Chicago is one of the world's greatest cities. It is easy for our residents to maximize their time away from work whether by taking in a baseball game, hitting the beaches, cycling the Lakefront Trail or exploring the vibrant culinary scene.
Hayden Baker, MD
Northwestern University / University of Illinois College of Medicine
hayden.baker@uchicagomedicine.org
Hometown: Trout Valley, IL
Undergrad: Northwestern University
Medical School: University of Illinois College of Medicine
Personal Interests: Supporting Chicago and Northwestern athletics, spending time with friends and family, running, biking, pick up basketball, hockey, and golf
Professional Interests: Sports, trauma, clinical research
Favorite part of the UChicago Medicine experience: The University of Chicago Strength and Conditioning Institute, Camaraderie among co-residents, early operative experience, Level 1 trauma center with challenging diverse pathology including ballistic trauma, good mixture of sub-specialty experience, opportunities for basic science as well as clinical outcomes research
Cathleen Cahill, MD
University of Illinois / Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine
cathleen.cahill@uchicagomedicine.org
Hometown: Elmhurst, IL
Undergrad: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Medical School: Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine
Personal Interests: Running along the Lakefront, skiing and hiking in Colorado, spending time with family and friends in Chicago
Professional Interests: Hand and upper extremity, pediatrics
Favorite part of the UChicago Medicine experience: The wonderful team of residents
Emma Dwyer, MD
Saint Louis University / Saint Louis University School of Medicine
emma.dwyer@uchicagomedicine.org
Hometown: St. Louis, MO
Undergrad: Saint Louis University
Medical School: Saint Louis University School of Medicine
Personal Interests: Spikeball, biking the Lakefront, soccer, Starbucks, learning choreographed dances, Ted Drewes Frozen Custard
Professional Interests: Hand and upper extremity, pediatrics
Favorite part of the UChicago Medicine experience: Mentorship from co-residents and attendings
Daniel Portney, MD
University of Michigan / Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
daniel.portney@uchicagomedicine.org
Hometown: West Bloomfield, MI
Undergrad: University of Michigan
Medical School: Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Personal Interests: UofM sports, cooking, Fantasy football, Netflix, hiking/outdoors
Professional Interests: Hand and upper extremity surgery, musculoskeletal ultrasound
Favorite part of the UChicago Medicine experience: Resident and attending camaraderie, working with a unique and diverse population
Publications / Research: Management in ballistic orthopaedic trauma, musculoskeletal ultrasound, sports database studies, UCL reconstruction
Lohith Vatti, MD
Youngstown State University / Northeast Ohio Medical University
lohith.vatti@uchicagomedicine.org
Hometown: Dublin, OH
Undergrad: Youngstown State University
Medical School: Northeast Ohio Medical University
Personal Interests: Fitness, cooking, documentaries, travel, aviation
Professional Interests: Care and research towards patient outcomes
Favorite part of the UChicago Medicine experience: The patients, staff, and residents of this wonderful city that have so much to share
Hussein Abdul-Rassoul, MD
University of California, San Diego/Boston University School of Medicine
hussein.abdul-rassoul@uchicagomedicine.org
Hometown: La Verne, CA
Undergrad: University of California, San Diego
Medical School: Boston University School of Medicine
Personal Interests: Hiking, camping, backpacking, traveling, sports, arguing about the NBA, podcasts, food
Professional Interests: Healthcare economics, health disparities, upper extremity, joint reconstruction
Favorite part of the UChicago Medicine experience: The early exposure to operating, the excellent teaching, and camaraderie between the staff and residents
Dillon Benson, MD
University of Florida / University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine
dillon.benson@uchicagomedicine.org
Hometown: Vero Beach, FL
Undergrad: University of Florida
Medical School: University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine
Personal Interests: Soccer, golf, movies, spending time with family and friends
Professional Interests: Clinical outcomes reasearch, healthcare economics
Favorite part of the UChicago Medicine experience: Faculty and resident camaraderie, high volume, well-rounded operative training
Christopher Johnson, MD, PhD
Michigan State University / Emory University School of Medicine
christopher.johnson2@uchicagomedicine.org
Hometown: Troy, MI
Undergrad: Michigan State University
Medical School: Emory University School of Medicine
Graduate School: Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University
Personal Interests: Cooking, eating good food and trying new restaurants, exploring Chicago with my wife and dog, spending time with my family
Professional Interests: Spine surgery, ballistic spine trauma, novel biomaterial-based drug delivery strategies to treat orthopaedic implant infections
Favorite part of the UChicago Medicine experience: It is a very welcoming and collaborative environment to work in. Attendings are focused on teaching residents, which creates a fantastic training environment. There is strong camaraderie amongst residents and faculty.
Cody Lee, MD
University of Illinois at Chicago / The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine
Hometown: Downers Grove, IL
Undergrad: University of Illinois at Chicago
Medical School: The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine
Personal Interests: Spending time with my wife and dog, Chicago sports, running, cooking, spending time at the lake
Professional Interests: Orthopaedic outcomes research, biomechanics, tissue engineering
Favorite part of the UChicago Medicine experience: The culture of the orthopaedic surgery department: the faculty is invested in resident education and is supportive and encouraging throughout the learning process. As residents, we have each other's backs and care about one another both personally and professionally.
Patrick Nelson, MD
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities / Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
patrick.nelson@uchicagomedicine.org
Hometown: Minneapolis, MN
Undergrad: University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Medical School: Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Personal Interests: Running, breweries, rooftop patios, space documentaries, Minnesota sports, COD, dogs, making cocktails, melted cheese
Professional Interests: Outcomes research, telehealth
Favorite part of the UChicago Medicine experience: The combination of operative experience, faculty teaching, and resident camaraderie. Being part of a program with a positive culture makes coming to work easy. We see some of the most interesting trauma in the country and get involved operating early. Finally, Chicago is a great place to live–there is literally too many things to do and there is something for everyone.
Walaa Abdelfadeel, MD
Harvard University / Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
walaa.abdelfadeel@uchicagomedicine.org
Hometown: Buffalo, NY
Undergrad: Harvard University
Medical School: Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
Personal Interests: Mentoring URM students, drawing, karaoke, musicals, baking, listening to true crime podcasts, watching reality television
Professional Interests:
Favorite part of the UChicago Medicine experience:
Daniel Marks, MD
University of North Carolina / University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine
daniel.marks@uchicagomedicine.org
Hometown: Lexington, NC
Undergrad: University of North Carolina
Medical School: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine
Personal Interests: Baseball, golf, collecting vinyl records, guitar, Phish, UNC basketball, Italian food
Professional Interests: Sports Medicine, Adult Joint Reconstruction
Favorite part of the UChicago Medicine experience: Great early operative experience. Our attendings are awesome. I love the city of Chicago.
Charles Poff, MD
University of South Carolina / Medical University of South Carolina
charles.poff@uchicagomedicine.org
Hometown: Cincinnati, OH
Undergrad: University of South Carolina
Medical School: Medical University of South Carolina
Personal Interests: Baseball, SEC football, Christopher Nolan movies, running on the lakeshore
Professional Interests: Volume / outcomes / utilization research, healthcare disparities
Favorite part of the UChicago Medicine experience: The faculty and my co-residents are completely invested in resident education. Everyone welcomes you as part of the family on Day 1.
Jordan Serotte, MD
Elon University / Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Buffalo
jordan.serotte@uchicagomedicine.org
Hometown: Buffalo, NY
Undergrad: Elon University
Medical School: Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Buffalo
Personal Interests: Running, yoga, hiking, live music, traveling
Professional Interests: Healthcare disparities, local community outreach, clinical outcomes in Orthopaedics
Favorite part of the UChicago Medicine experience: Getting to see and learn alongside my class
Douglas Weaver, MD
Brigham Young University / Ohio State University College of Medicine
douglas.weaver@uchicagomedicine.org
Hometown: Salt Lake City, UT
Undergrad: Brigham Young University
Medical School: Ohio State University College of Medicine
Personal Interests: Snow skiing, hiking, tennis, piano performance, charcoal drawing, cooking
Professional Interests:
Favorite part of the UChicago Medicine experience:
Tony Da Lomba, MD
University of Richmond / The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine
tony.dalomba@uchicagomedicine.org
Hometown: Barnstable, MA
Undergrad: University of Richmond
Medical School: The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine
Personal Interests: Painting, graphic design, running along the lakefront, exploring Chicago restaurants, mentoring URM students
Professional Interests: Medical education, health equity
Favorite part of the UChicago Medicine experience: Our faculty and administrators are incredibly supportive. We see a diverse spectrum of cases with a robust trauma experience - all with the underlying institutional mission to serve and uplift the South Side and Chicagoland community members.
Jennifer Eurich, MD
Case Western Reserve University / Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
jennifer.eurich@uchicagomedicine.org
Hometown: Elizabethtown, PA
Undergrad: Case Western Reserve University
Medical School: Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
Personal Interests: Walking my cat (Douglas!), Peloton, weightlifting, knitting, bouldering, baking, sudoku, video games
Professional Interests: Narrative medicine, healthcare disparities, orthpaedic trauma, hand and upper extremity
Favorite part of the UChicago Medicine experience: My co-interns! They're truly wonderful people, and I know they always have my back.
Nicoletta Kijak, MD
The University of Chicago / SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University College of Medicine
nicoletta.kijak@uchicagomedicine.org
Hometown: Plainfield, IL
Undergrad: The University of Chicago
Medical School: SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University College of Medicine
Personal Interests: Reading, houseplants, board games, cooking, exploring Chicago
Professional Interests: Healthcare disparities research, pediatric orthopaedics, trauma
Favorite part of the UChicago Medicine experience: The early operative experience, alongside the great team of residents and attendings
Darlington Nwaudo, MD
Harvard University / The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine
darlington.nwaudo@uchicagomedicine.org
Hometown: Eagan, MN
Undergrad: Harvard University
Medical School: The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine
Personal Interests: Mentorship, NBA, NFL, Formula 1, walks with my wife and dog, Peloton, breweries, board games, pickleball
Professional Interests: Healthcare disparities, trauma, sports, teaching
Favorite part of the UChicago Medicine experience: The patients that we are able to take care of. It’s incredible to be at an institution that is dedicated to serving the surrounding community while also being a tertiary care center. I feel so lucky to train and learn in an environment where the residents and attendings are conscious of the social issues our patients face and are committed to decreasing disparities.
Lauren Pitz-Gonçalves, MD
Georgia Institute of Technology / Indiana University School of Medicine
lauren.pitz-goncalves@uchicagomedicine.org
Hometown: Carmel, IN
Undergrad: Georgia Institute of Technology
Medical School: Indiana University School of Medicine
Personal Interests: Spending time with my husband and dog, volleyball, reading, cooking
Professional Interests: Sports medicine, hand, arthroplasty
Favorite part of the UChicago Medicine experience: Fantastic resident leaders who prioritize the education of younger residents and students. Early operative experience. With the lake and the city experience, Chicago has everything you could ever want!
D'Andrew Gursay, MD
West Chester University of Pennsylvania / Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
dandrew.gursay@uchicagomedicine.org
Hometown:
Undergrad: West Chester University of Pennsylvania
Medical School: Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
Personal Interests:
Professional Interests:
Favorite part of the UChicago Medicine experience:
Alexander Koo, MD
Vassar College / Weill Cornell Medicine
alexander.koo@uchicagomedicine.org
Hometown: Honolulu, HI / Pomona, CA
Undergrad: Vassar College
Medical School: Weill Cornell Medicine
Personal Interests: Composing music, playing the piano, weightlifting, running / biking along the lakefront, exploring neighborhoods in the city
Professional Interests: Hand and upper extremity, hip / knee arthroplasty, mentorship, DEI advocacy, medical education
Favorite part of the UChicago Medicine experience: Getting to work and learn alongside smart and talented yet humble and warm co-residents, mentorship from leaders of the field, and early operative experience.
Kole Niemi, MD
Grand Valley State University / University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
kole.niemi@uchicagomedicine.org
Hometown: Garden City, MI
Undergrad: Grand Valley State University
Medical School: University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
Personal Interests: Detroit Lions football, biking, the beach, hunting, video games, board games, Formula 1, Chicago nightlife
Professional Interests: Hand and upper extremity, arthroplasty, medical education
Favorite part of the UChicago Medicine experience: Amazing co-residents and a program with great opportunities for early operative experience with the support for any of our Orthopaedic interests. Plus, Chicago offers great variety for quality out of work time!
Jordan Swindle, MD
University of Kentucky / University of Louisville School of Medicine
jordan.swindle@uchicagomedicine.org
Hometown: Jacksonville, FL
Undergrad: University of Kentucky
Medical School: University of Louisville School of Medicine
Personal Interests: My wife and two boys, hamburgers and chicken wings, board games, Kentucky football, multitools, and working out
Professional Interests: Adult joint reconstruction, sports medicine, spine, pediatrics
Favorite part of the UChicago Medicine experience: Great camaraderie with my fellow residents. Early and often operative experience. Our attendings are very approachable and easy going. They are wonderful teachers who give you autonomy in a way that’s conducive to your learning as well as safe for the patients.
Patrick Ward, MD
Northwestern University / Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine
patrick.ward2@uchicagomedicine.org
Hometown:
Undergrad: Northwestern University
Medical School: Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine
Personal Interests:
Professional Interests:
Favorite part of the UChicago Medicine experience: