Nsser Abdelall

Hometown: Kuwait

Medical School: Faculty of Medicine, Health Sciences Center, Kuwait University

What advice would you give incoming residents?
Trust the process and enjoy the journey.

What originally attracted you to the LSU Child/Adult Neurology program?
The program’s commitment to providing excellent clinical training, exposure to a diverse patient population, and opportunities for research and academic growth.

Favorite thing to do in New Orleans:
Try all the amazing food and get exposed to the various cultures.

Sumrita Bindra

Hometown: Silver Spring, MD

Medical School: Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine

Undergraduate School: University of Maryland, College Park

What advice would you give incoming residents?
If you don't know something (and there's a ton you won't know), just ask! Be teach-able and curious.

What originally attracted you to the LSU Child/Adult Neurology program?
Considering how unique New Orleans is, I knew that training here would expose me to a wide range of pathologies that I may not see elsewhere.

Favorite thing to do in New Orleans:
Trying out new eateries - esp. bakeries and coffee shops!

Betsy Johnson

Hometown: Kerala, India

Medical School: Sree Mookambika Institute of Medical Sciences

Undergraduate School: NIU, Masters in Public Health

What advice would you give incoming residents?
You made it! Continue the good work, keep learning and polishing your skills with a positive mind set. Investing even a few minutes in something you love can make a huge difference for you as well as help you take care of your patients better.

What originally attracted you to the LSU Child/Adult Neurology program?
The diversity of training sites including the VA with a wide variety of exposure, was one of the main factors which initially attracted me to the program. During the meet and greet and interview sessions, it was immediately evident that the program harbors a very collegial, happy and supportive environment which was equally important to me as well.

Favorite thing to do in New Orleans:
Seafood, walks in Citypark, Audubon park, Museums etc.

Anthony Pham

Hometown: Cut Off, Louisiana

Medical School: LSUHSC  School of Medicine, New Orleans

Undergraduate School: Xavier University of Louisiana

What advice would you give incoming residents?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions and build your confidence! Everyone here wants to see you succeed, so take advantage of any opportunities to ask questions and learn from everyone around you.

What originally attracted you to the LSU Child/Adult Neurology program?
As a student, I appreciated how much teaching and support was provided by the staff, faculty, and residents which made for a comfortable learning environment (& this still stands true as a resident)! I wanted to join a program that is diverse in its cohort, patient population, and neuropathology/clinical experience so that I would feel comfortable working independently in the real world. LSU Neuro covers all the bases!

Favorite thing to do in New Orleans:
Eating Levee baking company sweets

Laura Joanna Anorue

Hometown: Jacksonville, Florida & Heidelberg, Germany

Medical School: Ross University School of Medicine

Undergraduate School: Florida A&M University

What advice would you give incoming residents? 
1) Plan, prepare and prioritize! There will be a lot of paperwork, emails, and meetings but with these 3 things in mind, you will do great! 2) Be kind. This will take you further than anything else. 3) Ask for help and connect with people. This is a community and everyone wants everyone to win. You are not expected to know everything so just simply ask for help.

What originally attracted you to the LSU Adult Neurology program? 
I sought out a program that truly served all patients--all races, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, cultures, languages, economic backgrounds, and health insurance status. It was equally important to me to find a program that reflected the city's diverse and family-oriented culture, which for LSU Health New Orleans means, "We are a big family and we take care of each other." As a resident, you are truly valued and respected here and your education is a high priority.

What is your favorite thing to do in New Orleans? 
I love attending any of the weekly festivals (yes, literally there is a festival every weekend here!) as well as diving into the dynamic restaurant scene. 

Rasha N. Kako

Hometown: Iraq

Medical School: University of Baghdad College of Medicine, Iraq

Undergraduate School: Dijla High School

What advice would you give incoming residents?
Enjoy the moment! You’ve finally achieved your goal. Take every opportunity to learn from everyone around you.

What originally attracted you to the LSU Child/Adult Neurology program?
I chose LSU because of the welcoming culture of the program, the diversity and strong leadership of the program. The faculty and residents were welcoming and engaging during my interviews. I like the great support provided to the residents.
It's a family here!

Favorite thing to do in New Orleans:
New Orleans has something for everyone. The food, museums, music, architecture, festivals, and shopping.

Taylor J. Marks

Hometown: New Iberia, LA

Medical School: LSUHSC New Orleans

Undergraduate School: University of Florida

What advice would you give incoming residents?
Take it one day at a time!

What originally attracted you to the LSU Neurology program?
I was attracted to LSU Health New Orleans because I could tell the residents truly cared about their patients and each other.

What is your favorite thing to do in New Orleans?
My favorite thing to do in New Orleans is to walk around the city and find new places and food to try. 

Roger D. Salgado Olivares

Hometown: Monteria, Colombia

Medical School: Universidad del Rosario

What advice would you give incoming residents?
Enjoy the process 

What originally attracted you to the LSU Child/Adult Neurology program?
I saw the quality of doctor that LSU graduates and I wanted to be like them. 

Favorite thing to do in New Orleans:
Learn neurology with LSU 

Olivia M. Adams

Hometown: Mandeville, La 

Medical School: Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans

Undergraduate School: Louisiana State University

What advice would you give incoming residents? Laugh and joke with your coresidents, it makes the long days easier.

What originally attracted you to the Adult Neurology program? Everyone was so kind and welcoming. It felt like a family. I felt supported. 

Favorite thing to do in New Orleans? Bike through the French Quarter at night and appreciate the beautiful architecture. 

Brandon L. Carroll

Hometown: Jonesboro, LA

Medical School: LSUHSC New Orleans

Undergraduate School: University of Oklahoma

What advice would you give incoming residents?
Show up on time and work hard

What originally attracted you to the LSU Child/Adult Neurology program?
The wonderful residents and friendly staff combined with an excellent training environment.

Favorite thing to do in New Orleans:
Watching the Pels and Saints play, enjoying the food, the Mardi Gras season

David K. Odenheimer

Hometown: Lake Charles, LA

Medical School: LSUHSC New Orleans

Undergraduate School: LSU

What advice would you give incoming residents?
Trust in the training that you have received and that you will receive

What originally attracted you to the LSU Child/Adult Neurology program?
Supportive, welcoming atmosphere, breadth of subspecialized expertise, and well-balanced heterogenicity of neurologic pathologies.

Favorite thing to do in New Orleans:
Eating local seafood

Komei Shimozono

Hometown: Kagoshima, Japan

Medical School: Tokushima University, Japan

What advice would you give incoming residents?
Enjoy your journey! And do not hesitate to ask for help. People around you are there to support you.

What originally attracted you to the LSU Child/Adult Neurology program?
I was drawn to how friendly and welcoming the residents and staff were. I also appreciated the many opportunities to learn clinical neurophysiology and work with a diverse patient population.

Favorite thing to do in New Orleans:
I love eating, especially enjoying all the great seafood!

Summer L. Holloway

Hometown: Oak Grove, Louisiana

Medical School: Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans

Undergraduate School: Tulane University, New Orleans, La

What advice would you give incoming residents? Don’t be afraid to ask questions or ask for help when you need it.

What originally attracted you to the Adult Neurology program? The culture of the Neurology program at LSU felt very supportive and I loved how engaged the faculty was in teaching residents and students.

Favorite thing to do in New Orleans? I love trying new restaurants, visiting the aquarium, or going to read in Audubon Park.

Alexander J. Oliveri

Hometown:

Medical School: Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans

Undergraduate School: University of Mississippi

What advice would you give incoming residents? You're not in it alone! Whenever you feel stressed or overwhelmed, lean on your co-interns and upper levels who are usually more than happy to help.

What originally attracted you to the Adult Neurology program?  It is a great environment to learn. There isn't a single faculty member who isn't brilliant, kind, and really there to help you learn and develop into a successful future neurologist.

Favorite thing to do in New Orleans? I love our roast-beef po-boys and even maintain my own tier list which I add to whenever I try a new place.

Daniela I. Salinas

Hometown: Camargo, Tamaulipas

Medical School: Tecnológico de Monterrey Escuela de Medicina

Undergraduate School: Tecnológico de Monterrey 

What advice would you give incoming residents? Enjoy each part of the process, it goes by faster than you think. 

What originally attracted you to the Adult Neurology program? I loved how much everyone wants you to grow as a neurologist. I also appreciate how resident’s autonomy is encouraged.

Favorite thing to do in New Orleans? I like to visit new restaurants and try different cuisines. 

Shade F. Smith

Hometown: Indianola, MS

Medical School: University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC)

Undergraduate School: University of Mississippi

What advice would you give incoming residents? I don't even know what I would say given I have not started yet, but I think I would advise all incoming students to have faith. The process gets better and so does life towards the end of medical school. Internalize the idea that things are different now. While we still have tests we have to study for and whatnot, our primary objective is to learn how to do the job to the absolute best of our abilities. 

What originally attracted you to the Adult Neurology program? The thing that attracted me to adult neurology is the breadth of patient cases. You can get some really algorithmic cases such as stroke cases and calling codes, doing assessments, etc.., and then you have cases that are unexplained by all involved. An encephalitis that you may never have an answer for that still got better with treatment, but you still cannot explain it. I liked the idea of being in a field where there is still such a frontier to cross and more knowledge to gain. 

Favorite thing to do in New Orleans? Easily eat. I am a food-oriented person, and this place has that by the bushel. All different types of cuisine and such a wonderful assortment of seafood as well. The city and area are amazing, but the food is such a standout to me.