PGY-III
Christopher Alexander, MD
Undergraduate: University of Central Florida
Medical School: Ross University School of Medicine
Hometown: Hollywood, Florida
Hobbies/Interest: All forms of exercise, fútbol, anything food related, traveling to experience new cultures, big nature guy
Fun Fact: I summited the infamous Petit Piton in my families home country of Saint Lucia (see picture above)
Christopher DiNicola, DO
Undergraduate: Carnegie Mellon University, Post Bacc at University of Connecticut
Medical School: LECOM Elmira
Hometown: Port Jefferson Station, NY
Hobbies/Interest: Hiking, Outdoors, Animals (have a dog and cat)
Fun Fact: I was an actuary in my former career
Andrew Dorovenis, MD, Chief Resident
Undergraduate:
Medical School: Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
Hometown: Toronto, Canada
Hobbies/Interest: Playing/watching hockey, soccer, football, going to the gym, cooking and spending time with friends and family!
Fun Fact: I have met multiple Game of Thrones actors in Dublin, Ireland!
Rebecca Eastman, MD
Undergraduate: SUNY Plattsburgh
Medical School: St. George’s University School of Medicine
Hometown: Levittown, NY
Hobbies/Interest: Skiing, traveling, boating, kayaking, reading
Fun Fact: I backpacked Patagonia with my Chilean family for Christmas in 2016
Gavin Eysler, MD
Undergraduate: SUNY Cobleskill (BS), Lincoln Memorial University (MS)
Medical School: St. George’s University School of Medicine
Hometown: Cold Spring Harbor, NY
Hobbies/Interest: Being a Dad and Husband, things that go fast, anything with a motor, long distance swimming, snowboarding, jujitsu, Slipknot, TBS, ADTR
Fun Fact: One time I wrestled a giraffe to the ground with my bare hands
Ariel Halevy, MD
Undergraduate: Yeshiva University
Medical School: Technion American Medical School
Hometown: San Diego, California
Hobbies/Interest: Technology, golfing, jet skiing, crazy roller coasters, and spending quality time with family
Fun Fact: Every place I have lived has been near the ocean/sea – I prefer the pool (there are less sharks)!
Arthur Speziale, DO, Chief Resident
Undergraduate: Florida Atlantic University
Medical School: Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Hometown: Poughkeepsie, NY
Hobbies/Interest: Mountain biking, kayaking, hiking
Fun Fact: I have two Shiba Inus named Luna and Alice
Kaitlyn Strabel, MD
Undergraduate: University of Wisconsin La-crosse
Medical School: Ross University School of Medicine
Hometown: Somerset Wisconsin
Hobbies/Interest: Baking bread and other treats from scratch, hiking, spending time with friends and family
Fun Fact: My cat Boston is practically part dog as he chases balls, occasionally plays tug of war, and loves cuddles
Reneé Thomas, MD
Undergraduate: York College
Medical School: Ross University School of Medicine
Hometown: Valley Stream, NY
Hobbies/Interest: Kickboxing, playing with my daughter, walks in the park, watching sci-fi movies, cooking new recipes, traveling, shopping all things beauty
Fun Fact: I visited Kaieteur Falls, the world’s highest flow single drop waterfall and was able to wash my feet in the water
Adam White, MD
Undergraduate: University of Houston
Medical School: St. George’s University School of Medicine
Hometown: Houston, TX
Hobbies/Interest: Kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Singing, Cooking, Hiking
Fun Fact: I’m a trained opera singer. I was a tenor with the Houston Symphony Chorus
Stefani Wren, MD, Chief Resident
Undergraduate: Quinnipiac University
Medical School: American University of Antigua College of Medicine
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Hobbies/Interest: Cooking/baking, watching New York sports teams (LGR!), crafting, traveling, reading, and spending time with family
Fun Fact: I was an extra in The Irishman
PGY-II
Andrew Brooke, MD
Undergraduate: Touro College School of Health Sciences
Medical School: St. George’s University School of Medicine
Hometown: Bay Shore, NY
Hobbies/Interest: Surfing, tennis, playing guitar, traveling and spending time with family
Fun Fact: I became surfing buddies with Jack Johnson when I lived in Hawaii.
Clayton “Reid” Coover, MD
Undergraduate: University of Texas at Tyler
Medical School: American University of the Caribbean
Hometown: Keller, TX
Hobbies/Interest: Golf, Pickleball, Travel (for the food), Sports (MLB/ NFL/NHL/Premier League)
Fun Fact: In my spare time I am a professional fetch thrower to my mini goldendoodle “Lido”
Elizabeth “Lizzy” Gorecki, MD
Undergraduate: Loyola University Chicago
Medical School: Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
Hometown: La Porte, Indiana
Hobbies/Interest: Spending time with my family, traveling with my fiancé, learning new languages, reading poetry—and perfecting the fine art of sleeping like it’s a competitive sport
Fun Fact: I once scuba-dived into a shark den in Hawaii—surrounded by reef sharks and pure adrenaline
Sulaiman Jamal Asmatullah, MD
Undergraduate: University of Houston
Medical School: Ross University School of Medicine
Hometown: Karachi, Pakistan
Hobbies/Interest: I’m a massive music nerd. I DJ, play the drums, and have recently been experimenting with synthesizers and soundtrack composition. Other than that, I love movies (RIP David Lynch), video games, exploring new places, and hanging out with my cat, Maki.
Fun Fact: I’ve lived in 6 cities, 4 countries, and 3 continents.
Alan Kalinda, MD
Undergraduate: University of Georgia
Medical School: Trinity School of Medicine
Hometown: Atlanta, GA
Hobbies/Interest: Traveling, wine tasting (hehe), skydiving, running, weight training, stocks, startups, skiing.
Fun Fact: I founded a medical networking app called Pulse — check it out!
Mathew McKenney, MD
Undergraduate: Mechanical Engineering
Medical School: St. George’s University School of Medicine
Hometown: Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada
Hobbies/Interest: Trail running, Skiing, Mountain biking…anything that gets the adrenaline going. Also play the piano as a fall back in case I break both my legs.
Fun Fact: When i was 10 my older brothers smuggled me into a cruise’s teen club in a suitcase, had me perform a breakdance number on the dance floor, and then packed me back in and smuggled me out.
Aditi Rawat, MD
Undergraduate: American International College of Arts and Sciences, Antigua
Medical School: American University of Antigua
Hometown: Delhi, India
Hobbies/Interest: Crafting & DIY projects, Cooking, Nature walks, Photo journaling, Learning weird facts about animals, Spending quality time with friends and family
Fun Fact: The first thing I did when the pandemic started was start a full Marvel movie marathon—from Iron Man to Endgame. Superhero-ing from my couch!
Hasan Syed, MD
Undergraduate: McMaster University
Medical School: Medical University of the Americas
Hometown: Burlington, Ontario, Canada
Hobbies/Interest: Calisthenics, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, MMA, Basketball, Action Movies, Spending time with Family and Friends
Fun Fact: I frequently hit 20K+ steps a day without even noticing (weird flex i know)
Robert Talay, MD
Undergraduate: Stony Brook University
Medical School: St. George’s University School of Medicine
Hometown: Smithtown, NY
Hobbies/Interest: Golf, Avid New York Rangers fan, Anything involving food, Fitness
Fun Fact: I’m full of useless movie quotes that I will use on a daily basis
Keitha Varela, MD
Undergraduate: City College of New York
Medical School: CUNY School of Medicine
Hometown: New Hyde Park, NY
Hobbies/Interest: My hobbies include cycling, hiking, watching Netflix and YouTube, and playing board games.
Fun Fact: I have 7 birds; 6 parakeets and a cockatiel!
PGY-I
Annabelle Assad, MD
Undergraduate: McGill University
Medical School: Saba University
Hometown: Montreal, Quebec
Hobbies/Interest: Horseback riding, true crime documentaries, walking my dog, and watching my husband cook
Fun Fact: I used to collect stamps as a kid, but I grew out of it…
Matthew Cotter, DO
Undergraduate: Marist University
Medical School: Touro COM – Middletown
Hometown: Beacon, NY
Hobbies/Interest: Traveling, water sports, hiking, pickleball, cooking, spending time with family
Fun Fact: I was a bartender for 10 years before returning to school to become a doctor. Tell me your favorite drink and I will make it for you!
Michael DiCocco, DO
Undergraduate: University of Connecticut
Medical School: Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine
Hometown: Merrick, NY
Hobbies/Interest: Fishing, golf, pickleball, NY sports (Yankees, Giants, Knicks, Islanders), UConn basketball, cooking and traveling
Fun Fact: I grew up in my family’s pizzeria, D’Cocco’s, and can still make a pretty good pizza
Jennifer Gattus, DO
Undergraduate: New York Institute of Technology
Medical School: New York Institute of Technology-COM
Hometown: Seaford
Hobbies/Interest: Long distance running, beach volleyball, and Buffalo Bills fan
Fun Fact: I have 3 birds 🙂
Adara Garcia, MD
Undergraduate: Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI)
Medical School: Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI)
Hometown: Madrid, Spain
Hobbies/Interest: Hiking, reading fantasy, learning new things, travelling the world and spending time with the people I love <3
Fun Fact: I accidentally got a job at an ice rink four years ago and now I’m a certified Zamboni driver.
Ava Lekander, MD
Undergraduate: Loyola Marymount University – B.S. in Biology and Jewish Studies
Medical School: University of Washington School of Medicine
Hometown: Anchorage, Alaska
Hobbies/Interest: Yoga, pilates, reading, travel, and decorating each new apartment I call home
Fun Fact: I earned a Master’s degree in Bioethics before medical school
Noelia Maamouri, MD
Undergraduate: New York University (NYU)
Medical School: Saint James School of Medicine
Hometown: Lima, Perú, but I have called New York home for many years
Hobbies/Interest: Traveling with my husband and kids, trying new foods, and exploring different cultures. I also love wandering into local bookstores and libraries wherever I go. I’m a big fútbol fan at heart!
Fun Fact: I once swam with sharks in the Galápagos Islands without a cage!
Dhiraj Nalabothu, MD
Undergraduate: Loyola University Chicago
Medical School: Trinity School of Medicine
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Hobbies/Interest: Chicago sports (Bear Down!), fitness, movies, live music, tennis, and hanging out with friends and family
Fun Fact: I drove up the east coast of Australia living out of a campervan for a couple weeks!
Kush Patel, DO
Undergraduate: Stony Brook University
Medical School: Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine- Middletown Campus
Hometown: New City, NY
Hobbies/Interest: Soccer, Weightlifting, Volleyball, Cooking, Watching Anime, Fresh-water Fish Keeper, Playing with my Jack-Russell terrier (Rani)
Fun Fact: During elementary school, I fell down during recess and scraped my nose. Naturally, picture day was the next day. Nothing says “photogenic” quite like a floral shirt paired with a fresh battle scar down your nose
Grace Shapiro, DO
Undergraduate: Providence College
Medical School: New York Institute of Technology-COM
Hometown: West Islip, NY
Hobbies/Interest: Traveling, exercising, outdoor activities like gardening and going to the beach, skiing, boating, music, exploring different restaurants/coffee shops
Fun Fact: I won first place in a ping-pong tournament on a cruise when I was 16