Chief Residents
Meet our 2024-2025 Chief Residents
Rebecca Garber, MD Heading link
Rebecca Garber, MD
Chief Resident: Research and Education
Medical School: Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, I’ve loved having the opportunity to live in different places for my training. After moving to New York for undergrad and Philadelphia for medical school, I found a new home in Chicago that I got to explore during residency. When I’m not working, you can find me at one of the many concerts in Chicago (Windy City Smokeout, summer concerts at Wrigley, Lallapalooza, etc), walking along the lakefront (summer months only!), and exploring the different Chicago neighborhoods and food scenes. While at UIC, I have discovered my passion for medical education and have even created my own resident’s guide to the CCU with the help of some of our amazing fellow and faculty advisors(www.whenthebeatdrops.org — check it out!). I love cardiology and critical care, and I plan to pursue a career that allows me to do both. The people I have met at UIC have not only helped make residency fun but also helped make Chicago home. I am thrilled to be staying for an additional year as the Medical Education and Research Chief, and I look forward to working with and teaching residents!
Spencer L. Hill, MD Heading link
Spencer L. Hill, MD
Chief Resident: Ambulatory
Medical School: University of Oklahoma College of Medicine
I grew up in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and completed my undergraduate and medical school at the University of Oklahoma. I chose to come to Chicago for residency to experience a larger city and a new healthcare system. What drew me to UIC was how closely knit the residents were with each other and how the faculty showed genuine interest in me as a person and my career goals. After completing my residency here at UIC, I can truly say that this program has been an amazing experience and I have developed lifelong friendships and strong mentorships that have helped prepare me for my future career. I wanted to stay on as a chief resident to continue to support the residents as they progress throughout their training here and work to continue developing our outpatient training and curriculum. My clinical interests are primary care and medical education. After this year, I plan to work as a PCP at an academic institution and continue to teach medical students and residents. Outside of work, I enjoy long runs along the lakeshore trail, exploring Chicago, trying new bars and restaurants with my significant other and friends, soaking up the amazing summers in Chicago, spoiling my 86-pound pittie mix, Hank, and watching OU sports.
Michael Siegel, DO Heading link
Michael Siegel, DO
Chief Resident: Quality Improvement and Patient Safety
Medical School: Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine – Carolinas
I grew up in Fort Myers, FL and went to college at the University of Florida, Go Gators! When looking at residency programs, I wanted to work in a resident-run hospital that treats the citizens of their city. UIC was the perfect fit for me. UIC has everything I wanted in a residency program: diverse pathology, an incredibly supportive faculty, and opportunities to engage in leadership and scholarly activities. UIC now feels like a family to me. I am planning to apply for fellowship in Gastroenterology following my Chief year. In my free time, I like to try new restaurants, watch/play sports, and enjoy everything Chicago has to offer.
Michael Trevino, MD Heading link
Michael Trevino, MD
Chief Resident: University of Illinois Hospital
Medical School: Rush University School of Medicine
I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and went to undergrad at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and medical school at Rush. I chose UIC for many reasons – strong clinical training with resident autonomy, the supportive and collaborative culture of the program, and most importantly, the people. After many years in the city, Chicago continues to impress me as a world class city with so much to offer. It has been an incredible privilege to care for our patient population in my hometown. After chief year, I plan to pursue a fellowship in Hospice and Palliative medicine. Outside of the hospital, I love walking around the city, going to Cubs games, and trying new restaurants with my fiancé.
Helen Zhang, MD Heading link
Helen Zhang, MD
Chief Resident: Jesse Brown VA Medical Center
Medical School: University of Illinois College of Medicine
I grew up in Normal, IL and completed my undergraduate education at the University of Notre Dame. I came back to Illinois for medical school in Chicago, here at UIC! As a student here, I was moved by the sincere dedication to our underserved patient population at every level – leadership, faculty, residents, interns and medical students alike – and impressed by the diversity of pathology and culture among our patients. I also loved how supportive the culture and people here are, from the camaraderie among the residents to the approachability of our attendings. I thought this was all the norm across all programs until I interviewed for residency and realized what we have here is truly special. I was so glad to continue my education and training here at UIC, and I’m beyond grateful that I had the opportunity to stay here as a chief resident!
After this year, I plan to pursue a career in primary care at an academic institution, working with residents and medical students. I am particularly interested in medical humanities (especially narrative medicine), diversity and equality, and medical education.
In my free time, I love partaking in the multitudes that Chicago offers – enjoying numerous cuisines at the many restaurants across the city, rock climbing with my partner and colleagues at one of the many gyms in the area, and appreciating the seasonal changes along the lake, riverwalk and parks.