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Spring 2010

The following are biographical notes of students who were selected for the Surgery Intern Program in spring 2010.

Note: Records are presented in alphabetical order.

Photo of Samantha AndersonSamantha Anderson
American River College

Samantha Anderson is a second-year college student at American River College and Folsom Lake College. She originally went to California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo, and decided to come back to study in Sacramento. She plans to transfer to California State University, Sacramento or UC Davis in the Fall of 2011 to study biological sciences/ pre-medicine.

Sam is the youngest of four children, one of which is a twin brother. She works on campus at the Science Skills Center as a tutor. In her free time, she volunteers as an EMT at concerts in Sacramento and San Francisco area, and also volunteers at the UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento in the Emergency Department once a week. She is looking forward to this program and to what the future has in store.

Photo of Liza AnwarLiza Anwar
American River College

Liza was born and raised in Iraq. She came to the United States in 2006 and started at American River College afterward. She experienced difficulties adjusting to the change as far as school and the system in general. AMSA has been one of the best experiences in her life because it has led her to the right path as far as taking the right classes, getting more involved in the medical field, having leadership roles, and last but not least being introduced to the pre-med surgery internship.

Liza is currently finishing up her lower division classes at American River College as a biological science major and ready to transfer to the University of California, Davis in fall 2010 as a NPB major. Her passion is to become a physician and help the undersevered communities specifically where health care is not very accessible because she grew up in a place where that’s is the case especially after the war.

Photo of Laura ConstantineLaura Constantine
Brigham Young University

Laura Constantine is from Sacramento, California. She worked as a behavioral analyst and therapist for children with autism for several years. Putting her clinical skills to use in research, Laura began working with Dr. Blythe Corbett, Ph.D. at the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at University of California, Davis School of Medicine. She assisted in investigations of neurodevelopmental disorders at the M.I.N.D. Institute and presented the finding through several conferences and two publications. She continues to work in Dr. Corbett’s SENSE Lab (Social Emotional Neuroscience Endocrinology) as a volunteer for SENSE Theatre, a unique theatrical intervention research program designed to improve the social and emotional functioning of children with autism.

Laura received her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Brigham Young University. She completed her pre-medical studies at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of California, Davis. Having mainly shadowed neurologist, psychiatrists, and emergency medicine physicians, she is very excited to have the opportunity to shadow surgeons through the AMSA ARC Pre-medical Surgical Intern Program. Laura enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters, and tries to fit in studying, volunteering, and applying to medical school.

Photo of Courtney FrostCourtney Frost
California State University, Sacramento

Courtney Frost, born in Chicago, Illinois, is the youngest of 6 children and is a pre-med student at CSUS studying Sociology. She is in her senior year, with the intent to complete her prerequisites for medical school by Fall 2011. As an undergraduate, wife, and mother of 1, she is a member of Alpha Kappa Delta Sociology Honor Society, and served one year as president of the organization. She is a published McNair Scholar and has committed herself to countless hours of community service on and off of the Sacramento State campus.

Her pursuit of medicine began when she discovered her interest in women’s health, particularly in low income neighborhoods; thus her aspiration to practice as an Obstetrician Gynecologist. Since following the path of medicine, she has spent time interning and volunteering at hospitals and looks forward to much more clinical experience in an effort to develop her knowledge of the medical field. Among those medical schools that she desires to apply are: University of Michigan Medical School, Howard University Medical School, UC Davis School of Medicine, as well as many others within the California region. During her time with the Pre-Med Surgery Internship program at UC Davis Medical Center, she hopes to gain an invaluable experience while learning about surgical procedures, as well as discover the possibilities in medicine.

Photo of Jose GarayJose Garay
Solano Community College

Jose was born in Madrid, Spain. After only 2 years Jose moved to Fairfield, California where he now resides. He attends Solano Community College and will be transferring to a university this fall.

At Solano Community College, Jose is the President of SACNAS (Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans), an active member in MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement), and an academic tutor. He will be earning an associate’s degree in Chemistry at SCC and a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry at a university. After undergraduate studies, Jose will be applying to medical school with hopes to become a neurosurgeon. Jose is very excited to have the opportunity to participate in this program.

Photo of Marissa HughbanksMarissa Hughbanks
University of California, Davis

Marissa Hughbanks was born in San Jose, California and raised by her two loving and supportive parents in Hollister, California. She is the middle child with an older brother and younger sister.

At a young age, Marissa Hughbanks had a passion for learning. She was an ambitious child who constantly pushed herself to achieve whatever she had set her mind to. Marissa first discovered her interest in the medical field while visiting her childhood pediatrician. In high school, Marissa further developed her interest in the human body and its workings in her biology and human anatomy classes. Her desire to help others, coupled with her fascination with the human body drove her to pursue a career in medicine.

Marissa is currently a sophomore at the University of California, Davis majoring in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior with a minor in Latin American and Hemispheric Studies. She aspires to attend medical school in the fall of 2012 in hopes of becoming a pediatric surgeon.

Marissa currently works as a research assistant for a surgical research lab in the UC Davis Veterinary Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences. In her spare time she enjoys reading, running, riding horses, and spending time with friends and family. Marissa is an optimistic go-getter who enthusiastically looks forward to what the future has in store for her.

Photo of Nina KhoshnevisradNina Khoshnevisrad
University of California, Berkeley

Nina Khoshnevisrad came to the United States from Iran at the age of 15. She attended Moorpark College after high school and transferred to the University of California, Berkeley in 2006. She graduated from Berkeley with a Bachelor of Science in Bioengineering. She began conducting research as an undergraduate and is currently conducting neuroscience research at the Dan Laboratory in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology at UC Berkeley. Her research focuses on the neural correlate of perception in awake animals. She designs and builds microelectrode arrays, which she surgically implants into rats in order to study neuronal processing in the visual cortex. She also has extensive experience performing perfusion and histology.

In the summer of 2009, she worked as a volunteer in both the emergency department and the pre-hospital care department at the Grenoble University Hospital in France.During her time as a volunteer, she shadowed doctors and surgeons and preformed a variety of procedures such as stitching patients’ wounds, making casts and performing electrocardiography.

Nina is planning to attend medical school where she hopes to specialize in surgery. She is hoping to attain experience and wide exposure to the different opportunities and types of surgical specialties available to students pursuing a medical degree.

Photo of Christine KwongChristine Kwong
University of California, Davis

Christine Kwong is a 20-year-old Chinese American currently completing her 3rd year at UC Davis as a Biological Sciences major with an emphasis in Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior. She was born and raised in Sacramento as a middle child with two brothers. Alongside being a full-time student she also works two days out of the week at the UC Davis Lung Cancer Research Laboratory as an intern for Chris Mahaffey, a graduate student researcher studying the gene p53 within cancer patients. In addition, Christine currently works at Sutter General Hospital, where she has been volunteering for over a year. Although she is now working within the Emergency Room Department at Sutter General, she has also been able to gain experience within several other departments such as the Telemetry Department and Intensive Care Unit.

Christine enjoys staying active everyday and dedicates herself equally to all of her commitments. Although she now has three internships, she still tries her best to find time to help the smaller, more local fundraisers and community organizations within Davis. Christine also enjoys painting/drawing whenever she can and tries her very best to spend as much time as possible with her family.

Christine’s hero and mentor is her mother, Mary Lew, who gives her the motivation and encouragement to pursue her dreams no matter how many obstacles may arise. Christine plans to graduate in 2011 and hopes to continue her education through medical school in hopes of achieving a life career within the medical field.

Photo of Lee LankfordLee Lankford
California State University, Sacramento

Lee Lankford is a 24 year old full-time pre-med student at CSU Sacramento as well as a full-time employee at the Java City corporate warehouse in Natomas. In his free time he enjoys playing guitar, spending time with his girlfriend Jessica, friends, and family, as well as reading.

Lee was born in Sacramento and grew up in a town just south of there called Elk Grove, where he attended elementary school through high school before moving into Sacramento to attend college. Growing up in Elk Grove helped shape Lee into the person he is today. During his elementary through high school years he spent most of his time playing various sports such as baseball, soccer, and football.

In 2006 Lee attended the International Scholar Laureate Program Delegation on Medicine in China, which was an educational trip throughout many areas of China where he was given basic classes on the Chinese health care system as well as various forms of Traditional Chinese Medicine. This trip not only developed in Lee a great enjoyment in traveling, but also was his first step in deciding to dedicate his life to becoming a physician. Since thiat time Lee has steadily put forth great effort to continue to grow academically and as a full-time employee. He has also devoted over 120 hours as a volunteer at Sutter Memorial Hospital in Sacramento.

Lee will graduate this May from CSU Sacramento with a B.S. in Biological Sciences and is looking forward to attending medical school in the near future and officially beginning his journey in the field of medicine!

Photo of Alexandra MonrroyAlexandra Monrroy
University of California, Davis

Alexandra was born in El Salvador. She came to the United States when she was eleven years old and quickly acclimated to the fast-paced environment of the Los Angeles crowds. Acquiring fluency in English was a key milestone that demonstrated Alexandra’s motivation and persistence to excel in academia.

At an early age, Alexandra was exposed to the rewarding benefits of caring and helping others from her mother, who has worked as a babysitter for many years. It is her mother’s dedication to her work and ability to gain people’s trust that sparked Alexandra’s interest in medicine.

Currently, Alexandra volunteers in a clinical laboratory at the Center for Mind and Brain where she assists in the conduction of brainwave recordings on patients with Fragile-X Syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease. In the past, she has volunteered in the emergency room at the UCD MC where she assisted nurses and created a hospitable environment for patients. Also, Alexandra used her Spanish speaking skills to help patients communicate more effectively with their physicians, not only at UCD MC but also in the Tzu Chi Organization free clinics.

When not involved in the community volunteering or studying, Alexandra is an active bicyclist and snowboarder. She enjoys bike rides from Davis to Winters alongside a group of friends. Last summer, she went skydiving with her sister at Lodi and plans to do it again. During the winter, Alexandra is a squad leader for the Snowboard and Sky club where she guides beginner snowboarders through the Tahoe slopes at Heavenly Resort.

In June 2010, Alexandra will be graduating from UC Davis with a major in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior and her long term goal is to go to medical school and learn more about surgery.

Photo of Crisol Rocio MoralesCrisol Rocio Morales
University of California, Davis

Crisol Rocio Morales, better known as Sol, was born in Culiacan, Sinaloa Mexico. At the age of 3, her and her mother moved to Los Angeles, California where she resided until the age of 22. It was not until 2006, shortly after getting married, that Sol relocated to be with her husband in the Sacramento area. Sol and her husband currently reside in Woodland, Ca and look forward to starting a family together in the near future.

Sol graduated from Gahr High school in Cerritos, CA in 2001 and proceeded to attend and graduate with honors from both Cerritos College and Sacramento City College. Sol has earned 2 AS degrees and 1 AA degree so far in her educational career. Currently, Sol is a 3rd year Animal Biology major at University of California Davis and expects to graduate 2011. She is interested in pursuing a lifelong career in cardiology and surgery.

In addition to being a full time student and wife, Sol is a proud member of Phi Theta Kappa, AMSA ARC and M.A.R. (Mujeres Ayudando la Raza). She is also the first in her family to earn any kind of higher educational degree, as well as the first to attend a University. In her spare time Sol enjoys hiking, camping, butterfly research and has become a very skilled salsa dancer.

Photo of Matthew ParanialMatthew Paranial
American River College

The third of four children, Matthew Paranial grew up in South Kona Hawaii where he graduated from Konawaena High school in 2000 enlisted in the United Sates Air Force in September of that year. During his six years of military service Matt traveled the glob serving tours in Korea, Qatar, and Kyrgyzstan in support of both operation Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. Once he completed his enlistment in 2006 Matt relocated to Sacramento in order to be closer to his mother and siblings. After a year of trying his hand in the work force Matt decided to pursue his education enrolling in American River College in the fall of 2007. Shortly After he began at ARC Matt discovered a passion for medicine and declared biological science as his major with the intent of applying to medical school.

Currently Matt is attending his third year at ARC where he is the Vice President of activities for AMSA ARC as well as acting as a conference coordinator for the AMSA ARC/UCD pre-med conference. Matt plans on transferring to UC Davis to finish his undergraduate work “soon”.

In his spare time Matt has volunteered at the Mercy San Juan Emergency room and practices Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (though school keeps him from going very often and he admits he is not very good).

Matt was honored to be selected from a field of extraordinary applicants for the AMSA ARC Surgical internship and embraces the opportunity to learn from the UCD Medical center surgical staff.

Photo of Milana PeBenitoMilana PeBenito
University of California, Santa Cruz

Milana is currently an Americorps member with the organization Teach For America, working for educational equity as a Biology and Physiology high school teacher serving low-income communities in East Oakland. Through this venue, Milana pursues her driving passion to erase the gaps between rich and poor people’s access to quality healthcare and educational opportunities, by teaching her teens healthy habits through science.

Milana graduated in 2009 from the University of California at Santa Cruz with a bachelor’s of science in Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, Cum Laude and with Honors in her major. She wrote her senior thesis on research conducted in Dr. Lindsay Hinck’s Cell Biology lab focusing on the effects of loss-of-function mutations in the neurologically important Slit and Robo genes in murine mammary glands, where she explored, documented and photographed the resulting pre-cancerous lesions.

Beyond her interests in health and education, Milana is also an avid ecological activist. She served as the co-founder and director of the Santa Cruz Biofuels Cooperative, teaching a university course on the history and practical uses of sustainable fuels, leading community workshops, and organizing three annual conferences at UC Santa Cruz from 2005 to 2007.

Milana’s future goals are to become a doctor who cares for underserved populations similar to the Hawaiian community she emerged from before she moved to California in 1997. In her rare spare time, Milana enjoys reading books written by doctors, researching future medical schools, and deepening her yoga practice.

Photo of Charleen PflannerCharleen Pflanner
California State University, Sacramento

Charleen graduated in ’02 from CSU, Chico with a BA in Studio Art and a minor in Business Administration. After realizing that she wanted to focus on a career in medicine, she began taking pre med courses at American River College. She then transferred to CSU, Sacramento and recieved a BS in Biology.

While in school, she participated in Neurology research under her Histology professor which focused on the visual system in the brain and biocompatability of tissue during electrode placement. Charleen also worked full time as a veterinary technician and just recently left to dedicate all of her time to volunteering and applying to medical schools. Currently, she volunteers at the AIDS Housing Alliance as a tutor for children who need a little extra help with their studies. Two Saturdays a month she hosts Girl’s Night at a local women’s shelter. And for the past five years at Shriner’s Hospital for Children, she has also carried out orthopedic research and visited children as a certified Pet Partner with her guinea pig, Cliff. During the upcoming fall and spring semesters, she hopes to be a Beacon tutor for Zoology at American River College.

Photo of Kavita SainaneeKavita Sainanee
University of California, Berkeley

Kavita Sainanee recently graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in Molecular Environmental Biology. She is dedicated to her goal of becoming a physician who treats her patients with utmost care by developing a relationship of trust and confidence with her patients. Kavita enjoys teaching and working with children. She tutors high school students to help them prepare for the SAT, and volunteers as an asthma instructor for the American Lung Association’s “Oakland Kicks Asthma,” to help asthmatic elementary school children better understand and take care of their condition. As Activities Coordinator for the Oakland Kicks Asthma organization at UC Berkeley, Kavita is also in charge of organizing volunteer and social events for the members. Additionally, Kavita is passionate about the advancement of medical science in order to improve the methods of patient care. She is volunteering in the Krauss Lab at Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute, which is focused on studying cardiovascular disease and treatments.

In her free time, Kavita likes to be physically active by swimming and taking total athletic condition classes at her gym. She has been a lifeguard for 6 years, and can often be spotted lifeguarding at the UC Berkeley swimming pools. She also enjoys performing arts, watching musicals, and listening to the Wicked soundtrack. She herself has been part of an Indian cultural dance team that competed nationally. Kavita also has an undying love for good food and trying new restaurants, and has a semi-weekly sushi craving.

No Photo AvailableBrittany-Arpel Sainte Thomas
California State University, Sacramento

Brittany Thomas is a graduating senior at Sacramento State University. She is studying mathematics and Spanish, with goals to attend medical school to become a surgeon. She also has an interest in HIV/AIDS research, and currently does research as a Ronald E. McNair Scholar. Her research topic examines the increasing number of African American women infected with the virus each year in the United States.

During her collge career, Brittany has particpiated on the Track and Field team as a middle-distance sprinter, competing in the 200m, 400m, 800m and mile-relay. Other extra-curricular include, a member of the Science Educational Equity Program, the Vice President of the Eta Lambda Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., member of the National Society of Black Engineers and President of Future Black Doctors and Dentists.

Brittany has always had in interest in medicine, but became aware of her desired speciality through a ceramincs class she took in high school. Noticing how you can mold and shape whatever you want to make by using your hands and tools to guide you, she took an interest in the different types of surgery professions. As the Region 1 Pre-Medical Representative for the Student National Medical Association, she has surrounded herself with medical and other other pre-medical students to keep her foucused, and to obtain valued tips from students already pursuing their medical careers.

Brittany is very family oriented and awards all her success to her family and God.

Photo of Brianna SlatnickBrianna Slatnick
University of California, Davis

Brianna Slatnick is a second-year UC Davis student majoring in Biological Sciences. She is originally from Rancho Bernardo, CA, where she lived with her twin brothers and parents until going to college.

Brianna graduated from Rancho Bernardo High School in 2008 with honors. Among many activities, she most notably competed on the varsity diving team, participated in Best Buddies, tutored students in biology and math, volunteered at her local hospitals, served her community as Miss Rancho Bernardo Teen 2007, and served as the Editor- in-Chief of her high school newspaper, The Silver Spur.

She enjoys traveling, finding good scuba diving spots, crocheting, eating sushi, hanging out in parks around Davis, and going on random adventures. She loves ice cream, and will eat it at any time of the day. She has a sarcastic sense of humor, and enjoys spending time with anyone who makes her laugh. She loves being around people, and she sincerely cares about the well being of others. She is very dedicated to her schoolwork, and has known she wanted to become a doctor since her freshman year of high school. To her, medicine is like solving a puzzle. She loves the satisfaction she gets from figuring things out, and craves the ability to ensure those in need that she is doing everything she can to help. She is not sure what specialty she wishes to pursue, but she is very interested in the field of surgery. In the future she hopes to travel and provide medical care to other countries in need.

At UC Davis, Brianna currently interns in the Wainwright Lab as an analyst on the feeding behaviors of coral reef fish. She is very excited about the Pre-Medical Surgical Program that AMSA and the UC Davis Medical Center has afforded her, and cannot wait to immerse herself into the medical field.

Photo of Stephanie SoderbergStephanie Soderberg
American River College

Stephanie Soderberg was born in Sacramento and she graduated from Inderkum High School in 2009 with honors and as captain of her school’s volleyball team. She likes to stay busy by working, going to school, volunteering, and playing volleyball.

Stephanie started attending American River College in fall of 2009 and continues being active by playing on American River College’s volleyball team. She is a biological science major at American River College and plans on transferring to UC Davis in the fall of 2012.

Fascinated by surgery, Stephanie Soderberg jumped at the opportunity to apply for the AMSA ARC surgical internship program. She was thrilled to be accepted over so many exceptional applicants. Stephanie is excited to be a part of this program, and hopes to solidify her desire to become a surgeon.

In her free time Stephanie enjoys reading, playing volleyball, and spending time with her family and friends. She currently lives with her parents, her younger brother Devon (15), and her dog Bella.

Photo of Valerie StoneValerie Stone
Sacramento City College

Valerie Stone was born in San Jose, California, the youngest of four kids. For most of her education, Valerie was home-schooled by her mother, which allowed her to be involved in a lot of other extracurricular activities like sports, field trips, and choir. In the year 2000, Valerie and her family moved to Sacramento. She attended a private Christian school for two years during elementary school but was again home-schooled throughout high school. In 2008 she began taking classes at Sacramento City College as a senior in high school and will be attending Sacramento City College until the spring of 2011. Her plan is to transfer to UC Davis in the fall of 2011 to earn her Bachelor’s of Science in Biology. Her ultimate goal is to attend UC Davis School of Medicine.

She has attended Immanuel Baptist Church for almost ten years, and she was baptized and became a member there in June of 2009. In her spare time, she enjoys playing the piano, reading, running, playing sports (especially ultimate Frisbee), snowboarding, spending time with her family, and being involved in church functions.

Photo of James WangJames Wang
University of Nevada, Reno

Prior to entering the medical field, James started his career as a management consultant with a degree in Industrial Management and Industrial Engineering from Purdue University. As a post baccalaureate at the University of Nevada, James is actively involved with the premedical community. He is the currently the vice-president of the AMSA UNR Chapter and a Clinic Assistant at the Student Outreach Clinic of Nevada School of Medicine where he helps coordinate free healthcare to the underserved. As a member of the dissection team for the anatomy and physiology lab, he enjoys helping students gain a deeper understanding of the human body and physiology.

James is extremely excited to participate as a Surgical Intern dealing with diverse cases as his research in cardiovascular diseases has piqued his interest for the surgical field. When he is not immersed in his studies, James trains as a triathelete and spends time by the lake.