PGY - 5
Piyawat Arachai, MD
Hometown: Boston, MA
Undergraduate: Brandeis University
Medical School: Harvard Medical School
Residency: Children's National Hospital Washington, DC
Hobbies: Spending time with my wife and my daughter. Visiting national parks and collecting park stamps.
Why LAC+USC: This is the only program where you can get a comprehensive neonatal echocardiography training during fellowship along with exposure to a wide variety of neonatology practices from Level IV academic center to public and private settings.
Plans after Fellowship: Work in an environment where I can develop an expertise in neonatal hemodynamics through clinical work, research, medical education, and leadership.
Fun Fact: I lived on a remote island for 2 years before starting medical school to volunteer at a hospital.
Victoria Hamilton, MD
Hometown: Toronto, ON, Canada
Undergraduate: Wilfrid Laurier University
Medical School: American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine
Residency: SUNY at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Hobbies: Hiking, brunch, enjoying quality time with friends and making Spotify playlists!
Why LAC+USC: Diversity of Patients, Learning sites and you get to learn everything (ECMO, Functional ECHO and more!). There is so much to experience and so many great teachers from all different backgrounds! Plus the co-fellows are pretty cool too.
Plans after Fellowship: Not sure yet, open to all opportunities however leaning towards academics at this point in time as I do want to work in a level 3-4 unit.
Fun Fact: I’ve lived in four different countries thus far in m life, and plan to travel to so many more!
Gabriella Lorrusso Vivas, MD
Hometown: Valencia, Venezuela
Undergraduate: NA
Medical School: Universidad de Carabobo, Venezuela (we don't have undergraduate - it's 6 years of Med School)
Residency: UM/JMH Holtz Children's Hospital (Miami, FL)
Hobbies: I workout a lot. I'm currently training for the Malibu triathlon in October w/ CHLA and also two half marathons I'm running in January. I also love to travel and do outdoor activities!
Why LAC+USC: I was looking for a program that could provide me with the most up to date training I could have. The POCUS curriculum is incredible! We also get the opportunity to train at 4 different hospitals/ settings which can definitely give you the confidence that you need once you're out of fellowship. You truly will be able to work literally in any type of environment you may end up in. The research opportunities are also very broad, and you have plenty of mentors ready to support you on your interests. Another great aspect about our program is the diversity among the members of our program and the patient population that we work with. Furthermore, the family-like and supportive environment is something that really stood out during interviews. And last but not least, living in California, and particularly LA was very attractive for me. Life outside of fellowship is also important! There are endless options for literally anything that you want to do here, whether it is going out for dinner, hiking, going to the beach, skling, concerts, etc. It is really hard to pick one aspect of the program that is my favorite among all! What I can say though, is that l'm very lucky to be part of this program and it is even better than everything I imagined it would be!
Plans after Fellowship: I have to do a waiver because of my visa. After that I will most likely want to go into academia.
Fun Fact: I drink hot chocolate every single morning. I don't like coffee at all! (my awesome co-fellows and current/past roomies Vic and Erin can verify this haha!). Die-hard Swiftie. Participated briefly in the Miss Carabobo (selects the rep. in my state for Miss Venezuela) but dropped out because it would have interfered with Med School.
Karla Ortiz, MD
Hometown: Santa Barbara, CA
Undergraduate: Loyola University Chicago
Medical School: Ross University School of Medicine
Residency: NYU Langone- Long Island
Hobbies: Basketball, trying new restaurants (huge foodie over here), traveling
Why LAC+USC: There are numerous reasons why I chose LAC+USC. I was looking for a fellowship program that would not only offer me a breadth of clinical experience but also one that has vast hands on experience in POCUS and functional ECHOs. The location is a cherry on top as there are so many things to do in LA.
Plans after Fellowship: Not sure yet!
Fun Fact: I am a furmom to my pup named Penny!
Shivani Patel, DO
Hometown: Chino Hills, CA
Undergraduate: Pitzer College (Claremont Colleges)
Medical School: Western University of Health Sciences
Residency: Loma Linda Children's Hospital
Hobbies: Healthy baking, spending time with family and friends
Why LAC+USC: Experience of rotating at different NICUs allows for more comprehensive training and adaptability. I also appreciate the focus on hemodynamics and balance between service and research all 3 years.
Plans after Fellowship: Still deciding
Fun Fact: I'm a triplet :)
Ivonne Sierra-Strum, MD
Hometown: Tegucigalpa, Honduras CA
Undergraduate: Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras Facultad de Ciencias Médicas
Medical School: NA
Residency: Oklahoma University Children's Hospital
Hobbies: Baking, Hiking, traveling and cleaning up my 2 yo daughter's messes at the end of the day
Why LAC+USC: I was thrilled to have the opportunity to interview at LAC+USC and knew right away that this is where I wanted to be. This program has great opportunities for research and training in POCUS and neonatal hemodynamics, which is my main area of interest. I am also proud to be a part of a culture that values individual differences and promotes inclusion! The people I get to work with every day are truly amazing and inspiring.
Plans after Fellowship: I see myself practicing at a high acuity center with exposure to high risk deliveries and diverse range of neonatal pathologies. I would also love to continue to build up on my knowledge and skills related to neonatal hemodynamics.
Fun Fact: I'm a mom to a beautiful 2yo toddler (a walking tornado). I'm a bit of a homebody, my favorite thing is spending time with my family. I love the beach and scuba diving!