Hometown: Arcata, CA
High School: Arcata High & Lycee Pierre d'Aragon
Undergraduate School: UC Berkeley
College Major: Psychology
Medical School: UCSF
Interests / Hobbies: Running, hiking, traveling, beach vacations, coffee, eating good food
Previous Lives: Public health research, nanny, high school tutor
5 Year Plan: Finish residency, learn to snowboard without falling every 10ft, travel whenever I get the chance

Title: Terry Ahern
Hometown: Seattle, WA
High School: Seattle Preparatory School
Undergraduate School: University of Colorado, Boulder
College Major: History
Medical School: Keck School of Medicine of USC
Interests / Hobbies: Rock climbing, skiing, cycling, wilderness medicine, reading, french bulldogs, apocalyptic movies
Previous Lives: Climbing guide, bartender, ski instructor, search & rescue
5 Year Plan: Become a dad, EM research, learn Spanish (finally!!), many trips to mountains

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
High School: Grant High School
Undergraduate School: Reed College
College Major: Psychology
Graduate School: Harvard School of Public Health
Graduate School Degree: MPH - Health Policy & Management
Medical School: UCSF
Interests / Hobbies: Spending time with family and friends, hiking, learn to sail before finishing residency
Previous Lives: Non-profit management, social work
5 Year Plan: In addition to working with underserved patients in the ED, I hope to get involved in several policy issues: improving access to care for uninsured patients, measuring quality of care in the ED, and addressing racial/ethnic health disparities

Title: Erik Anderson
Hometown: Minneapolis, MN
High School: Edina High School
Undergraduate School: Boston College
College Major: Theology -- ethics
Medical School: University of Minnesota
Interests / Hobbies: Running, ball sports, reading, eating, biking to get places but not for exercise, Minnesota beers, anything that you can do outd
Previous Lives: Cleaner of jobsites, organizer of warehouses, wannabe endurance athlete, Andean enthusiast
5 Year Plan: Learn to be a doctor, be helpful, and run faster

Hometown: Canyon Country, CA
High School: Canyon High School
Undergraduate School: USC
College Major: Biophysics and Astronomy
Medical School: UCLA
Interests / Hobbies: Volleyball, running, snowboarding, the beach, dancing, frolicking and being merry
Previous Lives: Waiter, teacher, energetic tip collector
5 Year Plan: Live it up during residency, Burning Man 2010-20??, become a Sister of Perpetual Indulgence, get married and make some burgeoning babies

Hometown: Barnesville, MD
High School: Richard Montgomery High School
Undergraduate School: University of Maryland, College Park
College Major: Cell Biology (B.S.) and Music (B.A.)
Medical School: Harvard
Interests / Hobbies: Swing dancing, disc golfing, video editing
Previous Lives: Professional swing dancer
5 Year Plan: Finish residency

Hometown: Madison, WI
High School: Edgewood High School
Undergraduate School: Bowdoin College
College Major: Biology
Medical School: Dartmouth
Interests / Hobbies: Sailing, sking, running, biking, fly fishing, or anything else outdoors. Woodworking too.
Previous Lives: Outward bound sailing instructor and professional ski patroller
5 Year Plan: Finish residency, then sail around the world

Hometown: Nueva Concepcion, El Salvador
High School: California Academy of Math and Science
Undergraduate School: Williams College
College Major: Political Science/International Affairs, Chemistry
Graduate School: Johns Hopkins School of Public Health
Graduate School Degree: Masters in Public Health
Medical School: University of California, San Francisco
Interests / Hobbies: Cooking, eating, traveling without an itinerary, lifting (I'm massive), trying to finish one Economist before the next one arrives, reading ridiculously long novels, political "discussions," hanging in golden gate park, avoiding hipsters at dolores park...and NPR
Previous Lives: Day treatment counselor, campaign assistant, public health researcher
5 Year Plan: Make a career out of globetrotting

Hometown: Poway, CA
High School: Poway High School
Undergraduate School: UCSD
College Major: Molecular Biology
Graduate School: UC Irvine Paul Merage School of Business
Medical School: UC Irvine
Interests / Hobbies: Soccer, surfing, beach runs, cycling, snowboarding, traveling, business and health care reform
Previous Lives: Athlete, community college professor, He-man enthusiast, HIV researcher
5 Year Plan: Become useful in the ED, appreciate Northern CA, surf in cold water, hike half dome

Title: Brad Ching
Hometown: Honolulu, Hawaii
High School: Punahou (Obama!!)
Undergraduate School: USC
College Major: Biology, Bioethics
Medical School: NYU
Interests / Hobbies: Feeding people, hole-in-the-wall restaurants, triathlon training, trying to rock climb, campfires, general laziness
Previous Lives: Hostel jumping travel bum, prep cook, nature conservancy intern, El Dr. Chino
5 Year Plan: Have more passport stamps than years on this earth, win the amazing race, escape from Alcatraz, break 100 in bowling

Hometown: Portland, OR
High School: Oregon Episcopal School
Undergraduate School: Brown University
College Major: History
Graduate School: UC Berkeley
Graduate School Degree: MS
Medical School: UCSF
Interests / Hobbies: Salt, parks, large bodies of water, books, city streets, walking and walking and walking some more
Previous Lives: Angsty barista, lab assistant, text-book marketer, reproductive health counselor, budding milliner
5 Year Plan: Learn to drive stick, travel a bit, complete residency, sit in the sun on occasion

Hometown: Novato, CA
High School: Marin Academy
Undergraduate School: UCLA
College Major: Psychobiology
Medical School: Georgetown
Interests / Hobbies: International and domestic travel, sitting aimlessly on pretty beaches, social justice issues, reading fiction, live music
Previous Lives: Legal assistant, camp counselor, social work at free clinic, See's Candy employee
5 Year Plan: Be Lauren Fine's roadie, travel to fun places, get smart

Hometown: San Francisco, CA
High School: University High School
Undergraduate School: Brown University
College Major: Biology
Medical School: UCLA
Interests / Hobbies: Painting, stamp making, jogging, soccer, wordscraper
Previous Lives: Shovel bum, sassy waitress, EMT
5 Year Plan: Taking emergency medicine to a whole new level- specifically around 5'2'' ... why is everyone here so tall?

Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
High School: Salpointe Catholic High School, Tucson, Arizona
Undergraduate School: University of California, San Diego
College Major: Chemistry/Biochemistry
Medical School: George Washington University
Interests / Hobbies: Traveling, yoga, running, hiking, bike riding, swimming, going to the beach, dancing, shopping, spending time with friends and family
Previous Lives: Starbucks Barista, Waitress, Personal driver, Exercise Specialist, Helpdesk Operator, Neuroimaging Analyst
5 Year Plan: International Medicine and whatever else comes my way

Hometown: Nomad by birth, no hometown
High School: Wiesbaden American High School (Germany) and Warner Robbin HS (Georgia)
Undergraduate School: Yale (Silliman College)
College Major: Econ
Graduate School: Columbia Business School
Graduate School Degree: MBA
Medical School: Columbia P&S
Interests / Hobbies: Art house movies, basketball and running, international development & travel
Previous Lives: Cubicle monkey in NYC turned Goucher College Post-Bac TA
5 Year Plan: Learn a new language (thinkin Portugese, Brazil here I come!), finish residency, begin my career in int'l health, keep lookin for ms. right, and do a half ironman (or at least watch one)

Hometown: Dallas, TX
High School: Highland Park High School
Undergraduate School: Brown
College Major: Biomedical Ethics
Medical School: University of Pennsylvania
Interests / Hobbies: Exploring, running, singing, doodling, live music, chocolate, finding the perfect michelada
Previous Lives: Spinning instructor, secretary, wanna-be rockstar
5 Year Plan: Save lives, get better at bar chords, rock on

Hometown: Pacific Grove, CA
High School: Pacific Grove High School
Undergraduate School: University of California, Santa Barbara
College Major: French
Medical School: University of Southern California
Interests / Hobbies: Travel, fine wine, good books, tennis
Previous Lives: I used to be a pretty big slacker
5 Year Plan: World domination

Hometown: Corona, CA
High School: Corona High School
Undergraduate School: UC Riverside
College Major: Biochemistry
Graduate School: UCLA
Graduate School Degree: Public Health (MPH)
Medical School: UCLA
Interests / Hobbies: Health policy, international EM, traveling, indie films that aren't too Indie, fieldtrips to anywhere
Previous Lives: In-N-Out Burgerologist, automotive hygienist, waiter, Beatles roadie, Mexican Revoluionary
5 Year Plan: Get married, visit 5 new countries, attend a World Cup game, go toe-to toe with sobriety at Oktoberfest...oh yeah, and maybe finish residency

Hometown: Miami, FL
High School: North Miami Beach Senior
Undergraduate School: UC Berkeley
College Major: Biophysics
Graduate School Degree: MS in Health and Medical Sciences
Medical School: UCSF
Interests / Hobbies: Foraging, mycology, accordion, Wanderlust
Previous Lives: Probably a desert nomad or maybe an owl
5 Year Plan: Ask me again in 5 years...

Hometown: Carteret, NJ
High School: Bishop George Ahr High School, Edison, NJ
Undergraduate School: New York University
College Major: Biology and Public Policy
Medical School: New York University
Interests / Hobbies: Public health interventions in the ED, politics, traveling, tasting new foods and wines
Previous Lives: EMT, Janitor, Lab rat
5 Year Plan: Continue loving what I do

Hometown: Anaheim, CA
High School: Canyon High School
Undergraduate School: UCLA
College Major: Physiology
Medical School: UC Irvine
Interests / Hobbies: Surfing, snowboarding, globetripping, yoga, swimming (water polo), good or really, really bad movies. I am also a Defender of the Mustache.
Previous Lives: Past life regressions revealed incarnations as a Speedo-clad water warrior, Venture Capitalist, Dot.com-er in Ireland, Wanderluster, Hospice worker for Mother Teresa's Charity in Calcutta.
5 Year Plan: International medicine, live in a country with siestas, meditate into oblivion

Hometown: Atlanta, GA
High School: Paideia School
Undergraduate School: Harvard
College Major: Psychology
Medical School: Yale
Interests / Hobbies: Swimming, biking, sewing, hiking, Bluegrass, Bhangra, trying new foods, getting lost in new places
Previous Lives: Short-order cook, lifeguard, shepherd, welder, waitress, #8
5 Year Plan: Fabulous question

Hometown: Redwood City, CA
High School: Woodside Priory
Undergraduate School: Bowdoin College
College Major: Anthropology
Medical School: Harvard Medical School
Interests / Hobbies: Latin America, gardening, surfing, scavenging, breeding, needles
Previous Lives: Construction, mental health counselor, international program development, public health research
5 Year Plan: 2008 Big Flat; 2009 Sumbawa; 2010 Buchupureo; 2011 PNG; 2012 Single payer universal health care

Hometown: Vacaville, CA
High School: Will C. Wood High School
Undergraduate School: University of California, Los Angeles
College Major: Physiological Science
Medical School: University of Illinois at Chicago
Interests / Hobbies: Swimming, salsa dancing, running, checking out live music, traveling, attempting to cook
Previous Lives: Swimming instructor/Lifeguard (sunshine junkie), lab rat, veterinary tech (aka pet nurse), worked at a wild animal park, dog trainer
5 Year Plan: Learn as much as possible, help patients, graduate and then ?

Hometown: Riverside, CA
High School: Riverside Poly High School
Undergraduate School: UC Riverside
College Major: Biology
Medical School: Harvard
Interests / Hobbies: Sports, music, spoken word poetry, going out
Previous Lives: Carney (Roller coaster and bumper car specialist), college track and field
5 Year Plan: Finish residency, retire

Hometown: Sammamish, WA
High School: Eastlake High School
Undergraduate School: University of Washington
College Major: Economics
Graduate School: Emory School of Public Health
Graduate School Degree: Masters in Public Health
Medical School: Emory
Interests / Hobbies: Sports, eating ethnic food and baked goods, epidemiology, travel, microbrews
Previous Lives: Caddie, grocery bagger, homeless lunch coordinator, EMT, public health researcher
5 Year Plan: Survive/enjoy residency, find a niche in academic EM, enjoy the bay area, complete the Big Texan challenge in Amarillo, Texas (72 ounce steak), World Cup 2014

Title: Matthew Kiefer
Hometown: New Milford, CT
High School: Canterbury School
Undergraduate School: Middlebury College
College Major: Economics
Medical School: University of Pennsylvania
Interests / Hobbies: Film, Politics, Surfing, Opinions, Judgment
Previous Lives: Clinical Researcher, Dot-commer, Investment Banker, Master of the Universe
5 Year Plan: Work hard, spend time with the people that I love

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
High School: Saint Bernards High School
Undergraduate School: UC Riverside
College Major: Biology
Graduate School: Medical College of Wisconsin
Medical School: Medical College of Wisconsin
Interests / Hobbies: Camping, live music, festivals, basketball, running, drum circles, going out
Previous Lives: College basketball, basketball coach, well... I worked for the city once, summer mentoring
5 Year Plan: Finish residency, maybe have some kids, see some new countries, fellowship, get a real car (it’s hard getting out of the jeep wrangler with a short skirt on)

Hometown: Bangalore, India
High School: Kodaikanal International School
Undergraduate School: Lewis and Clark College
College Major: Psychology
Graduate School: Columbia
Medical School: Brown
Interests / Hobbies: Being in and doing stuff in mountains or bodies of water, photography, reading, production and consumption of spicy food
Previous Lives: The voice on the phone asking about patient information for organ/tissue donation, travel junky, reteaching brain trauma rehab patients to take care of themselves
5 Year Plan: Enjoy residency; too many underserved in too many places to know specifics for afterwards

Title: Jessica Li
Hometown: San Francisco, CA
High School: St. Ignatius College Preparatory
Undergraduate School: Stanford University
College Major: Biological Sciences
Medical School: Johns Hopkins
Interests / Hobbies: Spending time with family and friends, being in the sun, traveling, tennis, shopping, festivals, good food
Previous Lives: Beach bum, lab rat, ATM designer, world traveler
5 Year Plan: Enjoy residency, go on a real honeymoon, cook not microwave, be happy

Hometown: Guilford, CT
High School: Guillford High School
Undergraduate School: Barnard College
College Major: Neurobiology
Medical School: Stanford Medical School
Interests / Hobbies: Running, cycling, swimming, hanging out with my dog, hanging out with my family
Previous Lives: TBA
5 Year Plan: Practicing Emergency Medicine, happily

Hometown: Buffalo, NY
High School: City Honors (yay for public school!)
Undergraduate School: University of Pittsburgh
College Major: Hispanic Literature, Neuroscience
Medical School: Georgetown University
Interests / Hobbies: International EM and systems development, salsa dancing, microbrews, travel
Previous Lives: Waitress, neuro lab nerd, fine-tuning world travel on a shoestring. I won a dance contest once.

Title: Virat Madia
Hometown: Minneapolis, MN
High School: Maple Grove Senior High
Undergraduate School: University of Minnesota
College Major: Physiology / Political Science
Medical School: University of Minnesota Medical School
Interests / Hobbies: Softball / Volleyball / Politics / Social Justice / Positive Energy
Previous Lives: U.S. Congressional Campaign Manager / Bartender / Sandwich Artist
5 Year Plan: Continue to be the happiest man alive / Be in the best physical and mental shape of my life / Play in the NAGAA Softball World Series / Get professional help for my addiction to Chipotle

Hometown: San Pedro, CA
High School: San Pedro High School
Undergraduate School: UC Irvine
College Major: Biological Sciences
Graduate School: Yale School of Epidemiology
Graduate School Degree: Public Health (MPH)
Medical School: UCSD
Interests / Hobbies: ESPN, DJ, Road trips, Food, Sleep, Sports Medicine
Previous Lives: Smooth Operator, Deputy Marriage Commissioner, Fiber optic cable technician, Price checker, Barber, High School Outreach Coordinator
5 Year Plan: Get my life together, learn how to play the piano, start knockin’ out some of these school loans

Title: Dominick Maggio
Hometown: Aptos, CA
High School: Aptos High School
Undergraduate School: University of California, Berkeley
College Major: English (Oh Hemingway)
Medical School: State University of New York, Upstate
Interests / Hobbies: Me lady, elderly golden retrievers, road trips of all forms (targeting breweries and hot springs), backpacking (Sierra and Southwest are favorites), surfing, rock-climbing
Previous Lives: Stocker of pool towels, renter of videos, busser of tables, tender of bar
5 Year Plan: International, critical care, wilderness medicine? Start a family. Knock a few things off the bucket list: World cup 2014 Brazil, become a Josh Ritter groupie, Pacific Crest Trail, Argentinian steaks and Chilean wine from the source, raft the Grand Canyon, more Southwest US Exploration

Title: Cristina Martinez
Hometown: Fairfield, CA
High School: Justin Siena High School
Undergraduate School: Saint Mary’s College of California
College Major: Biology
Medical School: UCSF
Interests / Hobbies: International EM, running, backpacking, snowboarding, mountain biking, building furniture, scouring the world for the best coffee and beer, but most of all love to hang with friends and eat, oh how I love to eat!
Previous Lives: Cattle wrangler, EMT, photo printer, barista, waitress, hot dog stand grill master and world record holder for an entire 3 days with my Varsity Crew team (most meters rowed in 24 hrs)
5 Year Plan: Have a blast, become a real doctor and get at least 1 new stamp in my passport each year

In Memorandum
Mila Rainof was an exceptional young doctor who lost her life weeks before she was to start her internship at Highland. She will always be remembered as a member of the Class of 2012.

Hometown: San Antonio, TX
High School: Believers Academy
Undergraduate School: The Master's College
College Major: Biology
Medical School: Baylor
Interests / Hobbies: Hiking, travel, woodworking, photography, South JerseyFoods, Texas grilling, Wall Street, San Antonio Spurs
Previous Lives: Clown, bus boy in the Tower of the Americas
5 Year Plan: Eat at the Stinking Rose, catch a salmon in Alaska, visit a couple of continents

Hometown: Northbrook, IL
High School: Glenbrook North High School
Undergraduate School: University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign
College Major: Psychology and Biology
Medical School: Boston University
Interests / Hobbies: Global health, being outdoors-running/ biking/ skiing/hiking, travel, yoga, trashy gossip magazines
Previous Lives: Ice cream scooper, Notting Hill bartender, "patient services coordinator"
5 Year Plan: Become an East Bay foodie, get good at mountain biking, finish residency in one piece.

Hometown: Marshfield, WI
High School: Thacher School, Ojai, CA
Undergraduate School: Brown University
College Major: Environmental Science
Medical School: UCSF
Previous Lives: N/A
5 Year Plan: N/A

Title: Edward Robertson
Hometown: Fontana, CA
High School: Fontana A.B. Miller High
Undergraduate School: University of California, Riverside
College Major: Biomedical Sciences
Medical School: USC
Interests / Hobbies: Sports, cooking, reading, running, music, Alpha Phi Alpha, collecting sneakers
Previous Lives: Elementary teacher, lab assistant, youth mentor, TA, Derek Luke’s body double
5 Year Plan: Finish residency, pursue a Sports Medicine fellowship, travel abroad, enjoy the Bay Area, play a 1-on-1 game w/ President Obama

Title: Dan Schnorr
Hometown: Sudbury, MA
High School: Lincoln-Sudbury Regional
Undergraduate School: University of Notre Dame
College Major: Philosophy
Medical School: Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons
Interests / Hobbies: Boston sports teams, Springsteen, syncretistic religions, good views
Previous Lives: Forrest firefighter, band manager, island hopper, medical student
5 Year Plan: Finish residency, learn guitar, explore the west, practice emergency medicine in an austere environment

Hometown: Beverly, MA
High School: Beverly High School
Undergraduate School: Bowdoin College
College Major: Psychology
Medical School: Harvard
Interests / Hobbies: Cooking, Biking, Rugby
Previous Lives: Red Cross Disaster relief worker
5 Year Plan: Survive Residency, convince family to move to the West Coast, own small vineyard in Sonoma

Hometown: Quetzaltenango, Guatemala
High School: Arlington High School, MA
Undergraduate School: UC Irvine
College Major: Biology
Medical School: UCSF
Interests / Hobbies: Spending time with my fiance and family, making cupcakes, hanging out in warm and sunny places,, health disparities, poverty medicine, Latino activism
Previous Lives: World traveler, beach bum, coffee snob, salsera, cocktail waitress, HHMI researcher of T-cells
5 Year Plan: Marry the man of my dreams, have lots of babies, learn how to ride a Harley, get a tan, finish residency, take over the world

Hometown: North Creek, NY
High School: Johnsburg Central School
Undergraduate School: St. Lawrence University
College Major: Environmental Studies and Economics
Graduate School: Bryn Mawr
Graduate School Degree: Post-Baccaulaureate
Medical School: McGill University, Montreal Quebec
Interests / Hobbies: International travel, telemark skiing, whitewater kayaking, trying new restaurants
Previous Lives: Hudson River rafting guide, Bus Driver, Dorm Parent, Social Studies teacher in Switzerland, PMTCT intern in Zambia
5 Year Plan: Survive residency, take flying lessons, take advantage of time off, and go to Lake Tahoe

Title: Diego Tucker
Hometown: Albuquerque, NM
High School: St. Pius X High School
Undergraduate School: Rice University
College Major: Ecology / Evolutionary Biology
Medical School: Weill Cornell
Interests / Hobbies: Sydney nightlife, Crossfit, anything by Miyazaki
Previous Lives: New Mexican mariachi, Aussie milk delivery, Houston child herder, Big Apple spirit maven
5 Year Plan: Win an EGOT, play in tune, ski as much as humanly possible. Do doctor things.

Hometown: Only, Tennessee
High School: University School of Nashville
Undergraduate School: Dartmouth
College Major: Latin American Studies, Women's Studies, Geography
Graduate School: Bryn Mawr
Graduate School Degree: Post-Bac program - can't get into med school on a diet of Women's Studies alone. CDC Epidemiology Fellowship - studying the oh so prevalent disease --- rabies.
Medical School: Brown
Interests / Hobbies: Most anything that involves mountains, snow or water - usually translates to biking, snowboarding and being a mediocre surfer. Drinking good sake, eating good sushi. Trying to be a good doggie momma.
Previous Lives: Recovering Southerner, East Coast Intern, Utah snowboarder, South American trip leader
5 Year Plan: To finish residency - or at least internship

Hometown: Pasadena, CA
High School: Polytechnic School
Undergraduate School: Dartmouth and Harvard
College Major: Psychology, Mathematics
Medical School: UCSF
Interests / Hobbies: BBQ, basketball, beer, beach, bunnies, biodiesel, backpacking, "Ballyhoo"
Previous Lives: Nomad, wilderness therapist (Outward Bound), Nat'l Ski Patrol, ed tech, David Hasselhoff fan club president
5 Year Plan: Stop sucking at surfing, doctor stuff in rad places

Hometown: Palo Alto, CA
High School: Oakmont High School
Undergraduate School: UC Davis
College Major: Neuroscience
Graduate School: UCSF
Graduate School Degree: Neuroscience
Medical School: UCSF
Interests / Hobbies: Husband, Father, Businesses (developer - custom homes, and metal shop for race car part fabrication)
Previous Lives: Construction - general contractor/developer, porsche GT cup racing
5 Year Plan: Finish residency, build our dream home, start medical device development

Hometown: Oakland, CA
High School: Head-Royce High School
Undergraduate School: Yale
College Major: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Medical School: UCSF
Interests / Hobbies: Backpacking, open-water swimming, horses, surfing
Previous Lives: Wilderness guide, horse trainer, international law (no, I am not a lawyer!)
5 Year Plan: A solo swim across Lake Tahoe, explore Tibet and Mongolia

May 2012 Articles