzle.
Numismatics: Strive to collect all special edition Peruvian coins."
Jennifer Welch, MD
Hometown: Decatur, TX
Previous Residency Training: Baylor College of Medicine
Specialty: Surgery
Medical School: Baylor College of Medicine
Undergraduate: Baylor University
Major: Medical Humanities
Hobbies and Interests:
"I love to travel and explore new cities, food, coffee, and culture! I also enjoy time out hiking and kayaking and have started to dabble in rock climbing. I appreciate any and all book recommendations with my most recent favorite reads being "Educated", "Project Hail Mary", and "A Song of Achilles."
Additional information
For more information, please contact:
Mary Nguyen
OB/GYN Medical Education
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
MedStar Washington Hospital Center
110 Irving Street, NW Suite 5B-45
Washington, D.C., 20010
P: 202-877-8035
F: 202-877-5435
Email: Mary.P.Nguyen@MedStar.net
Or:
MedStar Georgetown University Hospital
P: 202-444-8533
F: 202-444-4018