Class of 2026
Pediatric Residents
Neda Amin
Pronouns: she/her
Languages Spoken: English and Farsi
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Undergrad: San Diego State University
Medschool: Western University COMP- Pomona
Hobbies: Traveling, Reading, Hot Yoga, Swimming and late night dinners spent talking and laughing with good friends.
Fun fact: I lived in 3 different countries and have 3 citizenships.
Why LAGMC/USC? I wanted to go to a program that focused on providing service to the community and had heard amazing things about LAGMC/USC. I also did my SubI here and had a firsthand experience of the supportive and kind faculty/residents this program had to offer and knew I found the right place for me.
Plans after residency: Outpatient pediatrics with a focus in policy and preventative medicine
Alex Fernandez
Pronouns: he/him
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish, some Italian
Hometown: El Paso, TX
Undergrad: UT Austin
Medschool: Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine
Hobbies: Soccer, running, cycling, weightlifting, traveling, languages, coffee shop exploring, listening to edm, spanish trap and country in no specific order.
Fun fact: I got to see Ronaldo score a goal in Madrid and I may have cried.
Why LAGMC/USC? I wanted to be a part of a program in a county hospital that primarily focuses on caring for those who are underserved. I wanted to be a part of such a positive, fun, and caring community of pediatricians. The interview really displayed the genuine and caring side of the program. LA is so diverse with so much to do! I wanted to have an outlet outside of work to be able to explore and continue pursuing my hobbies.
Plans after residency: Undecided but thinking about Pulm, GI fellowship or outpatient pediatrics.
Savanah Gallegos
Pronouns: She/her
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Undergrad: California Lutheran University
Med School: Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine
Hobbies: Playing guitar/bass with friends, going to concerts, baking/cooking with my family, trying new restaurants, visiting farmers markets
Fun Fact: In middle school, I had to learn to juggle, and I still can!
Why LAGMC/USC?The program's dedication to the underserved in LA resonated with me, and I was eager to return to the community where I grew up. There is a great sense of unity here that I recognized even during virtual interviews, and everyone is very supportive both within the program and towards patients.
Plans after residency: NICU fellowship or Gen Peds
Sophia Huang
Pronouns: she/her
Languages Spoken: English, Mandarin Chinese
Hometown: Houston, TX
Undergrad: Rice University
Medschool: Baylor College of Medicine
Hobbies: Running, hiking, sketching/painting, reading, baking, finding ways to cafeteria grocery shop on our lunch money
Fun Fact: Taylor Swift and I share the same birthday.
Why LAGMC/USC? The dedication to meeting the needs of this community, especially the underserved. I find it inspiring and uplifting being surrounded by such individuals. Moreover, Los Angeles reminds me of my hometown in its diversity and endless pockets of neighborhoods to explore.
Rasagna Kosaraju
Pronouns: she/her
Languages Spoken: Telugu, English, and a little of spanish/french/Mandarin
Hometown: Durham, NC
Undergrad: UNC - Chapel Hill
Medschool: Wake Forest University SoM
Hobbies: Coffee shop hopping, swimming in the ocean, traveling, finding yummy hole in the wall restaurants, being a plant mom
Fun Fact: might not look like it but I have 2 black belts in two different forms of karate
Why LAGMC/USC? I really wanted to be by the beach and be in a big city that is progressive! I was really drawn to the dedication to underserved populations and willingness to make lasting changes in our health system. I loved that people seemed happy here at LAC+USC and had full lives outside of medicine.
Plans after residency: I love clinic and policy work/involvement in grassroots orgs!
Jaclynn Kovach
Pronouns: she/her
Languages Spoken: English
Hometown: Commerce, MI
Undergrad: Michigan State University
Medschool: Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Hobbies: Running, shopping, hiking, going to the beach, boat rides, paddle boarding, listening to podcasts, trying new restaurants, finding new workout classes, and spending time with family and friends
Fun Fact: I ran all the way to Canada!!... well across the bridge during the Detroit ½ Marathon
Why LAGMC/USC? The people!! It is incredible to work with such inspiring people who work hard to put good back into the world. I knew I wanted a program that worked with the underserved whose passion was to give and serve the local community. I knew LAC+USC was just the place for that. I am excited to be a part of such a special community!
Plans after residency: Still trying to figure that out! Currently thinking about PEM.
Connie Ly
Pronouns: she/her
Languages Spoken: English, a little bit of Cantonese and a little bit of Vietnamese
Hometown: Garland, TX
Undergrad: UT Austin
Medschool: UNTHSC TCOM
Hobbies: Thrifting/flea markets, hot yoga, running, going to the beach, reading, going to coffee shops, finding good restaurants, traveling, and spending time with family & friends
Fun Fact: I love chocolate pastries (chocolate croissants, muffins, brownies) to the point where it might be concerning.
Why LAGMC/USC?: The VIP program set apart a lot of other programs for me. I think it really reflected the values and priorities of the program in being incredibly dedicated to serving people who don’t have resources and access to healthcare, housing, and financial security. Even though I’m from Texas, I spent my summers with my extended family in East LA so being in LA is a luxury since I get to spend time with them.
Plans after residency: Thinking about Peds EM!
Divya Mulchandani
Pronouns: She/her/hers
Languages: English, Hindi
Hometown: Riverside, CA
Undergrad: UCLA
Med School: Keck SOM of USC
Hobbies: Hiking, baking, board games, playing with my cat, going to the beach, eating ice cream
Fun Fact: I’m on a mission to find the best chocolate fudge brownie ice cream, I’ve probably tried over 100 brands/shops. The best so far is (surprisingly) the Target brand Favorite Day.
Why LAGMC/USC? I love how dedicated the program is to caring for the underserved patients of Los Angeles. As a med student here, it was wonderful seeing how the residents and attendings were so full of passion and commitment to serving their community. I knew this was the place for me!
Plans after residency: Primary care pediatrics
Monica Oo
Pronouns: She/her/hers
Languages: English, Burmese
Hometown: Fremont, CA
Undergrad: UC Berkeley
Med School: Nova Southeastern University
Hobbies: Shopping, reading, going to the gym, being outdoors, and more shopping
Fun Fact: I have 3 german shepherd dogs named Max, Mia, and Mason <3
Why LAGMC/USC? I love the sunshine and wanted to be back home in California, so picking LA as a residency spot was a no brainer. My main reason for choosing LAGMC/USC as my top choice program was because of the people. Everyone, from the residents to the attendings, is incredibly intelligent, kind, and extremely passionate about providing the best possible care for their patients. You get treated like you are a part of the family here!
Plans after Residency: Not sure yet!!
Rawan Sultan
Pronouns: she/her
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish (some), Arabic
Hometown: Fresno, CA
Undergrad: University of California, Santa Barbara
Medschool: A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona
Hobbies: Shopping, hiking, cooking, going to the beach, working out, coffee shop hopping, trying new restaurants.
Fun Fact: I was on The Ellen Degeneres show in High school.
Why LAGMC/USC? I’ve always wanted to live in Los Angeles because there is always something to do, from eating out at different restaurants, concerts, going to the beach, and lots of random pop up events. I picked this residency because when I was here for my Sub-I, I had such a fun time and got a long with the residents. Everyone was laughing and smiling here! Also, I wanted to work with an underserved population!
Plans after residency: fellowship in GI or outpatient. Or maybe something else!
Hannah Zipfel
Pronouns: She/her/hers
Languages: English, Spanish
Hometown: Chandler, AZ
Undergrad: Arizona State University
Med School: Touro University COM, CA
Hobbies: Baking, acrylic painting, puzzles, hiking, playing with my cat, binge watching The Office for the 20th time
Fun fact: I taught preschool for 5 years before I started med school and my classroom was of course fully Disney themed
Why LAGMC/USC? I don’t like being bored so LA is the perfect place for a busy body like me! I love that we’re close to beaches, mountains, and theme parks! I picked this program because of how community service driven everyone was. I love working with people who are kind and who want to share that with our patients.
Plans after Residency: Pursue a heme/onc fellowship
Medicine/Pediatrics Residents
Danielle Estell
Pronouns: she/her
Languages Spoken: English
Hometown: Seattle, WA
Undergrad: Columbia University
Medical School: Keck School of Medicine
Hobbies: Farmers markets, cooking, eating, rollerblading, hot girl walks around Echo Park Lake
Fun Fact: My earliest memory is trying to convince my parents to name my little sister Frosty the Snowman.
Why LAC+USC?: I went to med school at USC, fell in love with the hospital and its mission, and decided I wanted to stay! I wanted a program that would challenge me to become a great doctor and an even better patient advocate. I knew the program directors and residents were awesome. Ultimately, I decided this program would help me become the kind of human I want to be when I grow up. Also, LA isn’t a bad place to live!
Plans after residency: To be determined!
Varsha Kandadi
Pronouns: she/her
Languages Spoken: English
Hometown: St. Louis, MO
Undergrad: University of Missouri- Kansas City
Medical School: University of Missouri- Kansas City
Hobbies: Running, reading, finding the best coffee shops and brunch places, hiking or anything outdoors
Fun Fact: My name means rain, and everytime I go to a new city, it always rains! Still waiting for it to rain in LA though…
Favorite thing about LA/LAC+USC: The people for sure. I did an away rotation at LAC+USC last year, and after meeting all of the incredible residents and faculty, I knew that this was the place for me. I’m also convinced that LA is one of the best cities in the country. There is always something to do whether it’s going to the beach, trying out new restaurants or coffee shops, or finding your favorite boba place. Of course, the endless sunshine never hurts either!
Plans after residency: Peds hospitalist or peds EM
Anthony Mills
Pronouns: he/him
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Latvian
Hometown: Salt Lake City, UT
Undergrad: University of Utah
Medical School: University of Utah
Hobbies: adventures with my two boys, music, photography, making stuff, a recently undertaken quest to find LA’s finest chicken sandwich, hoarding more houseplants than I can keep alive, etc.
Fun Fact: I bought a fabulous pearly-red accordion at a pawn shop when I was 14 years old that I pretend to know how to play (much to the chagrin of my children…)
Why LAC+USC?: Because of the patients, the people who work here and the city itself. The challenges that our patients face make training here difficult, but all the more fulfilling. I can’t imagine a more supportive group of co-residents and program leadership. My $0.02 on the city is that if living in LA wasn’t worth the traffic, fewer people would live here and there would be less traffic.
Plans after residency: considering HIV and/or LGBTQ+ Care fellowship(s), but still trying to decide!
Shireen Saxena
Pronouns: she/her
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish, Hindi
Hometown: SF Bay Area, CA
Undergrad: Bryn Mawr College
Medical School: University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry
Hobbies: Playing with my adorable little one Mateo! Close seconds include salsa dancing, immersive travel (wandering in new places for extended periods), yoga, board games (Settlers of Catan, anyone?), hiking trails with great vistas, finding the best chai tea latte in town, and generally just embracing the art of saying yes.
Fun Fact: I will try anything once! Next on the list is surfing some California waves!
Why LAGMC/USC?: The deep commitment to achieving health equity. I was excited to not only participate in a dedicated Med-Peds clinic but also, to be surrounded by like-minded physicians integrating social responsibility and humility into each patient encounter, no matter how complex living in inner city Los Angeles may make the job. As someone who has moved from one poverty-stricken city to another and seen firsthand the structural problems that maintain health disparities across generations, I wanted to be with people who are dedicated to dismantling these structures in urban areas - whether by touching the life of one patient at a time or by reaching hundreds through research and political advocacy. If you are looking for a place to merge humanism and high-quality care under exceptional mentorship to become a well-rounded physician and leader, you’ve found it! Plus LA is kind of awesome ;)
Kairav Sinha
Andrea Soto-López
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Languages Spoken: Spanish, English
Hometown: Gurabo, Puerto Rico
Medical School: Universidad Central del Caribe School of Medicine
Hobbies: Spending time with my cats, reading, watching reality TV, chisme, going to the farmer’s market
Fun Fact: I cannot stand cold weather (<70°F)! I truly thrive in the heat lol
Why LAC+USC?: I always knew I wanted to do my specialty training in a public hospital, with a mission to tend to underserved communities. LAC+USC embodies that. Plus, when I got a chance to interact with the people here, I knew it was going to be an incredibly supportive environment to train in. LA is also an incredible city to live in! The traffic is absolutely worth it, in my opinion.
Plans after residency: Combined Adult and Pediatric Rheumatology