PGY-1
Class of 2025-2029
Alexander Costa, MD
Medical School: Rush Medical College
Hometown: Suffern, NY
Interests/hobbies: Playing guitar and jamming with friends whenever we can make it happen. I’m always up for exploring the city — especially checking out speakeasies, breweries, or any place with a good vibe. I’ve also been trying to cook more lately, mostly attempting to recreate the Italian recipes I grew up on. I’m a loyal Giants fan and big on fantasy football — mostly because it keeps Sundays interesting while the Giants are busy disappointing me.
Why Jacobi/Monte? I was drawn to Jacobi/Monte for its unmatched clinical training, high-acuity patient population, and deep-rooted mission to serve the Bronx. I wanted a program where I’d be challenged to grow, not just as a clinician but as an advocate for patients who often face the most barriers to care. On interview day, the residents came across as sharp, grounded, and genuinely proud of their work — and that’s exactly the kind of team I wanted to be a part of.
Emad Eddin Dalla, MD
Medical School: University of Sharjah
Hometown: Tartous Syria
Interests/hobbies: Gym, Gaming, Basketball and going to every Rock/Metal concert I afford!
Why Jacobi/Monte? Most of the people that work in the program graduated from the program -- that speaks volumes on what kind of environment it is here.
Thomas Gordon, MD
Medical School: University of Louisville School of Medicine
Hometown: Elizabethtown
Interests/hobbies: I'm into growing flowers. Tulips are my favorite! I love video games, currently defending the super Earth from outer space hostiles threatening democracy. I love music, music festivals, and a good rave.
Why Jacobi/Monte? I love the people here, the atmosphere and the big city. This feels like home away from home
Kiera Gosling, MD
Medical School: Sophie Davis/ CUNY School of Medicine
Hometown: The BK (Brooklyn)
Interests/hobbies: Recreating challenges from the Great British Bake Off, Whipping up tasty Jamaican fusion cuisine, Live jazz junkie, anime philosopher, watching old rom-coms with my little sister
Why Jacobi/Monte? When I rotated here as a medical student, I was instantly sold! The community is vibrant and rich in diversity. The blend of high acuity and patient volume is a perfect recipe for growth. It's a program marked by truly exceptional individuals who inspire and elevate those around them. It's not just a place to become an expert physician, it's a place where you are empowered everyday to become a true agent of change. I couldn’t imagine a more fulfilling environment to train and make a lasting impact in communities long underserved.
Brackets Kaplan, MD
Medical School: St. George University
Hometown: NYC
Interests/hobbies: Fire juggling, upcycling crafts, traveling the world via work exchange farming.
Why Jacobi/Monte? I choose Jacobi/Monte to have exposure to a wide variety of training opportunities all while getting to serve a wonderful and diverse community.
Sharon Lee, MD
Medical School: SUNY DOWNSTATE
Hometown: QUEENS NY
Interests/hobbies: Cars (911 GT3 RS >>>>>), pickleball, eating with friends, biking and walking everywhere, listening to R&B or EDM while walking by the water, watching stand up comedy, thrillers, action and fantasy shows/movies, making strawberry matcha, rewatching Nevertheless, shopping, ziplining, and rotting on my couch and scrolling.
Why Jacobi/Monte? Physicians I met who trained here were highly skilled, outstanding and well-rounded. They were strong clinicians who inspired me to become one of them.
Lauren Miceli, DO
Medical School: Nova Southeastern
Jane Mundadan, DO
Medical School: Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Hometown: Ossining, NY
Interests/hobbies: classical indian dancing (bharatnatyam), forcing my family to make Tiktoks , going on food tours in NYC, and trying new workout classes!
Why Jacobi/Monte? I had the privilege of rotating at Jacobi/Montefiore as a fourth-year medical student, and it was an incredibly formative experience. What stood out most was the culture—welcoming, inclusive, and the committed to teaching. The team made every shift engaging and educational; time truly flew by. The training at Jacobi/Montefiore is second to none. Between the diverse patient population, the high-acuity cases, and the collaborative learning environment, I believe this institution offers an unparalleled foundation for becoming a skilled and compassionate physician.
Timothy Pistell, MD
Medical School: Rutgers School of Medicine
Hometown: Stony Brook, NY
Interests/hobbies: Arsenal Football Club, Supreme Court opinions, live music, pickup soccer, LOTR, Seinfeld quotes
Why Jacobi/Monte? To serve my fellow New Yorkers
Jeri Ann Ramilo, DO
Medical School: New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine
Hometown: Bergenfield, NJ
Interests/hobbies: Songwriting, producing music, calisthenics, dancing with humans and calling it “anthropological studies,” being a plant parent
Why Jacobi/Monte? You have the privilege to take care of some of the most vulnerable and diverse patient populations in NYC, social EM is weaved into the fabric of the entire program, procedure heaven, the people seemed fun!
Paulo Reis, MD
Medical School: SUNY Downstate
Hometown: Wappingers Falls,
NYInterests/hobbies: Fishing (mostly without success), motorcycles, Hudson Valley history, and stoop chillin'!
Why Jacobi/Monte? I wanted to serve mi gente en El Bronx and learn an immense amount of emergency medicine while doing it!
Daniel Ruiz Torres, MD
Medical School: Universidad del Rosario
Hometown: Bogotá, Colombia
Interests/hobbies: I love bicycles and the cycling world in general. I used to compete in BMX racing, which is similar to motocross but done on a specialized bicycle. These days, I commute to work by bike and spend my days off exploring all the boroughs. Outside of cycling, I enjoy making art, especially using a technique called block printing. And of course, whenever possible, I love dancing all night to Bad Bunny’s greatest hits!
Why Jacobi/Monte? I'm especially drawn to the unique patient population you get to care for in the Bronx. Combined with the program’s strong focus on leadership and its world-class faculty, it offers an ideal environment for training in emergency medicine.
Jason Silver, DO
Medical School: Lake Erie COM
Gopai Topiwala, MD
Medical School: Drexel University College of Medicine
Hometown: Hanover, MD (just south of Baltimore)
Interests/hobbies: Road tripping, national parks (on a mission to visit them all), grilling, dropping unsolicited space facts, watching documentaries at 2am
Why Jacobi/Monte? I mean, it's EM in The Bronx. There's nothing like it. When thinking about residencies, I wanted a place that would push me and make me become the best doctor I could possibly be. At Jacobi/Monte, everyone here is extremely passionate. Passionate about serving underserved populations, passionate about teaching, and passionate about having a supportive culture. Urban medicine is not easy, but it is extremely rewarding.
Venus Wahab, MD
Medical School: William Carey University
Hometown: Queens, NY
Interests/hobbies: I’m into a mix of things including yoga, baking (my caramel pecan cheesecake cupcakes are kind of famous among friends), and lately I’ve been experimenting with Dubai-style chocolate croissants. I’m also a NYS-certified EMT and still teach EMT skills now and then in Brooklyn. My husband and I love traveling and trying new foods together, and we’re slowly hiking our way through all the national parks—one adventure at a time.
Why Jacobi/Monte? I started out as an EMT in the Bronx, so coming back to train at Jacobi/Monte feels full circle. The patient population is incredibly diverse and the volume and acuity are unmatched—it’s the kind of place that makes you ready for anything.
Alessia Waller, MD
Medical School: Swansea University Medical School
Hometown: Born in Palo Alto but have lived and worked all other world- a true “third culture” kid!
Interests/hobbies: I used to be an opera singer and competitive amateur boxer, I still enjoy both music and mayhem in my free time.
Why Jacobi/Monte? Jacobi/Monte offers unparalleled trauma exposure, diverse pathology, and passionate faculty dedicated to rigorous training and compassionate care in the Bronx.
Mahin Zaman, DO
Medical School: TouroCOM Harlem
Hometown: West Palm Beach, FL
Interests/hobbies: MMA, Performing Stand-up, Building Furniture, Scuba Diving, Cooking, Global EM
Why Jacobi/Monte? During my sub-internship, I got a sense of the community at Jacobi/Monte. From the nurses and techs to the residents and attendings, I truly felt supported and think this is the one of the best places to train! The underserved community here and high acuity reinforced my decision choose Jacobi/Monte.
Jacobi-Montefiore Emergency Medicine
Jacobi Medical Center
1400 Pelham Parkway South, Bronx, NY 10461
Montefiore Medical Center
111 East 210th Street, Bronx, NY 10467
Eun Jung Ahn, MD
Medical School: Kwandong University of Medicine
Hometown: Seoul, South Korea
Interests/hobbies: Hiking, running in the park, trying new matcha/cinnamon rolls
Why Jacobi/Monte? I worked here for more than an year and I love the jacobi faculty and education
Swathi Bhuma, MD
Medical School: Chicago Medical School
Hometown: San Jose--SF Bay Area
Interests/hobbies: Defending my Twin Olympics champion title, chasing Ratatouille-esque flavor moments, marathoning The West Wing, Cobra Kai, or Songland, occasionally running the pool table, managing a fantasy football team despite being an NBA fan, and recharging with coastal hikes and lakeside trails.
Why Jacobi/Monte? Jacobi/Monte feels like the right place to shape me into the EM physician I want to become—skilled in high-acuity care and grounded in a county mission that feels real and is taken seriously. A mentor of mine, whose first job was as an EM attending at Jacobi, described it as one of the most formative chapters of his career. It sharpened his clinical instincts and deepened his commitment to advocacy and policy work with low-resourced communities. I’m excited to learn from and work with the Bronx community, train alongside some truly world-class health professionals, and be in an environment that will challenge me and keep me rooted with the reasons I chose medicine in the first place.
Zachary Bitan, MD
Medical School: Technion – Israel Institute of Technology
Hometown: Hong Kong
Interests/hobbies: I enjoy playing squash, biking—especially through Central Park—and cheering on my favorite sports teams, the Montreal Canadiens and Arsenal!!
Why Jacobi/Monte? Training at a top-tier trauma center like Jacobi, paired with the academic strength of Montefiore, offers unparalleled exposure to a wide range of pathologies and patient populations. At this program, I’m constantly learning—not just from the incredible attendings, but also from my fellow residents!
Vinson Cobb, MD
Medical School: Boston University