Danielle estell, MD
Hometown: Seattle, Washington
Med School: Keck School of Medicine of USC
Why LAC+USC:
Plans for after residency: Heme-Onc
Varsha Kandadi, MD
Pronouns: she/her
Hometown: St. Louis, MO
Undergrad: University of Missouri- Kansas City
Med School: University of Missouri - Kansas City
Hobbies: running, reading, finding the best coffee shops and brunch places, hiking or anything outdoors
Why LAC+USC: The people for sure. I did an away rotation at LAC+USC last year, and after meeting all of the incredible residents and faculty, I knew that this was the place for me. I’m also convinced that LA is one of the best cities in the country. There is always something to do whether it’s going to the beach, trying out new restaurants or coffee shops, or finding your favorite boba place. Of course, the endless sunshine never hurts either!
Plans for after residency: Combined hospitalist, but still deciding!
Fun Fact: My name means rain, and every time I go to a new city, it always rains! Still waiting for it to rain in LA though…
Andrea Soto Lopez, MD
Hometown : Gurabo, Puerto Rico
Med School : Universidad Central del Caribe
Why LAC+USC:
Plans for after residency: Combined Med+Peds Rheumatology
Anthony mills, MD
Pronouns: he/him
Hometown: Salt Lake City, UT
Undergrad: University of Utah
Medical School: University of Utah
Why LAC+USC?: Because of the patients, the people who work here and the city itself. The challenges that our patients face make training here difficult, but all the more fulfilling. I can’t imagine a more supportive group of co-residents and program leadership. My $0.02 on the city is that if living in LA wasn’t worth the traffic, fewer people would live here and there would be less traffic.
Plans for after residency: considering HIV fellowship, but still trying to decide!
Shireen saxena, MD
Pronouns: she/her
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish, Hindi
Hometown: SF Bay Area, CA
Undergrad: Bryn Mawr College
Medical School: University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry
Hobbies: Playing with my adorable little one Mateo! Close seconds include salsa dancing, immersive travel (wandering in new places for extended periods), yoga, board games (Settlers of Catan, anyone?), hiking trails with great vistas, finding the best chai tea latte in town, and generally just embracing the art of saying yes.
Fun Fact: I will try anything once! Next on the list is surfing some California waves!
Why LAGMC/USC?: The deep commitment to achieving health equity. I was excited to not only participate in a dedicated Med-Peds clinic but also, to be surrounded by like-minded physicians integrating social responsibility and humility into each patient encounter, no matter how complex living in inner city Los Angeles may make the job. As someone who has moved from one poverty-stricken city to another and seen firsthand the structural problems that maintain health disparities across generations, I wanted to be with people who are dedicated to dismantling these structures in urban areas - whether by touching the life of one patient at a time or by reaching hundreds through research and political advocacy. If you are looking for a place to merge humanism and high-quality care under exceptional mentorship to become a well-rounded physician and leader, you’ve found it! Plus LA is kind of awesome ;)
Kairav Sinha, MD
Hometown: San Jose, CA
Med School: Keck School of Medicine of USC
Why LAC+USC? The program-wise commitment to pursuing equitable healthcare for our diverse patient population
Plans after residency: I did Teach for America during my gap years, and I’d like to be working at the intersection of health and educational equity