Current Residents

What factors made Northwestern stand out to you when choosing a residency program?
I rotated at Northwestern as a visiting sub-I student and loved it. The breadth of cases and complexity of the pathology was appealing and has not disappointed. The surgical training is phenomenal, the faculty are approachable and dedicated, and the resources for research and career development are unmatched. 

What areas of vascular surgery are you most interested in exploring or pursuing as a career?
I'm passionate about caring for patients with peripheral artery disease and carotid disease, and much of my research has focused on how to improve our education of patients with PAD. I really enjoy the problem-solving and creativity that is required of treating patients with aortic diseases, include aneurysms and dissection. I'm also interested in multidisciplinary surgical care and enjoy working with other surgical specialties to manage complex pathologies. 

How would you describe the culture of the program and the overall resident experience?
Our culture is supportive and inclusive. My coresidents are some of my best friends and I'm incredibly grateful to get to train with them. We work hard, but we also frequent Timmy O'Toole's after education and have a competitive fantasy football league. Our advanced practice providers, our program administrators, and our OR nurses are all phenomenal and make our training possible. We're incredibly lucky!

What do you enjoy most about living in Chicago, both inside and outside of the residency?
Chicago is an awesome city! I try to jump in Lake Michigan as much as I can, and I love spending time at the concrete beach in the summer. It's a great place for foodies and music-lovers - there's always a new restaurant to try or a concert to attend. Running along the River Walk or Lakeshore Trail is also unbeatable.

What factors made Northwestern stand out to you when choosing a residency program?
I primarily chose Northwestern for the people. The trainees were hard working and supported each other, led by faculty that bend over backwards for their patients and their trainees. It didn't hurt that it's located in a pretty awesome city.

What areas of vascular surgery are you most interested in exploring or pursuing as a career?
I fell in love with vascular surgery for the variety, big and small cases, open and minimally invasive, everywhere in the body so I'm hoping my career reflects such a variety.

How would you describe the culture of the program and the overall resident experience?
I can call any of the vascular trainees or attendings at any time for any reason. We choose to spend a lot of time with each other in and outside of the hospital.

What do you enjoy most about living in Chicago, both inside and outside of the residency?
The food, the people, and the lake.

What factors made Northwestern stand out to you when choosing a residency program?
I chose Northwestern because of its unique combination of tradition and innovation. Northwestern is one of the most established vascular surgery programs in the country, with a history of landmark contributions to the field and more than 50 years of training vascular surgeons who have gone on to become leaders in our specialty.

At the same time, our program is forward-thinking and embraces cutting-edge vascular technologies, with a strong emphasis on teamwork, quality improvement, and patient-centered care. Our faculty are exceptional mentors, and of course, the Code Aorta program is another.

What areas of vascular surgery are you most interested in exploring or pursuing as a career?
My primary clinical interests are complex aortic disease and peripheral artery disease, with a particular interest in endovascular and hybrid approaches. From a research perspective, I am interested in outcomes research and quality improvement initiatives aimed at improving results for patients undergoing peripheral revascularization and AAA repair. I am also passionate about international collaboration.

How would you describe the culture of the program and the overall resident experience?
The people make our program special. There is a true sense of camaraderie among residents and fellows, and my co-residents and APPs have become true friends. The atmosphere is highly collaborative, with a strong focus on teamwork. We are consistently supported by our attendings, outstanding APPs, and program coordinator, all of whom are deeply invested in our education and professional development.

What do you enjoy most about living in Chicago, both inside and outside of the residency?
Chicago is a lively, multicultural city with incredible architecture and an amazing lakefront. I love how much there is to do and explore. The lake provides a unique outdoor space and a beautiful backdrop for my runs. Chicago also hosts many major medical and scientific conferences, which adds to the experience of training here. It is a privilege to live in this city.

What factors made Northwestern stand out to you when choosing a residency program?
Northwestern draws a referral population complex enough that you're not waiting until your last year to be part of difficult cases, and the integrated track means you build that exposure early on. I was also drawn by the Midwest, and Chicago specifically. I wanted to train somewhere that felt like a place I could actually live in during residency, with a city around the hospital and people who were pleasant to work with.

What areas of vascular surgery are you most interested in exploring or pursuing as a career?
All of it honestly. I joined this field because the breadth is the appeal — open aortic work, endovascular, limb salvage, access, venous disease, etc. — and I haven't found a reason to narrow that down. If a subspecialty interest emerges in the latter half of my training, great, but I do not feel the need to force it.

How would you describe the culture of the program and the overall resident experience?
The structure of Northwestern surgery is set in a way you constantly learn from other divisions, not just your own — abdominal transplant, critical care, plastics, cardiac, thoracic surgery, etc. Each brings a different way of thinking about sick patients and/or how to operate; being exposed to these high-volume subspecialties here have shaped how I manage patients more than a single mentor alone. The cross-pollination is what I value most about the resident experience at Northwestern; you leave with more than just a vascular surgery toolkit.

What do you enjoy most about living in Chicago, both inside and outside of the residency?
Living in Streeterville means my commute to work is a walk, which matters more than you would think when you're rounding early or operating late. Outside of the hospital, the lakefront is right there — the path, Lake Michigan in the summers, and the whole downtown within reach on-foot or train ride. Chicago is a big city without the cost or the hassle of the coasts, and each neighborhood is distinct enough that you can spend the entirety of residency and still find new parts of it. It's an easy place to have a life outside of residency.

What factors made Northwestern stand out to you when choosing a residency program?
Northwestern stood out to me as a residency program because of the people. After doing a sub-internship here, it was clear to me that the residents, fellows, APP's, and faculty all worked together as a team with the ultimate goal being excellent patient care, teaching and supporting one another along the way. Each faculty member brings a different point of view of not only the specialty, but also of different career trajectories that the trainees have the opportunity to look up to and emulate.

What areas of vascular surgery are you most interested in exploring or pursuing as a career?
I am most interested in pursuing the biomedical engineering world of vascular surgery through device development and innovative surgical techniques and tools. Vascular surgery as a field has a unique intersection between new technology and hands-on surgery that is always changing and improving.

How would you describe the culture of the program and the overall resident experience?
I would describe the culture of our program as "work hard, sweet treats later." As a group, we are hard-working and supportive, making sure that we do whatever it takes to take the best care of our patients as possible. When the day is over, we celebrate together with snacks, always!

What do you enjoy most about living in Chicago, both inside and outside of the residency?
There is never a dull moment in Chicago - there is always a new restaurant to try, lakefront to walk/bike along, museum to wander, and shopping to do. I love that we are in the middle of the best city and get to have the best of both worlds of training and living experience.

What factors made Northwestern stand out to you when choosing a residency program?
Northwestern has a storied and strong track record of producing academic vascular surgeons that are highly skilled, creative, and innovative. I wanted my vascular training to be at a program where I would learn how to care for patients with complex and redo pathology who may have been turned away elsewhere.

What areas of vascular surgery are you most interested in exploring or pursuing as a career?
My primary interests are in complex aortic disease, endovascular device design, and advanced imaging techniques such as 4D Flow MRI.

How would you describe the culture of the program and the overall resident experience?
There is a shared motivation to become the best vascular surgeons that we can be. We love to learn from each other and have a great time while we're doing so. While vascular residency/fellowship is certainly busy, we always find time to get together along with our partners/spouses/families - whether it be after education/journal club, on the weekends, or just because!

What do you enjoy most about living in Chicago, both inside and outside of the residency?
Living in Chicago makes it really easy to be spontaneous for dining, sports, arts, and entertainment. It's an accessible city with multiple modes of transportation keeping you connected to all the neighborhoods, nationally, and even internationally (although O'Hare will make you question your sanity at times). The summers here are unbeatable and definitely make you forget how cold the winters are.

What factors made Northwestern stand out to you when choosing a residency program?
I was looking for a quaternary care center that has a large case volume, solid referral network, clinical variety, and high complexity. Northwestern checks all of those boxes and more, including state of the art facilities and exemplary hospital support staff.

What areas of vascular surgery are you most interested in exploring or pursuing as a career?
As someone with diabetes myself, one of my clinical interests is the development of a robust limb salvage program for patients with chronic limb threatening ischemia.

How would you describe the culture of the program and the overall resident experience?
The faculty have a devotion to trainee education that is apparent both inside and outside the operating room. I consider my co-residents some of my closest friends and rely on them for both professional and personal support.

What do you enjoy most about living in Chicago, both inside and outside of the residency?
I think Chicago has one of the best culinary scenes in the country, and many of the best restaurants are located within walking distance from the hospital. And having views of Lake Michigan from the hospital room windows never gets old!

What factors made Northwestern stand out to you when choosing a residency program?
What stood out most to me was not only the culture of our program but the entire division. I had the privilege of doing a sub-i and spending research time here as a student, and I could see how invested the faculty were in trainees, how much the residents supported one another, and how much people genuinely seemed to enjoy working together. I also knew I wanted a program that would give me excellent clinical training in a strong health ecosystem while still encouraging me to pursue my interests in research, education, advocacy, and leadership.

What areas of vascular surgery are you most interested in exploring or pursuing as a career?
One of the things that initially drew me to vascular surgery was how broad the field is, so I am still excited to explore a lot of it! I am interested in limb salvage, aortic disease, and the pathophysiology underlying these disease processes. I’m excited to learn more about vascular remodeling and further delve into how we can better predict outcomes and design therapies.

How would you describe the culture of the program and the overall resident experience?
I’d describe our program as a tight-knit family! Everyone is very hard-working and approachable, and I always feel so supported by my peers, seniors, staff and our faculty!

What do you enjoy most about living in Chicago, both inside and outside of the residency?
Growing up, I always loved visiting Chicago- it’s one of my favorite cities! My favorite thing is how easy it is to walk along and enjoy both the lakefront and the river. Living in Chicago makes it so convenient to (even spontaneously) take advantage of time outside of the hospital since there’s always something exciting to do!

What factors made Northwestern stand out to you when choosing a residency program?
I noticed that the faculties and residents at Northwestern value efficiency in teamwork and trainees' aptitude.

What areas of vascular surgery are you most interested in exploring or pursuing as a career?
I'm interested in developing and evaluating vascular devices and imaging techniques to personalize surgical treatment and improve clinical outcomes for each patient in vascular surgery.

How would you describe the culture of the program and the overall resident experience?
Everyone is very supportive of each other.

What do you enjoy most about living in Chicago, both inside and outside of the residency?
Chicago offers a plethora of restaurants and cafes to explore while allowing me to live close to work.

What factors made Northwestern stand out to you when choosing a residency program?
Faculty who are genuinely invested in education and helping residents reach their fullest potential, along with strong resources and opportunities for multidisciplinary collaboration.

What areas of vascular surgery are you most interested in exploring or pursuing as a career?
Complex aortic disease, device design, and increasing access to vascular care.

How would you describe the culture of the program and the overall resident experience?
The residents are all very friendly and supportive of one another, which makes it a great place to train.

What do you enjoy most about living in Chicago, both inside and outside of the residency?
Spending time along the lakefront, visiting art museums, trying new restaurants and cafes, and exploring different neighborhoods around the city.

7/1/2019 - 6/30/2026

Why did you choose Northwestern?

What is your vascular area of interest? 

What is the best part of your training program? 

Define the atmosphere of the program and resident life. 

Currently conducting research funded by T-32 grant

7/1/2017-6/30/2024

Why did you choose Northwestern? 

Great sense of community in addition to a Vascular team with unrelenting work-ethic and desire to keep improving.

What is your vascular area of interest? 

PAD, AAA/TAA, TOS, Carotid/Vertebral (I know, too many...)

What is the best part of your training program? 

My co-residents.

Define the atmosphere of the program and resident life. 

Open door policy. Everyone and anyone is willing to help, be it within the training program or in personal life matters.  

Currently conducting research funded by T-32 grant

7/1/2015-Present

Review her scholarly activity

Why did you choose Northwestern? 

I came to Northwestern for several reasons. I had the opportunity to do a visiting student rotation here and experience the program firsthand. I really connected with the residents and was able to see the training environment. I felt confident that I would receive outstanding training here. 

What is your vascular area of interest? 

My vascular area of interest is thoracic aortic disease.

What is the best part of your training program? 

The best part of this training program are the residents and staff. They truly make this experience worth it; we really come together and treat each other like a family. 

Define the atmosphere of the program and resident life. 

The overall program atmosphere is consistent with the whole department of surgery--collegial is the best word to describe us. I feel like we enjoy working together and have the unifying mindset of doing what it takes to get the work done. No one is too big for any one task.

7/1/2014-Present

Review her scholarly activity

Why did you choose Northwestern? 

It’s a fantastic program with a robust training paradigm in an amazing city.

What is your vascular area of interest? 

Hard to choose – probably carotid disease and PAD, as well as tissue engineering therapy for PAD.

What is the best part of your training program? 

The people!

Define the atmosphere of the program and resident life. 

The Northwestern vascular program is a family – we take care of each other and help each other to be our best selves, academically and clinically. When we do have time outside of the hospital, Chicago is an awesome place to spend it, dining on world class food and enjoying art, culture and outdoor activities. There is something for everyone.

7/1/2012-6/30/2019 

Review his scholarly activity

Why did you choose Northwestern? 

I chose Northwestern primarily for the historically excellent and well-known vascular surgery training program. As I enter my last of seven years as a trainee here, I have become even more confident that it was the right program for me. Northwestern offers a large volume of broad clinical experience, through which it demands clinical and academic excellence. The accomplished faculty leading us inspire collegial relationships throughout our division and the entire hospital. Furthermore, NMH is located at the heart of a fantastic city.

What is your vascular area of interest? 

I am interested in practicing the breadth of clinical vascular surgery from complex aortic reconstruction, to lower extremity PAD, cerebrovascular disease, venous and lymphatic disease, vascular medicine and critical care. I am interested in the development and implementation of novel technology for the care of vascular patients in collaboration with basic and translational scientists. In addition to my vascular pursuits, I plan to optimize health care systems to maximize efficiency for the care of complex patients.

What is the best part of your training program? 

The best part of the NMH Vascular surgery training program is the people. The closely-working faculty, trainees, nurses and OR staff form a tight-knit group that work well together and promote continual growth of our knowledge base and skill set. As a team, we work tirelessly and enthusiastically, while being fully committed to providing excellent care to our patients.

Define the atmosphere of the program and resident life. 

Given the intimate size of the program, individuals are encouraged to form strong relationships amongst all members of the vascular division – both as mentors and mentees. The talented and enthusiastic residents and fellows are committed to their training and growth, which is reflected in their ability to excel in both patient care and academic pursuits. Everyone works well together, which promotes a pleasant environment for our development as vascular surgeons.​

7/1/2013-6/30/2020

Review his scholarly activity