CURRENT RESIDENTS
EM Residents Class of 2022

Medical School
University of Illinois at Chicago
Undergraduate School
University of California Santa Barbara
Alexia Armenta MD
Hometown
San Diego, CA
Personal Interests
Being outside, yoga, hiking, reading, crocheting, eating, Philadelphia Eagles, I’m the person that pets every dog I meet in public
Career Interests
Being the best doc I can be, Latinx Health, Women’s health
Why UIC EM?
The people at all levels are truly awesome humans.

Medical School
University of Illinois at Chicago
Undergraduate School
Jonathan Cedermaz MD
Hometown
Walnut Creek, CA
Personal Interests
Climbing, Biking, Starcraft, and learning how to be the best father for my newborn.
Career Interests
Leaving residency a humble and professional physician who provides excellent care to all patients. I also have an interests in Critical Care.
Why UIC EM?
UIC provides its residents with an excellent mix of patient populations, hospital settings, and attending experience. After leaving residency I am confident that no matter where I work I will have been given the tools to handle myself as an attending. On a more personal level, the clinical faculty at UIC are superb and practice medicine in a way I want to model my practice on as I learn the art of medicine.

Medical School
Rush Medical College
Undergraduate School
Illinois Wesleyan University
Andrew Cox MD
Hometown
Lake Zurich, IL
Personal Interests
I enjoy catching a Chicago sports game either in person or at a bar, boating on Lake Michigan, and staying active outside as much as possible, whether that be exercising or playing intramural sports.
What niche are you developing during your residency?
I am developing a passion for Critical Care, Palliative Care, and EMS.
What is your favorite part about the program?
The diversity of experiences at University of Illinois-Chicago Emergency Residency program is truly unmatched across the nation. Chicago offers an incredibly diverse patient population at its baseline, but the UIC EM program provides its training across 4 main sites (in addition to 2 supplemental sites) to ensure that its residents maximize their training by seeing all aspects of emergency medicine.

Medical School
Texas Tech University Health Sciences
Undergraduate School
University of Texas
Anudeep Dasaraju MD
Hometown
Plano, TX
Interests
Working out, Hiking, Running, Exercising, Being a personal training, Relaxing, Watch movies and television, Enjoying stand-up comedy, Film making, Reading, and Mixed martial arts

Medical School
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
Undergraduate School
Ohio State University
Kenyon Grand DO
Hometown
Trenton, OH
Personal Interests
Traveling, running, playing rec sports, trying new restaurants or breweries, self proclaimed coffee aficionado and loyalist to breakfast food.
Career Interests
Academic Medicine
Why UIC EM?
UIC was the only program that I felt totally connected to and blended with the personalities of the program. I felt as if the residents already shared qualities of many of my friends and the program leadership exemplified success as well as wellness. The fellowship match rate at UIC is beyond impressive and the leadership has a great mentor program to support you on your path through residency as well as your future goals in medicine. Really, UIC had everything I was looking for in a residency program and more. I can’t imagine being in residency anywhere else and my co-residents are some of the most awesome people I’ve ever met. Not to mention Chicago is one of the greatest cities in the world and the pizza is on point.

Medical School
University of Florida College of Medicine
Undergraduate School
University of West Georgia
Tashana Haye MD
Hometown
Covington, GA
Personal Interests
Traveling, Movies, Cooking, Learning Languages, Tennis, Bringing people together
Career Interests
Global Health, Social Emergency Medicine, Medical Education
Why UIC EM?
On interview day, it became evident to me that this was the program that was going to allow me to achieve my full potential as an Emergency Medicine physician, while also providing a welcoming environment of support.

Medical School
University of Illinois at Chicago
Undergraduate School
Northwestern University
Emil Klosowiak MD
Hometown
Glenview, IL
Personal Interests
Mountain biking, Road biking, Running, Swimming, Backpacking, Climbing, Sailing, Skiing, Triathlons, Ceramics, Traveling, Reading, Star Trek, Cooking, Brewery tours
Career Interests
Become a great EM doc, Climate Change and Health, Innovation and Healthcare, Entrepreneurship
Why UIC EM?
Fun co-residents, great city with family and friends, broad exposure to practice environments and styles at our various sites, faculty that will teach and let you learn by doing, serve multiple diverse patient populations.

Medical School
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
Undergraduate School
Clarkson University
Richard LaVeau DO
Hometown
Arlington Heights, IL
Personal Interests
Hockey, fitness, outdoors, Friends (the show)
Career Interests
Community EM, resident education
Why UIC EM?
Diverse training environments in the best city in the country

Medical School
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Undergraduate School
Emory University
Allen Quetant DO
Hometown
Miami, FL
Personal Interests
Sports/Fitness, Music, Cooking great food and eating at amazing restaurants, traveling the world, Community building and Social Engagement
Career Interests
Social EM, Global Health, Education
Why UIC EM?
History of training excellent clinicians who care about people and care about each other. The amazing faculty at UIC, who love to teach. We are a family here at UIC EM, which means that the people here have your back and that they want to see you do well. Diversity and Inclusion is important to UIC EM, as well as, community and global engagement; these things are also important to me. I left my interview day knowing 100% that this is where I wanted to train.

Medical School
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
Undergraduate School
Washington University St. Louis
Minti Shah DO
Hometown
Naperville, IL
Personal Interests
Traveling and discovering the best local restaurants, collecting old books, hiking, yoga, and anything related to Harry Potter
Career Interests
Global health/international medicine
Why UIC EM?
Diverse patient population and getting to work at 4 unique sites.. and the awesome people!

Medical School
West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine
Undergraduate School
Illinois Wesleyan University
Ethan Szpara DO
Hometown
St. Charles, IL
Personal Interests
Guitar, skiing, indoor and beach volleyball, traveling to new countries and trying different foods, finding new good food places in Chicago, trying new beers, triathlon racing, and last but not least DAA Bears!!
Career Interests
Global Health/international medicine, linguistics in the ED.
Why UIC EM?
I loved the people that I met at UIC, and I liked the unique experience of being able to train at 4 distinct hospitals each with a different patient population and the ability to train at both community and academic sites.

Medical School
University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth
Undergraduate School
University of Texas
Johan Valle DO
Hometown
Dallas, TX
Personal Interests
In no particular order: The Dallas Cowboys, defending Lebron James, Tintinalli’s, my french bulldog.
Career Interests
Exploring how to provide the highest level of care possible in the emergency room in a cost effective way in order to enhance the level of care provided to higher amounts of patients.
Why UIC EM?
Big bright city with diverse and eclectic people from the moment I met everyone in the pre-interview dinner.

Medical School
Morehouse School of Medicine
Undergraduate School
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Nihal Varkey MD
Hometown
Atlanta, GA
Personal Interests
Lover of soccer/tennis, golf novice, and a part of the complicated, love/hate relationship with Arsenal F.C.
What niche are you developing during your residency?
Leadership/Education
What is your favorite part of the program?
The vastness of Chicago’s EM and the BrownCoat Nation networks

Medical School
Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine
Undergraduate School
University of California Irvine
Francis Villanueva DO
Hometown
Chicago, IL
Personal Interests
Volleyball, snowboarding, surfing, climbing, lifting, travel, family/ friends, faith
Career Interests
Working at a community hospital with residents in a urban/ suburban setting, social medicine
Why UIC EM?
Amazing residents and faculty that I connect well with. Residency operates like a huge family coming from all different backgrounds and walks of life. Awesome training at varying facilities with different socioeconomic settings and vastly different pathologies. All of that while being in my hometown.

Medical School
University of Illinois at Chicago
Undergraduate School
University of Pittsburgh
Nikita Williams MD
Hometown
Alexandria, LA
Personal Interests
Book clubs, hiking, fiddling, traveling, trying new restaurants
Career Interests
Community medicine, medicolegal issues, social determinants of health
Why UIC EM?
Great people with a focus on social EM