Meet Our Amazing Residents

Diverse, connected, passionate, brilliant, and resilient, these are the members of our resident family.

PGY-1: Class of 2026


Thomas Chandy, MS, DO
Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine

Dr. Thomas Chandy was born in the United Kingdom, and he moved to Southern California at the age of 3 years old. Thomas’ experience volunteering in India inspired him to pursue dual degrees in Urban Studies and Architectural History at Cornell University to understand the issues perpetuating inequality.  After graduation, Thomas worked at the UN World Food Program in Rome, Italy, where he helped quantify the UN’s contributions to the Millennium Development Goals on poverty, hunger, child mortality, and education.  Working as part of the international team gave Thomas the opportunity to collaborate with leaders from multiple countries, teaching him how to connect, listen, and show empathy to individuals from different backgrounds. After graduating with his Masters in City and Regional Planning from Cornell, Thomas pursued his interest in the intersection of technology development and medical education.  As a medical education innovator, Thomas helped to create medical education platforms including Wikidoc.org, PocketMedicine.com, VeoMed (an online video-based CME platform), the Columbia University Psychopharmacology Forum, and RadX (AI platform for radiology training).  Thomas also worked as an investment consultant for Analytical Research, where he analyzed investment opportunities into healthcare hedge funds for European Pension Funds.  He is inspired by Loma Linda's emphasis on spirituality and wellness, and its mission to train compassionate committed Christian psychiatrists.  In his free time, Thomas loves to spend time with his wife and son at the beach. He loves outdoor activities especially, surfing, hiking, and skiing.


Meghana Darmaraju, DO
New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine
Combined CAP Track

Dr. Meghana Damaraju was born in Delaware but grew up in Fairfield, Connecticut. She attended undergrad at Union College where she received her B.S in Neuroscience. After college, she spent a gap year working at Albany Medical College as a research assistant, and as a medical assistant at a dermatology clinic. She went on to attend medical school at NYITCOM in Long Island before making the cross-country move to sunny Loma-Linda! During medical school she worked as a Crisis Counselor helping anonymous texters through tough moments, and she also participated in an APA-led program discussing various subspecialties within psychiatry and the inequities within the field. These experiences fueled her to pursue a fulfilling career in psychiatry. She is a part of the CAP track at Loma Linda and is thrilled to pursue her residency here. Her interests include child and adolescent psychiatry, consultation-liaison, perinatal psychiatry, and autism. Outside of the hospital you can find her baking, trying out new restaurants, shopping at Trader Joes or Costco, or listening to true crime podcasts!


Troy Salisbury, MD
California University of Science and Medicine School of Medicine

Dr. Salisbury is originally from the small town of Sumner, Washington. He moved to Idaho for undergrad and received his B.S. in human biology from Boise State University. Dr. Salisbury loved the amazing skiing around Boise, but he quickly realized that Southern California winters can’t be topped after moving to the IE for medical school. He then received his M.D. from California University of Science and Medicine and fell in love with SoCal. As a medical student, Dr. Salisbury enjoyed volunteering in his church, research related to substance abuse among medical trainees, research targeted at preventing chronic pain, and podcast development for medical professionals. Dr. Salisbury was drawn to psychiatry because of the great impact on quality of life that can be made for patients in this field. Also, he is passionate about helping those struggling with substance use and caring for the spiritual needs of his patients, and psychiatry offers many tools to address these areas of health. Dr. Salisbury feels blessed to be training at Loma Linda University because of the institution’s focus on whole person care and spiritual health. Outside of medicine, he loves spending time with his wife and son, being active outside, traveling, and reading with his kitty in his lap.


Amanda Khalil, MD
Loma Linda University School of Medicine
Combined CAP Track

DrAmanda Khalil was born at Loma Linda Hospital and stayed local until high school. She got her B.S. in psychobiology at UCLA, then did a 1-year Masters in Theological Studies. Things came full circle when she was accepted into med school and residency at Loma Linda University—the same hospital where she was born. Starting out medical school, Amanda thought she would go into pediatrics/ NICU. The transition to psychiatry was quite unexpected and was mostly influenced by the wonderful psych residents and attendings she worked with. There was a certain kindness and warmth amongst these residents that was truly unique. Psychiatry is also a special field of medicine that allows healing of the soul as you enter into a patient's most vulnerable space. As a medical student, Amanda was involved in research projects that identified regions in San Bernardino/Riverside that suffer most from food insecurity, as well as created after-visit summaries with resources for various SDOH factors (ex. financial, food, housing insecurity) that were implemented at various hospitals in the nation. She was also involved in "Hues of Healing," a platform in which health professionals or patients could submit artwork that expressed the story of their journey. In her free time, Amanda enjoys taking nature walks, studying theology, and creating art.


Peggy Galvez, DO
Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine

Dr. Peggy Galvez was raised in Southern California in the city of Arcadia. She attended UC Irvine for her undergraduate studies and completed medical school at Des Moines University in Des Moines, Iowa. In her third year of medical school, she was intrigued by the different stories of patients’ lives and ultimately led her to discover that psychiatry was the best field for her. Outside of work, she loves cooking, road trips in her RAV4, discovering new coffee shops and restaurants, going on hikes, exploring new dog friendly places with her beagle Milo, reading novels, and spending quality time with friends and family.


Annalise Lang, MD
Loma Linda University School of Medicine

Annalise grew up in a small town in Northern California. She moved to Tennessee for her undergraduate studies at Southern Adventist University where she earned a BA in International Studies in Spanish with minors in Biology and Chemistry. After college, Annalise moved back to California to attend Loma Linda University for medical school. It was during medical school when she first developed an interest in psychiatry, sparked by an opportunity to teach ADAP (Adolescent Depression Awareness Program) classes to local high school students. Additionally, as a way to combine her interests in psychiatry and lifestyle medicine, she coordinated a plant-based cooking demonstration event to help pediatric patients and their families learn about the role of nutrition as an adjunct for mood disorder treatment. Besides the integration of lifestyle medicine, Annalise also has interests in consult-liaison psychiatry. Outside of psychiatry, Annalise loves creating new recipes, gardening, going on runs with her husband, and playing ColorKu with family and friends.



PGY-2: Class of 2026


Matthew Allen, MD
California University of Science and Medicine

Originally from Colorado, Dr. Matt Allen is most at home wherever he makes friends and family. He studied at the University of Colorado where he thought he was going to become a pediatrician or a pastor. After college, he spent five years working for a Christian nonprofit, but decided that medicine was how he could best serve others. Unable to shed his inner pastor, he finds his greatest joy in empathizing with patients to the point of being constantly late for rounds. He is intellectually curious about most things, but thinks Psychiatry best incorporates his personality, his passions, and his interests in behavioral psychology, preventative medicine, and community health. He finds rest in cooking with his wife, playing board games with his friends, running with his dog, and powerlifting with his wife, friends, or dog.


Tania Ghazarian, DO
Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine

Dr. Tania Ghazarian is a Southern California native, born and raised in the city of Los Angeles. She completed medical school at Western University of Health Sciences, where she discovered her passion for Psychiatry in her third-year clerkship. During medical school, Dr. Ghazarian was actively involved in student mentorship, psychiatric/neurological research, and community outreach. As a medical student, she assisted in creating an in-hospital withdrawal protocol for pregnant women with opioid use disorder and made other contributions as an educator in the Mother & Baby Substance Exposure Initiative Task Force. Her interest in substance use disorders allowed her to be awarded an externship in addiction psychiatry through the American Psychiatric Association. Her other interests include women's mental health, medical student education, and healthcare disparities. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with family and friends, playing with her furbaby (Kiwi), discovering new restaurants, and working out.


Kaitlyn Hurd, MD
Loma Linda University School of Medicine
Combined CAP Track

Dr. Hurd (née Fung) is a Southern California native, born in LA and raised in beautiful, coastal Ventura county. She obtained her B.S. in Biology from UCSD - Muir College - and then went on to obtain her M.D. from Loma Linda University. While she was a student at LLU, Dr. Hurd dedicated her time to furthering resilience programs and building educational curricula for medical students. Dr. Hurd is thrilled to be staying at Loma Linda for her residency and is excited to be a part of the CAP track. While she has interests in all aspects of child psychiatry, she has a special interest in childhood trauma and cultural psychiatry. Additionally, in line with her interests as a medical student, Dr. Hurd is also passionate about physician wellness and dismantling the stigma of mental illness in healthcare professionals. In her free time, Dr. Hurd enjoys spending time with her husband, sleeping, watching way too much TV (Pawnee Goddesses unite!), traveling (Costa Rica is a fave!), going to Disneyland (it’s soooo close!), and continuing her quest to find the absolute best brunch in SoCal.


Kristen Kim, MD
Loma Linda University School of Medicine

Dr. Kristen Kim considers sunny Loma Linda her home and has been a local since high school. She completed her undergraduate at Andrews University and spent one year abroad at Valencia, Spain, to complete her Bachelor of Arts in Spanish Studies with double minors in Chemistry and Psychology. She then graduated from Loma Linda Medical School, where she frequented Hawaiian barbecue, Ding Tea, and the beach on the weekends. While in medical school, she received the Inland Empire Medical Community Service Award, served as Psychiatry Interest Group President, worked to develop CBT demonstration videos, and published a podcast on psychotherapy for Borderline Personality Disorder with Dr. Puder. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, shopping for snacks at Trader Joes, and enjoying all the delicious food Southern California has to offer.


Yifan Lii, MD, PhD
Loma Linda University School of Medicine

Yifan Lii grew up in Indiana and Bay Area, California. She earned a B.S. in Biochem/Cell Bio from UC San Diego, went to a two-year Bible school, then completed a Ph.D. at UC Riverside studying plant diseases before deciding to switch careers from being a plant doctor to a human doctor. During her clinical year as a medical student at Loma Linda University, she was drawn to connecting with patients and listening to their stories and decided to pursue a residency in Psychiatry. As a medical student, she helped update the Maternal-Fetal-Medicine chapter of the Ninja’s Guide to PRITE and collaborated with faculty to develop a Spiritual OSCE for preclinical students. After work, Yifan enjoys spending time with her husband, their children, and pets. She won’t say no to a Monday crossword puzzle, trying new restaurants, checking out museums/zoos/aquariums, or a dip in the pool on a warm summer day.


Catherine Liu, DO
Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine

Dr. Catherine Liu was born in Illinois and spent much of her childhood in Oregon before later moving to Southern California. She attended the University of California, Irvine, where she received a BS in Quantitative Economics and a minor in statistics. After college, Catherine completed a year of AmeriCorps with the American Red Cross. She then attended medical school at Kansas City University where she became interested in psychiatry after her third year medical school rotation. In medical school, she was actively involved as a group facilitator where she helped to lead support groups for adult survivors of abuse and trauma. She has a broad range of interests in psychiatry and is keeping an open mind regarding further psychiatry subspecialities. In her free time, she enjoys trying new restaurants, traveling, rewatching Arrested Development, and playing video games.


Isaac Mitchell, MD
Loma Linda University School of Medicine

Dr. Isaac Mitchell grew up in the small town of Sandy, Oregon, and attended Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho, where he was team captain for the track and cross country teams. Isaac earned his MD at Loma Linda University and happily matched to the Loma Linda University Psychiatry Residency Program. Isaac was drawn to psychiatry because of the many opportunities it offers to listen to patients' stories and talk about what matters most to them. Isaac feels that psychiatry invites him to be receptive to the heartache and the joy of the person in front of him, and in so doing, invites him further into the presence of God. As a medical student, Isaac performed bench neuroscience research and designed and led a research project investigating spirituality, meaning, and emotional well-being in medical students amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Ultimately, Isaac and his wife would like to work with the underserved both here in the United States and overseas. When not working, he can most often be found at home, spending time with his wife, or making speedboat noises with his son. Isaac enjoys running, reading and writing and has a blog, Fresh Press.


Ariel Odlum, MD
California University of Science and Medicine

Dr. Ariel Odlum was born in Illinois, but grew up in West LA. She attended University of Michigan (Go Blue!) for undergrad where she received a B.S. in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience. She then received her MD from California University of Science and Medicine and is excited to be continuing her training at Loma Linda University. Her interests include child and adolescent psychiatry, cultural psychiatry, and providing quality care for underserved populations. She is also invested in supporting and encouraging those who are underrepresented in medicine and increasing diversity of all forms in the field of psychiatry and health care as a whole. In her free time, Dr. Odlum enjoys reading, baking, watching action movies, painting her nails, and listening to true crime podcasts. She is not afraid to drive out of her way to get a good California burrito and will never say no to anything passion fruit flavored.


Akash Patel, MD
Loma Linda University School of Medicine

Dr. Akash Patel is a Loma Linda Lifer, born here at our very own medical center and raised down the street at Loma Linda Academy. He briefly traveled to Northern California where he received a B.S. in Business Administration with an emphasis in Healthcare Management at Pacific Union College in Napa Valley. He then was fortunate to come home for medical school, receiving his M.D. from Loma Linda University School of Medicine. He was ecstatic to return for continued training at Loma Linda University for psychiatry residency so that he can remain close to family and to his high school sweetheart and wife. Dr. Patel’s current interests include medical student and resident education stemming from tutoring, mentoring, and eventually creating an updated ANKI flash card deck from Loma Linda’s PRITE Question Guide as a fourth year medical student. Other interests include child and adolescent psychiatry and consult-liaison psychiatry. When not working, Dr. Patel enjoys binge-watching Netflix and anime with his wife, playing basketball for hours on end, losing time in video games, sharing delicious meals with friends and family, and pretty much all things Pokémon-related.


Maria Shibatsuji, DO
Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Combined CAP Track

Dr. Maria Shibatsuji grew up in the Bay Area and graduated from Loyola Marymount University with a B.S. in Biology and a minor in Psychology. Her experiences at LMU instilled in her a love for Jesuit values and living a life rooted in service. She spent her gap years working as a behavioral therapist for children with autism, supporting their growth in school and community settings. She also engaged in a year of service in Baltimore, where she cared for heart failure patients, traveled to senior apartments with church groups to teach nutrition classes, and conducted weekly health screenings at a soup kitchen. These experiences sparked her passion for addressing mental health stigma and health inequities, dismantling systemic racism, and ultimately leading her to pursue a career in psychiatry. She completed medical school at Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Indianapolis, where she served as the co-president of the Psychiatry Interest Group and was inducted in the Gold Humanism Society. She is excited to have matched at Loma Linda’s psychiatry residency program and to be part of the CAP track. She is also interested in perinatal psychiatry and aspires to devote her career to caring for children and pregnant/postpartum patients. Outside of work, Maria enjoys creative writing, reading, trying out new pastry shops, and spending time with Mika, her furbaby.


Karah Sterris, MD
Loma Linda University School of Medicine

Karah Sterris was born and raised in Southern California. She graduated from California State University, Fullerton, with a degree in Psychology, then pursued medicine at Loma Linda University School of Medicine. She has always been passionate about serving the youth and supporting families in her community. Before medical school, she spent over ten years as a youth sports coach and also worked as a substitute teacher. She spent time with pregnant teens in medical school, providing mentorship and support, and engaged in research geared toward empowering expectant mothers. When on clinical rotations, she found the most meaning in connecting with patients and their families as they shared their stories, which led to her pursuit of a career in psychiatry. She looks forward to translating her passion for youth and families into a career working with child and pregnant/postpartum patients. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband (her high school sweetheart and a surgery resident) and daughter, gardening, cooking, playing/watching sports (Go Dodgers!), managing a fantasy baseball team, singing Disney songs, going to the park, and exploring nature.



PGY-3: Class of 2025


Adriana Alvarez, MD
Loma Linda University School of Medicine
Combined CAP Track

Dr. Adriana Alvarez grew up in Southern California and later moved to Texas where she received a B.S. in Biology and a minor in Chemistry from Southwestern Adventist University. She then returned to the her home state of California, receiving her M.D from Loma Linda University School of Medicine. She is overjoyed that she is able to pursue her passion of working with children and adolescents within the field of Psychiatry, taking part in the CAP track at LLU Heath Education Consortium Psychiatry Residency. On her days off, she enjoys soaking in the Southern California sun by playing Spikeball with her co-residents, skateboarding, going to the beach, and exploring the restaurants and nature the area has to offer.


Christopher Garabet, MD
Loma Linda University School of Medicine
Combined CAP Track

Dr. Christopher Garabet grew up in in Southern California, where he has stayed virtually all his life. He earned a B.S. in Biochemistry at University of Southern California (USC), and attended medical school at Loma Linda University School of Medicine. Dr. Garabet is currently pursing the Combined Child/Adolescent track, where he will specialize in Child/Adolescent psychiatry. His passion for working with children stems initially from volunteering at USC with the organization Camp Kesem. Camp Kesem provides a summer camp for children who have been affected by a parent’s cancer. There, he learned that a loving community is the cornerstone of a child’s mental health. Outside of psychiatry, he enjoys just about any activity that brings people together, such as sports, food, movies, board games, and spontaneous outings.


Matthew Hagele, MD
Loma Linda University School of Medicine

Dr. Matthew Hagele grew up in in northern California near the Sierra Nevada Mountains. He earned a B.S. in Bioengineering at Walla Walla University before attending Loma Linda University School of Medicine where he completed his M.D. as well as an M.A. in Bioethics. His interests in psychiatry and ethics have led to scholarly work on psilocybin assisted therapy as well as the implications of a belief in free will. He hopes to call California home for many years to come and feels blessed to work with talented colleagues and the people of San Bernardino County. Outside of psychiatry, he enjoys exploring nearby mountains, new coffee shops, and experiencing life with his wife.


Austin Huh, MD
Loma Linda University School of Medicine

Dr. Austin Huh was born and raised in Naperville, Illinois. He went to college at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan where during his sophomore year he spent a year abroad studying Spanish in Argentina, and he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish Studies. He then graduated from Loma Linda Medical School and is currently enjoying being part of the LLU psychiatry family. He is undecided on what field of psychiatry he wants to pursue in the future because he's currently interested in everything! Nevertheless, he loves his free time and enjoys playing League of Legends, board games, ultimate frisbee, camping, hiking, snowboarding, and cooking.


Ben Robinson, MD
Loma Linda University School of Medicine

Dr. Benjamin Robinson grew up in northern Oregon as a Boy Scout, camping every other weekend and learning to ride horses and motorcycles. He relocated to Seattle Pacific where he received a BS in human physiology with a minor in theology as well as chemistry. Traveling south, he attended Loma Linda for medical school where he also graduated with a Masters in Bioethics. While he has yet to set his specific path for psychiatry subspecialty, he is particularly interested in working with incarcerated populations. In his spare time, he continues to enjoy camping, running, and riding, all while exploring the diversity California has to offer.


Patricia Shi, MD
Wayne State University School of Medicine

Dr. Patricia Shi was born and raised in Vancouver, Canada, where she spent lots of time camping, eating at numerous sushi restaurants, and biking the sea wall. She travelled across the continent to attend college in North Carolina, then later moved to Detroit, Michigan to complete her medical degree at Wayne State University SOM. She developed a deep passion for working with underserved communities both locally and globally, and she became involved with Street Medicine Detroit and other global healthcare initiatives.  Her interests within Psychiatry include cultural psychiatry and promoting mental health education and prevention in school-aged children, and she’s so grateful to be able to pursue these interests here at Loma Linda for Residency! Outside of medicine, she is a huge movie nerd who loves traveling, spontaneous adventures, playing board games, jamming to music, and of course, spending quality time with friends and family over shared meals.


My Phuong Tong, MD
Michigan State University School of Medicine

Dr. My Phuong Tong is from rainy and lush Seattle, WA. Her interest in psychiatry started when she studied perceptions of mental health in Brazil, Vietnam, and South Africa as part of her study abroad experience in college. After college she served as an AmeriCorps member at a large federally qualified health care system helping to expand access to healthcare for the underserved. She then worked as a program manager and led the implementation of complex care management using a $1.2 million HRSA grant. She completed medical school at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine and earned a certificate in Leadership in Medicine for the Underserved through her work in Flint, MI. Her goal in psychiatry is to expand access to mental health through education and collaboration between academia and the community. When she is not working, she enjoys going on hikes, swimming at the beach, and exploring local neighborhoods with her fiancé.


Joseph Wong, MD
UC Riverside University School of Medicine

Dr. Joseph Wong was born and raised in Southern California and grew up in LA and Riverside County. He earned his B.S. in Human Biology and B.A. in Human Development at the University of California, San Diego and attended medical school at the University of California, Riverside School of Medicine. His interests in psychiatry include mentoring medical students and learning how to incorporate a patient's social, cultural and spiritual background into their care. In his free time, he enjoys hanging out with friends, exploring new places to eat, playing computer/board games, and working out.



PGY-4: Class of 2024


Victoria Burghart, MD
Loma Linda University School of Medicine

Dr. Victoria “Tori” Burghart is a transplant from the Pacific Northwest, born and raised near Seattle, WA. After completing a B.S. in Biology at Walla Walla University, she moved to California to attend medical school and was thrilled to stay on as a resident. During medical school she discovered a love for creating digital art and finding ways to use art for education. She illustrated a portion of the new neurology curriculum for Loma Linda’s 1st and 2nd year neuroscience courses and was awarded the 2020 American Academy of Neurology’s Medical Student Prize for Excellence in Neurology. Much of her art can be found on Instagram @minipsychMD or on the website she created for residency interviews – caveofthemind.com. Her clinical interests include social media’s impact on mental health, psychotherapy, and the mind-body connection. Outside of work she enjoys hosting board game nights, puzzles, video games, knitting, and finding new hobbies.


Mikyla Cho, MD
Loma Linda University School of Medicine

Dr. Mikyla Cho was born and raised in Oregon. She split her time between Lincoln City, where her parents lived and Portland, where her grandparents and other relatives resided. After attending Pacific Union College near Napa Valley and graduating with a B.A. in English, she attended Loma Linda University School of Medicine. As a medical student, Dr. Cho was the class co-representative of the Psychiatry Student Interest Group and was later its president. As the president, she led meetings and oversaw various projects and workshops that helped facilitate a love and appreciation for psychiatry. Although she is open to various paths after residency, she is particularly interested in working with the geriatric population as she believes this is a unique population that is greatly underserved. In her spare time, Dr. Cho likes to relax with a good book and eat a tasty meal with friends and family.


Michelle Garber-Talamo, DO
Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine

Dr. Garber-Talamo studied literature in graduate school before deciding to go into medicine. She had the unique experience of earning a Master of the Arts in Italian literature and of working as a foreign language teaching assistant at the University of Virginia. During her premedical post-baccalaureate she continued to be engaged in teaching as a biology tutor and MCAT instructor at the University of Pittsburgh. She was happy return home to northern California for medical school. During medical school she actively promoted mental health awareness and psychiatry, became involved in medical education, and earned an MPH. As a resident, she is looking forward to working with medical students and immersing herself in the study and art of psychiatry. When not at work, she enjoys spending time with her son and husband, and exploring the beaches and mountains of Southern California.


Nelson Horsley, MD
Loma Linda University School of Medicine
Combined CAP Track

Dr. Nelson Horsley was born in Massachusetts and raised in Nashua, New Hampshire with roots in Canada and the Midwest. He attended college at Burman University where he studied biology and psychology before attending Loma Linda University. At Loma Linda, he got involved with numerous projects including designing learning guides, mentoring youth, and community service projects. Recently, he helped found LLU AID, a student-led effort to provide assistance to healthcare workers during the covid pandemic. He has a wide range of interests inside and outside psychiatry including social determinants of mental health, public policy, education, the drug discovery process, and psychometric testing. He enjoys hiking, reading, playing an assortment of musical instruments, and every kind of game.


Dawn Hur, MD
Loma Linda University School of Medicine

Having moved frequently throughout her life, Dr. Hur has come to appreciate how multi-faceted the world is and how individuals respond. After spending childhood years in Korea, she attended high school in Southern California and college in Queens, New York. She now calls Loma Linda her home. She is passionate about medical education and community service, and took active roles in a tutoring program and Street Medicine while attending LLU School of Medicine. Dr. Hur became interested in psychiatry during her rotation at the adolescent partial hospitalization program, where patients spend their daytime in a highly structured environment with psychiatrists and therapists while returning to their homes in the evening. She is interested in improving the mental health care system to increase compliance and lower relapse rates. During her free time, she enjoys cooking and traveling using reward programs.


Teresa Shu, MD
Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University

Dr. Teresa Shu grew up in Southern California and attended Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in North Chicago, Illinois. Teresa has an interest in forensic psychiatry and working with the veteran community. Some of her favorite hobbies include snowboarding, gaming, and hanging out with her two dogs (one pitbull mix and one pitski). She happens to be platinum-rated in League of Legends.


Sunpreet Singh, DO
Western University College of Osteopathic Medicine

My name is Sunpreet Singh, but everyone calls me Sunny, partly because it is easier to pronounce and partly because it sums up my disposition. I grew up on the East coast and attended Rutgers University for my undergraduate and graduate education. I moved to sunny California in order to attend medical school at Western University of Health Sciences. I went into medical school with an open mind about which specialty to choose, trying my best to understand the culture of each specialty. When I had my third-year clerkship in psychiatry, I knew it was the perfect fit for me. My ability to connect with patients and create a positive change in their mental health, were the driving forces behind my desire to be a psychiatrist. As a medical student I continued with research, linking the fields of psychiatry and oncology in order to bolster my interest in the field. I was fortunate enough to have had the opportunity as a fourth-year medical student to rotate at Loma Linda, which created the foundation for my desire to be a part of this team. Even as a medical student, I felt as if I was part of the Loma Linda family. The combination of having a strong academic base, with a multidisciplinary approach to care and a loving work environment made Loma Linda a clear choice in a program that I would like to match into. Having had a background in Anthropology, I have always been keenly interested in understanding the relationship between mental health and culture. This perspective is further bolstered at our program, where we strive to understand and incorporate the cultural and spiritual background of our patients into our care. Aside from being passionate about psychiatry, I have a passion for the fine arts. Whenever I visit a new city, going to the local art museum is like a pilgrimage for me. Likewise, I dabble in painting and was part of an Artist Collective during college. I also have a fondness for Indian cinema, from classics to modern works.


Raveena Toor, DO
Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine

Toor is from Northern California. Her interest in psychiatry began in college during Bhagat Puran Singh Health Initiative health clinics, where conversations about hypertension and diabetes tended to meld with belongingness in a family or the country. During medical school, she cultivated her interest in psychiatry by becoming an avid member and contributor of Solano County NAMI, an organization that aids families with mental illness. To explore the intersection of mental health and barriers to healthcare, she helped lead the Structural Competency curriculum in her medical school, which teaches students how invisible political, economical structures in our society affect patient presentation, and treatment. Dr. Toor is interested in community psychiatry, community mental health education, and policy to increase access to mental health. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, yoga, and long walks at sunset.


Kendall Wong, MD
UC San Diego School of Medicine

Dr. Wong joins us from Arcadia, California. After graduating as valedictorian of the Cell & Developmental Biology emphasis at UC Berkeley, Dr. Wong was recruited to the UC San Diego School of Medicine on a merit scholarship, where he developed an interest in psychiatry while leading a mental health free clinic in downtown San Diego. He has conducted research in numerous areas including the chemical synthesis of small-molecule calcium sensors to detect neuronal activity, the startle response in early psychosis, and the effects of obstructive sleep apnea on decision-making. Dr. Wong is also an award-winning educator, formerly working as an organic chemistry lecturer at the UC Berkeley Student Learning Center and currently for The Princeton Review since starting medical school. In this latter role, he serves as an MCAT lecturer, textbook writer/editor, and consultant for the development of ACT, SAT, and AP exam curricula in the sciences. During his free time, he enjoys video games, watching anime, and trying new food places with friends.


Neveen Youssef, MD
University of Alabama School of Medicine

After finishing her bachelor’s in psychobiology at UCLA, Dr. Neveen Youssef, a Southern California native, moved to the Deep South where she completed her medical training at UAB. She is thrilled to be back home where she has found a family among colleagues at LLU. As an undergraduate, she had a strong interest in psychology research, using animal models to assess the effects of diet on cognition, as well as the effects of stress on attention in individuals with Schizophrenia. After learning about the inextricable epigenetic relationship between nature and nurture, she changed paths from clinical psychology to psychiatry, and decided to pursue medicine to most effectively and holistically advocate for vulnerable populations. Her interest in psychiatry was further solidified through her experiences caring for at-risk and homeless populations with the Mobile Clinic Project at UCLA and Equal Access Birmingham Student-Run Clinic. In medical school she also led the Psychiatry Student Interest Group and developed a fully immersive course for students who wish to learn more about psychiatry and providing mental health care. Her clinical interests include psychotherapy, child and adolescent psychiatry, and interventional psychiatry. Outside of residency, her favorite pastimes include traveling, craftsmanship, and spending quality time with loved ones. She is also very interested in participating and experiencing culturally rich activities.