Our Residents - amcmedpeds

Hannah Bozell, MD

Undergraduate: Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis
Medical School: Indiana University School of Medicine
Academic Interests: Primary Care, Pulm Crit, Health Disparities, Patient Education
Plans: Work hard, learn a lot, figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life, and make some friends along then

About Me: This is my first time in the northeast! I grew up in South Bend, Indiana then moved down to Indianapolis for undergrad and medical school. You can catch me rotating through hobbies like crotchet, weightlifting, modding mechanical keyboards, making music, baking, and scrapbooking. I’m always down to try new restaurants, go on a hike, and kayak. Excited to see all that Upstate New York has to offer!

Jennifer Gillin, MD

Undergraduate: Lycoming College
Medical School: Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine
Academic Interests: Primary Care, Complex Care
Plans: Learn as much as I can and hike as many new trails as I can in 4 years

About Me: I was born and raised in southern New Jersey, but I have called Scranton, PA home for the last 6 years (but have never seen The Office!). I’ve known I wanted to be a doctor since I was 6 years old. As I progressed through medical school, I found I truly enjoyed many of the specialties I rotated through, and thus, Med-Peds was the perfect fit for me! Outside of medicine, I enjoy traveling, hiking with my rescue dog Cece, and skiing. I’m also looking forward to getting involved with therapeutic horseback riding again. I’m so excited to be a part of the AMC Med-Peds family!

Kiersten Kennedy, MD

Undergraduate: Le Moyne College
Medical School: SUNY Upstate Medical University
Academic Interests: Quality Improvement, Advocacy and Community Outreach, Research, Medical Education
Plans: Learn and grow as a physician and person, and make friends and memories here in Albany!

About Me: I grew up in Syracuse, NY, and wanted to stay close to home and family while pursuing Med-Peds. I am so happy to have joined Albany Med, and look forward to taking full advantage of the next four years here. In my spare time, I love to paint, crochet, and do all sorts of crafts. I also like to go roller-skating and dancing. I already love the Med-Peds program here and am excited to explore the Albany area!

Brandon Stahl, MD

Undergraduate: University of Miami
Medical School: Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine
Academic Interests: Gastroenterology, Nutrition, Endocrinology
Plans: Golf and play basketball as much as I can!

About Me: I was born and raised in Eastampton, NJ, a small suburb ~30 minutes from Philly (Go Birds). Music and sports have always played an important role in my life. Whether it was going to see Blink-182 (my favorite band), playing pickup basketball, going to Van’s Warped Tour or playing golf with friends and seeing how many balls I can lose in one round, music and sports have been how I like to relax. I also enjoy going to the gym to pick things up and put them down and watching sports/TV whenever I can!

Phylicia Abraham, MD

Undergraduate: University of Illinois at Chicago
Medical School: University of Illinois College of Medicine in Chicago
Academic Interests: Diversity and inclusion, healing-centered policy work, caring for underserved populations, nutrition
Plans: To grow in my ability to care for my patients and be kind to myself along the way. I also look forward to finding my support system here in Albany!

About Me: I feel very blessed to have grown up in Chicago—so much so that it took me until residency to leave! During my time there, I developed my academic interests through an internship with a health policy group, trauma-informed care research, a self-designed nutrition elective, and an education-centered medical home initiative at an urban federally qualified health center. I look forward to bringing these experiences to Albany and pursuing new opportunities for personal and professional growth. To relax, I like to make lists, journal, dance, work out, eat something sweet, call my loved ones, or laugh too hard at a sitcom 🙂

Rachel Bockol, MD

Undergraduate: Susquehanna University
Medical School: Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine
Academic Interests: Developmental Medicine, Med-Peds Hospitalist, Advocacy, Critical Care, Global Health
Plans: Learn as much as possible alongside amazing doctors! Outside of the hospital I hope to keep doing yoga, gyming, reading and spending time with my cat, Squish.

About Me: I’m from Lansdale, PA, a suburb of Philadelphia where my high school was bigger than my undergraduate! Then I moved to Central PA for undergraduate at Susquehanna University where I filled my time in the symphonic band, tour guiding and being a resident assistant. I also got the chance to study abroad in Cape Town, South Africa where I had my first taste of global health while experiencing the beauty of Table Mountain. I took a gap year before medical school where I worked at a summer camp for people with developmental disabilities and built amazing lifelong friendships. While I still love adventure, I also enjoy curling up with my cat and a good book. I’m looking forward to exploring all that Albany has to offer and getting as much as I can out of residency!

Krishna Madala, MD

Undergraduate: University of Massachusetts Amherst
Medical School: St. George’s University School of Medicine
Academic Interests: Quality Improvement, Advocacy and Community Outreach, Research, Medical Education
Plans: Pediatric/Adult Cardiology, Med-Peds Hospitalist, Medical education

About Me: Born and raised in Hyderabad, India but moved to the Northeast with my family since I was in high school. I love the seasons and truly prefer the cold…I’ve done my time in the tropics hahahah. I am thrilled to have matched at Albany Medical Center and look forward to learning in such a supportive environment. In my free time, I enjoy painting, binging on Korean dramas, attempting to learn new dishes, spending time with friends/family or trying out new restaurants.

Divya Vinod, MD

Undergraduate: University of Cincinnati
Medical School: Ohio State University College of Medicine
Academic Interests: Med-Peds Hospital Medicine, Quality Improvement, Medical Education, Health Disparities
Plans: Unsure! But I am hoping to learn a lot, explore Albany, eat some good food, and sleep well until I figure it out!

About Me: I’m born and raised in Cincinnati, OH, stayed in Cincinnati for undergrad and then moved right up the highway to attend medical school at the Ohio State University in Columbus, OH. As a midwestern girl, I am so excited to move and explore the Northeast for the first time! Some of my interests over the years have included organizing TEDx events in undergrad, working in the Spanish-speaking student-run free clinic in medical school, and participating in quality improvement projects both in the hospital and out in the community. In my free time, I am always hunting for fun spots to eat and good shows to watch! If I have some extra spare time, I love trying anything new – arts/crafts, hikes, games, recipes – you name it, I’ll try it!

Mahima Gill, DO

Undergraduate: McGill University, Montréal, Canada
Medical School: Midwestern University at Arizona
Academic Interests: Nutrition, Gastroenterology, Rheumatology, Mental Health
Plans: I have certain interests I want to explore, but at the same time, I want to give myself a chance to learn as much as I can and keep an open mind.

About Me: I grew up as a global citizen, raised in India, Canada, China, Japan, and Singapore. My nomadic life brought me to Arizona for medical school and then Albany for residency. Living around the world, I have become a foodie, enjoying different cuisines whether it be in new restaurants or cooking in my kitchen at home. I also like going to the gym and doing pilates, playing pickleball, and very badly attempting to hit balls on the golf range. When I get time off of work, I like travelling to Vancouver Island to see my family and help out on our farm where we try to build a sustainable lifestyle by raising chickens, growing vegetables and fruit in greenhouses we built together, and paint and do pottery in our art studio

Tatiana Hellwig, MD

Undergraduate: Syracuse University
Medical School: SUNY Upstate Medical School
Academic Interests: Primary Care, Complex Care, Nutrition
Plans: I’m excited to learn how to translate everything I’ve learned in medical school into the art of practicing medicine. I plan to be a reliant co resident for my colleagues and a thoughtful, empathetic physician to all my patients. I’m excited to learn from all the of attendings here at AMC, and developing my own “style” as I become more confident.

About Me: I’m originally from South Florida– and no, I don’t want to move back! I absolutely love the upstate NY area so matching at Albany was super exciting for me. I have 2 dogs, 2 cats, 7 chickens, and oh right, 1 husband! I love staying active whether that be going to the gym, for a run, or just playing sports with friends. I also love love love to cook and am a huge foodie! If we go to dinner, we’re ordering multiple items (maybe one of each) and splitting! And yes, we MUST end with a sweet treat. 🙂

Alekhya Kunaparaju, DO

Undergraduate: Rutgers University
Medical School: Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine
Academic Interests: Community Outreach, Advocacy, Global Health, Primary Care, Hospitalist Medicine
Plans: Enjoying my time in residency by making new friends and exploring the Albany area!

About Me: Hello! I grew up in New Jersey, and this is my first time living outside of the state (yes—I do miss not having to pump my own gas!). I’m excited to explore everything Albany and Upstate New York have to offer, especially the hiking trails and beautiful fall scenery. I’m incredibly grateful to be part of the Albany Med-Peds program and for the endless support from everyone here. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, strength training, watching K-dramas, doing calligraphy, interior decorating, traveling, and trying out new food spots!

Sydney Lim, MD

Undergraduate: University of Rochester
Medical School: SUNY Upstate Medical School
Academic Interests: Combined Hospitalist and Primary Care
Plans: Become a confident doctor while forming strong relationships with my patients and community! Also, becoming close with my fellow residents, program administration, and categorical colleagues.

About Me: I have lived in Upstate NY for almost my entire life, growing up in Syracuse and getting my undergraduate degree at the University of Rochester. My degree was in Computational Biology, which led me to pursue computational research in Neurology at the University of Pennsylvania during my two gap years. I then moved back home to Syracuse for medical school, which I am grateful for since it allowed me to be so close to my family. Aside from education, I love to spend my free time with friends and family. My hobbies include cooking, skiing, knitting, cycling, crossword puzzles/sudoku, and anything crafty! My father lives in Malaysia, so I also love embracing my Asian culture. I am so excited to make Albany my new home for the next 4 years, and to continue to be an Upstate NY gal!

Terrence Blackman, MD

Undergraduate: Howard University
Medical School: St George’s University School Of Medicine
Academic Interests: Sports Medicine, Community Health, Nutrition, Primary Care

Plans: I want to be the kind of provider who my patients can trust, one who they look forward to seeing. Ideally I would like my patients to understand that Preventative medicine is the best medicine and there can be a plethora of health through movement and a robust diet

About Me: I was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. My parents are from Guyana and Haiti. I’m pretty easygoing, I’m most likely the person who is taking a long time in the room because the conversation is good. I try to bring humor and joy to most situations. I’m a nerd through and through so anything video games or anime , I do like.. Especially Sonic. Otherwise im open to new experiences, I’ll try anything at least once. I also think Bleu cheese is better than ranch!

Aleena Mathew, MD

Undergraduate: University of Houston
Medical School: University of Queensland
Academic Interests: Hospital medicine, global health, patient + medical education

Plans: Hoping to figure out my life by the end of four years (combined hospitalist vs combined palliative care vs peds heme/onc vs ???)

About Me: Likes: long walks (beach not necessary), trying new food, live music and sporting events, travel, reading fiction, discussing movies. Excited for: exploring the Capital region, figuring out a proper sleep schedule, building a strong community here during residency, fostering relationships with my patients in the hospital and in clinic

Brandon Nguyen, DO

Undergraduate: UCLA

Medical School: Western University of Health Sciences

Academic Interests: Lifestyle medicine, LGBTQ advocacy/HIV care, mentorship

Plans: I hope to be a combined hospitalist for adults and kids and also split my time with primary care. I hope to use my passions of fitness and nutrition to prevent disease longitudinally.

About Me: Hi, I’m Brandon! I’m a huge foodie and love trying new restaurants. I love cooking with any ingredients I have (think Chopped from Food Network) and learning new cooking skills. In particular, I enjoy making innovative ice cream flavors such as my poached pear ice cream with Moscato caviar jelly and cinnamon salted caramel. Besides that, I love weightlifting, traveling (been to 18 countries), binging movies, and video games.

Annamaria Walden, MD

Undergraduate: Siena College

Medical School: Albany Medical College

Academic Interests: Medical education, primary care, caring for the underserved, medical ethics

Plans: Show my co-interns why I love Albany so much

About Me: Moved to the Capital District 8 years ago now and have not looked back! I feel so beyond lucky to be training at this program because I am doing what I love where I love and get to share in this intern experience with amazing co-residents. When not working, I’m hanging out with my husband (also an AMC intern!) and our friends from around the hospital, eating at a local restaurant, or curling up with a fantasy book and my two cats (Sesame and Boba). I am looking forward to growing as a physician, trying more restaurants (thank you residency paycheck), and (hopefully) reaching a 100+ book count this year.