Cahaba Alumni
RURAL ALUMNI
Where are you from?
I was born in Pakistan and moved to New York at a young age. After completing my undergrad in NY, my family relocated to Austin, Texas where I worked as a high school math teacher.
Why did you come to Cahaba FMR?
Cahaba’s mission – providing care to underserved communities – aligns with my personal philosophy. I have lived and worked in similar communities, and would like to continue on this trajectory as a physician. In addition, during my interview, the environment was very supportive and friendly which further reinforced my decision to join the Cahaba family.
Undergrad:
State University of New York at Potsdam
Med School:
Dow International Medical College
What does your life look like outside of medicine? Reading, planting, listening to podcasts, watching crime detective series, and spending time with my family.
What is your favorite food to cook? I try to cook Mediterranean food and love to bake.
What is a destination you'd like to visit or live?
Antalya, Turkiye
What drives you?
People and their stories of resilience and perseverance.
What is your (current) post residency plan?
Rural Medicine. Academia.
Where are you from?
I hail from a suburb just north of Dallas, Texas where my brother and I grew up on the same street with all 14 of my cousins as we wreaked havoc on the neighborhood. Since then I've hopped around the Great State for school, living in Bryan-College Station and Fort Worth.
Why did you come to Cahaba FMR?
In undergrad I found a community of people who lived different than anyone I had met before. Their career aspirations, authenticity, vulnerability, and involvement in communities and each others' lives, was radically intentional as they strived to practice the way of Jesus. This kind of unselfish ambition was refreshing and inspiring. Simultaneously, I was exposed to experiences where I saw first-hand, the massive need of vulnerable populations overseas and within our own cities and how physicians used medicine to impact that disparity. These experiences solidified my decision to pursue medicine as a means to a greater end of seeing transformation in communities.
Cahaba UAB FMR embodies this kind of vision from the faculty to the residents to the administration. I came to Cahaba UAB FMR for their intentional community and kingdom-minded mission. I knew that here, I could grow into the kind of physician that is compassionate, thoughtful, intentional, and visionary because those are the kind physicians that will be training me . Aside from the amazing people, they offer the kind of broad-spectrum family medicine that you can only get working in populations where the patients are medically complex. With access to the abundance of specialties at UAB in our block rotations, we also have the opportunity to learn from and bring academic medicine into the front-lines of the community.
Undergrad:
Texas A&M University (Whoop!)
Med school:
University of North Texas Health Science Center Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine
What does your life outside of medicine look like?
Being an extrovert with people, admiring mountains or any increase in elevation or any large rock, hiking, bouldering, traveling to national parks, learning to cook Filipino food, attempting to amass a collection of giant indoor plants, curating my playlist of lofi chill indie christian hip hop, reading books about the spiritual disciplines, watching Latino TV shows
What is your favorite food to cook?
smoothies-- especially avocado!
What is a destination you'd like to visit or live?
I'm a mountain man, take me to Patagonia
What drives you?
The hope that this world of toil and suffering will be restored, redeemed, and resurrected and we have a meaningful part to play in that right now.
What is your (current) post residency plan?
I would love to work internationally in some capacity somewhere and somehow.
Where are you from?
LaFayette, Georgia
Why did you come to Cahaba FMR?
I became interested in medicine during my sophomore year of college due to medical missions.Thus, I decided to go on a medical mission trip to Honduras in 2017. It was an amazing experience and confirmed my desire to do medical missions in the future. Fast forward to medical school, I decided to finish my clinical rotations at the Dalton branch of the Northwest Regional Campus of the Medical College of Georgia. I rotated in many small towns during my time there. Being from a small town of around 7,000 people myself, I enjoyed how the attendings integrated themselves in their respective communities. In fact, several of their patients were on a first-name basis with their physician since they knew them outside the clinic (church, school sports, etc.). These small-town experiences during my third and fourth years of medical school cultivated my interest in rural medicine. Given my career goals, the Frontier Track of Cahaba Family Medicine offered an exciting opportunity to do missions work (with financial support!) as well as learning full-spectrum family medicine in rural Alabama. Moreover, the residents, attendings, and staff cultivate a familial atmosphere. This will certainly make the challenges of residency easier to bear in the coming years. I am grateful for how God led me to this program and my new family!
Undergrad:
Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee
Med school:
Medical College of Georgia
What does your life outside of medicine look like?
I enjoy music immensely. In fact, I play drums very loudly. I must say, it is a great way to meet your neighbors! I also enjoy live music, hiking, basketball, football, and a variety of motorsports (Formula 1, IndyCar, NASCAR).
What is your favorite food to cook?
Homemade buttermilk biscuits and sausage gravy. It is a recipe handed down to me by mother. It is truly a salve for the soul!
What is a destination you’d like to visit or live?
I would love to visit the Rocky Mountains, Alaska, the Great Plains, and the Pacific Northwest, all areas I have not had the pleasure of exploring yet. Regarding a destination I would like to live, a mountainous area would be great! I am thinking North Georgia, Western North Carolina, West Virginia, East Tennessee, etc.
What drives you?
Glorifying God wherever life leads me!
What is your (current) post residency plan?
I am not sure of the specifics; however, I am interested in practicing in a small town or city. Part-time medical mission trips, both domestic and abroad, would be exciting too!
Where are you from?
Oxnard, California
Why did you come to Cahaba UAB FMR?
I came to Cahaba UAB FMR in order to be exposed to both urban and rural medicine in underserved communities and for the opportunity to do international rotations. During the interview, interactions with faculty and residents revealed a friendly, welcoming culture that I see myself thriving in. The full spectrum family medicine curriculum and affiliation with UAB are appealing because of the breadth of experience that I will receive during training.
Undergrad:
University of California, Santa Cruz
Med school:
Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine at New Mexico State University
What does your life outside of medicine look like?
I enjoy traveling, hiking, watching sports, and collecting unique hot sauces.
What is your favorite food to cook?
Mediterranean/Middle Eastern
What is a destination you'd like to visit or live?
Syria
What drives you?
Using the practice of medicine to dramatically improve a patient’s mental and physical well-being. I believe working directly with patients is an incredible privilege which provides me with purpose.
What is your (current) post residency plan?
I plan to enter private practice and eventually open up my own clinic.
Where are you from?
I was born in Chicago but grew up in the Philippines. I came back to the United States after completing my education.
Why did you come to Cahaba FMR?
Family Medicine is a field where I truly feel I can make a great impact in a patient’s life. I was drawn to the Cahaba-FMR because it offers the opportunity to develop both professionally and personally. This program focuses on a full scope of medicine with holistic patient care, strong clinical training, involvement in the community and faith-driven global medical missions. The Longitudinal Integrated Curriculum also caught my attention. Finally, I am excited about relocating to Birmingham. I have had the opportunity to meet some great people and I am enthusiastic to explore the area and become part of the community!
Undergrad: Makati Medical Center College of Nursing
Med school: University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center College of Medicine
What does your life outside of medicine look like?
During my days off, I spend most of the time with my family and friends. I love to cook and take my dog, Teddy on walks. I also love going to the beach and hiking.
What is your favorite food to cook?
I love to cook different cuisines especially Asian food like Japanese and Korean.
What is a destination you'd like to visit or live?
I want to travel to different countries with rich cultures and histories.
What drives you? Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
What is your post residency plan?
I want to be a Primary Care Physician with all the skills that I would need to be successful in any environment. Also, I am considering a fellowship in Emergency Medicine in the future.
Where are you from?
I was born in China and relocated to the United States in 2010.
Why did you come to Cahaba FMR?
I chose Cahaba FMR because the people I met in the clinic were kind, down to earth, and love to teach. It is a local community-based health organization that aims to be an incarnation of love, peace, and justice. This program provides rigorous training which gives me confidence that I will be well-prepared to handle anything wherever I end up practicing. At the same time, I really think this program is full of some of the best people in medicine, and that includes both faculty and co-residents.
Med school: Tianjin Medical University (Tianjin, China)
What does your life outside of medicine look like?
I love to spend time with my family and friends. My other interests are traveling, watching movies, and gardening.
What is your favorite food to cook?
BBQ and cake
What is a destination you'd like to visit or live in?
I prefer to travel to places that have large lakes, sandy sea beaches, mountains, and vast open fields. Significant historic places and museums are also on my favorite list.
What drives you?
Try something new and gain new skills.
What is your post-residency plan?
I am currently interested in pursuing a fellowship.
Where are you from?
I am originally from western Nigeria, but moved to Cleveland, Ohio about 7 years ago.
Why did you come to Cahaba FMR?
I have passion for underserved communities and have involved myself throughout my career, caring for patients similar to the demographic served by Cahaba FMR. The program’s faith-based mission and its commitment to ‘transformational’ primary care aligns with my own goals. Its unique curriculum, dedicated faculty and residents create a work and teaching environment that I look forward to being a part of. I am eager to get on board to join this wonderful vision of ministry and service.
Undergrad: University of Benin
Med school: University of Benin
What does your life outside of medicine look like?
Outside of medicine I’m running around caring for my family. I love to sing karaoke, attend worship services, engage in outdoor activities when I can (which is almost never) and thinking up the next new innovative idea.
What is your favorite food to cook?
I cook a lot but I’m not exactly passionate about it, so I don’t have a favorite thing I like to cook.
What is a destination you'd like to visit or live?
Visit Thailand and live in rural France!
What drives you?
I want to please God in all I do and lay treasure where it does not rot. The personality I was given is motivated by the desire to do things well and be successful at it.
What is your post residency plan?
Pursing a fellowship in a women’s health related specialty and involvement in global health medicine.
Where are you from?
Bangladesh / Auburn, AL
Why did you come to Cahaba FMR?
An important aspect of Cahaba-UAB for me was the opportunity for training in global health and full-scope family medicine, with its international rotations and experienced faculty. My childhood in Bangladesh and my faith heavily influenced how I want to serve society. My goal is to improve health care access through policy and capacity building wherever needed. I wanted a program where I could integrate my public health and medicine backgrounds in a global health setting. It was important for me to be part of a program that believes that learning about our community and about social determinants of health are just as important as understanding the medicine for proper patient care. I also wanted a program that values their residents and patients as people, not just their role in the health care setting.
I have been in Birmingham for over a decade and have come appreciate what it offers and look forward to its growth; it's also nice to remain in the same state as my parents.
Undergrad: University of Alabama at Birmingham
Med school: UAB Heersink School of Medicine
What does your life outside of medicine look like?
Outside of medicine, I like to try new things from art to food to outdoor activities, I also enjoy unwinding with a book or TV. Being able to have time with family and friends is also important to me.
What is your favorite food to cook?
Pasta! not a great cook but i do like to try making new foods
What is a destination you'd like to visit or live?
Japan or Greece or Iceland (really, I want to travel to as many places as I can on this amazing planet)
What drives you?
My family, faith, and life experiences have guided and shaped how I see the world and how I want to serve it. I believe that we all have a responsibility to each other, for our individual and collective wellbeing... in what ever capacity we are able contribute to it.
What is your post residency plan?
Global health and/or OB fellowship. An opportunity to work with Doctors Without Borders is one of my goals; wherever I end up, I want to regularly and intentionally engage in international medicine and capacity building.
