Garrett Meier

Pronouns: he/him
Languages Spoken: English
Hometown: Bonsall, CA
Undergrad: California State University, San Marcos
Medical School: Northeast Ohio Medical University
Hobbies: Cycling, hiking, camping, exploring new eateries, spending time outside in the sunshine.
Fun fact: I grew up on an avocado farm and can make a mean bowl of guacamole!
Favorite thing about Los Angeles/ why you picked LAGMC/USC: The patients and the vibes. Working with the underserved community has always been my priority. The residents are friendly, the attendings are approachable, and the overall atmosphere is welcoming.
Plans after residency: Interested in primary care, but also considering GI.

Hashir Qamar

Pronouns: he/him
Languages Spoken: English, Urdu 
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Undergrad: University of California - Santa Cruz
Medical School: Touro University-CA COM
Hobbies: Climbing, hiking, swimming, mountain biking, spending too much money working on my car
Fun Fact: After college I went on a 3000 mile/3 week solo road trip through the Western US and Canada.
Favorite thing about Los Angeles: I enjoy being back in the place I grew up and also being close to family. Glad to be part of a program where the attendings are approachable and residents go out of their way to help each other out. 
Plans after residency: NICU/PICU/PEM

Japmeet Sandhu

Pronouns: she/her
Languages Spoken: English, Punjabi 
Hometown: Fresno, Ca
Undergrad: Pitzer College 
Medical School: Western University of Health Sciences COMP 
Hobbies: Exploring new places and trying new foods, hiking, making Tik Toks with my cat, watching horror movies, reading
Fun fact: My dad started his IM residency at LAC-USC a month after I was born. 25 years later I’ve come full circle and here I am :) 
Why Los Angeles, LAGMC/USC  I love the supportive learning environment of this program and the dedication to helping the underserved community. The vibes of this program are amazing and I feel right at home!
Plans after residency:  Thinking of hospital medicine or fellowship

Samantha Wong

Pronouns: she/her
Languages Spoken: English
Hometown: San Mateo, CA
Undergraduate: UC San Diego
Medical School: Albany Medical College
Hobbies: playing tennis, creative writing, reading young adult novels (a guilty pleasure), singing, watching movies & video game playthroughs, painting (any arts n’ crafts really), anything Disney
Fun fact: In high school, my best friend and I performed a rendition of Justin Bieber’s “Boyfriend” in a talent show, complete with badly choreographed dance moves
Favorite thing about Los Angeles/ Why you picked LAGMC/USC: Having spent 4 years in the frigid/humid Northeast, I wanted to return to Cali, where sunshine is an almost everyday thing. LAC+USC’s X+Y curriculum, program size, welcoming vibe, and (most of all) love of boba really drew me here.
Plans after residency: Gen peds

Jewel Park

Hometown: Seoul, Korea and Colombo, Sri Lanka
Undergrad: Yonsei University, Korea
Medical School: Korea University, Korea
Why LA General/USC: I love the patient population here in that I primarily get to work with the patients who are underserved, marginalized, and immigrants, which aligns nicely with my interest in global health. At the same time, I am able to pursue my passion in research under great mentors and research infrastructure that the affiliation with USC gives. Lastly as a Korean, there's no better place in the US than LA to get better Korean food and Korean representation!
Plans for after residency: I'm planning to work as a generalist for a while, but thinking to ultimately get involved in public health/global health/space.

Drew Colman

Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
Undergrad: Smith College
Med School: Duke University School of Medicine
Why LAGMC/USC: LAGMC/USC Med+Peds stood out to me during my interviews as a program with not only an admirable mission but also great integrity to that mission. It is a true privilege to help care for and learn from the patients at County, many of whom have been marginalized and underserved by the health care system. And the residents and faculty are amazing! I feel honored to be working with such kind, generous, and intelligent people who are committed to outstanding patient care and advocacy.
Plans after residency: Still undecided, most likely primary care. I plan to do gender affirming care in some capacity and perhaps focus on adolescent medicine.

Emilio Feliz Sala

Hometown: West New York, NJ/Santo Domingo, RD
Undergrad: Rutgers University, New Brunswick
Medical School: Keck School of Medicine of USC
Why LAGMC/USC: The patient population and the stories they bring motivate me in the direction of personal and professional growth. LAC USC Med Peds Residency Program has the most compassionate, caring, loving and humble residents, staff, and folks that I have ever come across. It feels like I can come to them with anything. They are what makes this program home. The city of LA itself is vibrant and inviting, with many fun things to do on your off time.
Plans after residency: Still in the process of figuring it all out, however I have a strong interest in medicine across the spectrum. Therefore I am looking closely at combined Hospitalist or Primary Care. 

Mahima Iyengar

Hometown: Bethesda, Maryland
Undergrad: University of Michigan
Medical School: University of Rochester
Why LAGMC/USC: I really loved my interview day and all the residents and faculty I met. I got the sense that serving the underserved was more than just a mission statement at this program, and that faculty and residents are dedicated to actively creating a system that better serves their patients than the current one, both through community health work and advocacy
Plans after residency: I'm unsure! I like the broad scope and complexity of both primary care and critical care, but I'm keeping my mind open. I also want to stay involved in advocacy and community organizing post-residency.

Shaunpaul Jones

Hometown: New York City, NY (Brooklyn)
Undergrad: Amherst College
Medical School: University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
Why LAGMC/USC?: I was inspired by the commitment to patient care for undeserved and marginalized patients. During my interview, the program directors were candid in discussing the fact that residents here work hard. However, the work we do at County is good, worthwhile work. We advocate for our patients in ways I was afraid were not possible when I was going to medical school. 
Plans for after residency: Currently, I'd like to be a combined med-peds hospitalist. 

Shea Nagle

Hometown: Dolgeville, NY
Undergrad: Hamilton College
Medical School: University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
Grad School: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Why LAGMC/USC: I wanted to train at a mission-driven program with people who shared my values. I am inspired every day by the amazing work my colleagues do for the underserved patients we care for at LAGMC/USC. Their dedication and passion are unparalleled. It is truly a joy and privilege to care for the patients we serve here… The weather is pretty nice too. 
Plans after residency: My current interests are adolescent medicine, endocrinology, or primary care.

Lillian Nwanah

Pronouns: She/her
Languages spoken: English
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Undergrad: Northwestern University
Medical school: University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine
Why LAGMC/USC?: For me, I chose this program because of the amazing vibe of the residents and the program that I felt during the interview and after. Additionally, I am passionate about the patients we serve at LAC+USC. I was also chasing the sun and excited to be somewhere with stable and warmer weather!
Plans after residency: I am honestly still figuring that out. I am interested in hospitalist medicine, hospital administration, and global health and I am excited to see how all three of these interests come together.