Former PAC Doctors
All of BIPAI greatly appreciates the service of the following founding members of the Pediatric AIDS Corps, who have since left the PAC to pursue other opportunities. We wish them all the best in future endeavors.
Manna Adegbite, MB.BS
Dr. Adegbite is a graduate of the medical school at the University of Lagos in Nigeria. She trained in pediatrics at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Since finishing residency training in 2000, Dr. Adegbite has worked in community pediatrics and emergency medicine. She has a special interest in neonatal medicine. She is fluent English and in Yoruba.
Dr. Adegbite served as a Pediatric AIDS Corps doctor in Botswana from October, 2007 through August, 2008.
Anu Agrawal, M.D.
Dr. Agrawal is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, and the Baylor College of Medicine. He trained in pediatrics at the Children's Hospital and Research Center at Oakland.
Before starting medical school, Dr. Agrawal worked for a year at Dell Computers, where he managed forecasting of input/output devices in order to maintain an efficient supply chain. He has worked previously in Calcutta, India, and Roatan, Honduras. He is fluent in both Hindi and Spanish.
Dr. Agrawal accepted an assignment as a Pediatric AIDS Corps doctor in Lesotho, beginning in July, 2007. On July 1, 2008, Dr. Agrawal began a fellowship in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at the Children's Hospital and Research Center at Oakland, California.
Of his time serving with the Pediatric AIDS Corps, Dr. Agrawal writes the following: "Spending a year working with BIPAI in Lesotho was truly a dream fulfilled for me. There are few organizations that you will come across overseas that are as well organized and well resourced as BIPAI and this makes an incredible difference in the amount you can accomplish and your general overall well-being while working in Africa. Nothing you can expect to do as a physician in the United States can compare to the work in Africa. Every day you very palpably are saving the lives of children. It is hard to sum up the year and its effects on me in a short paragraph. Needless to say, I feel like I am a better clinician, better suited to handle many things with a stethoscope alone, better able to handle death and dying, but much more important, the patients, families and staff impart something more, something intangible to each of us as a person. They are all the epitome of resilience, determination and self-sacrifice. What I will remember most is the very elderly grandmothers who were often the ones bringing in their young grandchildren for care. Many times this would be the only family tie left. What the grandmothers understood and what I only began to understand as the year progressed, was how important our work was to them not only from a familial standpoint but also from a societal one--we were part of a team trying to save a generation and a culture. There is no limit with what you can do after working with BIPAI, either here in the States or overseas, although you may find it difficult to leave! If and when you do, you will miss the work, the patients and the people to a far greater extent than you might imagine. Only when you are back and able to retrospect can you fully appreciate what your time with BIPAI and the people of your particular African community impart on you as a person. I find even now a great desire to go back and do more."
Anouk Amzel, M.D., M.P.H.
Dr. Amzel is a graduate of the College of William and Mary, and the Medical College of Virginia. She trained in pediatrics at the New York Presbyterian Hospital Cornell Campus, and also holds a masters degree in public health, with a focus on policy and management, from Columbia University.
Dr. Amzel currently serves as an Assistant Professor in Clinical Pediatrics at Columbia University. In this capacity, she delivers pediatric outpatient care at the Charles B. Rangel Health Center in West Harlem, New York. She has worked previously in Kenya, Guyana, and St. Lucia.
Dr. Amzel accepted an assignment as a Pediatric AIDS Corps doctor in Swaziland, beginning in July, 2007. She left BIPAI in October, 2008.
John Bahling, MD
Dr. Bahling is a graduate of the University of Michigan and the Wayne State University Medical School in Detroit. He trained in pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco.
Dr. Bahling has worked previously as a medical educator for the Princeton Review company. He has traveled extensively in Europe, China, Mexico, and Africa. Dr. Bahling served as a Pediatric AIDS Corps doctor in Malawi from July, 2008 through August, 2009 when he accepted a position as a PICU hospitalist at Chidren's Memorial Hospital in Chicago.
Jonathan Bernheimer, M.D.
Dr. Berheimer is a graduate of Harvard University and the Tufts University School of Medicine. He trained in pediatrics at Children's Memorial Hospital at Northwestern University. After residency, Dr. Bernheimer completed a fellowship in pediatric cardiology at the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford University. He also holds a diploma in tropical medicine and hygiene from the London School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.
Dr. Berheimer accepted an assignment as a Pediatric AIDS Corps doctor in Botswana, beginning in July, 2007. He left the Pediatric AIDS Corps in January, 2009 to work at the Children's Research Unit at Tygerburg Hospital and Stellenbosch University in Capetown, South Africa. He will also be pursuing a Masters in Public Health degree with a concentration in Health Services Management from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Of his experience in the Pediatric AIDS Corps, Dr. Bernheimer writes:
"As for my experience with BIPAI, in short it was great. For a long time I had wanted to live and work in Africa, and BIPAI gave me an amazing opportunity to do that. The program was excellent for many reasons, not the least of which was the flexibility of the job and the fact that the work was multi-faceted. Between the pediatric HIV work, pediatric cardiology, outreach work, and ward work, there was never a week that was the same. I enjoyed the variety, and especially appreciated the opportunity to travel throughout the entire country while representing BIPAI.
How did this experience change me? Difficult to say, and I will probably answer this question better after some time has passed. One thing I can definitely say is that I feel more confident in my abilities as a doctor, and even as a person, after my experience in Botswana. From a work standpoint, the job challenged me and forced me to trust my instincts when it came to patient care. In my situation, this experience was most certainly compounded by the fact that I spent a significant amount of my time doing pediatric cardiology, a subspecialty that is woefully under-represented in Botswana. In fact, as the only practicing pediatric cardiologist in the entire country, I was forced to rely entirely on myself and my (limited) past experience. This was a real challenge, but one that enabled me to grow and (I think) become a better doctor.
From a personal standpoint, living in a foreign country (as we all know) presents challenges. And everything from dealing with loneliness to the myriad of cultural differences often makes life difficult. However, I shared this experience with a great group of colleagues, and there was always someone around to help me out when things became perplexing or unclear. Moreover, I made some incredible friendships in Botswana - friendships with caring and dedicated individuals who have courage and a sense of adventure - all things that I believe are needed to take a post with BIAPAI. In this way, I really think that the program is "self-selecting". So many of my colleagues possessed these characteristics. It was amazing to get to know them, and I hope to remain friends with them for a long, long time."
Eileen Birmingham, M.D.
Dr. Birmingham is a graduate of Amherst College and the Brown University School of Medicine. She trained in pediatrics at the University of California at San Francisco, where she served as Chief Resident.
Dr. Birmingham was the recipient of the Rudolph Award from the University of California at San Francisco in 2004 for the resident "who has been most supportive of, and empathetic towards, nurses, faculty and fellow residents." She has worked in Cambodia and Honduras, and is a Spanish speaker.
Dr. Birmingham served as a Pediatric AIDS Corps physician in Swaziland from July, 2006 through April, 2008. She is currently working towards a Masters Degree in Public Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, with a focus on preventive medicine. During her service with the PAC, Dr. Birmingham became very interested in learning to work with data to monitor and evaluate programs. She will pursue this interest after completion of her public health training.
Annie Buchanan, M.D., M.P.H.
A native of North Carolina, Dr. Buchanan is a graduate of North Carolina State University and the East Carolina University School of Medicine. She trained in pediatrics at the University of Rochester, where she served as Chief Resident. Dr. Buchanan holds a degree in public health from the University of North Carolina and a diploma in tropical medicine from the Gorgas Hospital in Lima, Peru.
Dr. Buchanan was the recipient of the Meg Colgan Award at Rochester University in 2004-2005 for "outstanding dedication to her patient population, with sensitivity to the special needs of vulnerable children and their families." She spent two years on assignment for the U.S. Peace Corps in Thailand. She also has worked in Bolivia, Nicaragua and Tibet. She speaks Spanish and Thai. Regarding her career goals, Dr. Buchanan says, "I imagine myself working in a community or migrant health center with indigent populations, where I would still have exposure to infectious diseases and tropical medicine and get to work with the patient population I love. In short, the Pediatric AIDS Corps is exactly what I have been looking for, in what I hope will be a lifelong career incorporating HIV and tropical medicine with primary care, both at home and abroad." Dr. Buchanan served as a Pediatric AIDS Corps physician in Malawi from August, 2006 through June, 2007, and as a Pediatric AIDS Corps physician in Tanzania from June, 2007 through June 2008. After Pediatric AIDS Corps service, Dr. Buchanan moved to North Carolina to pursue a fellowship in infectious diseases from Duke University. She plans to return to Moshi, Tanzania in July, 2009 for eighteen months to pursue fellowship research looking at rates of mycobacteremia in febrile HIV+ children.
Seema Chandra, M.D.
Dr. Chandra is a graduate of Rice University and the Baylor College of Medicine. She trained in internal medicine and pediatrics at Jackson Memorial Hospital and the University of Miami, where she also served as Chief Resident.
Dr. Chandra is an investigator on the Life Skills Educational Project. In this capacity, she assisted in the creation and implementation of a course that assists young adults with vertically acquired HIV infection in transitioning to the adult health care system. She has been awarded a grant through the Dyson foundation to continue this project.
Dr. Chandra accepted an assignment as a Pediatric AIDS Corps doctor in Lesotho, beginning in July, 2007. She left BIPAI in October, 2008, to return to work at Jackson Memorial Hospital and the University of Miami.
Ellie Click, M.D., Ph.D.
Dr. Click is a graduate of Wellesley College and the Stanford University School of Medicine. She trained in pediatrics at the University of Washington in Seattle. Dr. Click holds a Ph.D. in genetics from Stanford University.
Dr. Click was the recipient of the Ann E. Dyson Award for Child Advocacy from the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2004. She has worked in El Salvador, Thailand, New Guinea and India. She speaks German and Spanish.
Dr. Click served as a Pediatric AIDS Corps physician in Malawi from July, 2006 through December, 2008. After leaving the PAC, Dr. Click accepted a position with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer.
Anjalee Dave, M.D.
Dr. Dave is a graduate of Boston University and SUNY Downstate College of Medicine. She trained in Pediatrics at Columbia University and the Children's Hospital of New York. She also holds a Master of Science degree from the Medical College of Philadelphia/Hahnemann University.
Dr. Dave has a lengthy history of volunteer and extracurricular activities, which includes working at a homeless women's shelter, working in an alcohol and substance abuse treatment program, and serving as a teaching assistant for a medical ethics course at Hahnemann University.
Dr. Dave served as a Pediatric AIDS Corps physician in Malawi from July, 2006 through December, 2007. She currently serves as an Instructor of Clinical Pediatrics for Columbia University. She works as a hospitalist in the pediatric intensive care unit.
Sachin Desai, M.D.
A native of Rochester, New York, Dr. Desai is a graduate of Bowling Green State University, and the Medical College of Ohio. He trained in Pediatrics at the Children's Hospital of Michigan.
Dr. Desai served as a Pediatric AIDS Corps physician in Swaziland from January, 2006 through March, 2007, when he left to pursue a fellowship in infectious diseases from Yale University. We greatly appreciate Dr. Desai's service as a founding member of the Pediatric AIDS Corps, and wish him all the best with fellowship and beyond.
Daniel Dewey, M.D.
Dr. Dewey is a graduate of Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota, and the University of Minnesota School of Medicine. He trained in Family Practice at the Santa Rosa Family Practice residency program.
Dr. Dewey is a former Peace Corps volunteer. He worked as a high school science teacher in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, West Indies, from 1994-1996. He has traveled widely throughout Asia, Europe, and the Caribbean, and is fluent in Spanish.
Dr. Dewey served as a Pediatric AIDS Corps physician in Swaziland from August, 2006 through December, 2007. He then left the PAC to pursue an emergency medicine fellowship at the University of Tennessee in Jackson, TN. He writes of his PAC experience: "Participating in the PAC has greatly broadened my perspective on the state of international medicine, medical philanthropy, world poverty, pharmaceutical access, health care access, public health and economic inequalities in Africa. It has inspired me to continue working to right some of these imbalances throughout my career. I plan to continue working in international medicine and HIV care in some capacity throughout my career".
Kara DuBray, M.D.
Dr. DuBray is a graduate of Stanford University and the University of North Carolina School of Medicine at Chapel Hill. She trained in pediatrics at the Children's Hospital and Research Center of Oakland. Dr. DuBray is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha national medical honor society.
Before starting medical school, Dr. DuBray worked for a year as an Americorps volunteer, tutoring sixth graders with learning disabilities and behavior problems in San Jose, California. She also has served as a home habilitation worker and a camp counselor for children and adults with autism. Dr. DuBray has worked previously in Guatemala (various cities) and in Santiago, Chile. She is a fluent Spanish speaker.
Dr. DuBray served as a Pediatric AIDS Corps doctor in Lesotho from July, 2007 to July, 2008.
Clarissa M. Dudley, M.D., M.P.H.
Dr. Dudley is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. She trained in Pediatrics at the Children's Hospital of Alabama at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She also holds a Master's Degree in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University (International Health track).
Dr. Dudley has worked previously in Vietnam, the Philippines, and in Kenya, and as the Clinical Director of Outpatient Pediatrics at the Virginia Hospital Center/Georgetown University.
Dr. Dudley served as a Pediatric AIDS Corps physician in Lesotho from August, 2006 through June, 2007. She currently serves as a pediatrician at a community based health center affiliated with Children's National Medical Center in Washington DC.
Dana Duncan, M.D., M.P.H.
Dr. Duncan is a graduate of Stanford University and the University of California, San Francisco. She trained in pediatrics at Stanford University, and has a Masters Degree in Public Health, with a focus in epidemiology, from the University of California at Berkeley.
Dr. Duncan's high school diploma is from the Lycee International de Los Angeles, where all coursework was taught in French from 6th through 12th grade. She has previously worked for eight months as a Field Researcher in Cameroon. Her most recent position was as an attending pediatrician at the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, department of pediatrics.
Dr. Duncan served as a Pediatric AIDS Corps physician in Burkina Faso from July, 2006 through December, 2007, before transferring to Swaziland, where she served through July, 2008.
Michelle Eckerle, M.D.
Dr. Eckerle is a graduate of the University of Louisville, where she also received her medical training. She trained in pediatrics at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital medical center. Dr. Eckerle is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha national medical honor society.
Before joining the Pediatric AIDS Corps, Dr. Eckerle worked as a clinical staff physician in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital medical center. She served as a Pediatric AIDS Corps doctor in Botswana from beginning in July, 2007 through December, 2008, when she returned to work at Cincinnati Children's Hospital. Dr. Eckerle also is pursuing an online MPH through Johns Hopkins University, and is actively involved in the planning and implementation of an expansion of the Cincinnati Children's Global Health program. Of her experience as a Pediatric AIDS Corps physician, Dr. Eckerle writes: "As far as reflections, I can say that it was the most meaningful professional experience of my life. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work long term in a program that works in concert with the country governments/public health structures - it definitely gives a different perspective than one would otherwise gain from short term work. I hope that I can continue to work internationally, particularly on improving training and health care delivery systems in developing countries."
Nader Kim El-Mallawany, M.D.
A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Dr. El-Mallawany is a graduate of Princeton University and the Medical College of Ohio. He trained in pediatrics at Brown University.
In 2005, Dr. El-Mallawany served as a guest lecturer at a summer program in Jerusalem, which seeks to unite Israeli and Palestinian youth with common interests in the medical profession. He has also worked previously in Egypt, Honduras, and Peru. He speaks Spanish, Egyptian Arabic, and Korean.
Dr. El-Mallawany served as a Pediatric AIDS Corps physician in Malawi from August, 2006 through July, 2007. He left the PAC to purse a fellowship in pediatric hematology/oncology and bone marrow transplant at Columbia University/Babies and Children's Hospital of New York. Of his experience in the PAC, Dr. El-Mallawany writes the following: "My experience with BIPAI has and will forever shape my career trajectory and goals. As a fellow in hematology/oncology, I hope to finish my training and then return to BIPAI as an HIV clinician with a focus on HIV associated malignancies. The clinical experience I gained in Malawi was forever enriching to my current clinical practices, not only because of the commonality shared in the immunesuppressed patients but in a more general appreciation for the great diversity of patients and pathologies encountered during my experience with BIPAI."
Chelsea Forbes, M.D.
Dr. Forbes is a graduate of the University of California Los Angeles, where she studied as an undergraduate, a medical student, and where she completed her residency in pediatrics. Dr. Forbes has worked previously in Mexico, Nicaragua, Ecuador, and Honduras.
Dr. Forbes served as a Pediatric AIDS Corps physician in Botswana from July, 2006 through December, 2008. She now works as a pediatrician in an outpatient clinic in Carlsbad, a northern coastal city in San Diego. Of her experience in the Pediatric AIDS Corps, Dr. Forbes writes: "My experience with BIPAI was phenomenal, and I think about the kids in Botswana a lot during my clinic days here. I returned to the States to live closer to my family, and for now, I plan to stay working in San Diego. I still feel a drive toward international medicine though, and I do know I will be working internationally again in the future, though I am not sure yet in what capacity that will be."
Suzanne Gaudreault, M.D., M.S.
Dr. Gaudreault is a graduate of Loyola University in New Orleans and the Louisiana State University School of Medicine with a masters degree from Oregon State University. She completed residency in family medicine (international health track) at the University of Cincinnati.
Dr. Gaudreault served for three years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Mali, West Africa. She has also worked as a physician in Mali and Honduras. She is fluent in French and Spanish, and also speaks Dioula, one of the predominant languages spoken in Bobo-Dioulasso. Prior to joining PAC, she was on the family medicine department faculty at Emory University in Atlanta, working in an immigrant health clinic.
Dr. Gaudreault served as a Pediatric AIDS Corps physician in Burkina Faso from July, 2006 through August, 2009. She currently works as a Senior Advisor for HIV/AIDS for USAID's Health Care Quality Improvement program with the Center for Human Services in Washington DC.
Annu Goel, M.D.
Dr. Goel is a graduate of Lehigh University and Drexel University medical school (formerly known as The Medical College of Pennsylvania and Hahneman University). She trained in pediatrics at Jefferson University/DuPont Hospital for Children in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Dr. Goel has worked for the past four years as a pediatrician at the Fort Defiance Hospital for the Indian Health Services on a Navajo reservation in Arizona. She also spent a year (June 2001 - July, 2002) as Director of Pediatrics at the Chiri Health Center in Ethiopia. Together with one internist, the team was the sole providers for a population of approximately 100,000 in rural southwest Ethiopia.
Dr. Goel served as a Pediatric AIDS Corps physician in Lesotho from August, 2006 through April, 2008.
Heidi Gomes, M.D.
Dr. Gomes is a graduate of the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, and the University of Alabama School of Medicine. She trained in pediatrics at the Tulane/Oschner Pediatric Residency Training Program.
Dr. Gomes served as a Pediatric AIDS Corps physician in Lesotho from August, 2006 through September, 2007.
Satish Gopal, M.D., M.P.H.
Dr. Gopal is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Duke University School of Medicine. He trained in both pediatrics and internal medicine at the University of Michigan, where he also served as Chief Resident in 2004 and 2005. Dr. Gopal has Masters of Public Health degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Before joining the Pediatric AIDS Corps, Dr. Gopal served as a hospitalist and clinician educator at Norwalk Hospital in Norwalk, Connecticut. He served as a Pediatric AIDS Corps doctor in Moshi, Tanzania, from July, 2007 through June, 2009.
Matt Gralewski, M.D., M.P.H.
Dr. Gralewski is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University and the Medical College of Pennsylvania. He trained in internal medicine at Drexel University (formerly known as The Medical College of Pennsylvania and Hahneman University). He is currently completing his MPH degree at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.
Dr. Gralewski has worked for the past four years as an internist at the Fort Defiance Hospital for the Indian Health Services on a Navajo reservation in Arizona. He also spent a year (June 2001 - July, 2002) as the Medical Director at the Chiri Health Center in Ethiopia. Together with one pedaitrician, the team was the sole providers for a population of approximately 100,000 in rural southwest Ethiopia.
Dr. Gralewski served as a Pediatric AIDS Corps physician in Lesotho from August, 2006 through April, 2008. After his PAC service, he accepted a position with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Hanoi, Vietnam as the Chief of the PEPFAR Care and Treatment technical working group.
Laura Guderian, M.D.
A native of Louisiana, Dr. Guderian earned undergraduate and medical degrees from the Louisiana State University. She trained in internal medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City.
Dr. Guderian says, "My initial encounter with the devastating effects of HIV was as an undergraduate volunteer for Community Hospice of Louisiana. During my three years providing respite care for hospice patients, I witnessed overwhelming tragedy and loss endured by individuals and families as a result of AIDS. I saw in them incredible strength and courage in the face of suffering and death. The experience inspired me to devote my career to improving the lives of those living with HIV and AIDS."
Dr. Guderian served as a Pediatric AIDS Corps physician in Botswana from August, 2006 through July, 2007. After leaving the Pediatric AIDS Corps, Dr. Guderian accepted a position as an Infectious Diseases Fellow (Internal Medicine) and Preventive Medicine Resident at UNC-Chapel Hill Department of Medicine. Of her PAC experience, Dr. Guderian writes: "I am in the process of completing my fellowship in infectious diseases in addition to a residency in preventive medicine. I am also studying for an MPH in epidemiology. My current research includes monitoring response to antiretroviral therapy in resource-constrained settings and management of antiretroviral therapy following completion of TB treatment. I plan to return to Africa at the end of my training. My goal is to care for patients in an antiretroviral clinic, conduct clinical research, and assist in training and education of local health workers. My experience as a PAC doctor gave me a better understanding of the challenges faced when working in a new culture and a new environment."
Eric Gustafson, M.D., M.P.H.
Dr. Gustafson is a graduate of Georgetown University and the Tulane University School of Medicine. He trained in pediatrics and internal medicine at Tulane, where he served as chief resident. Dr. Gustafson holds a degree in public health and tropical medicine from Tulane University.
Dr. Gustafson worked as a Pediatric AIDS Corps doctor in Botswana from January, 2006 through August, 2006, and then as a Pediatric AIDS Corps doctor in Tanzania through March, 2007. After leaving the Pediatric AIDS Corps, Dr. Gustafson accepted a position as a hospitalist with Sutter Solano Medical Center in Vallejo, CA.
George Han, M.D.
George Han is a graduate of Harvard University and the Baylor College of Medicine, where he also completed training in pediatrics. He has worked previously in Botswana, Honduras, and Guatemala. Dr. Han is fluent in English, Spanish, and Taiwanese.
Dr. Han served as a Pediatric AIDS Corps doctor in Botswana from July, 2007 through July, 2008. After leaving the PAC, Dr. Han accepted a position with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer, Global Immunization Division.
Megan C. Harkless, M.D.
Dr. Harkless is a graduate of the University of North Carolina and the University of Colorado School of Medicine. She trained in pediatrics at the University of Vermont.
Dr. Harkless says, "The Pediatric AIDS Corps offers the opportunity to be on the front lines in stopping the current devastation of HIV. This has the potential to change lives and, as a result, countries and the world through facilitating and cooperating in education, prevention and treatment. That is exciting to me. I want to be a part of bringing back hope to children and their communities."
Dr. Harkless served as a Pediatric AIDS Corps doctor from August, 2006 to December, 2007 in Botswana, and from January, 2008 through July, 2009 in Lesotho.
Adrian Hazbun, M.D.
Dr. Hazbun is a graduate of Yale University and the Temple University School of Medicine. He trained in family medicine at the Ventura County (California) Medical Center. Dr. Hazbun worked for three years as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in Tanzania, where he taught chemistry to Tanzanian youth. He speaks Swahili, French, Spanish and Arabic.
Dr. Hazbun served as a Pediatric AIDS Corps physician in Botswana, Uganda, and Tanzania from October, 2005 through November, 2007.
Heather Hindo, M.D.
Dr. Hindo is a graduate of the University of San Francisco and the Collegium Medicum at Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland. She trained in pediatrics at the Children's Hospital in Akron, Ohio, and finished Fellowship training in pediatric infectious diseases at the Eastern Virginia Medical School/Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters in Norfolk, Virginia. Dr. Hindo's research during Fellowship focused on Staphylococcus aureus infection.
Dr. Hindo served as a Pediatric AIDS Corps physician in Botswana from July, 2006 through December, 2007. Dr. Hindo currently works as an attending pediatrician at Cottage Children's Hospital in Santa Barbara, CA.
Mandeep S. Jassal, M.D., M.P.H.
A native of northern New York, Dr. Jassal is a graduate of Stony Brook University and the Stony Brook University School of Medicine. He has an MPH degree from Harvard University. Dr. Jassal completed his residency in pediatrics at New York University.
Dr. Jassal has worked previously in an HIV/AIDS clinic in the South Bronx, on a protocol to asses adherence to antiretroviral therapy. He is co-founder and co-president of the Stony Brook University chapter of Physicians for Human Rights.
Dr. Jassal served as a Pediatric AIDS Corps physician in Botswana from August, 2006 through July, 2007. After leaving the PAC, Dr. Jassal began a post-doctoral fellowship in the Department of Pediatric Pulmonology at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Jassal writes of his PAC service: "My key area of research is in the field of tuberculosis. I am investigating TB lung cavitation - the key means of disease transmission to children. My underlying desire and almost all of my insight into this field stems from my PAC experience in Botswana. The vast amounts of cases of TB I had seen in the inpatient and outpatient setting has provided me with an incredibly valuable approach to research and clinical care. In all honesty, I think I am a far better doctor now given the experience that PAC offered. Thanks!"
Kebba Jobarteh, M.D., M.P.H.
Born in Kenya, Dr. Jobarteh grew up in New York City. He is a graduate of Princeton University and the Yale University Medical School. He trained in pediatrics at Columbia University and the Children's Hospital of New York. Dr. Jobarteh holds a public health degree from Harvard University.
Dr. Jobarteh is co-founder of Speak Up Young Africa, which has produced a documentary film highlighting the positive responses of young people to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Burkina Faso. He has worked in a number of African countries and speaks French, Spanish and Italian.
Dr. Jobarteh served as a Pediatric AIDS Corps physician in Malawi from September, 2005 through August, 2007. He subsequently accepted a position to work for Partners in Health - Malawi, where he serves as Director of Pediatrics and Pediatric Infectious Diseases.
Leah Kern, M.D.
Dr. Kern is a graduate of Yale University and the Harvard Medical School. She completed residency in pediatrics at the Children's National Medical Center in Washington DC.
Dr. Kern served for two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guinea, West Africa. She also has worked previously is The Gambia, Guatemala, and Thailand. She is fluent in both Spanish and French.
Dr. Kern served as a Pediatric AIDS Corps physician in Burkina Faso from July, 2006 through June, 2008. She left the Pediatric AIDS Corps to pursue a Masters Degree in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Kern writes of her PAC experience: "The experience with BIPAI in Burkina Faso confirmed my desire to work in global child health both clinically and in public health. Clinical practice in Burkina made me realize the importance of the link between nutrition and child survival in west Africa, and I hope to continue work in this particular area. I plan to obtain an MPH and then to work in academic clinical pediatrics working on global child health issues."
Michelle Kiang, M.D.
Dr. Kiang is a graduate of Harvard University and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey - Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. She trained in pediatrics at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, DC. Dr. Kiang currently serves as a pediatric hospitalist at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) Connection at Shore Memorial Hospital in Somers Point, New Jersey. Dr. Kiang is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha national medical honor society. Dr. Kiang has volunteered previously as a pediatrician at Ekwendeni Mission Hospital in Ekwendeni, Malawi. She worked as a Pediatric AIDS Corps doctor in Botswana from July, 2007 through December, 2008. Dr Kiang now lives in Santa Clara, California. She is working as a general pediatrician for Santa Clara Valley Medical Center doing both primary care and urgent care.
Sarah Kidd, M.D., M.P.H.
Dr. Kidd is a graduate of Amherst College and the University of Washington School of Medicine. She trained in pediatrics in the Boston Combined Residency Program. Dr. Kidd also holds a Master of Public Health degree in health policy and management from the Harvard School of Public Health.
Dr. Kidd previously served as the Assistant Medical Director of the University Health System Consortium in Oak Brook, Illinois. In this role, she provided assistance to academic medical centers to improve clinical processes and systems for delivery of patient-centered care that is safe, effective, efficient, timely, and equitable. She also assisted with the management of a national database of inpatient clinical and administrative patient data, analyzed comparative data, and surveyed the literature and member hospitals to identify best practices in patient care and management systems.
Dr. Kidd served as a Pediatric AIDS Corps physician in Malawi from July, 2006 through June, 2007, and then in Swaziland until June, 2008. After leaving the PAC, Dr. Kidd accepted a position with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer, Global Immunization Division.
Sarah S. Kim, M.D.
A native of Dallas, Dr. Kim is a graduate of Austin College and the Baylor College of Medicine. She was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha, the national medical honor society, in 2002. She was named the top student in pediatrics at the Baylor College of Medicine in 2003. She trained in pediatrics at the Children's Hospital of Boston, Boston Medical Center, and Harvard University.
Dr. Kim has worked in Mexico, India and Zambia. Dr. Kim served as a Pediatric AIDS Corps physician in Lesotho from August, 2006 through July, 2007. She worked as a pediatric hospitalist at the Medical City Children's Hospital in Dallas, Texas from August, 2007 through July, 2008. She currently is pursuing a Masters of Public Health degree from Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Of her experience in the PAC, Dr. Kim writes: "The year I spent in Lesotho with the first class of the PAC 2006-2007 was a life-changing, amazing experience. Having participated in several short-term international health electives, I already knew I enjoyed working in developing countries, but this experience taught me the incredible value of establishing long-term relationships with national colleagues and our patients. Here we were able to directly witness children come back from extreme illness to running around the waiting room of the COE and caregivers who were so impacted by their children's recovery that they became active treatment supporters in their communities. I feel very lucky to have been part of such a cadre of energetic committed PAC docs who aimed to improve child health on so many different levels. During my year there, I was particularly moved by the dual burden of HIV and malnutrition and wanted to study interventions targeting malnutrition and food insecurity which brought me to public health school. I hope to use what I learn to help developing countries work toward effective and sustainable interventions for improving child health and nutrition."
Michelle Kiang, M.D.
Dr. Kiang is a graduate of Harvard University and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey - Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. She trained in pediatrics at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, DC. Dr. Kiang currently serves as a pediatric hospitalist at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) Connection at Shore Memorial Hospital in Somers Point, New Jersey. Dr. Kiang is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha national medical honor society. Dr. Kiang has volunteered previously as a pediatrician at Ekwendeni Mission Hospital in Ekwendeni, Malawi. She worked as a Pediatric AIDS Corps doctor in Botswana from July, 2007 through December, 2008.
JoAnna Leyenaar, M.D., M.P.H., F.R.C.P.C.
A native of Ontario, Canada, Dr. Leyenaar is a graduate of the University of Guelph and the McMaster University Medical School. She trained in pediatrics at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Dr. Leyenaar holds a public health degree from Harvard University.
Dr. Leyenaar has worked in Uganda, Kenya and Romania. She served as a Pediatric AIDS Corps physician in Lesotho from September, 2005 through May, 2007. After leaving the Pediatric AIDS Corps. Dr. Leyennar accepted a position as the Director of Monitoring and Evaluation for the Consortium for Strategic HIV Operations Research with the Clinton Foundation HIV/AIDS Initiative.
Helga Loeffler, M.D.
Dr. Loeffler is a graduate of the Albert Ludwig University and College of Medicine in Freiburg, Germany. She completed her pediatric training at the Children's University Hospital in Freiburg. She also studied medicine for one year at the University Rene Descartes, Faculte Necker Enfants Malades in Paris, financed by a scholarship of the German Academic Exchanges Service (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst). Dr. Loeffler has experience providing care and treatment for HIV-infected children at the outpatient clinic at the University Childrens' Hospital in Freiburg.
Dr. Loeffler served as a Pediatric AIDS Corps physician in Swaziland from August, 2006 through June, 2007. After leaving the Pediatric AIDS Corps, Dr. Loeffler accepted a position as a senior intern in the Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and the Department of General Pediatrics at the University Childrens Hospital in Freiburg, Germany.
Monica McGrann, M.D., MS.c.
Originally from Bryan, Texas, Dr. McGrann is a graduate of Texas A&M University, and the Texas A&M School of Medicine. She holds a Master of Science degree in health policy, which she obtained from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the London School of Economics. Her Masters degree was supported by a Fulbright scholarship. She trained in pediatrics at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Dr. McGrann has volunteered previously for the AIDS Support Organization for Uganda (TASO), and has worked as an NIH research assistant on a study of health resources in Kampala. She previously has served as a pediatrician in a Federally Qualified Health Center, providing care for the medically underserved in rural Texas.
Dr. McGrann served as a Pediatric AIDS Corps physician in Botswana from January, 2006 through December, 2007. In January, 2008 she accepted a position as a general pediatrician with Bootin & Savrick Pediatric Associates in Houston, Texas.
Timothy D. Minniear, M.D., M.P.H.
A native of Battle Creek, Michigan, Dr. Minniear is a graduate of Albion College and the Wayne State University School of Medicine. He trained in pediatrics at the University of Tennessee.
Dr. Minniear has been interested in international medicine for many years, but previously had planned to wait until later in his career. He writes, "The Pediatric AIDS Corps has presented an interesting and unique opportunity that will allow me to reorganize my plan to include overseas work at the beginning to a much greater extent. I think it will build a foundation which will strengthen me for all my practice and provide me with contacts that would prove beneficial to working in Africa in the future".
Dr. Minniear served as a Pediatric AIDS Corps physician in Malawi from August, 2006 through July, 2007. After leaving the Pediatric AIDS Corps, Dr. Minniear accepted a position as a Pediatric Infectious Diseases Fellow at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. He also is pursuing a Masters of Science in Epidemiology at the University of Tennessee.
Of his PAC experience, Dr. Minnear writes: "The effect that my participation in the Pediatric AIDS Corps has had on my life and my practice is difficult to describe. The year in Malawi was both trying and amazing, and I'm incredibly glad that I was one of the fortunate people selected to experience it. Since it was my first job after residency, I was as uncertain of myself and what I could do when I began. By the time I finished, I knew that there was an awful lot that I could handle: challenges that only my colleagues from outside the USA really understand. This served me well as a Pediatric Infectious Diseases fellow, as I am much more confident in my practice and decisive in my clinical decision making. I feel I have gained a better understanding of what is important both in life and in the practice of medicine which, among other things, helps me to relate better to the families for which I care and better utilize resources in the hospital. Any description of what I gained from my time with the PAC cannot leave out the very good friends I made; it was a powerful bonding experience. Also, I must admit that I miss the sunny skies and friendly smiles of Malawi, and while not discounting the impact of practicing in the USA, my work in Malawi brought with it a sense of significance that I have not yet experienced anywhere else and which carries me through to this day."
Jean M. Mulcahy Levy, M.D.
A native of Oregon, Dr. Mulcahy is a graduate of the University of Portland and the University of Oregon Health Sciences Center. She trained in pediatrics at the University of Arizona.
Dr. Mulcahy is interested ultimately in a career in hematology/oncology. She writes that she had always planned to take time after residency to work in a service position, giving back to the world for the opportunities she has received.
Dr. Mulcahy served as a Pediatric AIDS Corps physician in Malawi from August, 2006 though July, 2007. After the Pediatric AIDS Corps, Dr. Mulcahy worked as a pediatric emergency room doctor. In July, 2008 she began a Hematology/Oncology fellowship at Denver Children's Hospital.
Paul Mullan, M.D.
Dr. Mullan is a graduate of Columbia University and the Weill-Cornell Medical College of Cornell University. He trained in pediatrics at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. During medical school, Dr. Mullan completed a three-month summer rotation at the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center in Moshi, Tanzania. He is the Founder and President of Camp Phoenix, which is a free children's camp for pediatric burn survivors and their families.
Dr. Mullan served as a Pediatric AIDS Corps doctor in Botswana from July, 2007 through June, 2009, when he left the Pediatric AIDS Corps to pursue a combined pediatric emergency medicine and global health fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine with Texas Children's Hospital. Of his service as a Pediatric AIDS Corps doctor, Dr. Mullan writes: "My two years working in Botswana were an incredibly enriching experience. Prior to BIPAI, I had a number of shorter international experiences that were meaningful but whose impact was limited by their vertical outlook on addressing a single issue, often using a system that acted in parellel to the local public system that was already in place. As opposed to these medical missions, the longer term commitment of BIPAI promotes more complete acceptance into the local society and more colllaboration with permanent healthcare professionals. This collaboration encourages participation in projects which are more sustainable and feasible than would otherwise occur in short medical missions. Ideally, these BIPAI projects worked in conjunction with the local ministry of health with the ultimate goal of building the capacity of the local health system. Resource-limited settings, such as those in which BIPAI operates, provide a exciting opportunity for a young physician to be active in a senior position in many different areas that would otherwise take decades to realize in a resource-rich setting. If every physician in America spent at least one year working in a resource-limited setting, our profession would probably have less financial waste, less polypharmacy, more compassion, and an improved American image abroad. I highly recommend the Pediatrics AIDS Corp, or other similar organizations, to any new physician who is considering international work."
Alina Olteanu, M.D.
Dr. Olteanu is a graduate of the University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Cluj, Romania. She trained in pediatrics at the Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Olteanu also hold a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She is fluent in English, German, and Romanian.
Dr. Olteanu served as a Pediatric AIDS Corps doctor in Lesotho, from July, 2007 through June, 2008. She now serves as an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Section of General Academic Pediatrics at Tulane School of Medicine in New Orleans, where she works on a Mobile Medical Unit (MMU) funded by the Children's Health Fund. Of her year in the PAC, Dr. Olteanu writes: "Working for BIPAI in Lesotho was an excellent hands-on experience in international pediatrics, in a very well-organized setting. Being a PAC physician is a great starting point for anyone interested in a career in international health. I enjoyed having a very diverse experience, from clinical work to being involved in public health projects. I can not imagine a better first job!"
B. Ryan Phelps, MD, MPH
Dr. Phelps is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and the Duke University School of Medicine. He trained in pediatrics at the University of California at San Francisco. He holds a degree in public health from the Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Phelps has worked previously in Mexico, Brazil, Honduras, the Dominican Republic, Mozambique, and South Africa. He is fluent in Portuguese and Spanish. Dr. Phelps served as a Pediatric AIDS Corps physician in Swaziland from August, 2006 through January, 2008, when he left the PAC to accept a position as the Associate Director of the Botswana-Baylor Children's Clinical Center of Excellence. He left that role in October, 2009 to accept a position as Senior Pediatric Care/PMTCT Advisor for USAID, in the Office of HIV/AIDS. In this role, he provides technical assistance to USAID-funded programs, primarily in Africa and Latin America. Dr. Phelps also serves on the intra-agency Technical Working Group for PMTCT and Pediatric HIV.
Jeffrey Pierce, M.D.
Dr. Pierce is a graduate o the University of Texas - Pan American, and the Baylor College of Medicine. He trained in family practice medicine at the Santa Rosa Family Practice residency program. Dr. Pierce holds a Certificate of Knowledge from the American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.
Dr. Pierce has worked previously in Guatemala, Peru, Honduras, and Mexico. He is a fluent Spanish speaker.
Dr. Pierce served as a Pediatric AIDS Corps physician in Lesotho, from July, 2007 through September, 2008. He currently is working in a variety of positions that allow him to practice between the US and the developing world (teaching residents at the UCSF/Santa Rosa Family Medicine Residency, locum tenens at La Clinica Alianza, International work via Baylor Shoulder To Shoulder and other groups). Of his time with the Pediatric AIDS Corps, Dr. Pierce writes:
"Working in Lesotho as a PAC doctor was phenomenal, and I'm grateful for having had the opportunity. The work was often challenging but always rewarding. I am better skilled to work internationally, and after seeing what is possible in such settings, am energized to keep that commitment strong. I am thankful for the chance to have worked alongside amazing, impassioned doctors, and to be a part of the lives of our patients - people often sick, tired, and neglected, but quick to offer a genuine smile and a warm greeting. I strongly recommend working as part of the PAC to those who want to improve themselves as physicians, help truly disadvantaged populations, and have an active role in curbing the premier epidemic of our time."
Richard Pittman, M.D.
Dr. Pittman is a graduate of the University of Mississippi and pursued his medical training at the University of Mississippi medical center. He trained in internal medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern in Dallas, where he currently serves a Chief Resident.
Before starting medical school, Dr. Pittman taught eighth grade biology, ninth and tenth grade chemistry, and eleventh grade English. He has worked previously in Patagonia, Chile.
Dr. Pittman accepted an assignment as a Pediatric AIDS Corps doctor in Swaziland, beginning in July, 2007. He left the PAC in December, 2008, to accept a position as Assistant Professor at Emory University in Atlanta, Goergia. He works at the Grady Health System, and has a special focus in palliative care.
Eric H. Raabe, M.D., Ph.D.
A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, Dr. Raabe attended Brown University and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. He also was awarded a PhD in molecular and developmental biology from the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Raabe trained in pediatrics at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. He was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha, the national medical honor society, in 2002.
He served as a Pediatric AIDS Corps physician in Swaziland from August, 2006 through April, 2007. After leaving the Pediatric AIDS Corps, Dr. Raabe accepted a position as a post doctoral fellow in pediatric hematology/oncology at Johns Hopkins University. Of his PAC experience, Dr. Raabe writes: "While there were many frustrations in working in Swaziland, I think overall it was the most useful I have ever been to anyone, in my life. I would highly recommend it to those interested in using their heart and head and hands to help make the lives of some of the worst-off people in the world a little better. How has working overseas changed me? It has made me more likely to try to develop collaborations overseas, and more interested in developing research projects that will be relevant to the world's poor and underserved. Working with UNICEF and other global international health organizations gave me a better sense of the scope of the problem of HIV and TB in Southern Africa, and a better understanding of how the explosion of problems (such as XDR TB) there relates to our security in the United States."
Guadalupe Richter, M.D.
Dr. Richter is a graduate of Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge), and the Louisiana State University (New Orleans) School of Medicine. She trained in pediatrics at the University of Tennessee, Memphis.
Dr. Richter has lived previously in Australia, Papua New Guinea, Germany, and the United States. She has worked previously in both the Philippines and El Salvador.
Dr. Richter served as a Pediatric AIDS Corps doctor in Lesotho from July, 2007 through October, 2008, when she transferred to assist in the scale-up of the new BIPAI facility in Mwanza, Tanzania. She left the Pediatric AIDS Corps in March, 2009.
Laura Sauve, M.D., M.P.H., D.T.M. & H.
A dual citizen of the United States and Canada, Dr. Sauve is a graduate of the University of Victoria's School of Health Information Science and the University of Calgary School of Medicine. She trained in pediatrics at the University of Calgary, and completed a fellowship in pediatric infectious diseases at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. She has a Masters in Public Health from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.
Dr. Sauve earned a diploma in tropical medicine from the Gorgas Hospital in Lima, Peru. She has worked previously in New Caledonia, Wallis & Futuna and Uganda. She speaks French and Spanish.
Dr. Sauve served as a Pediatric AIDS Corps physician in Burkina Faso from August, 2006 through July, 2007. After leaving the Pediatric AIDS Corps, Dr. Sauve accepted a position as an Assistant Clinical Professor, Division of Infectious & Immunological Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia. Her major research project is a collaboration with University of Cape Town, Stellenbosch University, and University of British Columbia examining the multifactorial determinants of childhood infectious disease in South Africa; specifically lung health (TB, acute respiratory infection, wheezing illness).
Amy Sims, M.D.
Dr. Sims is a graduate of Brown University and the University of Maryland School of Medicine. She trained in pediatrics at the Children's National Medical Center in Washington DC.
Dr. Sims has worked previously in Kenya, Uganda, and Trinidad and Tobago. She is the founder of the Awamu Children's Fund, which is a partnership between pediatric residents at Mulago Hospital in Uganda and Children's Hospital in Washington DC. In January, 2006, Dr. Sims was awarded the AAP Resident International Health Award for work in Uganda.
Dr. Sims served as a Pediatric AIDS Corps physician in Malawi from July, 2008 through June, 2008. In July, 2008 she began a fellowship in pediatric cardiology at Children's National Medical Center in Washington DC.
Andrew Smith, MD
Dr. Smith is a graduate of Northwestern University, and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He completed his residency in pediatrics at the University of Utah, where he was the recipient of the medical student teaching award. Since completing residency training in 2005, Dr. Smith has served as an attending pediatrician at the Pocatello Children's Clinic in Pocatello, Idaho.
Prior to joining the Pediatric AIDS Corps, Dr. Smith studied trachoma in Kongwa, Tanzania. It was through this experience that he developed a passion for international medicine. He has also worked on projects in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and Soddo, Ethiopia.
Dr. Smith worked as a Pediatric AIDS Corps physician in Malawi from in July, 2008 through June, 2009. Of his time in the PAC, Dr. Smith writes the following: "Since returning from Malawi, my daughter Scout comments once or twice a week, "I miss Malawi. I want to go back to Africa." She is three and certainly does miss her time in Malawi. But mostly Scout is a great observer, and she is sharing a reflection of her parent's emotions.
I can't say that everything about my job in Malawi was perfect. And many nights as I reflect on my time serving with the Pediatric AIDS Corps, I feel regret that I didn't do more. But most people never get to touch their dream. I did. For that I will always be thankful to Baylor.
This is the work that lands in the pages of Time. From the distance of a glossy story, the doctor always succeeds. The child always lives. And in most ways this is true. Children, who would have otherwise died, are thriving because of BIPAI and the Pediatric AIDS Corps. But one of the things I am most grateful for is that I learned it takes great effort to achieve even the smallest success. I was there for the failure and the triumph. And because of those experiences, I am a better doctor today.
I have now returned to the life I left, that of a small town Idaho pediatrician. (My dog was waiting when we pulled into the driveway.) As a Pediatric AIDS Corps physician, I was able to touch my dream but not completely fulfill it. So on those sleepless nights, I also long to serve again. Someday I will; I hope it is with BIPAI."
Sebastian Strigl, MD
Dr. Strigl received his MD from Humboldt University in Berlin. He trained in pediatrics at the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, where is also served as Chief Resident. After residency, Dr. Strigl completed a fellowship in pediatric cardiology at the Children's Hospital of New York at Columbia University, and a fourth year of fellowship in cardiac imaging at Children's Hospital in Boston.
Dr. Strigl served as a Pediatric AIDS Corps physician in Malawi from September through December, 2007. After the PAC, he accepted a position as Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine Yeshiva University, in New York, and as an Attending Physician in the Division of Pediatric Cardiology at Children's Hospital at Montefiore in the Bronx, NY, and Director, Division of Pediatric Cardiology at Jacobi Medical Center.
Omolara Thomas, M.D.
Dr. Thomas is a graduate of the City University of New York and the New York University School of Medicine. She trained in pediatrics at the Boston Combined Residency Program.
Dr. Thomas has worked previously in Kisumu, Kenya, and in Mapoteng, Lesotho. She has traveled regularly to Nigeria with her family. Dr. Thomas accepted an assignment as a Pediatric AIDS Corps doctor in Malawi, beginning in July, 2007. In August, 2008, Dr. Thomas returned to the United States, where she accepted a position as a primary care clinical research fellow in urban community health, and as an assistant attending physician in clinical pediatrics at the Columbia University Medical Center in New York.
Dr. Thomas writes of her PAC experience:
"Working with BIPAI in Malawi allowed me to learn about the joys and challenges of working overseas on a long-term basis. During my time, after working primarily in the outreach setting to improve HIV/AIDS care for Malawian children living in rural areas, I decided that I wanted to focus my career on public health to learn more about working to improve existing systems to improve pediatric healthcare. I am currently at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health pursuing my Masters' in Public Health Degree in the Population and Family Health under the Global Health Track, as well as completing a fellowship to improve my research skills. As part of the degree, I will have the opportunity to return to Africa for 6 months to work on a research project. Upon completion, I hope to base my career in Nigeria, where my parents are originally from, to improve access to healthcare for children in that region."
M. Greg Thompson, M.D., M.P.H.
Dr. Thompson is a graduate of Iowa State University and the Yale University School of Medicine. He trained in pediatrics at the University of Washington in Seattle.
During residency, Dr. Thompson was a nominee for the AAMC Community Recognition Award for the Boost Kids! Project, which involved curriculum development for booster seat education and distribution among immigrant communities in Seattle. He has worked previously in India, Equatorial Guinea, Taiwan, China and Korea. He speaks Mandarin Chinese, Spanish and Korean.
Dr. Thompson served as a Pediatric AIDS Corps physician in Lesotho from August, 2006 through June, 2007. Since November, 2007 he has worked as a General pediatrician in private practice with Peace Health Medical Group in Bellingham, Washington.
Tamara Todd, M.D.
A native of Louisiana, Dr. Todd earned undergraduate and medical degrees from the Louisiana State University. She trained in pediatrics at the Maine Medical Center in Portland.
Dr. Todd lived in Jakarta, Indonesia during her high school years, an experience which sparked her interest in international work. She also has worked in Mexico and Belize, and has worked extensively during her residency with recently resettled immigrants and refugees in Portland, Maine.
Dr. Todd served as a Pediatric AIDS Corps physician in Botswana from August, 2006 to June 2007, and then in Swaziland from July, 2007 through July, 2008. She currently works as a general pediatrician with the Hilo Medical Center/Hawaii Health Systems Corporation.
Michael A. Tolle, M.D., M.P.H.
Dr. Tolle is a graduate of Southern Methodist University and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas. He was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha, the national medical honor society, in 1995. He trained in Family Practice at the Parkland Hospital at the University of Texas Southwestern, where he also served as Chief Resident. Dr. Tolle also holds a Certificate in Travel Health, granted by the International Society of Travel Medicine, and based on coursework completed is eligible to take the American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene certification exam when it is next offered. He holds a Masters of Public Health degree from Johns Hopkins University.
Dr. Tolle has worked previously throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as in the Balkans. He served as a Pediatric AIDS Corps physician in Lesotho from August, 2006 through August, 2007, when he left the PAC to join the Houston-based BIPAI team.
Daniel Vostrejs, MD, MHS
Dr. Vostrejs is a graduate of the University of Colorado, Boulder, and the University of California, Davis, School of Medicine. He trained in pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Vostrejs also holds a Master of Health Science degree from Johns Hopkins University. His field of study in the MHS program was international health systems management.
Prior to joining the Pediatric AIDS Corps, Dr. Vostrejs served in the United States Peace Corps as a science teacher and trainer in St. Vincent. He has also worked as an analyst in support of USAID health programs. Dr. worked as a Pediatric AIDS Corps in Swaziland from July, 2008 through December, 2009.
Dwight E. Yin, M.D.
A native of Clear Lake, Texas, Dr. Yin is a graduate of Duke University and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School at Dallas. He trained in pediatrics at St. Louis Children's Hospital at Washington University in St. Louis.
During medical school, Dr. Yin made two trips to Zimbabwe. On these medical mission trips, he had the opportunity to witness the effects of heavy rain followed by droughts, political corruption and farm seizures on nutrition and other aspects of health. These experiences motivated him to seek a career in international medicine. He speaks Mandarin Chinese, French and Spanish.
Dr. Yin served as a Pediatric AIDS Corps physician in Botswana from July, 2006 through July, 2009.
Brian C. Zanoni, M.D.
A native of Trenton, New Jersey, Dr. Zanoni is a graduate of St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia, and Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington DC. He trained in both internal medicine and pediatrics at the Baylor College of Medicine. He was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha, the national medical honor society, in 2001.
Dr. Zanoni has worked previously with Unity Care for the Homeless in Washington DC. He also has international experience working at the Hospital Infantil Rio Hondo, Zacapa, Guatemala. He served as a Pediatric AIDS Corps physician in Botswana through July, 2007, then moved to KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, where he served as a Pediatric AIDS Corps physician "on loan" to support a Harvard Medical School project. In October 2008, Dr. Zanoni left BIPAI to work with Harvard directly in South Africa.
Gretchen Zima, M.D.
Dr. Zima is a graduate of Boston College and the Ross University School of Medicine in Dominica, West Indies. She trained in both internal medicine and pediatrics at Penn State University. She has completed fellowship in pediatric infectious disease and immunology at the University of Miami. She also has a diploma in tropical medicine from the London School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.
Dr. Zima's Bachelor of Science degree is in nursing. She worked for three years as a Bone Marrow Transplant Nurse before enrolling in medical school. Dr. Zima has worked previously in Kenya, Cambodia, Swaziland, Uganda, Belize, Zaire, and Haiti.
Dr. Zima served as a Pediatric AIDS Corps physician in Swaziland from August, 2006 through April, 2007.
Jeffrey Zsohar, M.D.
A native of Dallas, Texas, Dr. Zsohar is a graduate of Texas Tech University and the University of Texas at Houston School of Medicine. He trained in both pediatrics and internal medicine at the University of Tennessee.
During medical school, Dr. Zsohar spent two months working in a government supported public health clinic in Guguletu, South Africa, which is an impoverished shanty town outside of Cape Town.
Dr. Zsohar served as a Pediatric AIDS Corps physician in Botswana from July, 2006 through December, 2008.