Current Residents 

Dr. Maria Zambrano

Medical School: Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine, NY

Internship: Lincoln Medical Center, NY

What drew you to UNM Preventive Medicine Residency: The opportunity to serve the underserved communities including Hispanic and tribal communities. I was also drawn to working with the legislature on policy changes. 

Dr. Hossein Azadi

My name is Hossein Azadi. If you want to know about my personal history and work experience, I was born in Tehran, Iran, and I graduated from Tehran Medical School. After that, I completed a 5-year residency in orthopedic surgery (including 1 year of general surgery internship) and trained for sports medicine in Europe. Then I started my practice as an orthopedic surgeon in Tehran, Iran, for 14 years, and then moved to Canada.

So, just two months after moving from my native country, I took my Step 2 CK and passed the exam. I then passed all three LMCC exams, including the OSCE exam, as well as the Canadian IMG assessment, English language tests, and one course of communication skills for health care at Kwantlen University Vancouver.

After passing all of them, I was able to get a job with Alberta Health Care Services as a clinical surgical assistant in Calgary, Alberta. This job is like a first-year residency and requires a license from the Royal College of Canada. A clinical surgical assistant's responsibilities in the surgery department are like those of a first-year resident, and you must cover the ED and ward as a first call.

In the meantime, I passed step 1 of the USMLE with a score of 241 on my first attempt, and the CS exam on my first attempt as well, and got ECFMG certification. After getting my Canadian citizenship and Canadian passport, I applied for and was accepted into this fellowship program at the department of surgery (Orthopedic subdivision) at the University of Calgary (U of C). This fellowship started in July 2017, and I accomplished my fellowship on June 30th, 2018 (certification has been attached).

Then, I started a PGY1 surgery residency at Bronx Lebanon Hospital in the Bronx, New York, and this ACGME-accredited internship was finished on 6/30/20. My ABSITE score for the 2020 exam is 86%, and because my wife was accepted into an OBY/GYN residency at NUMC hospital, I started my second-year preliminary (PGY2) surgery at NUMC hospital in Long Island, New York. This residency will end in June 2021 and will finish on June 30, 2021.

With all the above experience, I will start Preventive Medicine at the University of New Mexico, as one of the best programs in the USA, to continue my work and help people regarding health.

Dr. Laila Lobo

Medical School: Mysore Medical College and Research Centre.

Internship: Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami - Florida

What drew you to UNM Preventive Medicine Residency: Opportunities and guidance to find balance between clinical and leadership roles.

Dr. Asma Qamruddin

Welcome to UNM Preventive Medicine Residency program! My name is Asma Qamruddin and I am a current PGY-3 resident in this program. I was born and raised in India Hyderabad in a middle-class family with high cultural values and morals. I graduated from Osmania Medical college and did Pediatric Residency from Gandhi Medical College. Soon after graduating from Residency, I moved with my little family to Saudi Arabia in search for professional growth, higher education, and better earning.

While working in Saudi Arabia at King Abdul Aziz Specialist Hospital as Neonatologist Hospitalist, I attained the Membership from Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health UK. (MRCPCH).

With this rich clinical experience, I started my medical career in the United States and graduated Fellowship in Neonatology. The long rough walk through my clinical practice witnessed the suffering of vulnerable children crippled by preventable diseases. Preventive medicine residency at UNM gives me the opportunity to fill my passion and advance my career by bringing a change for both sick and healthy. This combined Program of Residency with MP has wide flexibility for residents to choose their career of interest and builds residents to become future champion Public Health Physicians.

Hobbies: I love to keep myself physically active and want to be productive for my loving family, for the community and for all human beings on this planet.

Dr. Tara Golden

Medical School: Boston University School of Medicine

Internship: Pediatrics at University of Nevada Las Vegas

What drew you to UNM Preventive Medicine Residency: I was drawn to the preventive medicine residency program at UNM for the opportunity to further explore my educational and career interests, help the underserved, and the Southwestern atmosphere.

Dr. Maryam Sadeghi

Medical School: Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Science (SBUMS)-IRAN

Internship: MSU-MI, Bronxcare Health System-NY, NUMC-NY

What drew you to UNM Preventive Medicine Residency: Passion and perseverance; two vital characteristics which allowed me to push through the multiple obstacles along my journey from Ob Gyn specialist in Iran toward preventive medicine residency in the United States. Growing up in Iran and graduated from one of the most reputable medical schools in Iran, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Science (SBUMS). After graduation from medical school, I worked in an underserved area as a primary care physician and public healthcare advocate for 2 years. Then I completed 4 years of residency in Ob Gyn and practiced as a specialist for more than 8 years. In 2011, my husband and I decided to immigrate to Canada to raise our son in a free and democratic country. After moving, I have sought every opportunity to get back to the career in medicine which I am so passionate about. I passed all the medical exams in Canada and obtained a License from the Medical Council of Canada. I was involved in research, clinical trainee and eventually, I worked as a clinical-surgical assistant in Canada. In 2015, I had a great opportunity to get involved in clinical and basic science research in a national cancer institute, City of Hope in California which culminated in multiple submitted and published manuscripts. In 2017-2021 I completed three years of internships in the field of general surgery and Ob Gyn in the Michigan and NY states. My training in all university-based and community-teaching hospitals in providing healthcare to people in-need made me determined to continue my training at the level of public advocator and beyond individuals in the nation. I chose UNM to be exposed to a society with distinctive characteristics, unique challenges and a diverse population with all types of background, race, ethnicity, language, culture, immigration, various medical issues and health problems. Earning Master in Public Health (MPH) which will teach me the skills of impact assessment, policy composition, epidemiology, methodology of ethical research and program planning. I believe the program will provide me with great learning opportunities in working with diverse populations, telehealth projects and development skills in research, public health and a wide variety of clinical experiences, particularly about determinants and equity in women's health which is my main field of interest.

Carl Whalen, DO, PhD

Medical School: AT Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona

Internship: UNM Pediatrics

What drew me to UNM Preventive medicine: I came to this residency program after training in Pediatrics at UNM. I lived in Albuquerque for six years prior to medical school, teaching chemistry at CNM. I am excited to use my clinical and personal experiences to contribute to disease prevention and improve the health of the people of New Mexico.