Class of 2012

	Susan Areeckal, MD I was born and raised in and around Los Angeles and I never thought I could leave California. Then I went to med school in Poland and everything changed. I've lived in Chicago and NY since then and traveled all over the world but I have to say Kansas City holds a special place in my heart. The people here are so kind and the city is beautiful with so many things to do. Plus, it's pretty inexpensive when compared with the coasts. I knew that KU Family Medicine was the place for me from the moment I interviewed. They had an easygoing attitude and the didactics, organization and reliability of a university program to back that up. One of the things that appealed to me most was the great variety in focus among residents. We have residents who will go on to specialized in sports med, geriatrics, OB/gyn, international med, ER, and preventative med to name a few. Family medicine affords you the luxury of doing whatever you want to do and KU allows you the freedom, time and resources to explore your interests. In my spare time I love to cook, read, get massages, do yoga down the street, hang out with my husband and explore local restaurants with my family medicine crew. I can't wait to meet all of you applicants!!! See you soon!
	Darlene Espinosa, MD I was born and raised in south Texas. I earned my B.S. in Nutritional Sciences at Texas A & M University in College Station, Texas. I went to medical school at Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara, Mexico and completed Fifth Pathway at New York Medical College. I enjoy spending time with my husband, family and friends. I love to travel. I've been to Europe, Mexico and many places throughout the United States. I love Family Medicine because of the diversity it offers. There is always something different in each exam room. KU has allowed me to better myself as a physician, learning many wonderful and useful things and I only started 3 months ago. I feel that KU will offer me the experience I will need to become a great doctor.
	Melissa Garber, MD Hooray! I grew up in Hutchinson, Kansas (home of the state fair and Cosmosphere Space Center) and graduated from the University of Kansas at Lawrence with a major in Human Biology and minor in Leadership Studies. I had a lot of adventures in volunteerism during college, ranging from helping out at the Kansas City Rescue Mission, to dressing up like the crash test dummy and teaching kids about safety belts, to donating 17" of my hair to make wigs for children with cancer. I discovered the field of public health during my senior-year fellowship with the KU Work Group. As a medical student, this led to a position on the JayDoc Free Health Clinic board, serving as the Community Relations Director. The JayDoc clinic provides primary care services with a focus on urgent care and preventive education at no charge, integrated with on-site language interpretation and adolescent youth outreach. I have so much fun going back to JayDoc as a resident and precepting the new medical students, It's great to see their excitement and enthusiasm. At home, I love to cook (I'm a HUGE barefoot contessa fan!), knit, and cuddle with my 2 kitties. My husband is also a resident at KUMC, which sounds very Grey's Anatomy but in reality is much less dramatic. We live on a quiet tree-lined street in Hyde Park and love to sit out on our balcony in the evenings. This marks my 10th year as a Jayhawk and there is no other place I'd rather be.
	Christine Humphrey, MD
	Jason Leep, MD Hometown: Houghton, Michigan Undergrad: Michigan Tech University and University of Colorado Boulder Med School: American University of the Caribbean I have lived in northern Michigan most of my life, and have grown acustom to the small town atmosphere. After 2 years at the AUC main campus on the island of St. Martin, I was off to London, England for my third year of med school. The following year I toured the country doing my electives at various university affiliated hospitals and community based hospitals in Vermont, Wisconsin and Michigan. When I found the rural family medicine program at KU, I knew it was a perfect fit for residency. When I first met everyone in the KU Family med program, I got the "small town" feeling I was looking for. Kansas city isn't really known for a vacation destination, but can really offer just about anything you want! In my spare time, Jenny, our chocolate lab Toby and I, enjoy camping, going to car shows, heading to the race track on the weekends and spending time outdoors!
	Lucretia Mongal, MD I grew up in NJ and obtained my BA in Biology at Rutgers University. I come from a very large extended family and a very small but close immediate family. I looooove to travel, am curious, and enjoy learning about "new" places, cultures, and different ways of life. "Fun" for me is based on who I'm with and not so much on what I'm doing. I chose FM b/c I have a particularly strong interest in exploring the international and preventative aspects of healthcare. As FM doctors, we get a taste of everything and in the process become well versed and competent in caring for a vast array of patients. I felt KU was the perfect place for me for many reasons. I was very impressed by the general atmosphere the FM program offers its residents...relaxed but professional. The residents in our program are enjoyable to work with. There is a camaraderie among us and a support system that makes the daunting experience of residency more manageble. Another aspect of the program I appreciate is that we are seen as doctors but also as people with lives outside of medicine. We are encouraged to develop not only our professional lives, but also our personal lives and interpersonal relationships. Our staff/faculty members are fantastic - everyone is approachable, happy to teach/guide, and provide an atomsphere that is conducive to learning. I am happy and feel priviledged to be a part of such a great program.
	Marianne Ray, MD
	Michael Swartzon, MD Hometown: Miami, Florida (Go Dolphins) Undergrad: Cornell University Medical School: Sackler School of Medicin It's been a long road getting to KU. I went to medical school in Israel where I learned first hand how a socialist medical system works (I have no further comment on that matter). After graduation I moved back to the United States and wrote health care articles for a business website based in Miami. Afterwards, I landed a job as an adjunct professor for Broward College and Florida Atlantic University teaching Sports Medicine and Biology. At one point my travels took me to Kansas city and I was beyond impressed by the architecture, culture and quality of living. Needless to say, my application to KU for residency was automatic. It's been a long road and I'm thankful to be here! After graduation, my goal is to become a team physician at a university. I have a passion for sports medicine and teaching. KU is a wonderful hospital that has been extremely flexible and supportive in letting me explore all my options. I love our program, attendings and my fellow residents. Even after only a few months of being here, I strongly recommend you check out KU and Kansas City. Please apply, visit and hopefully you can join the Family Medicine happy hours. Looking forward to meeting y'all.
	Veronica Villarreal, MD Hometown: El Rucio Ranch, Rio Grande City, Texas Undergraduate School: The University of Texas at Austin Medical School: The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School I was born and raised in the beautiful Rio Grande Valley. Why FM: Family Medicine Rocks! Why KU: Balance. Urban/Rural, Inpatient/Outpatient, Peds/Adult Medicine. Surrounded by friendly, diverse faculty and staff.
	Mike Zuniga, MD Hometown: Long Beach, CA Undergrad: California State University Long Beach Medical School: New York Medical College 5th Pathway I am a California native but my education has taken me far and wide. After graduating from college, I went to Guadalajara, Mexico for medical school and finished up at the New York Medical College 5th Pathway program. I did elective rotations in California, New York, and in Pennsylvania where my older sister practices as a family physician herself. We're family docs at heart :) I chose to come to KU for my training because I loved the friendly atmosphere that re-enforced my love for family medicine. My wife Darlene, is also in the program and we both love it here at KU and in Kansas City. But I still bleed Dodger blue, sorry Royals.