Nils Eastburg, MD // PGY-3 ▼

Originally from Michigan, Nils has been in the Chicago area for the last decade, first completing a degree in Economics at Wheaton College, where he was a captain of the track and field team, and had an agricultural development internship in the Congo.

Of his time in Africa, “The injustice of poverty often places people at a further disadvantage due to poor access to quality healthcare… Health gives people the power to fight injustice. It allows them to reach for more than survival. When people know they will be well, they can find new ways of bringing change to their lives.”

Nils continued on to medical school at Rush University Medical Center, where he served as a peer advisor and on the Student Curriculum Advisor Committee. Nils and his wife are active in their church, Soul City, and enjoy exploring new restaurants around Chicago.

Alicia Ross, MD // PGY-3 ▼

Alicia hails from Tennessee, where she studied Biology at the University of Memphis before completing medical school at Ross University. Alicia brings a variety of experiences in preparation to become a physician, including work as a patient care technician, school teacher, and working with adults with mental and physical disabilities.

More recently, Alicia co-founded The Black Impact, an organization that assists underserved communities through service, promoting diversity in medicine, and providing access to adequate healthcare regardless of race, finances, or socioeconomic status. “My passion is to provide excellent healthcare for minorities by helping them manage their chronic diseases and give information and treatment to others to avoid preventable conditions and complications.”

Alexandra Pryor, MD // PGY-3 ▼

Alexandra (Ali) has always called California home, completing both her undergraduate studies and medical school at the University of California, San Diego.

During her years in San Diego, Ali was active in a number of volunteer efforts, from her clinic work just over the border in Tijuana, Mexico and on the Rincon Reservation, where she completed an experience in rural and reservation health in partnership with the Indian Health Council, to supporting her fellow students as a leader in the UCSD Christian Medical Fellowship.

Of her desire to become a family medicine physician, “I am enthusiastic to learn how to better use my faith to care for my patients and inform my training. I desire to be trained not only on how to practice excellent medicine but also on how to engage with the community.”

Rafael Torres, MD // PGY-3 ▼

As the son of immigrants, Rafael grew up in Florida only thinking he might accomplish his parents wishes of having a “better life”, but this all changed on a trip to the Dominican Republic with a church group, where he saw the impact doctors were able to have in some villages there. “I saw firsthand how a doctor could make an impact on people’s lives. What fascinated me was how familiar these doctors were with the people of this community and their various ailments. It took nearly a year of reflecting on this trip to begin to understand what that “better life” that my parents always spoke about was; not something tangible, rather, it was opportunity.”

After completing his undergraduate degree in Biology at Florida International University, Rafael completed medical school at Ross University, where he was involved with the Catholic Student Association and Latino Medical Student Association.

Benjamin Watt, MD // PGY-3 ▼

Ben is from western Pennsylvania, where he studied mathematics at Saint Vincent College before completing his medical degree at Penn State College of Medicine.

While in medical school, Ben served as a leader for the campus Christian Medical Society, a rural health fair outreach, and the 2023 edition of the Wild Onions humanities journal. He found rich community through church and with other adults living at the Paxton Ministries personal care home in Harrisburg, and he looks forward to growing in community in his new home.

Of his aspirations for residency, “I hope to grow as a whole person, cultivating hospitality, compassion, camaraderie, wisdom, and integrity, rooted in the life- and practice-changing love of Jesus. In my career, I will strive to serve patients no matter who they are, especially those living with barriers to medical care such as poverty, disabilities, or geography.”

Jenny Zheyuan Xu, MD // PGY-3 ▼

Jenny’s home has been California. She studied Molecular Environmental Biology at the University of California, Berkleley, and then attended the Sackler School of Medicine.

Jenny has used her fluency in Mandarin both in a volunteer capacity with the Migrant Workers Hotline to help Chinese workers with limited healthcare access, as well as a paid medical translator. She has also volunteered with clinics and hospitals in Israel and Mongolia, which exposed her to medicine in resource-poor countries and seeded her passion for global medicine. “God has been exceedingly gracious to me and have taken me to places I could never dream of. He has also given me Christian physicians as mentors and role models. I wish to respond to God’s love by following His example of loving people and bringing healing to the sick, since He is truly the Great Physician.”

Leira Lew, MD // PGY-3 ▼

Leira joined Lawndale FMR as a PGY-2 after completing her intern year in Arizona. She attended Calvin University as an undergraduate and then completed medical school at Michigan State University. Leira participated in a variety of volunteer activities to serve her community during college and medical school, including work with refugees, a mass vaccination clinic, building homes with Habitat for Humanity, distributing surplus baked goods, youth outreach work and supporting humanitarian medical work in the Philippines. Leira plays the drums, has a third Dan Black Belt in Taekwondo, and her research on the effectiveness of mental health interventions on refugees and immigrants was given an award at a global health conference in 2022.

Of her desires for residency, Leira writes “I want to keep learning about the historical context of my city and patients, engage in crucial conversations, and provide holistic and preventative healthcare to underserved communities – both in my neighborhood and abroad. I am passionate about family medicine because of its long-term relationships from cradle to grave, wide breadth of organ systems, and care for the whole person in the context of their community.”

Similolu Akintorin, MD // PGY-2 ▼

Simi grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, before completing her undergraduate degree in Economics at Harvard University and attending the USC Keck School of Medicine on a full-tuition merit scholarship. During medical school Simi volunteered teaching health topics to elementary school students, was involved in numerous research projects, and was the co-president of the Christian Student Fellowship.

Comparing an experience volunteering as an interpreter in Senegal with a summer internship here at Lawndale, Simi writes “I realized that much like my patients in Senegal, these people who lived less than 20 miles away from where I grew up were excluded from proper healthcare access merely due to their zip code. I decided then and there that I would use my medical career to benefit people's health no matter where they came from.” Simi has the proud distinction of being the first second-generation physician at Lawndale Christian Health Center, as her mother served as a pediatrician with our health center over twenty years ago.

Hope Chen, MD // PGY-2 ▼

Originally from San Diego, Hope studied mechanical engineering as an undergraduate at MIT, and went on to medical school here in Chicago at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. Before beginning medical school, Hope was a Fulbright Scholar, for which she served as a cultural ambassador for the U.S. Department of State in Taiwan, where she also taught English. She has volunteered with multiple hospice programs over several years, including one established specifically to provide spiritual, physical, and medical care for homeless men with AIDS.

Reflecting on her attraction to family medicine, Hope writes “Just as the body is a complex organism to be nurtured and maintained, the family medicine physician's job is that of a gardener, tending the soil, providing water, and allowing adequate sunlight for life to thrive. And just as every plant requires different conditions to grow, each patient requires their own unique medical care to flourish.” Hope is also known for sneaking into our health center group photo at conferences before matching with the Lawndale FMR, in the hopes that it would ensure the inevitability of her joining our program.

Gabriela Cossyleon, MD // PGY-2 ▼

Originally from the southeast side of Chicago, Gaby attended Dominican University in the Chicago suburbs where she studied biochemistry, before going on to medical school at St. George’s University School of Medicine. Gaby has worked as a barber and a supervising chemist with hazardous waste at a processing center. Among her extracurricular experiences, Gaby volunteered for several years with a prison ministry for women inmates at Cook County Jail, where she valued the opportunity to build trust and rapport with women who had grown up in some of the same neighborhoods where Gaby had her roots.

Seeing that “there is no place like Lawndale” as Gaby shared in some early correspondence with the Lawndale FMR, Gaby shared her own heart for “building deeper roots within the community and with the Love of Christ.”

Rachel Maibach, DO // PGY-2 ▼

Rachel studied neurobiology and physiology at Purdue University in her home state of Indiana, and then was off to Missouri for medical school at A.T. Still University, Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine. Rachel served for three years as an executive board member of the Council of Osteopathic Student Government Presidents, a national body that includes the student government of every College of Osteopathic Medicine. She was also the Vice President and President of the Student Government Association at her medical school, and has worked with junior high girls as a weekend church camp counselor for many years.

Rachel shares that such leadership experience “has helped focus my passion for justice into concrete skills in advocacy and policy development at the state and national level. I'm committed to honing these skills throughout my career and to advocating for my patients both within the clinic setting and more broadly within healthcare policy.”

Haakon Nelson, MD // PGY-2 ▼

Haakon completed his undergraduate degree at Liberty University in Virginia before returning to his home state of Ohio to enroll at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. During medical school, Haakon was a representative for the Christian Medical and Dental Associations, earned a graduate certificate in human nutrition, and participated in a longitudinal geriatric medicine track.

Reflecting on his student rotation at Lawndale, Haakon writes, “It was there that my calling was reaffirmed to holistically serve the marginalized, and despite the challenges inherent in this work, I am convinced there is immense joy in being there for our patients who are most vulnerable to falling through the cracks of the system.”

Tiffany Pariva, MD // PGY-2 ▼

Tiffany studied microbiology, immunology, and molecular genetics as an undergraduate at UCLA, and then went to the Loma Linda University School of Medicine, before leaving her home state of California to join us here in Chicago. While volunteering with a street medicine program, Tiffany was involved in developing a program to provide eye care and eyeglasses to the homeless population in San Bernardino. She also volunteered with a group from her church at a homeless shelter in Riverside, worked with pregnant teens as San Bernadino high schools, and with a community health center in Los Angeles.

These and other experiences drove Tiffany to research physician management of adverse childhood experiences and social determinants of health to improve screening methods to identify high risk populations. She writes “this research and my clinical experiences have shown me the power of social risk factors in determining a patients' overall health and has taught me the role of advocacy a physician has, especially for those most vulnerable in a society. In the future I hope to advocate for my patient's health through further research and education.”

Lauryn Ashford, MD // PGY-1 ▼

Lauryn left Atlanta to complete her undergraduate studies at Tougaloo College in Mississippi, and then went on to Brown University for medical school. While at Tougaloo, she was an officer in the Student Government Association and part of several academic honor societies. At Brown, Lauryn participated in research to improve the quality of patient-centered outpatient discussions regarding advanced care planning and to improve satisfaction with feedback coming from residents of Brown Medicine’s Residency Program.

Lauryn’s observations of her great, great aunt Mattie Mae’s encounters with the healthcare system led her to pursue a year of elective research as an Academic Scholar, resulting in a systematic literature review titled "The Effects of Racism on Black Maternal Mortality," and strengthened her commitment to advocate for all patients' voices to be heard and validated throughout their healthcare journeys.

Lauryn shares “My commitment to Family Medicine is driven by a desire to provide trustworthy, comprehensive care that will support patients throughout their lifetime. I am passionate about serving diverse populations, advocating for health equity, and fostering long-term relationships with patients and their families.”

Aaron Holley, DO // PGY-1 ▼

A native of Mobile, Alabama, Aaron finished her undergraduate degree at Auburn University and stayed nearby to study medicine at the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine. She had a specific interest in osteopathic medicine because it equipped her to view patients from a multidimensional perspective, starting early in medical school, which is particularly crucial in family medicine.

While Aaron’s extracurriculars included some traditional roles like membership in the Christian Medical and Dental Association, volunteering in a community garden, and serving as president of an organization using volunteers to deliver essential medical care to underserved communities, one of Aaron’s first activities on her CV is one she lists as “Neighbor”, in which she describes the commitment she and her husband have had to being good neighbors, picking up trash or lending a ride to someone with unstable transportation.

“Some of our neighbors live with inconsistent housing and food insecurity. We try to build a sense of community with our fellow neighbors, no matter their circumstances, knowing everyone brings something valuable to the relationship in their own way.”

Ifunanya (Ify) Nweke, MD // PGY-1 ▼

Growing up in Houston, Ify watched her mother ensure that anyone who visited their home always had something to eat. This lesson inspired Ify to take care of others not only through food, but also in family medicine by nurturing patients' well-being and building strong, supportive relationships.

Ify completed her bachelor’s degree at the University of Texas at Austin, a master’s degree at George Washington University, and then medical school at Ross University. Ify has volunteered and mentored with several community organizations and was the president of her Student National Medical Association chapter in medical school. While working on her master’s degree, Ify was a Residence Director overseeing ten resident assistants supporting over 400 undergraduate students. Feeling that she was falling short in serving her Spanish-speaking patients, Ify embarked on learning Spanish, and learning medical Spanish has enriched her understanding of diverse patient needs, underscoring the importance of making every patient feel valued, and preparing her to provide more inclusive and effective care.

Regarding her pursuit of a residency program to support her in continuing her journey, Ify writes “As I embark on this next step in my career, I am eager to find a residency program where I can build a strong foundation as a primary care physician. I aspire to be a doctor who is engaged with my patients, supporting them through the various medical seasons of their lives.”

Diamanta Panford-Ufere, MD // PGY-1▼

Born and raised in South London, Diamanta relocated to Bolingbrook, Illinois as a high schooler, quickly recognizing the vast differences between the health systems in those two places. She studied psychology and global health at Northwestern University, received her Master of Public Health (MPH) at Johns Hopkins, and completed medical school at Northeast Ohio Medical University.

Diamanta’s research and community service experiences have ranged from collaborating with the American Heart Association and The Urban Barber Association to develop a blood pressure screening program in Cleveland barbershops, to composing and publishing articles of global and public health interest for a daily newsletter while at Johns Hopkins. As an NHSC scholar, Diamanta was sure of her commitment to equitable healthcare, primary care, and patient advocacy early in her medical school trajectory.

Writing of her decicion to join LCHC, Diamanta shares, “With my strong interest in community outreach, I hoped to join a program that explores healthcare solutions beyond the clinic...to work in an environment where I can engage with patients, colleagues, and faculty who are rich in cultural diversity, and share my passions for community engagement, advocacy, and compassionate patient-centered care.”

Markia Pettway, DO // PGY-1 ▼

Markia received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Alabama, and went on to medical school at the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Markia is a National Health Service Corps Scholar, a scholarship awarded to medical students committed to working in underserved areas. She also worked as an adjunct professor in biology at Jefferson State Community College in Birmingham. Working with 'A Promise to Help,' a nonprofit organization that provides care, medicine, and screening services to rural areas in Alabama, Markia recognized the profound impact that accessible healthcare can have on underserved populations and reinforced her commitment to serving communities in need.

Markia writes of her vision for practicing medicine, “My journey through medical school has solidified my passion for family medicine, a field where the cornerstone of effective healthcare lies in the relationships we build with our patients. Whether it's connecting with a patient through sign language or offering guidance much like my own doctors did, I am eager to continue building meaningful relationships with patients and to contribute to the well-being of the communities I serve.”

Vasilios Stefanis, MD // PGY-1 ▼

Vasilios studied biology, chemistry and religion at Loyola University before embarking on his medical studies at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

Vasilios undertook a variety of research projects while at both Loyola and Rush, and has volunteered with a community health clinic and for many years with Saint Haralambos Greek Orthodox Church. It was in those volunteer experiences that Vasilios learned how public hospitals offer some of the most valuable resources to patients who are otherwise unable to access the level of treatment they need. This ranged from helping a prisoner better understand the testing and treatments he was receiving to better manage his portal hypertension, to speaking with the family of a young mother to better understand and explain how her alcohol use led to her having Wernicke's encephalopathy.

Of his desires for residency training, Vasilios wrote, “I pray I attend a family medicine program that will train me to help vulnerable patients and their families overcome their most limiting barriers to achieving the more joyful, loving, and healthy life they deserve."