Residents in the Rush Med-Peds program are members of both the Departments of Pediatrics and Internal Medicine along with 36 pediatric residents and 113 internal medicine residents. Rush fosters the development of the knowledge and skills of each resident as well his or her personal growth as an individual. Because Rush values the well-rounded physician, applicants are selected for their demonstration of excellence in other fields as well as in medicine.

Praveen Arla, DO
Des Moines University Osteopathic Medical Center
University of Louisville (BA), Chemistry)

Praveen was born and raised in the Louisville, Kentucky area. He has extensive research and volunteer experience, and also earned a Masters in Public Health degree while attending medical school. During his medical school career, Praveen was a member of a number of committees and pre-professional clubs and organizations. His volunteer activities included work at La Clinica, a free clinic that serves the Hispanic community of greater Des Moines, and the Osteopathic Finish Line, a treatment tent for area running events. His academic achievements and spirit of involvement were recognized by his selection for membership in Sigma Sigma Phi, the National Osteopathic Honor Society.

Praveen’s hobbies include playing tennis and soccer. He is an accomplished guitarist who has played with his band in several national tours and released multiple CD albums. Currently, when time allows, he helps various bands record in studios.

Mariam Aziz, MD
Rush Medical College
University of Illinois at Urbana (BS), Bioengineering

Mariam has worked with the fellow Med-Peds resident Jennifer Cortes to start Chicago Global & Community Health Physicians Group, which meets bi-monthly with other physicians to discuss Global Health issues and personal experiences. She helps to volunteer at the Fransiscan Homeless Shelter and the Medical Mobile Van, and assists with scheduling fellow residents. She will complete the Global Health course for a diploma in Tropical Medicine & Traveller’s health this year.

As a medical student, Mariam was a volunteer teaching assistant to the M1 and M2 classes, acted as the co-coordinator for a program sending medical students to high schools to educate students about various health-related topics, and worked as an assistant to physicians in a free clinic on Chicago's south side. Mariam and her husband live in the Edgewater neighborhood on the north side of Chicago. In her free time, she enjoys tennis, badminton, and cooking.

Christopher Bruti, MD
University of Illinois at Chicago
Loyola University, New Orleans (BS), Biology

Chris is an inductee into the AOA Honor Society this year and will complete his MND/MPH in the division of Health Policy and Administration. His capstone research project is on the universal health plan being implemented in Massachusetts. Before beginning medical school Chris worked as a Mental Health Counselor on the Pediatric unit of a psychiatric hospital in Chicago. Also, two years prior to medical school and throughout his medical school career, he volunteered at the UIC student run free clinic, which provides free health care to an uninsured population on the west side of Chicago. In recent years he has formulated management plans, presented to attendings, and mentored first and second year students. During his first year of medical school, Chris served as Class President and during his M3 year he was chair of marketing for the first annual UIC college of Medicine Health Fair for the UIC community.

In this final year of medical school, Chris has served as the sole medical student representative to the Illinois State Medical Society’s Legal Council. In his free time Chris enjoys a variety of activities including softball, racquetball, beach volleyball, reading and history

Jennifer Cortes, MD
University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria
University of Illinois at Urbana (BA), Spanish

Jennifer grew up in Frankfort, Illinois. Her extensive travels as an undergrad took her to Ecuador where she spent time observing the activities of a local "medicine man." Her experience there and her travel to India made a profound impression on her regard for the possibilities of blending traditional cures with conventional medicine, and the need for physicians and medical care. While studying in Costa Rica as an undergrad, she volunteered at two local hospitals, reaffirming her decision to become a physician.

Her accomplishments in medical school include founding the Spanish Interest Group, the Multicultural Awareness Interest Group, and assisting classmates as a Student Advocate. Jennifer was also the recipient of the Novartis Award for her efforts in the support of multicultural programs, and was recognized as an "Outstanding Student" for her participation in the M2 noontime Radiology Conferences. Because of her strong interest in global health, Jennifer recently elected to take a rotation outside of Rush solely dedicated to teaching medical personnel about international health issues,

Jennifer's hobbies include running, swimming, dancing and reading. She and her husband, a native of Costa Rica, live in the South Loop area of Chicago.

Blachy Davila-Saldana, MD
University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine
University of Puerto Rico at Rio Pedras (BS), General Sciences

Blachy has received multiple honors and recognitions for his academic achievements and numerous volunteer activities. He has a special interest in adolescent HIV prevention, and was a member of Connect to Protect, a coalition of non-profit organizations intended to change social and political practices to minimize HIV infection in adolescents. He enjoys research, and this past year completed an elective working on a project for new TB diagnostic testing at the CDC in Atlanta. Related to his interest in public health and epidemiology, Blachy is also a very conscious environmentalist. He was part of an undergrad coalition formed to develop guidelines against urban sprawl, and volunteers periodically for beach cleaning.

His outdoors interests include hiking, biking, and camping. Blachy also enjoys travel, modern art, literature, and sports, including swimming, tennis and baseball.

Payel Gupta, MD
Michigan State University College of Human Medicine
University of Michigan (BS), Biopsychology

Although born in Kenya, Payel was raised in East Lansing, Michigan. During her medical school career, Payel served as a volunteer at a student run clinic for the uninsured; as a Spanish translator for another community clinic; and as a health educator in Honduras during an alternative spring break program. She also worked with the Students of Tobacco Free Michigan Active Doctors, a group dedicated to preventing tobacco use among elementary school children. In addition, her medical school career includes a myriad of leadership activities such as participation in AMSA, the Migrant Health Care Project, and student council.

She has received numerous awards, including Rudin Scholar at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, where she assisted with clinical research; the CHM Martin Luther King Jr. Student Community Service Award; a research grant through the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Michigan Student Award Program; and a nomination as the "most helpful second year" by the CHM first-year class. Payel is also a recent recipient of the "Hero of the Heart" award given by the Rush Religion, Health and Human Values department for exceptional compassion and caring in working with patients and families. In the future, Payel hopes to pursue a career in allergy and immunology and is currently doing research on sickle cell disease and asthma.

When she has free time, Payel enjoys travel, dance, scrap-booking, aerobics, computers and sampling Chicago’s fine cuisine.

Jacklyn Hagedorn, MD
Rush Medical College
University of Wisconsin (BS), Biology

After graduating from college, Jackie worked as a substitute teacher and as an office assistant in an internal medicine practice in Chicago. While at Rush she participated in two branches of the Rush Community Service Initiatives Program (RSCIP). She served at the community health clinic, providing medical care to an underserved population on Chicago’s west side. She was also a participant in the Maternal Advocate Program where she was paired with a pregnant adolescent, helping her navigate the health care system during her pregnancy and providing emotional support. Jackie was also an effective and sought-after peer tutor in the first year gross anatomy course and taught ward survival skills to the new third year students during the transition course Clinical Resources and Skills to the hospital. Jackie has worked on research projects in the Department of Biochemistry, where she studied proteins relating to arthritic cartilage and she is currently involved in research with Rush on the treatment of fistulas.

When Jackie has spare time her favorite activities include reading, listening to music, playing piano, traveling, and dancing, and when she the time, watching her two brothers play soccer

Joel Krier, MD
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Oberlin College (BA), Neuroscience and Bachelor of Music in Saxaphone Performance

Joel was born and raised in St. Louis. As an undergrad at Oberlin he was involved in community projects and founder of the Oberlin Music Coalition, a student-led organization which provides free music lessons fro economically disadvantaged children, and concerts and educational workshops for the communities surrounding the college. He was also selected as student representative on four different faculty policy and planning committees, and after graduation from Oberlin worked for two and one-half years as a management consultant. After making the decision to go to medical school, Joel worked for a year as a research assistant in the department of neurology at Massachusett’s General Hospital. During his medical school career Joel distinguished himself with impressive community service leadership activities and was recognized by his peers with an award for “Excellence in Collaborative Learning.” He pursued his interest in health policy through a healthcare foundation fellowship that brought graduate students in the health sciences together with leaders in the healthcare community to focus on innovative solutions to problems in health care delivery. He also assumed a leadership role as coordinator of the Homeless Outreach Education Program and, through Operation Safety Net, helped bring supplies and medical care to some of Pittsburgh’s homeless.

In his spare time Joel continues to play saxophone informally with friends. He has participated in triathlons, enjoys playing basketball, and likes to cook. Joel is also a recent newlywed.

Catherine "Cathy" Lin, MD
Rush Medical College
Washington University (BA), Biology

Cathy spent an elective month working at LMA before entering our Med-Peds program. She has had a variety of exposure to other cultures, including work with Professional Educational Services International in which she served as an English teacher in China. During this time she also spent a month working as an extern in the Medical Education Community Orientation program with the Illinois State Medical Society.

Cathy's activities included participation in the Little Sib Program at Rush, serving as a "big sib" to a child with HIV disease; educating adolescents at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County about sexually transmitted diseases via Youth L.I.N.K.; and volunteer work at the Franciscan Brothers' Homeless Shelter Clinic.

When not practicing medicine, she likes biking and playing intramural football and softball.

Julie Mathew, MD
Rush Medical College
Knox College (BS), Biochemistry

After graduating from college, Julie spent a year as an Americorps volunteer in Berkeley, California, where she helped provide health education to a number of community groups. While at Rush, she volunteered in several programs sponsored by the Rush Community Service Initiatives Program including the Community Health Clinic, and the Franciscan Shelter, a homeless shelter providing medical care to an indigent population on Chicago’s west side. She participated in health education at Marah’s Place, a women’s shelter, and in the Frazier Community Health Fair. Julie was extremely active in the Rush students for International Health and Medicine, helping organize lectures and promoting international health awareness. She also arranged a medical journal drive for South African medical students. Her research on low birth weight infants in Ecuador earned her a poster presentation at the 12th Conference for the International Society of Research in Human Milk and Lactation held in Cambridge, England.

Julie plays guitar and also enjoys playing tennis, traveling, attending concerts, church youth group activities, and reading.

Nicholas “Nick” Moy, MD
Rush Medical College
University of Illinois at Urbana (BS), Biology

During his last year as an undergrad in Champaign-Urbana, Nick worked as a nurse’s aide, helping to care for inpatient oncology patients. The year after he graduated college, he worked as a research technician in the medical genetics lab at Rush. While in medical school he participated in several Rush Community Services Initiatives Program activities including service at a homeless shelter and community health clinic. He was a member of the Rush Buddies Program, providing a mentoring relationship with a chronically-ill child. Nick was also a sought after tutor of the anatomy course for first year students and a tour guide for prospective applicants to Rush.

Nick’s interest outside of medicine include volleyball, triathlon training, mountain biking in Moab, Utah, and canoeing in the Boundary Waters. Shortly before beginning his residency, Nick and his wife moved into a home they recently purchased in northwest Chicago’s Portage Park neighborhood.

Temitope “Tope” Oyedele, MD
Albany Medical College
University of Iowa (BS), Exercise science

Tope is Nigerian, but he was born in Cuba where his father was serving as a foreign diplomat. Because of his father’s assignments, he lived in a variety of world capitals before coming to the U.S., at the age of fourteen, to join his brother in Iowa. After high school, he earned an associates degree from Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, transferred to the University of Iowa, and earned his undergraduate degree in 2002. As a medical student at Albany, Tope participated in a number of school and community activities. He volunteered at a local rescue mission and taught nutrition to Albany high school students. He was also a member and chair of the Medicine-Pediatrics Club.

Tope’s hobbies include soccer, football, basketball, and chess.

Suzanne Pham, MD
University of Oklahoma School of Medicine
University of Oklahoma (BS), Microbiology and (BA), Psychology

Suzanne was very active in a number of organizations during medical school. She was vice-president of the Women in Medicine Group and a senator for the Student Senate. As a former concert pianist and violinist, she combined her interest in music and medicine as an active member of the Civic Music Association, and also taught music to elementary school children in her spare time. Towards the end of her medical school career, Suzanne became very involved in raising awareness for women’s health issues, and continues to be an active volunteer for groups such as the Susan G. Komer Foundation.

In her spare time Suzanne enjoys traveling, scuba diving, attending concerts, keeping her

cats out of trouble, and hanging out with her fiancé and friends.

Rebecca Rodriguez, MD
University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago
University of Illinois, Urbana (BS) Psychology

Rebecca has a very impressive record of volunteer activities. She worked in Chicago’s Norwegian American Hospital’s Women’s Health Center which provides educational services and basic preventative care for low-income Latino women. Rebecca led Lamaze classes with the Community Health Educator and acted as a substitute partner for single mothers. During college she volunteered at a remote clinic in Guatemala, collaborating with their volunteers to renovate the clinic and coordinate activities for the patients and their families. During her M1 year she was Banquet chair of the LaRaza Medical Association and coordinated fundraising efforts for the annual scholarship banquet attended by over 200 guests. In her M3 year, she was Fundraising chairperson for the organization which awarded scholarships to four high school students entering medical school. In collaboration with the Midwest Latino Health Research, Training and Policy Center Rebecca coordinated and participated in a 3-day Intensive Diabetes Education Program in Spanish. For the past three years, Rebecca received the Illinois General Assembly Scholarship for community service. She is currently a Lincoln’s Challenge Youth mentor and serves as a role model and friend to a teen in need. When she is not volunteering, Rebecca likes boxing, running, traveling, salsa dancing and hanging out with her fiancé and friends.

Alisa Seo, MD
Drexel University College of Medicine
University of California, Berkeley (BA), Ethnic Studies/Molecular and Cell Biology

Alisa was born and raised in Hawaii and attended school in Philadelphia and Berkeley, California. Following completion of her undergrad studies, she volunteered at the Berkeley Free Clinic as a Health Worker and HIV Prevention counselor. She also served as an Americorps member and administrative coordinator at the St. Anthony’s Free Clinic in San Francisco. While attending medical school she was active in numerous community service programs, the recipient of several foundation scholarship awards, and inducted into the Pathology Honor Society and AOA chapter at Drexel.

Alisa’s hobbies include reading, writing short stories, taking photographs, running, and playing piano.

Michael Vinikoor, MD
Loyola University, Stritch School of Medicine
University of Illinois at Urbana (BS), Honors Biology with Distinction for Research

Mike graduated from Loyola with honors from the Program in Bioethics and Professionalism, a three year portfolio-based program in which students complete selected academic service activities and present their research under the direction of a mentor. Mike’s project focused on the effectiveness of Loyola’s end of life curriculum. He also served as president of the Bioethics Interest Group. He was invited to participate in the Innovations in Leadership seminar, where he collaborated with a team of health care professionals to create a framework for hospital discharges. Mike is fluent in Spanish and spent time in Honduras in a medical school service program. He was also a recipient of Loyola’s Magis Star, nominated for the award by a Loyola patient’s family in recognition for outstanding service and care.

As an undergrad, Mike did some studying abroad and spent a year after graduation working as a research biologist. He also played on the Illinois Lacrosse Club and helped organize lacrosse summer day camps for kids in central Illinois.

Mike enjoys a variety of personal interests including world travel, camping and backpacking, scuba diving and surfing, live music, international politics, and cooking for friends.