Current Residents
PGY1
Ora Batash, MD
Ora Batash is a community organizer, artist, educator, & aspiring family physician raised in Queens, NY. Ora’s background in community organizing work fuels their approach to medicine —one that trusts wholly in the collaboration of patient and physician, where the strength of the relationship is central to any kind of therapeutic intervention. Integrating community advocacy with medicine has been central to her work as a medical student. During the pandemic, Ora created a virtual platform for frontline healthcare workers and their families to address emerging community needs. Her leadership was recognized by the US Public Health Service with the Excellence in Public Health Award. Ora also initiated research that looked at the use of race-based clinical algorithms, specifically in eGFR, and implemented changes across her home institution hospital network. Ora has an ongoing commitment to medical education, which included curricular and faculty development on LGBTQ+ care as well as co-authoring a book chapter in the recent AMA Medical Education Innovation Series. Prior to going back to school to pursue medicine, she trained as a gynecological teaching associate (GTA), studied stringed-instrument repair and violin-making, worked as a teaching artist in hand papermaking, and taught K-3rd grade. Ora’s interests continue across genres - in the studio, in community, in the classroom, and beyond —and offer even more perspective about the relationships that connect our bodies to who we are and how we can access care. Ora welcomes feedback always and above all hopes to co-create a world where communities would not have to be afraid of going to the doctor. Ora is thrilled to join the NYP-Columbia Family Medicine Program and is eager to contribute her skills and dedication and provide compassionate community-based care to the Washington Heights community.
Richard Callum, MD
Richard was born and raised just outside of Tampa, Florida. His early exposure to the medical field came from watching his mother’s journey to becoming a nurse—an experience that would prove monumental in shaping his future career. He earned his undergraduate degree in Biology and Spanish from the University of Florida before attending Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine.
During medical school, he became involved with various community organizations, including the Leahy Clinic, a free clinic that provides care for uninsured individuals in Scranton. While volunteering there, he witnessed firsthand the barriers to healthcare access faced by underserved populations. Always a bit self-conscious about his limited Spanish proficiency, his passion for improving it was reignited through interactions with patients. The impact of a physician who could understand—or at least make the effort to understand—a patient in their native language was undeniable.
He was an active member of LMSA and the Medical Spanish Club, serving as Curriculum Coordinator to help enhance both his own and his classmates’ medical Spanish proficiency. Beyond academics, he demonstrated his leadership as president of both the soccer and volleyball clubs, reflecting his dedication to physical fitness and overall well-being.
Richard is thrilled to join the NYP-Columbia Family Medicine Residency Program, drawn to its mission of serving the Washington Heights community. With strong interests in community medicine and sports medicine, he hopes to provide compassionate, culturally competent care to a population that is deeply meaningful to him.
Outside of medicine, you can find him enthusiastically—if not always gracefully—competing in adult recreational leagues.
Rachel Nassau, MD
Rachel grew up in Rhode Island and completed her Bachelor’s in Anthropology: Global Health and Environment at Washington University in St. Louis. After graduating from Wash U, she spent two years working in NYC at the Medicare Rights Center as a Client Services Associate. In this role, she served as a Medicare counselor and caseworker, a community educator, and a Medicare policy advocate.
Rachel completed her medical education at the George Washington University School of Medical and Health Sciences, where she crystallized her commitment to community empowerment and healthcare justice through a career in Family Medicine. During her time in medical school, Rachel served as a leader of GW SMHS’s chapter of Medical Students for Choice, leading educational workshops and volunteering at a local abortion clinic. Rachel also participated in the Health Policy Scholarly Concentration at GW, deepening her understanding of the advocacy opportunities and responsibilities she will embrace as a family medicine physician. Additionally, Rachel dedicated herself to learning Spanish through multiple electives and educational opportunities, including spending a month during her fourth year of medical school working in a clinic in Quito, Ecuador.
Rachel is thrilled to join the NYP-Columbia Family Medicine Program, to work alongside mission-driven clinicians, and to get to know the Washington Heights community. She looks forward to continuing to pursue her interests in all areas of Family Medicine, particularly reproductive health and community-based primary care. Outside of work, Rachel loves to spend time with her family, friends, and partner. You can also find her curled up on the couch with a book, outside on a run, or in a yoga class.
Ariana Ram, MD
Ariana was born and raised in Queens, New York, by a Guyanese immigrant father and an African American mother. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Spanish from Fordham College at Rose Hill. While attending Fordham, she had the unique privilege to participate in the Collegiate Science & Technology Entry Program (CSTEP), which fostered her passion for mentoring underrepresented minority (URM) students pursuing careers in healthcare.
As an undergraduate, Ariana volunteered as a Medical Spanish Interpreter at the Einstein Community Health Outreach (ECHO) Clinic. There, she worked alongside Family Medicine physicians to tackle food insecurity and language barriers in underserved communities in the Bronx. This formative experience deepened her commitment to social justice and ignited her interest in family medicine, where she saw the opportunity to integrate her passion for Spanish, community health, and holistic care with her medical career.
She subsequently attended the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell to become the first physician in her family. Through her various leadership roles as a medical student —Co-Chair of the Catherine Bangeranye Society Student National Medical Association (SNMA) at Hofstra, SNMA Region IX Community Service Liaison, Medical Spanish Instructor for the Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA) at Hofstra, and Chair of White Coats for Black Lives (WC4BL)—she organized and facilitated initiatives aimed at addressing advocacy, diversity, and mentorship within medicine. She was selected as the medical student recipient of the 2025 Dr. Richard Bonanno Family Medicine Medical Student Award for her dedication to the specialty of Family Medicine and commitment to underserved communities.
Furthermore she partnered with her alma mater, Fordham CSTEP to develop an innovative healthcare workshop series for URM pre-health students across New York State with the ultimate goal of increasing diversity in the medical workforce. In recognition of her professional achievement and significant contributions to CSTEP she received the CSTEP alumni award.
Ariana is thrilled to be joining the NYP-Columbia Family Medicine Residency Program. She looks forward to providing culturally competent care to all patients—with an emphasis on Black and Latinx individuals, as well as urban underserved communities. She is also excited to continue exploring her interests in reproductive health, health disparities, addiction medicine, integrative health, and LGBTQIA+ care.
When she's not busy discovering new ways to make a positive impact, you can find her chasing a new personal weight lifting record at the gym, experimenting with recipes that may or may not turn out edible, or sitting at a local coffee shop catching up on the latest pick from her Black Girl Book Club.
Claudia Serna, MD
Claudia was born and raised in Long Island, New York, and earned her Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences from the City College of New York’s Sophie Davis Biomedical Education Program. Since high school, she has been engaged in issues of accessible community health and wellness in NYC — especially through her volunteer work performing blood pressure and glucose screenings, and delivering education about hypertension, diabetes, strokes, and nutrition in community health fairs across Jackson Heights and East Elmhurst with NYC Queens Community Board 3. Her passion for health equity for individuals with limited or no access to healthcare, particularly in underserved communities, stems from these early experiences.
Claudia began medical school at the CUNY School of Medicine at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, deepening her awareness of how quickly health inequities can intensify among those newly disabled or managing multiple comorbidities, including long COVID. During this time, she volunteered in both the Family Medicine Clinic and the Hospice and Palliative Care Unit at Jamaica Hospital. Throughout her clinical training, she rotated through 10 hospitals across New York City and Long Island, where she encountered a wide range of pathologies, life stories, and care systems, further affirming her commitment to practicing family medicine in an urban setting.
Claudia has also been an active member of the New York State Academy of Family Physicians (NYSAFP) for the past two years. She helped launch the organization’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion podcast and book club, and served as the Downstate Alternate Delegate to the Congress of Delegates as well as the Downstate Student Representative to the NYSAFP Board of Directors. Her advocacy efforts with NYSAFP have included lobbying in Albany, where she explored the bridge between physician and legislator advocacy in state-level healthcare policy. She also served on the Reference Committee, where she developed a deeper understanding of the research and collaboration involved in crafting and supporting resolutions that the organization votes to support and bring to our state and national bodies.
Claudia is thrilled to be returning to the NYP-Columbia Family Medicine Program, where she completed an Integrative Medicine rotation that left a lasting impression. She looks forward to continuing her interests in social justice, integrative medicine, and hospice and palliative care. In her free time, she enjoys movies, musical theater, going to the gym, running, and spending time with friends and family. She is especially excited to be back near The Armory in NYC—a place that holds special meaning from her years as a high school and college track and field athlete, and where she raised over $2,500 for The Armory Foundation as a NYC Marathon charity runner.
Simran Sherwal, MD
Simmy was raised in the cozy suburbs of Northville, Michigan — but her childhood passport tells a more adventurous tale. Thanks to her father’s work, she spent formative years living in the vibrant cities of Istanbul, Turkey and Bangkok, Thailand. These global experiences nurtured her curiosity about different cultures and perspectives, a curiosity that has remained central to her journey in medicine.
She later attended the Kent School in Connecticut before heading to Michigan State University, where she majored in Human Biology and minored in Spanish. While at MSU, Simmy found herself drawn to serving others through both local and global initiatives. She volunteered at hospitals and nursing homes, and as treasurer of Health Without Borders, she helped organize impactful fundraisers—including efforts to support communities affected by the Flint Water Crisis.
After graduation, Simmy worked as an HIV tester and counselor at the Henry Ford Emergency Department in Detroit. There, she screened patients and provided compassionate counseling to those at risk. Her work extended into the community, volunteering at local needle exchange programs to promote safer practices and raise awareness around HIV and Hepatitis C.
Simmy went on to attend the Central Michigan University College of Medicine, where her dedication to health equity deepened. She developed a strong interest in addiction medicine and was honored to be selected as a Summer Institute for Medical Students (SIMS) scholar at the Betty Ford Center. She was also inducted into the Michigan AHEC Scholars Program, furthering her mission to serve medically underserved populations across the state.
With a heart rooted in service and a commitment to holistic care, Simmy is thrilled to be continuing her journey at the NYP-Columbia Family Medicine Residency program. She feels incredibly grateful to train in the vibrant, diverse community of Washington Heights and looks forward to forging meaningful relationships with her patients, co-residents, and mentors.
Simmy hopes to focus her practice on women’s reproductive health and addiction medicine, integrating the psychosocial aspects of care that often go overlooked. She is also excited to practice her Spanish skills and hopes to be fluent by the end of residency. When she’s not in the clinic, you can find her swimming laps, trying out new recipes in the kitchen, traveling the world, or exploring the endless nooks and crannies of New York City. She’s excited for what lies ahead and cannot wait to call NYP-Columbia home.
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PGY2
Marissa Carranza, MD
Marissa grew up in the suburbs of Pennsylvania (Nazzareth, PA) and completed her Bachelors in Nutrition and Food Science at the University of Vermont. After graduating from UVM she spent two years working for the Women Infant and Children (WIC) program as a program nutritionist where she performed nutrition counseling, pediatric group cooking classes, lactation counseling and community outreach.
Marissa then completed her medical education at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson where she solidified her commitment to a career in community and family medicine. During her time at RWJMS Marissa served as a leader of the Medical Students for Choice group where she led the schools largest papaya and IUD workshop, as well as advocated for abortion and reproductive health rights on a state level with the local Planned Parenthood. Marissa additionally served on the board of the White Coats 4 Black Lives group where she was involved, with the rest of the e-board, in co-creating the first structural racism in medicine and implicit bias in medicine mandatory curriculum for first and second year students. Marissa additionally co-founded the asylum clinic, a clinic that provides medical and psychiatric evaluations for individuals seeking asylum. In addition to advocacy on the school level, Marissa also volunteered with a local refugee resettlement agency, Interfaith-Rise, where she served as a key volunteer for families who were newly arrived to this country.
When not studying medicine or dismantling the patriarchy, you can find Marissa doing one of her many hobbies including running, camping, reading, dancing salsa or juggling! Marissa is excited to start her Family Medicine journey at NYP-Columbia by learning how to be the best primary care doctor she can be while continuing to get in some good trouble.
Alyssa Haag, MD
Alyssa grew up in the Los Angeles suburb of Palos Verdes and earned her bachelor's degree in Integrative Biology and Education from the University of California, Berkeley.
After graduating, Alyssa worked as a medical assistant at a primary care clinic in New York City. When COVID-19 struck in early February 2020, Alyssa was inspired by the clinic's prompt and personal response to the pandemic, along with their efforts to educate and empower patients. This experience sparked her interest in family medicine which was only furthered in medical school.
During her time at Nova Southeastern University College of Allopathic Medicine (NSU MD) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Alyssa began working for Osmosis, an online healthcare platform that provides education for healthcare learners and the general public. As a script editor, she ensures that the content is comprehensive and accessible. This role has become a significant passion of hers, one she has continued into residency.
Throughout her four years in Fort Lauderdale, Alyssa also frequently volunteered at Lotus House, a transitional living facility for unhoused women and children. This experience deepened her understanding that medicine involves not only caring for individuals but also serving the community.
Alyssa is thrilled to join the NYP Columbia Family Medicine community. Family medicine offers her the opportunity to provide comprehensive care, build strong patient relationships, and emphasize prevention and education. She has passions within family medicine that include reproductive health, preventive medicine, and adolescent health.
In her free time, Alyssa enjoys walks in Central Park, binge-watching TV shows, and exploring new restaurants in the city.
Jim Yen-Chun Huang, MD
Jim was born and raised in the suburbs of Atlanta, GA and his family is from Taiwan. Growing up, he saw how hard his immigrant parents worked to overcome the language, cultural, and health barriers to provide a better opportunity for him and his older brother.
He later attended Johns Hopkins University where he majored in Public Health Studies and learned more about the social determinants of health that disproportionately affected minority communities. He completed his thesis project helping investigate potential contamination risks associated with urban agriculture in Baltimore City. His research highlighted the importance of environmental justice and the significant impact of public health policies on the community and healthcare costs.
After graduation, he attended Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine for medical school. During his preclinical years, he enjoyed spending time at the local underserved middle school where he read books, encouraged students to pursue science-related fields, helped create pamphlets on COVID-19 health guidelines, and assisted with blood pressure and hearing screenings. In his clinical years, he advocated for less plastic consumption and disposal at the hospital, as he noticed there was a direct association between municipal solid waste and increased morbidity and mortality of people who lived closer to landfills.
These experiences shaped him to pursue Family Medicine in order to advocate for his patients in a deeply complex healthcare system. He is excited to continue his training with a brilliant and compassionate team of physicians at NYP-Columbia Family Medicine. In addition to community-based primary care, Jim has a strong interest in sports medicine.
Outside of work, Jim values spending time with family and friends. In his free time, he also enjoys weightlifting, playing basketball and his Nintendo Switch, and watching NBA and anime.
Edeline Sanchez, MD
Born and raised in Washington Heights, Edeline has always felt a deep connection to her community. Witnessing her grandparents navigate the healthcare system, grappling with language and cultural barriers as Dominican immigrants, was the catalyst for her pursuit of Public Health studies at Syracuse University. During her time at Syracuse University, through her public health major and community service, Edeline spent a lot of time at the SUNY Upstate Medical University Cancer Center. There, she learned about the barriers that exist in colorectal and breast cancer screening in the African American and Hispanic communities. She contributed to creating brochures and health materials, and through close collaboration with community members, gained profound insights into the community's specific needs, allowing her and her team to address them effectively.
At Drexel University College of Medicine, Edeline served as a Diversity Ambassador, collaborating with the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to promote engagement among student organizations, develop diversity-focused events, and participate in discussions on improving admission rates for underrepresented students. She also worked with The Alliance of Minority Physicians, Cracking the Clerkships course, to help prepare underrepresented minority medical students for success during their clinical rotations. Passionate about mentorship, Edeline found joy in mentoring and advocating for underrepresented students in medicine, notably as Director of the Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA)-Northeast. As Director, she represented over 1,300 students and 45 chapters in the region, managed a $200,000 annual budget, and supervised LMSA-Northeast affairs along with an executive board of 15 members. She collaborated to develop and implement strategic plans for the organization and coordinated regional conferences. Additionally, she facilitated the review and award of student scholarships, distributing $400,000 in awards and establishing a scholarship endowment fund. This role fostered her leadership growth and allowed her to channel her passion for increasing Latinx representation, supporting pre-medical and medical students through expanded scholarship opportunities and various events.
Now, Edeline is thrilled to be part of the NewYork-Presbyterian-Columbia family medicine program and to return home to her community in Washington Heights. She is especially interested in adolescent medicine and mental health and plans to continue her leadership skills in residency to advocate for her co-residents while serving her community. In her free time, Edeline enjoys working out, watching Love Island, and spending quality time with her Shih-Tzu Poodle, Jax, as well as her closest friends and family.
Lena Shally, MD
Lena moved around a lot growing up, spending the majority of her childhood outside of the United States, in England and the Netherlands. Currently, her family lives in Philadelphia. She attended Boston University where she earned a degree in Neurobiology with a minor in Chinese.
After graduating, Lena started medical school at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine. Entering medicine at the height of the global pandemic she quickly learned the value in engaging with the community in any way she could, volunteering to administer hundreds of COVID-19 vaccines and creating an educational curriculum for highschools and colleges in Scranton to dispel myths about the vaccine. Lena continued her involvement in the community throughout medical school, whether that meant planting flowers in downtown Scranton or helping neighbors shovel their driveways in the winter.
During her clinical years, she began to gain a deeper understanding of the healthcare system and saw the enormous impact good primary care made on the overall health of patients. It was fascinating to compare the health system she was studying within to the vastly different systems she grew up with. The focus on prevention of disease rather than the management of symptoms once the disease has already manifested is what brings Lena meaning in medicine.
As a kid, Lena was the pin-cushion for her mother who was learning acupuncture. Lena continues to advocate for the value of integrative medicine and is excited to continue that work with the NYP-Columbia Family Medicine Program and become the well-rounded physician she aspires to be. The program’s clear commitment to the Washington Heights community and holistic approach to health is what brought her here. Her other interests include reproductive health, preventive medicine, health policy and improving her medical Spanish!
When not brainstorming ways to improve our healthcare system or trying to be a good doctor for her patients, you can find Lena anywhere outdoors, planning skiing trips with friends, and convincing her co-residents to play board games with her.
Stephanie UreƱa,MD
Stephanie Ureña was born and raised in the Bronx, New York and her family is from the Dominican Republic. She attended the University of Pennsylvania where she majored in Health and Societies with a concentration in Public Health. She joined the Flexmed Program her sophomore year of college, in which she had admission into the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai upon graduation. While in medical school, she was a Primary Care Scholar where she worked with the family medicine department and explored different fields of primary care throughout her medical school training. She also participated in the student run clinic as a senior care clinician where she got to longitudinally treat her patients.
She became president of the Students of Equal Opportunities in Medicine via the Student National Medical Association. She also became a mentor for the Latino Medical Student Association.
She researched identifying American Descendants of Slavery on Medical School applications and she came up with a proxy to collect this data.
Stephanie is very excited to be a part of the NYP-Columbia Family Residency Program because she was born in the Allen Pavilion and she gets to work with a majority Spanish-speaking community. She feels right at home being surrounded by the strong Dominican community. She is very passionate about working with an adolescent population where she can focus on preventive health and she would like to continue working with community-based organizations. In her spare time, she likes to go to the gym, join workout classes, and dance the night away (preferably some bachata or merengue).
PGY3
Megan Cavanaugh, MD
Born and raised on Long Island, New York, Megan went on to receive her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Northeastern University in Boston. At Northeastern, she developed her interest in medicine while simultaneously discovering a passion for working with underserved communities through volunteering at local hospitals and working on the planning board of the University’s Relay For Life fundraiser. Megan stayed in Boston to work in cancer research,contributing to several immunotherapy clinical trials at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
After many Red Sox games and runs along the Charles River, Megan finally made her way back to New York to become the first physician in her family, attending New York Medical College. As a medical student working in New York City’s public health care system, she learned more about the socioeconomic and racial disparities patients face and became involved in research efforts to educate fellow medical students on ways to mitigate their implicit biases. In addition, Megan advocated for patients during her time on the Public Health Commission with the New York State Academy of Family Physicians, where she also gained insight into how physicians can fight for their patients through proposing legislation and lobbying government officials. She believes in a doctor’s responsibility not only to their patient but the community as a whole, one of the many reasons she pursued family medicine!
Megan is excited to continue her journey at NYP-Columbia Family Medicine, where she hopes to give patients and their families the comprehensive healthcare they deserve. She is thrilled to pursue her interests in reproductive health, advocacy, and preventative medicine, among many others. Outside of medicine, Megan enjoys time consuming baking projects, running all over the city, and spending time with her family and friends.
Ella Chaffin, DO
Ella was born in Maine and raised in a small town in the mountains of Colorado. She attended Colorado State University and majored in Human Development & Family Studies. As a University Honors Scholar she completed her Senior Honors Thesis on a research project exploring type 2 diabetes mellitus risk factors in adolescent girls with depressive symptoms. This experience helped form her interests in primary care, mental health, and disease prevention. Following graduation Ella moved to Madrid, and later Barcelona, to work as an English language teacher, primarily with elementary school children. During this time, she took advantage of the opportunity to improve her Spanish language skills to better serve her future patients. She fell in love with the Spanish language, culture, food, atmosphere, and lifestyle, and met her husband, Pablo.
Ella attended the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine at Midwestern University. While in medical school she became involved with the Community Health Clinic, a volunteer-based health center providing free primary care and mental health services to uninsured patients in the Chicago area. This furthered her passion for community medicine and working with underserved populations in an urban setting.
She is thrilled to be joining an incredible team of physicians at the NYP-Columbia Family Medicine Program. Her interests include reproductive health, addiction medicine and preventative care. Outside of medicine, Ella can be found baking sourdough bread (a pre-pandemic hobby if you can believe it), exploring the various neighborhoods in Manhattan, and taking weekend escapes to the mountains that remind her of her hometown in the Rockies.
Alexandra Greenberg, MD
Ali is a born-and-raised New Yorker but left the city to attend Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore for her Bachelor of Arts in Public Health Studies and Master of Science in International Health with a Concentration in Social and Behavioral Interventions as well as a Certificate in Health Communications. For her thesis research Ali spent six months living in Lima, Peru studying disparities in asthma management and control before moving to Washington DC to work as the Advocacy and Campaigns Officer for the global health non-profit Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM). Through her work with UAEM, Ali discovered a passion for grassroots organizing and an appreciation for community medicine. Ali attended medical school at SUNY Downstate in Brooklyn where she served as president of the school’s Medical Council, led the institution’s student-run free clinic and graduated with distinctions in both the Medical Educator and Health Advocacy, Equity, and Leadership Pathways for her engagement in curricular reform and social justice efforts, both locally and more systemically. She was recently recognized as a 2022 recipient of the national Pisacano Scholarship for emerging leaders in family medicine for her leadership, service, and dedication to advocacy in medicine and particularly for access to appropriate and affordable primary care.
Ali is thrilled to join the NYP-Columbia Family Medicine Program and continue to train in an urban, underserved setting within a community-anchored residency. She is even more eager to work alongside committed, collaborative, and conscientious providers while remaining in the city she considers home and ultimately plans to practice in. While at Columbia, Ali cannot wait to get to know the Washington Heights community. She also looks forward to continuing to pursue her broad interests in community medicine and advocacy, health policy, structural competency, social justice, LGBTQIA+ healthcare, integrative medicine, medical education… and basically everything else! When she isn't in the clinic or the hospital, Ali enjoys getting outside into nature, taking candid and landscape photos, doing yoga/stretching, getting a massage or acupuncture, cuddling with her cats Jackie and Hyde, and spending time out and about in the city with friends and family.
Haorui Sun, MD
Haorui was born in Beijing and moved to the suburbs outside Philadelphia at age 6. She grew up interested in everything, bouncing between Science and English and Art. In college at Pennsylvania State University, she discovered an interest in service by volunteering at a community center providing basic needs services and a 24-hour crisis hotline. While looking for a course to complete her English minor, she accidentally and happily discovered a way to merge her interests in science and the arts via a medical humanities course.
At Pennsylvania State College of Medicine, Haorui continued her pursuit of medical humanities by publishing multiple poems both in medical and literary journals and received the Ballantine award to create paintings of patients' hands during her palliative care rotation. She also pursued projects in racial equity in medicine including: writing and editing more inclusive Problem Based Learning cases for her medical school curriculum, grant writing and content creation for the National Antiracism in Medicine Curriculum Coalition, and conducting a research project on the insurance coverage of dermatological conditions found in lighter-skinned vs darker-skinned patients.
Haorui is beyond excited to join all the amazing people at the NYP-Columbia Family Medicine Program. She looks forward to learning more about medical humanities and social justice and getting to know the Washington Heights community. In her free time, she loves weightlifting, reading and writing poetry, travelling, and painting.
Robert Volodarsky, MD
Robby and his fraternal twin were born on the Upper East Side at The New York Hospital which merged with Presbyterian Hospital a couple years later to form NewYork-Presbyterian. During high school he played home football games on 193rd and Audubon Ave, about halfway between Columbia University Irving Medical Center and The Allen Hospital. As an undergraduate he attended SUNY Binghamton in upstate New York where he studied Biochemistry and served two terms as Service Chair of his medical organization. After graduating he completed one year of biochemistry research studying cellular trafficking proteins which play a role in disease states such as Spinal Muscular Dystrophy when mutated. He attended Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia for medical school where he was twice elected Service Representative of his learning society. During pre-clinical years he enjoyed volunteering at health fairs and free clinics that provided underserved residents of Philadelphia with medical care. His third year was completed at Crozer-Chester Medical Center in impoverished Chester, PA. It is there that he discovered his love for Family Medicine as he witnessed the breadth of care that doctors in that specialty were able to provide their patients. He particularly enjoyed conducting home visits and working at the Federally Qualified Health Center that served underinsured patients including several undocumented families spanning generations. Many of these patients were seeking medical care for the first time in the United States and had severely untreated conditions. Through it all Robby was blown away by the compassion and dedication to holistic care that the Family Medicine doctors embodied and decided that was the kind of physician he wanted to be. Prior to graduating he was awarded the Daniel M. Tabas Award for outstanding scholarly achievement within the pursuit of Primary Care.
Robby is elated to return home to NYC and train within the prestigious NYP-Columbia system while serving his community. In his down time he enjoys watching professional football and basketball or anime, going to the gym, playing videogames, and hanging out with his childhood friends – many of whom still reside in the city.
