Graduated 2018

Class of 2018

Graduated 2019

Where are you from?

I was born on the Westbank of New Orleans, LA but I grew up in Baton Rouge and call "The 225" home!

Why did you come to Cahaba+UAB FMR?

From my initial encounter with Cahaba via Google, it was clear to me that this residency program is intentional about being active in the community they serve. A few key words that stuck out to me in the mission statement were "justice", "physical, mental, and spiritual well being", and "conscientiousness and compassion". These words and phrases align with my personal goals and aspirations in medicine.

During an away rotation, I was impressed by the leadership of the 3rd year residents and the teaching style of the attendings. I knew that I wanted to be a family physician comfortable working in various settings including the ER, labor & delivery, and inpatient hospital wards so the Longitudinal Integrated Curriculum (LIC) that Cahaba offers is perfect for me.

I have several fun memories from my time on rotation with Cahaba. Attending a Halloween party, hiking Oak Mountain, and getting ice cream with my host resident are a few experiences that stand out. My host resident even made me lunch for a few days while I was rotating! I felt really spoiled by the hospitality and generosity of the residents and attendings here. I was shocked that residents were making time to get to know the medical students amidst their demanding curriculum. The people here know how to work hard and have a good time - which is pretty much the motto in Louisiana. These great experiences coupled with ample academic opportunities and a mission focused curriculum sold me on Cahaba!

Undergrad:

I attended Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans, LA (XULA). Xavier is an HBCU (Historically Black College or University). XULA is first among the nation’s colleges and universities in the number of African American graduates who go on to complete medical school, according to data compiled by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).

Med school:

Louisiana State University School of Medicine- Shreveport #GEAUXTigers

What does your life outside of medicine look like?

You can catch me outside playing tennis, at home beating my friends at my favorite board game (Catan), in the city at a R&B concert or music festival, in the woods camping or rafting, in the movie theater, at mass or at Trader Joes.

What is your favorite food to cook?

I love baking bread! I usually make a simple no-knead loaf using a recipe from the New York Times. In my opinion, it is best served hot with garlic butter.

However, my favorite food to eat is boiled crawfish. Also best served hot, and pretty good with garlic butter.

What is a destination you'd like to visit or live?

My dream vacation involves scuba diving the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, visiting Steve Irwin's "Crocoseum" at Australia Zoo, and exploring the island of New Zealand. Can you tell I watched a lot of Animal Planet growing up? Honorable mentions include but are not limited to: an elephant sanctuary in Thailand, a safari in Kenya, walking El Camino in Spain, touring the Holy Land, or a wine tasting tour in Tuscany.

What drives you?

I draw a lot of inspiration from my Catholic faith, especially its teachings surrounding social justice. I am driven by the hope that my small actions, in cooperation with God's will, can help bring about more positive change in the world.

What is your (current) post residency plan?

Honestly I don't know where the next three years will take me! I am open to global mission work and academic medicine, but right now I feel called to pursue a fellowship in addiction medicine, street medicine or both. Ideally my future practice will incorporate some form of a mobile health unit or home visits. I believe very strongly that preventative healthcare, behavioral healthcare, counseling, and healthy food need to be made available to poor and vulnerable populations.

Where are you from?

I am proud to be born and raised in Quito, Ecuador.

Why did you come to Cahaba+UAB FMR?

When I was entering my teens my parents became missionaries, and they moved our family to the other side of the world. It was there where God sowed in me a desire to care for those who had no means of obtaining medical care and showed me the access that medicine can give for the sharing of the gospel. I graduated medical school in 2019 and went on to practice in the Ecuadorian Amazon region. During my first year of practice, I had the privilege of serving various underserved, remote, and impoverished communities, which cemented my desire to pursue primary care. My eyes were opened to the way that God can use a willing physician to impact entire communities and that it was my purpose to pursue this type of work.

I moved to the US in 2021 with my wife, Esther, and our daughter, Adelina. Finding a residency position as an IMG (international medical graduate) and a first-generation physician was daunting, but God's providence is always present. I had no idea there were residency programs like Cahaba in the U.S. until I found Cahaba through a serendipitous Google search. After looking through their website, reading the resident bios and watching their videos I was hooked! This program seemed to be exactly what I was looking for. I'd knocked on many doors that hadn't opened, and I hesitated to do so again but I eventually took courage/came to my senses and filled out a student rotation application. It was amazing to see how God orchestrated things from there!

By mere coincidence (more likely divine intervention), I ended up meeting Dr. Jeremy Crider, Director of Urban Program, as he was passing by Atlanta to visit some of his friends at Ethne Health. They had graciously invited me to rotate with them in spite of never having had an international physician do so (another divine intervention). As I shook his hand in disbelief and excitement, Dr. Crider took note of my name. I was later invited to rotate with the Urban Program and being there showed me that the hype was real! It felt like it was the place for me. My family and I were welcomed with open arms by the residency's amazing community. I was inspired by the work the program does, the training the residents receive, how kind and down-to-earth the attendings were, and the approach the program has to serve the medically needy. The way people in the neighborhood welcomed me just because I was with Cahaba spoke volumes to me about the relationship between the program and the community. I could go on, but I'm just grateful to be able to be part of this family, and I'm honored that God has placed me here to partner with their mission.

Med school:

Universidad Internacional del Ecuador

What does your life outside of medicine look like?

I enjoy spending time with my beautiful wife and daughter. We love just being together whether it be at home or doing something adventurous! We enjoy being hospitable and opening our home to others. We believe the gospel is relational and have loved to see Him work through community. I enjoy playing soccer, strumming the guitar, taking care of my plants and maintaining my planted aquariums.

What is your favorite food to cook?

Ecuadorian Ceviche

What is a destination you'd like to visit or live?

I'd love to go back to Central Asia. Southeast Asia is also a region in our bucket list. Getting to explore more of South America has always been a dream.

What drives you?

I am driven by a strong sense of purpose. I know that God made me the way I am because he wanted me to be where I am. Compassion and justice are what keep me going, and understanding that serving others through medicine is a privilege, helps keep me grounded.

What is your (current) post residency plan?

My plans are wide-open. I have a calling to serve those that need it the most and to share Jesus' love through medicine. We'll see where that ends up taking my family and I.

Where are you from?

I was born in Southern California, raised in Northern Indiana, but the short answer now is Auburn, Alabama!

Why did you come to Cahaba UAB+FMR?

At first, finding Cahaba was the result of a very fortunate google search result I knew from the moment I read the mission statement that this was the place for me! Cahaba provides in a residency program what I thought would only ever be a personal dream of mine, to combine medicine and ministry. I became a doctor because I am so confident in and passionate about my faith in a God who saved me that I wanted a tangible way to provide that same hope and healing to other people. Being part of Cahaba+UAB FMR allows me to join together the two things in my life that I am the most passionate about, and I am thrilled for the opportunity to be here!

Undergrad:

Grace College and Theological Seminary

Med school:

Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine – Auburn Campus

What does your life outside of medicine look like?

I spent a lot of time volunteering with my church – children’s church, middle school small groups, adult community groups – most of my favorite memories and people are connected with a local church I’ve been part of! I also have two dogs I love to spend time with, I love a game or movie night, and I can often be found planning a trip!

What is your favorite food to cook?

I’m not much of a cook, but I do love to bake. I particularly enjoy decorating sugar cookies, but I haven’t found anything I don’t like making yet (even though eating it is the best part).

What is a destination you’d like to visit or live?

I think next up is seeing where my grandmother was from in England!

What drives you?

My heart for God, the lost, local believers and the church, and global missions.

What is your (current) post residency plan?

I’m not sure where exactly I’ll be, but I know I’ll stay somewhere in Alabama!

Where are you from?

I am from Headland, Alabama. My hometown is a small rural community in Southeast Alabama that’s just outside of the peanut capital of the world (Dothan, AL)! My husband (Aaron) and I met in Birmingham, AL and lived in Woodstock, AL once we got married and during my clinical rotations. We currently live in Fairfield, AL.

Why did you come to Cahaba+UAB FMR?

I came to Cahaba for many reasons but mainly because of the people! I rotated with the Urban Program at Cahaba during a time in my life where my husband and I were struggling to find community due to our hectic schedules and living in an isolated area. From the first week of my rotation, we were invited to meals and events and were welcomed into the lives of many of the residents, faculty, and families. We truly felt like our time rotating with Cahaba had transformed the way we saw and experienced community. By the end of my rotation, we had made many friends and were able to continue building on many of the relationships that we had formed during my month in West End. Overall, it was because of the welcoming and loving people that make up Cahaba that made me want to pursue my residency there!

In addition to the amazing community, I also loved that Cahaba focuses on providing care to the uninsured and underinsured patients in their community through their FQHC. As someone interested in rural medicine and medical missions it was very important to me that I train at a program where care is a priority and not just an afterthought. The opportunity for medical mission experiences at Cahaba excited me and is something I plan to pursue both in training and in practice in whatever way the Lord leads. Practically, I enjoyed the longitudinal aspect of Cahaba’s training and saw it as something that would make me a stronger physician. I also felt like the outpatient and inpatient medicine experience was very robust and would prepare me well for anything that I might encounter after training.

Undergrad:

Birmingham-Southern College

Med school:

UAB Heersink School of Medicine

What does your life outside of medicine look like?

Mostly spending time with my wonderful husband and our cat (Sagwa)! We love to go on hikes and walks, anything to get us outside together and moving in the fresh air. I personally love to run on both roads and trails, but I greatly prefer trails… no matter how many spider webs I run through, ticks I pluck from my legs, or flies I inhale. We greatly love worshiping and living in community with our church in Fairfield (Urban Hope Community Church) and try to spend time with our church family when able.

As far as personal hobbies go, I enjoy gardening but can’t keep a houseplant alive for a million bucks. Cooking is something that brings me a lot of joy and I especially love cooking for others, especially if there are squash involved. I also love to pickle vegetables and am always trying to find a new way to perfect my recipe for dill pickles. If I need something more chill, I will undoubtedly be caught watching Adventure Time because it is my all-time favorite show and gives me all the warm fuzzies. When I have time, I enjoy reading and my favorite series currently is the Zamonia series by Walter Moers (I highly recommend if you like whimsical and goofy adventure novels).

What is your favorite food to cook?

Definitely Mexican cauliflower rice bowls… or chicken shawarma bowls… or Mediterranean orzo veggie bowls… pretty much anything in a bowl form!

What is a destination you’d like to visit or live?

I would love to visit Greece but would want to live in Italy! Give me all the pasta and gelato, please and thank you.

What drives you?

Growing in my love, joy, and desire of the Lord by serving and loving others the way Jesus did! I (imperfectly) strive to live in a way where Christ is increased and I am decreased, knowing that He is most glorified by me when I am most satisfied in Him.

What is your (current) post residency plan?

Currently I plan to return to my hometown and care for the members of my home community alongside my father! I am very blessed to have a parent who is also a Family Medicine Physician with a heart for serving the less fortunate. The clinic in Headland (Headland Family Medicine) is the only clinic in our small town and is both family-owned and run by my parents. I am so proud of all the work they have done to love my home community well and hope to go join the family business (literally)!

That being said, my husband and I also have a love for missions and know that God will use this love in our lives in some way in our future. Currently we are considering leading recurring short-term trips but are also keeping our hearts open to long-term missions if God leads us in that direction.

Where are you from?

Gallatin, TN

Why did you come to Cahaba+UAB FMR?

I guess you could say I’ve taken the scenic route to get to Cahaba. Throughout college, I was torn between pursuing full-time ministry versus medicine, but eventually came to realize that the two could coexist. I deferred my enrollment to medical school for a year to attend a ministry school in Alabama (and travel in Europe). Following that year, I entered medical school thinking I wanted to do family medicine. However, I slowly talked myself into pursuing surgery. To make a long story short, I went on to complete one year of otolaryngology residency in Texas, but ultimately felt God calling me back to family medicine.

After parting ways with my surgery program, I obtained my medical license and spent the year driving around rural Texas doing house calls for elderly patients. After reapplying and interviewing for family medicine, I felt Cahaba was the right program for me. I knew I wanted to train at an unopposed program, but the thing that really drew me in was the shared mission and values of the Cahaba family. My road to Cahaba was marked by some tough decisions and a leap of faith, but I couldn’t be more excited to be here now.

Undergrad:

University of Tennessee Knoxville

Med school:

University of Tennessee Health Science Center

What does your life outside of medicine look like?

I like doing most things that involve being with people and/or being outdoors: potluck dinners, hanging out in the park, playing spikeball, backpacking, climbing, and watching football (Go Vols!). I am also an avid fly fisherman and try to go whenever I can.

What is a destination you’d like to visit or live?

I love traveling so my answer is constantly changing. Currently, I’d like to go to Alaska.

What drives you?

Hope.

What is your (current) post residency plan?

Given how the past few years of my life have played out, I’m reluctant to make too many “plans” for the future. One of the things I love about family medicine is the variety of things in which you can dip your hand. Some of the things that excite me most are sports medicine, addiction medicine, procedures, integrative medicine, medical education, and working with certain populations.

Where are you from?

Madison, Alabama

Why did you come to Cahaba+UAB FMR?

I initially heard about Cahaba through my medical school's Family Medicine Interest Group, and I was really drawn to Cahaba's mission to provide vital healthcare needs to populations in Alabama through a lens of Christ-like love of neighbor. I rotated with the Urban program at the West End clinic at the start of my M4 year and loved the experience. Not only did residents receive excellent medical training, but additional rotation experiences like serving in the West End community garden also conveyed a strong value of community relationship-building and service. At Cahaba, I saw faculty whose personal and professional attributes I aspire towards: attendings were not only invested teachers who challenged residents daily to the highest standard, but also loving members to their families and serving neighbors to their coworkers and community. Additionally, the supportive culture among residents and attendings and their families was unlike any I had seen. The unique longitudinal integrated curriculum with opportunities like MAT clinic and faculty development also complements my longer-term career goals. Truly it's a blessing to have the opportunity to work here.

Undergrad:

Auburn University

Med school:

University of Alabama Heersink School of Medicine

What does your life outside of medicine look like?

Spending time with my husband, Matthew, and with our newborn baby! We love gardening, watching movies, and cooking new dishes, but we're still excited to trade some of that for changing diapers too! We've also loved being involved in Bible studies and book clubs with our local community in Birmingham.

What is your favorite food to cook?

A comforting soup or stew, any kind, any time of year!

What is a destination you'd like to visit or live?

I've always wanted to hike the Camino de Santiago in Spain.

What drives you?

My love for God, knowing His great love for me, and wanting to share that love with others.

What is your (current) post residency plan?

Probably continuing to treat a patient population; I'm really interested right now in investing in patients with substance use disorders. It would be cool to integrate all that with the possibility to teach as a physician educator.

Where are you from?

Peachtree City, Georgia

Why did you come to Cahaba+UAB FMR?

The people. From my first interactions with Cahaba residents during clinicals with the Urban Program, I could tell something was different about them. They were intentional in their conversations, they worked extremely hard, they made others feel valued and loved, and they had a contagious joy and light about them. Each day on my rotation, I felt so excited to walk through the doors of Cahaba. This was the first place that I felt like I was making a difference in the lives of our patients daily. This was exactly what I felt called to do, and I knew that these were the people that I wanted to do it alongside. Cahaba truly is a family, working and growing together with similar values, beliefs, and missions.

Why Cahaba?

Because I know that these people will become my family, that Cahaba will become my home, and together, we will make a difference in the community of West End and beyond.

Undergrad:

University of Florida

Med school:

VCOM- Auburn

What does your life outside of medicine look like?

Spending precious time with family- traveling to see my brothers and my new nephew, Brody. Going to my parents’ house to enjoy time out on the lake. Spending time with friends- exploring local places to eat and all the amazing parks and trails around Birmingham. I love any adventure outside, especially hiking, running, wakesurfing, and snowboarding. Wherever I go, my dog, Hope, is always along for the ride!

What is your favorite food to cook?

Anything Italian! Lasagna is probably my favorite.

What is a destination you'd like to visit or live?

I have snowboarded out west in the Rocky’s several times with my family. I enjoy the serenity of the mountains and the adventures around every corner.

What drives you?

My love for Christ and my love for others.

What is your (current) post residency plan?

As of right now, I would say I would love to do a combination of outpatient family medicine and hospitalist.