Current Residents and Alumni in Medicine/Pediatrics

Alysha Joseph, M.D.

Dr. Joseph grew up in the suburbs just outside of Dallas. Her love of science grew through an early college program, the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science at the University of North Texas. She received her bachelor's degree in biochemistry at the University of Texas at Dallas, and completed medical school at UT Southwestern. She then stayed in Dallas for residency training in combined internal medicine and pediatrics. She met and married the love of her life during her intern year. When not in the hospital, she loves traveling the world with her husband, being involved at church, finding new ways to make dessert healthy, and spending time with friends and family. She plans to pursue a career in cardiology and adult congenital heart disease after graduating.

Why UT Southwestern?

"I love our Med-Peds family. We have the most supportive program director and APDs, all strong women who I look up to and admire. Our residents are incredible people. I am grateful for the lifelong friends I have made through this program. UT Southwestern is characterized by excellence — in academics, research, and patient care. I grew to love this institution during medical school and staying for residency has only confirmed it. I know that the training I have received here will prepare me to nothing short of an excellent physician and to provide the best possible care for my patients. Lastly, I love our safety-net hospital — Parkland. There's something truly special about the place — the patients, the interesting medical cases, the beautiful hospital. It is the most rewarding feeling to take care of patients at Parkland. Parkland reminds me of why I went into medicine in the first place — to love and to serve those in need, regardless of background or socioeconomic status."

Hannah Lee, M.D.

Dr. Lee grew up mostly in New Jersey but, coming from a military family, she also had a few other hometowns. She received her undergraduate degree from Brown University and then made her way to New York City for two years of research at Rockefeller University. She stayed in New York to obtain her medical degree at Stony Brook University. During her free time, she enjoys cooking, hosting potlucks and game nights, being a plant mom, and doing Corepower Yoga.

Why UT Southwestern?

"I had the best interview weekend. I spent the weekend eating BBQ with old college friends and checking out Deep Ellum. What stood out to me was the emphasis on local service and a commitment to underserved populations. Of course the diverse clinical exposure is immeasurable. We’re only the fifth resident class and have been completely overwhelmed by the love and support of the Med-Peds family!"

Ganesh Raman, M.D.

Originally from Mumbai, India, Dr. Raman spent most of his formative years in Minnesota. He eventually pursued an undergraduate degree in chemistry at the University of California-Berkeley, during which he developed an interest in global health through rural nonprofit work he did in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. He then completed his medical degree at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. In his free time he enjoys playing trivia, cooking really spicy desi food, and spending time with family, friends, and his dog.

Why UT Southwestern?

"I chose UT Southwestern's Med-Peds program because of the amazing and caring Program Directors! They are the absolute best. Additionally, I was impressed by the extremely strong and balanced programs on both the pediatric and medicine side. However, most important, I felt like I found 'my people' on interview day. The warmth and family feel of this program permeates everything we do!"

Amanda Zhang, M.D.

Originally from Libertyville, Illinois, Dr. Zhang attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She then moved to Chicago for medical school at the University of Illinois at Chicago. In her free time, she enjoys hanging out with her husband and their two dogs and cat, listening to true crime podcasts, planning her next trip, and watching the newest hit Netflix original series.

Why UT Southwestern?

"I was drawn here by the promise of not having to scrape my car windows in the winter, endless Tex-Mex, and the familiarity of flat land as far as the eye can see. I also loved the diversity of the urban patient population in Dallas as well as being a part of two strong categorical programs, while still maintaining a tight-knit family feel within Med-Peds."

Zach Blair, M.D.

Born in Frisco, Texas, Dr. Blair obtained his undergraduate degree in biology from the University of North Texas in Denton. He then completed his medical degree at UT Southwestern. In his free time, he enjoys watching and playing hockey, exercising, exploring local Dallas eats, and hanging out with his wife and their cat.

Why UT Southwestern?

"The faculty push you to be the best you possibly can be in a supportive environment. You get to work alongside world leaders in their respective fields, but you would never know it because of how humble everyone is. At UT Southwestern you truly can find multiple faculty mentors who are interested in whatever niche of medicine you find most fascinating, no matter how specific. In the end I wanted to train in an environment that values discovery and individual growth while also never forgetting the human side of medicine."

Upasana Chandra, M.D.

Originally from metro Atlanta, Dr. Chandra attended Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, where she earned her undergraduate degree in neuroscience. She then returned to Georgia for her medical education at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta. Her enthusiasm for centering the narratives of patients across the entire age spectrum is what drew her to Med-Peds, and she hopes to stay general as in Med-Peds hospital medicine or primary care in the future. Outside of medicine, she enjoys reading, hiking nature trails, growing her collection of vinyl records, and exploring Dallas with her partner.

Why UT Southwestern?

"Going through an entirely virtual interview season was intimidating, but my UT Southwestern interview felt like I had found the next home in my medical journey. I was looking for a Med-Peds program with supportive program leadership, strong categorical training on both sides, underserved patient populations, and a close-knit resident family — UT Southwestern had it all. Finally — living in a diverse and growing city like Dallas has been an added bonus!"

Suraj Rama, M.D.

Growing up in Lexington, Kentucky, it seemed almost inevitable that Dr. Rama would attended the University of Kentucky for both his undergraduate and medical school. In his free time, he enjoys traveling across the country, going on hikes, and bingeing all the TV shows Netflix has to offer.

Why UT Southwestern?

"I chose UTSW for so many reasons. Everything is bigger in Texas — including the hospitals we rotate through. It allows for lots of patient exposure with some interesting pathologies. This is a program where the IM and Peds sides are so strong and we have lots of opportunity to make so many friends and connections. We also get the luxury of having our close-knit Med-Peds family who make this transition so much more fun. I truly felt like I found my people on interview day."

Samarth Shrivastava, M.D.

Originally from Philadelphia, Dr. Shrivastava attended the University of Pennsylvania for his undergraduate degree. During college, he spent time working at an LGBTQ community health center, which sparked his interest in medicine. After graduating, he spent a year working for Planned Parenthood in Pittsburgh focused on sexual health education among adolescents. He then decided to head south to UT Southwestern for medical school and after absolutely loving every rotation (except surgery…) he decided to pursue Med-Peds. He likes spending his free time hanging out with his dog, taking care of the houseplant jungle in his apartment, and reading novels.

Why UT Southwestern?

"I really wanted a big M, big P program that didn't compromise on either front! UT Southwestern has that with stellar faculty on both sides and the facilities to match."

Brittany Hopkins, M.D.

Born in Greensboro, North Carolina, but raised in Tampa, Florida, Dr. Hopkins obtained her undergraduate degree from Florida State University and then taught high school for two years. She eventually completed her medical education Meharry Medical College in Nashville. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, trying out different restaurants, rooting for Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and hanging out with her dog.

Why UT Southwestern?

"During the pre-interview social, it was clear to me that the residents at the program genuinely liked each other and were clearly friends outside of working at the hospital. This was followed by my interview the next day where I fell in love with the mission of Parkland and was simultaneously impressed by the passion that Dr. Walsh and Dr. Albin had for their program and supporting their residents. All this led me to be assured that I would be going to a program that would be supportive and allow me to become the best Med-Peds doctor possible."

Precious Ndukwe, M.D.

Born in Ikeja, Nigeria, Dr. Ndukwe moved with her parents to the United States when she was still an infant. Growing up in Maryland, she decided to pursue her undergraduate degree at Howard University. She then performed a year of service working as a patient care coordinator in Detroit, Michigan, before returning to Howard for her medical degree. When she's not at the hospital, she enjoys exploring Dallas' food scene, reading, cooking, and talking to friends and family.

Why UT Southwestern?

"I chose UT Southwestern first and foremost because of my desire to work with the underserved. My alma mater instilled the importance of pouring back into the community. I loved that UTSW was actually making an impact in the community and providing much-needed resources to the D-FW area. Second, the leadership here is like no other. Even before my interview day, Dr. Walsh was on it, answering every question I had about the UTSW Med-Peds Program. Talking to her and Dr. Albin on my interview day further confirmed how dedicated the leadership is to the residents and to meaningful health care. Last, I believed I would thrive here. Both categorical programs are absolute trailblazers. I knew I would receive the training I needed to be an excellent doctor. I feel like I belong here."

Dale Oommen, M.D.

Originally from Long Valley, New Jersey, Dr. Oommen obtained his undergraduate degree from the College of New Jersey in Ewing and his medical degree from the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick. During his free time, he enjoys exploring the food scene, doing "outdoorsy stuff," cooking, listening to music and playing video games.

Why UT Southwestern?

"What immediately drew me in was the program leadership. There was an authentic kindness and passion in how they carried themselves that really resonated with me. Taking a closer look at the program, it was clear that it had incredibly strong categorical programs and an incredible range of training opportunities you could use to become whatever kind of physician you wanted to be. I have been blown away by the support I have gotten since being here and am loving living in Dallas!"

Tyler Wall, M.D.

Born and raised in Sault Ste. Marie in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Dr. Wall completed his bachelor's degree in biochemistry at Lake Superior State University, during which time he developed an interest in the human body and medicine. He then completed medical school at Michigan State University's College of Human Medicine in East Lansing.

Why UT Southwestern?

"So many things stood out to me with UT Southwestern that made this opportunity incredibly hard to pass up. The strong clinical training on both the medicine and pediatrics sides combined with the supportive program leadership and close-knit residents couldn't be beat. Also, after 28 years of Michigan winters, the opportunity to experience sunshine year-round while exploring the city of Dallas didn't hurt, either."

Abel De Castro, M.D.

Originally from the suburban town of Arcadia in Southern California, Dr. De Castro studied organismal biology at Azusa Pacific University. He then moved to the Valley of the Sun, where he completed his medical education at the University of Arizona College of Medicine — Phoenix. When he’s not busy with clinical responsibilities, he enjoys spending time with his wife and English bulldog, exploring new towns and finding new restaurants and bars, and supporting the Arizona Cardinals and Phoenix Suns.

Why UT Southwestern?

"Almost immediately during my pre-interview social, I felt the overwhelming sense that these were going to be my people. I saw how they genuinely enjoyed spending time with each other and how they felt supported by the program leadership. Ultimately, this program felt like a small family with the support of largely successful categorical counterparts. Having opportunities to rotate at hospitals like Parkland, Childrens, and Clements, while also being supported in any academic endeavor makes the education here at UTSW unique. It also helps that the food scene here is absolute fire."

Marisa Salazar, M.D.

Originally from Las Cruces, New Mexico, Dr. Salazar obtained her undergraduate degree in chemistry at Princeton University. She graduated from the Arizona campus of Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, with a detour with the NIH Medical Scholars Research Program to play with parasites. She was drawn to Med-Peds for the strong, versatile training which will provide flexibility as she pursues a career in settings with low resources. Besides medicine, she loves hanging out with family and friends, baking, eating baked goods, and playing with her kittens.

Why UT Southwestern?

"I am interested in global health in the broadest sense — working with marginalized communities to address systemic barriers that limit their access to quality healthcare. I believe through the UT Southwestern Med-Peds program, I'll have the opportunity to start this work in residency as I learn from the incredibly diverse populations at Parkland, Children’s, and Clements and from amazing mentors like Dr. Waters. Most of all, I appreciated the spirit of the program to build up global health opportunities that are mutually beneficial, and to make the most of glocal opportunities to work with local immigrant, refugee, and other underserved communities. There are so many more reasons (as my "post interview excel spreadsheet" will attest...), but I also have loved the Med-Peds, Med, and Peds people I've met."

Vinita Shivakumar, M.D.

Dr. Shivakumar was born in San Diego, California and grew up in Bangalore, India. She completed her bachelor's degree in biochemistry at Rice University in Houston, during which time she developed an interest in medicine and legislative advocacy. She went on to attend Stanford School of Medicine with a one-year sojourn to Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health for an MPH in Health Policy. She enjoys singing, tennis, and games with friends.

Why UT Southwestern?

"From the care package sent in advance of my virtual interview to the thoughtful questions I was asked, my interview with UT Southwestern immediately stood out as a program that had it all. Happy and genuinely close residents, program leadership that saw and cared for each resident in the program, and a faculty and patient population that provides unparalleled learning opportunities at multiple different institutions. I'm also looking forward to the food, culture, and weather that comes with being a Dallas resident."

Tyler Shimfessel, M.D.

Born and raised on a cattle farm in Winchester, Kentucky, Dr. Shimfessel obtained his undergraduate degree in bioengineering from the University of Louisville. During this time, he worked for Johnson & Johnson designing custom joint replacements and surgical devices. He then moved a little closer to home, completing medical school at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. In his free time, he enjoys playing volleyball, hiking (he’s been to over 15 National Parks), watching reruns of "Friends," and trying out different restaurants.

Why UT Southwestern?

"I wanted to be in a big city to fulfill my big dreams. When interviewing at UT Southwestern, each person in the program's leadership had a different approach to why UTSW would make me the best physician and person I could be. We discussed specific courses and mentors to aid me in individual growth, focused on the humanistic side of medicine and how UTSW reaches everyone in Dallas, and emphasized that this program is Big M and Big P, creating a physician who is competent and confident in what they know. Each resident and faculty member is your friend and family, and of course, the free food at noon conference!"