Current Residents - First Year Residents
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Gurpaul Bajwa, MD
Paul was born in Hartford and grew up in South Windsor, CT. After high school he attended the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT (UCONN HUSKIES….HUSKIES UCONN ROOOF!) where he got his degree in Physiology and Neurobiology. Paul decided to pursue his interests in medicine and obtained his M.D. degree from St. Georges University in Grenada, West Indies. Paul was ecstatic when he found out his fiancé (Jessica) and him both couples matched at the University of Connecticut for residency. Paul loves to stay active and play basketball, volleyball, golf, yoga and go to the gym on a regular basis. Paul is excited to start the next chapter in his life and to be a part of the UCONN EM community. |
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Yamil Cardel, MD
Yamil was born and raised in Lake Mary, Florida. After graduating from Florida State University with a Major in Biology and Minors in Chemistry and Psychology, he went to Puerto Rico to reconnect with his roots and study medicine. Having accomplished both, he now looks forward to everything New England has to offer. He enjoys fishing, learning, anything outdoors, puzzles, cosmology, and current events. |
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Allison Cohen, MD
Allison was born and raised in New York City. After graduating from high school she attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison, where she realized her love for all college sports, and received her B.S in biology. After graduating she decided it was time to move back to New York City and take a couple years off before heading back to school. Two years later she moved to Syracuse, New York to attend SUNY Upstate Medical University, where she discovered a new found appreciation for lake effect snow. In her free time, Ali enjoys running, hanging out with friends, playing with dogs, watching movies and being outside. |
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Nicholas Enos, DO
Nick is a native New Englander and grew up by the water in Wareham, Massachusetts. He attended Boston College for his undergraduate degree, and then went to Georgetown University for graduate school. During his summers, he worked as a Tech in the Emergency Department at Jordan Hospital, in Plymouth, Ma. It was during this time that he developed his love for Emergency Medicine and decided to attend medical school at the University of New England in Maine. Nick is excited to be at UConn and in New England for his EM residency, where he’s close to family, friends, and his favorite sports teams. He loves laughing, good food, and being one of the few people that still reads the print version of the Boston Globe. During his free time he enjoys tennis, running, biking, and traveling. |
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Amy Flores, MD
Amy was born and raised in sunny northern California, where her parents, two sisters, and one brother still live. After high school, she moved to the Midwest to attend Iowa State University where she played soccer for four years (Go Cyclones!), majored in biochemistry, and experienced her first snowy and freezing winters. After college, she continued her eastward journey by attending UConn Medical School, where she got to live near her grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, who live in Manchester, CT. She likes New England, especially in the fall, but thinks it would be fine if the winters were a little shorter. In her free time, she enjoys all sports, especially soccer, being outdoors, reading, and hanging out with family and friends. |
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Oli Francis, MD
A native of the San Francisco Bay Area, Oli has three passions in his life: his family, medicine and engineering. While studying electrical engineering at Santa Clara University, he focused his research in the area of control systems at the Robotic Systems Laboratory. During his senior year, Oli co-founded Idean Robotics, where he designed control and data acquisition solutions for robotic systems. He completed a Master's degree with distinction in Engineering Management with a focus in biomedical engineering at Santa Clara University. Oli then attended the University of Vermont College of Medicine. During medical school, Oli was actively involved in educational outreach and the use of technology in the clinical setting. Oli plans to practice clinical medicine while continuing to utilize his dual background in engineering and medicine for medical research and improving patient care. In his personal time, he loves spending time with his wife and two children. |
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Peter Keenan, MD
Born and raised in Massachusetts, Peter attended Boston University for undergraduate studies. Following graduation, he lived in Colorado and New York City while working as an EMT and then completed the premedical requirements at Columbia University. Prior to starting medical school, Peter worked as a research assistant in New York’s Bellevue Hospital and spent a summer in Ecuador volunteering in hospitals and studying Spanish. He eventually returned to Boston University for medical school, where he worked on the curriculum committee and engaged in research with faculty in the Critical Care Department. Peter likes to spend time with his friends and family, playing and watching sports, enjoying the outdoors, and traveling. |
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Tia Little, DO
Tia was born in Bennington VT and was raised in upstate NY around Syracuse until she was 10. Her family then moved down to Virginia where she attended Mary Washington College for undergrad. Following a few year academic hiatus in which she pursued 'life skills' she returned to school to obtain her DO degree from Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine in Blacksburg Va. Not quite ready to say goodbye to the northeast she ventured up to UConn for residency. She loves to cook and eat and is eager to find some new favorite foodie hotspots here in Hartford. She also likes to work out and is excited for ski season. Of course more skiing equals more eating and more cooking so Tia thinks she will make it through the winters just fine! |
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Takashi Nakamura, MD
Takashi was born in Tokyo, Japan but moved to Honolulu, Hawaii at the age of two. He attended the University of Hawai’i at Manoa where he majored in Psychology. Upon graduating, he spent some time working at a shelter where he assisted patients with mental illnesses. It was during his time there and his experience working with staff members of the CDC that inspired Takashi to become a physician. He went back to school to complete his pre-med requirements and moved to Los Angeles where he assisted in conducting clinical trials on depression and lipid-lowering medications. Takashi’s academic journey continued eastward, and he attended medical school at Virginia Commonwealth University/Medical College of Virginia. A true Hawai’i boy at heart, he loves all outdoor sports and just recently picked up surfing. In addition, he enjoys snowboarding, eating, spending time with his wife, watching and playing almost any sport, and hanging out with his friends and family. |
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Rahul Patel, MD
Rahul was born in Gondia, India. He moved to New Jersey at the age of 5 and then down to Florida at the age of 9. He attended the University of Florida where he bled orange and blue, and also received a B.A. in Philosophy. After graduating, Rahul worked as a Clinical Coordinator at the University's Center for Musculoskeletal Pain Research as well as post-baccalaureate studies in Neurobiology. Getting bored of the Florida heat, Rahul headed to Syracuse, NY to attend medical school at SUNY Upstate Medical University. During school, Rahul worked in clinics in India and Kenya. He is a Program Advisor to Elective AfricaⓇ, which sends students from around the world to Africa for incredible healthcare experiences. He enjoys traveling, hiking, photography, cooking/grilling and good lagers. |
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Melissa Saad, DO
Melissa was born in the sunshine and dance of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She left her little samba dancing shoes as a young girl trading them in for snow boots growing up in Connecticut when her family was relocated for her stepfather’s job. Growing up and currently, she has actively been involved in many community service projects including teaching ESL, helping in free medical clinics, soup kitchens, and participating/managing in many fund-raisers. She became heavily immersed in EMS for several years, at the age of 17, working in municipal, private, and volunteer services. Through these, she became involved in different disaster area rescue-aid trips which sparked her interest in Disaster/ EMS medicine. She graduated from SCSU in New Haven in 2005 with a BS in Biology and a concentration in Chemistry. She continued her education at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Florida. Melissa then attended the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fl for her internship before joining us here to begin her EM career. In her spare time, she enjoys road trips, travel, movies, the paranormal, and cooking new dishes. She is happiest outside where she and her husband can continue their love of the outdoors with different activities such as gardening, kayaking, hiking, rock climbing, camping, fishing, and spelunking without the possibility of death.
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Veronica Tucker, DO
Veronica was born in Boston, MA and grew up in Hingham, MA. She obtained her undergraduate degree in Spanish from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA. During her college years, Veronica became an EMT and has remained interested in Emergency Medicine ever since. She studied medicine at NYIT/NYCOM on Long Island in New York. During medical school, Veronica married the love of her life, William, and they welcomed their daughter, Olivia, in October of 2010. Veronica’s favorite pastime is spending time with her family. She also enjoys watching the Red Sox (win!), the movie Dirty Dancing, ice skating, and traveling. Veronica and her family are thrilled to be back in New England! |
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