Residents

Pearl Aggarwal, MD (PGY3)

Hometown: Gurgaon, India
Medical School: SGT Medical College, Pt. Bhagwat Dayal Sharma University of Health Sciences, India
Professional Interest: Gastroenterology 

What is your favorite part of the St. John’s Internal Medicine Program? St John’s offers a unique blend of a supportive family-like environment, abundant opportunities for personal and professional development, and not to forget-Jazzman Cafe!

What is the most difficult part of residency? Entering residency and further transitioning from a first year to a senior brings challenges such as increased responsibilities and management skills. My attendings and fellow residents created a warm and friendly atmosphere, guiding me through this effortlessly.

What advice would you give to an M-4 student applying for residency?  Embrace the challenges and take them as opportunities to grow, seek mentorship, practice self-care, and stay resilient throughout the journey.

What’s life in Cleveland like outside of the hospital? Cleveland offers a distinctive mix of attractions, including the renowned Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the atmospheric West Side Market, scenic Lake Erie beaches, vibrant live shows at Playhouse Square, Metroparks for hiking, great museums, and much more-truly a city with something for everybody!

What’s your favorite Cleveland restaurant? Mia Bella in Little Italy is a delightful restaurant for Italian cuisine. For coffee enthusiasts like me, Edda Coffee Roasters offers a cozy experience.

Jared Bressi, DO (PGY3)

Hometown: Hudson, Ohio
Medical School: Lincoln Memorial DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine (DCOM)
Professional Interest: Hospital medicine, pulmonology, critical care

What is your favorite part of the St. John’s Internal Medicine Program? Our culture of treating each other like family and supporting each other. This is reinforced by our teaching attending on service, they give us a large amount of autonomy, but are present throughout the day, support us in every way possible, & are very accessible/approachable.  It makes it an enjoyable atmosphere.

What is the most difficult part of residency? Work-life balance: Trying to maintain a social life with friends/families while continuing to maintain all of your residency responsibilities & making time to study when not on duty.

What advice would you give to a M-4 student applying for residency?  Keep an open mind throughout the process, don't try to go to a program just because of its reputation, look closely at all aspects of the program, and see if the program is a good fit for both you're interested/career goals in medicine as well as your personality.  You will spend the majority of the next 3 years in a program and want to be in a place where you are happy and look forward to working there every day.  Ask plenty of questions during your interview.

What’s life in Cleveland like outside of the hospital? There are so many different things to do in Cleveland.  The big 3 professional sports are here: NFL, NBA, MLB.  Also an excellent restaurant scene and nightlife in Cleveland.  Multiple museums: natural history, art museum, science center, rock hall.  Cleveland metro parks have excellent outdoor activities including hiking, canoeing, snow-shoeing, skiing, & tobogganing.  Playhouse square for musicals, plays, and concerts.  There is truly something for everyone to do in this great city.

What’s your favorite Cleveland restaurant? Fahrenheit. 

Rishil Chopra, MD (PGY3)

Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Medical School: Saint James School of Medicine, Anguilla
Professional Interest: Hematology-Oncology

What is your favorite part of the St. John’s Internal Medicine Program?
The camaraderie, not only between the residents, but also the attendings makes this an amazing program to be at. The fact that this is a smaller program is advantageous as you get a chance to get to know everyone you work with

What is the most difficult part of residency?
Adjusting to the work hours while trying to maintain a life outside of the hospital can be challenging, especially during intern year. It does get easier as time goes on. Within the hospital, sometimes it’s scary to make decisions because you might make mistakes. Being able to learn and adjust from these mistakes will make the more difficult parts of residency that much easier

What advice would you give to an M-4 student applying for residency?
Wherever you end up, do your best to try to make a small group of friends. Residency is tough and knowing that others are going through the same thing you’re going through helps a lot. Find something you really enjoy and spend some of the free time you have doing it. Residency becomes easier when you’re enjoying yourself

What’s life in Cleveland like outside of the hospital?
I believe Cleveland is a bit underrated compared to other cities. Though it’s small, it has so much to do. The restaurant scene is always fun, there are many different breweries throughout the city to check out. This is a big sports city and the fans in this town are very enthusiastic. Another amazing thing about Cleveland is that is it very close to many different cities which always makes for a fun weekend getaway.

What’s your favorite Cleveland restaurant?
Town hall in Ohio City has excellent food. The atmosphere is lively if you go at night. Bourbon Street Barrel in Tremont is also another favorite of mine. The restaurant is cool, the atmosphere is fun. Taco Bell in Avon may be the best Taco Bell I’ve ever been to in my life

Mazen Allouni, MD (PGY2)

Hometown: Deir-Ezzor, Syria
Medical School: Aleppo University Faculty of Medicine 
Professional Interest: Rheumatology 

What is your favorite part of the St. John’s Internal Medicine Program? The unconditional support from our wonderful attendings, GME, and one-of-a-kind mentorship and leadership of our program director Dr. Budnick. The autonomy, respect, friendly atmosphere, variety of pathology, and the true opportunity to learn from our faculty who were superstars at their Ivy-League US hospital systems during their training, practice, and beyond. 

What is the most difficult part of residency? Burnout is inevitable at some point during residency, social sacrifice, work-life balance (the hours can, on occasions, be difficult to the point where there is no time to do anything outside of work), the fear of making mistakes, the feeling of being inferior to other co-residents and forgetting the fact that everything will be fine in due time (no one jumps from hero to a greater hero overnight).

What advice would you give to a M-4 student applying for residency?  For you as an applicant, I think choosing the right program is a very crucial step in a successful residency, so do your work in researching the programs you’re applying for and follow your heart as it will never lie to you.

As a future resident, learn how to navigate any difficulties by setting boundaries and developing healthy coping mechanisms that can help you excel in your training. Remember that you’re not alone, we have all been there before, and residency will be over before you realize it. You must take time to practice self-care, spend time with loved ones, find joy in everyday patient encounters, have fun, nourish your body with food and exercise, have a sense of humor, and don’t take things too seriously. Life is too short! 

What’s life in Cleveland like outside of the hospital? In my opinion, Cleveland, it’s one of the greatest cities in the United States! It is full of things to do like museums, lakes, restaurants, nightlife, spectacular natural attractions and so much more.  Cleveland has a surprisingly affordable cost of living for a city that has everything you may want and need.

What’s your favorite Cleveland restaurant? This is one of the hardest questions to answer, considering the endless options of amazing restaurants in the Greater Cleveland area.  I will vote for Wild Mango in Crocker Park, and Ferris Shawarma in Lakewood.

David Banuelos, DO (PGY2)

Hometown: Odessa, Texas
Medical School: Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine at New Mexico State
Professional Interest: Hospitalist work but considering a fellowship in nephrology

What is your favorite part of the St. John’s Internal Medicine Program? It is difficult to pick just one aspect of the SJMC IM program as my favorite. As a small-town kid, I really enjoy the culture, intimate size with the benefit of a wide variety of specialties to rotate through, and a close community of kind and thoughtful residents and faculty. It has also been my experience that the program is thought of highly by the community it serves. It fills me with pride when I’m interacting with a patient only to have them tell me they requested to come to our hospital because they receive better care at UH SJMC—so I get a true sense of community support. I also couples-matched here, so that’s a big plus.

What is the most difficult part of residency? Time spent away from family and the constant struggle with “imposter syndrome” but it gets better as you become friends with your fellow residents, and they provide tremendous support—we look out for each other.

What advice would you give to a M-4 student applying for residency? As cliché as it sounds, I’d advise them to just be themselves. Be honest with yourself about what you want from a residency program and be honest with the program and it will work itself out.

What’s life in Cleveland like outside of the hospital? Great! There is plenty of outdoor activities, good restaurants and breweries. Great pro-sports entertainment—something for everyone. People here are friendly, and the cost of living is affordable.

What’s your favorite Cleveland restaurant? Thyme Table. The atmosphere is very culinary-artsy with great food and better cocktails. I’d recommend the Grilled Coulotte Steak or BBQ Beer Braised Short Rib.

Erika Jones, DO (PGY2)

Hometown: Cleveland
Medical School: OU HCOM- Cleveland 
Professional Interest: Hospital medicine with a special interest in palliative care and hospice 

What is your favorite part of the St. John’s Internal Medicine Program? The culture! We truly are a family here, very supportive and I know every resident has my back. It’s family-focused, and very accepting for residents with children or desire to have them in residency. 

What is the most difficult part of residency? Night shift hours, specifically being away from my toddler, partner, and puppy! 

What advice would you give to an M-4 student applying for residency? Trust your gut when interviewing. Ask the tough questions. You want to be in a program that’s the best fit for you. 

What’s life in Cleveland like outside of the hospital? I’m born and raised here so I have a bias. I love Cleveland! There’s so much to do, from sports, restaurants and bars, and breweries. Now that I’m a mom, I spend my free time visiting museums, libraries, and the zoo as well as hiking through many of Cleveland’s Metroparks.

What’s your favorite Cleveland restaurant? Tres Portrillos! An authentic Mexican restaurant in Shaker Heights. My husband and I love Indian food so we recommend PK curry house, an authentic Nepali and Indian restaurant in Mayfield Heights. 

Stephanie Brooks, DO (PGY1)

Hometown: San Diego, CA
Medical School: Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine
Professional Interest: Hospital Administration or Intensive Care

What are you most excited about as you start residency? I am looking forward to applying what I have learned throughout medical school and my clerkships. I am very excited to start this next chapter with my new fellow residents.

Why did you choose UH SJMC Internal Medicine? I wanted a community-based hospital with high-level academic resources and a big-city feel and UHSJMC is exactly that! This allows residents to have more time with attendings while also having a variety of pathologies. 

What advice would you give to an M-4 student applying for residency? During interviews and personal statements, don't miss an opportunity to shine.  Don't be afraid to talk about your accomplishments, experiences, and plans for the future. Share things you love outside of the hospital as well. By showing residency programs who truly are, you will end up with the best fit. 

Jacob Varga, MD (PGY1)

Hometown: Brookfield, Ohio
Professional Interest: I am currently undecided as there are a few fields that interest me. I’m going to explore them further to clarify my interest.

What are you most excited about as you start residency? I am most excited to begin the next chapter of my life as a physician in a program I’m honored to be a part of. I’m excited to continue to improve my knowledge and hone my skills to become the best practitioner of medicine I can be.

Why did you choose UH SJMC Internal Medicine? I chose SJMC because when I attended the sessions held during the application cycle, all the residents involved illustrated a family which strives to improve together and exemplified the type of program I wanted to be a part of.

What advice would you give to an M-4 student applying for residency? You’ve accomplished so much to get where you are right now. Be proud of that! In addition, always be true to yourself because you want to find a program that fits you and will provide an environment that will help you develop into the physician you’ve been working so hard to become.

Omer Yousif, MD (PGY1)

Hometown: Khartoum, Sudan
Medical School: University of Khartoum
Professional Interest: Hematology Oncology/Cardiology

What are you most excited about as you start residency? I’m very excited to start my internship, even though I anticipate it might be quite challenging. I believe that facing and overcoming these challenges will play a pivotal role in shaping me into a more competent and compassionate physician.

Why did you choose UH SJMC Internal Medicine? Several factors made me rank UH SJMC at the top of my list. Firstly, I had wonderful interviews with Dr. Budnick, the faculty doctors, and all the residents. They demonstrated a clear commitment to creating an environment where I can thrive both personally and professionally. Additionally, after just three weeks of starting, I have been deeply touched by the support, help, and guidance from everyone in this program. Secondly, I am fortunate to have a strong support system in Cleveland from friends, family, and the city itself. With all of these factors combined, I am truly enjoying the journey toward the three years of my residency.

What advice would you give to an M-4 student applying for residency? Becoming a competent and compassionate physician is a long and challenging journey, and I understand that it can be overwhelming and stressful for you. However, patience is the key to success. Don’t hesitate to seek guidance and support from your mentors, teachers, and friends. During the interview season, remember to stay true to yourself and showcase your genuine qualities. Aim to choose a place where you can grow in every aspect of your life. Good luck on your journey!