People
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Class of 2014
Jillian Buhler
Drexel University College of Medicine
Jordan Celeste, MD
University of Maryland School of Medicine
I grew up in Central Pennsylvania; and then made the trip south to the University of Maryland for undergrad (Go Terps!), as well as for medical school. The recent move up north to Providence has been an exciting change. My dog, Flint, loves chasing squirrels at Lippitt Park. I love running all over the East Side (and running really has become a necessity, as my husband Pete and I continue to find fabulous food in this city!). We look forward to exploring all that the area has to offer.
The Brown EM Program grabbed my attention during my third year of medical school when I met the program director, Dr. Clyne, at a residency fair. He immediately passed the informal “good guy” test; and I knew that I would be applying to Brown. When I later interviewed, I was amazed by the encouraging environment that the entire program offered. As an intern, I’ve quickly learned that every faculty member is committed to helping you advance in your clinical skills, professional endeavors, and life in general.
Currently, much of my time is dedicated to organized medicine. I currently serve as a resident representative to the Rhode Island Medical Society (RIMS). In addition, with tremendous support from the entire program, I was recently elected to the Board of Directors of the Emergency Medicine Residents’ Association (EMRA) - where I am serving a two year term as representative to the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP).
Brown provides the busy clinical environment, the excellent teaching, and the departmental support that I was looking for in a program. I am surrounded by distinguished faculty, incredible residents, and helpful staff. I couldn’t ask for more; and I am excited for the next four years.
Peter Chai, MD
Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, a die hard Cleveland Browns and Cavs fan. I was a debating, science team rocking, cross country runner in high school, and then I went to Brown University for its eight year PLME. I majored in art history, continued in medical school at Brown and am now yes, still here in Providence for residency. I love the delicious restaurants, and above all, the oceans, the beaches, and the great running paths. In my spare time, you can find me running almost barefoot on the many trails of Rhode Island or hanging out with my fiance, Zoe, trying out yet another awesome-licious Providence restaurant. We have a beautiful and huge emergency department that makes me excited to come to work every day. The thing I like the most about our program is the amazing camaraderie we have throughout all the classes and even with our attendings.
Arlene Chung, MD
New York University School of Medicine
A friend once told me that if she ever became stranded on a desert island she’d want two kinds of doctors—a surgeon just in case she got appendicitis and an ED physician to take care of everything else. I chose Emergency Medicine because I wanted to be able to do everything. I also grew up in a household with two ED physicians for parents, so in a way I’ve never known anything other than a lifestyle of strange hours and crazy stories, which makes being resident nothing more than a logical conclusion.
I love Providence. It’s a strange and wonderfully tiny city full of fabulous food and eclectic culture. I went to Brown University as an undergraduate and then medical school at NYU, but I kept coming back to Providence to visit every few months to see friends and stuff my face at the old haunts. Since moving back here for residency, I’ve been able to indulge myself in the activities that I missed while living in the concrete metropolis of New York City—I’m running and training for a 50K ultramarathon, fine-tuning my new carbon-fiber road bike for the spring season, planning a few snowboarding trips, and learning to plan fall bulbs in my garden.
Residency is about balancing the best medical training and a happy home life. The Brown Emergency Medicine program achieves this better than any other program I visited. I feel that it fulfills my need to see a diverse range of illnesses and acuity in multiple different settings, academics compared to community medicine, trauma, fellowships, and international opportunities. Within a four-year program I also have enough time to try different pathways, get to know my own strengths, and have a little more wiggle room for some fun along the way.
Sarah Harkness, MD
Tufts University School of Medicine
I grew up in Hingham, MA and attended Barnard College/Columbia University for undergrad. I then moved back to New England for infectious disease research at BU. I attended Tufts for medical school where I met my husband. We were both thrilled to couples match at Brown—Sanford is doing a medicine internship then radiology residency. My mother is an EM doctor and wonderful role model, so the specialty was a natural choice for me. Providence is a wonderful city with a fantastic quality of life. My husband and I bought a home on the East Side where bakeries, restaurants, bike/run paths, shopping and museums are only 5 minutes away. I love anything related to domesticity including cooking, baking, interior design, gardening and antiques. I also enjoy reading historical fiction, travel, culture, hiking, and yoga. When not at work I am at home cooking, and spending time with my family, including two black cats named after Harry Potter characters, Finneas and Bellatrix.
Alexis Lawrence
University of Massachusetts Medical School
Greetings! Welcome to Providence! I'm a Massachusetts native, growing up in Brookline, and finished medical school at UMass, after a stint at Dartmouth for undergrad. Rhode Island is full of fun seasonal charm, and there is all the apple picking in the fall, swimming in the summer, and (close enough) skiing in the winter you could hope for! I'm living on the East Side with my husband and our cat Irwin, and we spend our free time checking out new restaurants and farmers markets. The city is running friendly, full of bike paths and safely lit roads. And if you get sick of Providence, it's an easy commute to Boston or New York! The program is full of nice, interesting people- and the four year structure allows residents to entertain research and elective opportunities they might not get elsewhere- plenty of time in four years to spend exploring the hospital or the world!
Bonnie Marr
University of Maryland School of Medicine
Payal Modi, MD
Baylor College of Medicine
People are always wondering how a born and raised Texan ended up in Rhode Island, and ask me a few years ago - I would've wondered the same! I chose Brown because I felt they had everything I wanted in a residency program, and I honestly couldn't be happier with my decision. I have found the program extremely friendly and supportive with amazing collegiality between the faculty, staff, and residents. The training itself is unsurpassed as the hospital covers a large area attracting people from all walks of life with interesting pathology. Additionally, being interested in international and underserved medicine, I have found peers and mentors with the same interests and plenty of opportunities to become involved.
Having been here for six months, I can say that Providence continues to pleasantly surprise me. It's a wonderful place with delicious restaurants, cultural activities, and outdoor enthusiasts to always stay busy. I absolutely adore the New England architecture, the the changing of the seasons, the friendliness, and all the simple joys of being in a smaller city while having access to beaches, forests, and bigger cities like Boston and New York. I am extremely happy to be here and hope you guys love it too!
Paul Roszko, MD
University of Connecticut School of Medicine
I am a native Connecticutian who grew up only an hour or so from New York City, which means I have spent all of my life taunting fans of New York sports teams. For undergrad I ventured out to the Greatest Sports Town in America - Madison, WI, and became a fan of college football, bratwurst, and cheese curds. I promise you that nothing is better than a combination of these three things at 7am on a brisk Saturday in October! I also completed my Naval ROTC training while at Wisconsin and was commissioned upon graduating as an officer in the Navy Medical Corps. I then returned home to Connecticut, where I attended medical school at UConn, and after four quick years, found myself applying for emergency medicine residency programs.
My application process was anything but straightforward, however, as I was most likely going to attend a Naval residency program at one of their three teaching hospitals. Not that being in training out in San Diego would have been a bad thing - I could have definitely gotten used to surfing every day in sunny SoCal - but I wanted to be in a more demanding training environment than the Navy could offer me. I wanted to know that when I was out of residency training I would be prepared for any situation I was placed in, whether it was on the ground with combat troops in Afghanistan or in an academic hospital back in the United States. So I asked for a deferment out of the military match and was very fortunate to be granted one, as it allowed me to match into the Brown University Emergency Medicine Residency program.
I could not feel more fortunate to be here, as everyday I am surrounded by colleagues and teachers who love their job and put together a wonderful and supportive training environment. I know that when I graduate I will have gone through as intense and thorough a training program as can be found. And most importantly, I am going through it with some of the best and most genuine people I could hope to be around.
Jennifer Ruskis, MD
University of Connecticut School of Medicine
Hey! I’m Jen. I’m a true New-Englander at heart. I grew up in Connecticut and after leaving to do my undergrad at Georgetown in DC, I found myself back in CT and making my way to UConn Medical School. Providence has proven to be a fabulous place for residency: it’s a small, manageable city that has a ton to offer. I’m loving finding all the best restaurants and hidden gems! For me it also has the benefit of family and friends nearby in Boston and CT, Ski Mountains in a drivable distance and, of course, beaches galore! Outside of the ED I’m interested in music of all kinds and am always looking for different performances, concerts or shows to go to with friends (this picture is me at one of the nearby outdoor arenas waiting for a concert to start). I also love to travel and can’t wait until I have elective time so that I can finally mix my love of medicine with my love of experiencing and learning about new cultures.
Patrick Sullivan, MD
Tufts University School of Medicine
It took a long time, but I finally made it out of Massachusetts. Residency in far-off Providence is my first time living outside of Rhode Island's commonwealth to the north. I grew up in Andover, MA, where my parents are still holding down the fort. From there I ventured off to Boston College, graduated with a valuable BA in philosophy, turning that into a gig with Americorps at Upham's Corner Health Center in Dorchester, MA. 4 years at Tufts followed, with all my 3rd year clerkships taking place out in western MA at Baystate Medical Center. Despite all my roots way up north in MA, I feel at home in Providence and especially in Brown EM. Outside the hospital, I regularly get owned by Brown undergrads in basketball and give myself a wheeze running around Rhode Island. There are good basketball games to be had in town and lots of excellent runs in Providence and just outside the city. At work, we have a great learning experience. This program offers everything I was looking for in residency: dedicated and intelligent faculty; thoughtful, well executed curriculum with integrated simulation training; an amazing ED facility to learn in; and happy, inspiring co-residents.
Chad Van Ginkel, MD
Loma Linda University School of Medicine
As a native Californian, the move across the country to Rhode Island was one that was terrifying and exciting all at the same time. Lucky for me the transition to life in Providence and residency at Brown has been an amazing experience! Providence has been a pleasure to explore with its numerous restaurants, local culture, friendly people, and surrounding beaches and state parks. In addition, the program at Brown has exceeded all of my expectations. The dedication to teaching from attendings to residents has been exceptional, the remarkable and diverse pathology seen at Rhode Island Hospital, the responsiveness of residency leadership to resident suggestions, and amazing co-residents are all reasons why I feel lucky to have matched at Brown.
About myself, I grew up in northern California and made the move to beautiful southern California where I went to Azusa Pacific University near Pasadena for undergrad, University of Southern California for public health, and then Loma Linda University for medical school. I decided enough was enough and it was time to trade in year-round sunshine for the four seasons, Sierra cement for New England ice, burritos for clam chowder and that I wanted a change. When my wife (a psychiatry resident) and I interviewed at Brown we knew that this was the change that we were looking for. As far as my time goes outside of the hospital, I enjoy mountain biking, snowboarding, hiking, camping, going to the beach, hanging out with my wife and dog, and exploring New England. If anyone has questions about couples matching at Brown, making the West to East coast transition, or about the program in general please feel free to contact me!