The University of New Mexico residency program in Obstetrics and Gynecology exists to recruit, mentor and retain a diverse, equitable and inclusive workforce of outstanding providers to practice the full scope of complex obstetric and gynecologic care for a culturally diverse, underserved and rural patient population including historically made marginalized peoples. We desire to train providers who intend to give dignifying care to patients that reflect New Mexico’s patient population as a lifelong pursuit. We continue to grow in our efforts to recruit diverse talents and strive to create just educational and clinical environments that will shape leaders in the field of OB/Gyn. We aspire for these leaders to demonstrate commitment to social responsibility and health equity while maintaining clinical excellence and the creative pursuit of scientific knowledge.
In order to best achieve our mission, our training program prepares graduates to:
-Independently perform the full range of gynecologic surgery, including vaginal, laparoscopic, and robotic procedures.
-Manage complex obstetrical patients, especially with insight into the unique challenges of a large, rural catchment area with diverse consultation and referral needs.
-Provide culturally competent care to patients in the minority-majority state of New Mexico.
-Effectively advocate for improved healthcare for underserved and underrepresented patient populations.
-Pursue the advancement of scientific knowledge through scholarly activity and dissemination of their work.
-Invest in the pursuit of excellence in OB/Gyn through local, regional and national leadership.
-Develop a commitment to life-long learning and evidence-based practice throughout their career.
-Value teaching and mentorship and demonstrate a commitment to an equitable learning environment that fosters all learners
Alex Lusk, M.D.
I am from New Mexico, but have lived in many places before returning. I had the opportunity to practice as an intern OBGYN resident in rural Eastern Tennessee with the East Tennessee State University OBGYN program and grew to love the Blue Ridge Mountains and all they had to offer. I will miss all my patients, attendings, and co-residents. I am, however, ecstatic to be returning to my roots in the Land of Enchantment and have the opportunity to care for women in the Southwest. I love MFM and FPMRS, but I am keeping my options open as far as pursuing fellowship or becoming a generalist. In my free time I love spending time with friends and family, backpacking, skiing, surfing, climbing, and trail running
Sujata Chouinard, MD
Originally from Mobile, Alabama, I attended medical school at Boston University. I have a strong interest in Family Planning and am excited to explore this interest at UNM. When I am not at the hospital, I enjoy hiking and camping as well as indoor activities like baking and crocheting.
Ashley Jaramillo-Huff, MD
I was born and raised in Santa Fe, NM but went to college and graduate school at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, MD. I spent three years doing neuroimaging research prior to starting medical school at UNM. I chose OB/Gyn since it has the continuity of care, balance of medicine and surgery, integration of public health, and breadth of research opportunities that I desire in a career. I am interested in academic medicine, advocacy, and pursuing fellowship. My favorite thing to do is fish while enjoying the beauty of the Land of Enchantment.
Margaret Magill-Collins, M.D.
I was born and raised in Seattle, Washington, but have since lived in some of the sunniest places in the country – traveling to UC San Diego for undergrad and the University of Colorado for graduate and medical school. In Denver I collected many pets as well as a husband, and am now bringing all of them with me to another amazingly sunny state! I am so excited by all that UNM has to offer, including wonderful faculty and an incredibly interesting patient population. I hope to someday work with a wide breadth of patients, including rural and underserved communities. In my free time I love to cook, get outdoors, try new restaurants and breweries, take the random yoga or salsa dance class, and travel the world as much as possible.
Ashley Williams-Hernandez, MD
I grew up in the Lowcountry of Georgia and studied Biology and Classical Dance at Agnes Scott College. Prior to pursuing a career in medicine, I served as an educator with Teach For America and continued teaching for several years. My interest in healthcare - women’s health advocacy, health equity and access for underserved populations, and global health – are a direct reflection of my experience as an educator. Completely new to the experience of living in the Southwest, my husband and I are looking forward to exploring the area.
Jocelyn Wu, MD
My interest in women’s empowerment began during a Social Inequality and Stratification course at a community soup kitchen in Lima, Peru. Women will always need an advocate and I love the special privilege that OB-Gyn’s have to witness and accompany women through some of the most joyful and vulnerable moments of their lives. While global health initially drew me to the surgical aspect of OB-Gyn, I am also interested in care access for patients with substance use in pregnancy and building sustainable and meaningful service-learning in global/local health. I require walks and have love for talk radio, non-fiction, and Ella Fitzgerald. I am from Tacoma, Washington and a proud graduate of Creighton School of Medicine in Omaha, Nebraska. I feel honored to join this field and am incredibly excited to serve the women of New Mexico!
Kate Yoder, MD
I am ecstatic to be joining the UNM family! I was born and raised in Pennsylvania, but consider Scotland and New Orleans to be my second homes! I was drawn to Ob/Gyn because of my belief that the well-being of women and girls reflects the health of a society. My professional interests include sex education and integrative medicine. In my spare time, I love to hike and dance!
Patricia ‘Tricia’ Black, MD
I was born in Memphis, TN, and attended undergrad at Clemson University in South Carolina where I studied Environmental and Natural Resources. I took two years off before medical school and was able to work a series of odd jobs including the botanical garden, a trucking company, and a cleaning service. I returned to Memphis to complete medical school at the University of Tennessee, where I developed a passion for Women's health and advocacy. This eclectic background has helped me appreciate patient diversity. I hope to combine my passion for environmental justice and human rights while completing residency at University of New Mexico. What I like about this program is the sincerity of the residents and faculty to help their patients in any way possible. I'm also looking forward to exploring the Land of Enchantment in my time off.
Ashlee Candelaria, MD, MPH
I am a native New Mexican and left briefly to attend college in Flagstaff, Arizona before returning to the Land of Enchantment for medical school. I love the meaningful relationships that we develop with women, the procedural aspect, and the countless opportunities for advocacy that OBGYN has to offer. I am thrilled to be starting residency in a program that is committed to social justice and working with such a diverse population of women. Outside of the hospital, you are most likely to find me on the trail running, hiking, or camping with my husband and two rescue dogs.
Karen Chong, MD
I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, studied Molecular Environmental Biology and Theater at UC Berkeley, and did clinical research at UCSF for a few years before bursting the California bubble for medical school at the University of Rochester in western New York. Women’s Health drew me in with its unique combination of surgery and primary care as well as the prospect of empowering women who have long empowered me. I’m particularly passionate about family planning and reproductive rights and their impact on community and global health and social justice. In my spare time you can find me trying unsuccessfully to conquer my fear of heights through climbing, backpacking, and hiking. I am certain the women and mesas of New Mexico will help me fulfill my dreams and am honored to be part of the UNM family!
Sylvia Hu, MD
I am excited to start a new chapter in sunny Albuquerque, New Mexico. My family moved quite a bit during my childhood, but I call Utah my home. I chose to pursue a career in Ob/Gyn because I enjoy the wide scope of medical practice that is dedicated to healing and advocating for women of all ages and backgrounds. My professional interest includes maternal mortality, oncology, medical school education and expanding access to Ob/Gyn care, both internationally and locally. In my free time, I enjoy practicing yoga, dancing, baking, and reading
Francisco Izquierdo, MD
I was born in Albuquerque, NM, but I grew up in Florida. After attending undergrad at Florida State (Go Noles!) I followed my parents back to Albuquerque where I attended medical school. The diverse patient population combined with the mission at UNM to care for those patients, particularly the underserved, fueled my desire to want to stay here to continue my training. In my spare time I enjoy reading, lifting, traveling, watching sports, and spending time with family.
Alison McGough-Maduena, MD
I was born and raised in Placitas, NM, a wonderful community just north of Albuquerque. I found my home away from home in Tulsa Oklahoma, where I attended undergrad and discovered my passion for working with underserved communities. On returning to NM, I obtained an MPH and worked in the area of health disparities and maternal child health research before medical school. It was during my third year of medical school that I fell in love with the field of Obstetrics and Gynecology. It has everything I love about medicine, including longitudinal patient care, surgery, social justice and opportunities to use my background in public health. I am interested in medical education, improving healthcare for underserved populations and exploring options for fellowship. For fun I love to cook, crochet, get outside and travel with my husband and daughter. The commitment to service that I observed in the department and the fantastic medical education I received during my time as a medical student is what made me want to stay and continue my training at UNM. I am excited to take care of the women of New Mexico!
Malia Ashley, MD
I was born and raised in Albuquerque, NM, and have attended the University of New Mexico for both undergraduate and medical school. I am ecstatic to be continuing my journey as a Lobo through the OB/GYN residency at UNM. I have an interest in addiction medicine in pregnancy and hope to pursue a career as an OB/GYN generalist. In my free time, I enjoy hiking with my dogs, golfing, playing pickleball, aerobic dance and spending time with my family.
Devki Joshi, MD
Deeply passionate about working towards racial, reproductive and health justice, I chose obstetrics and gynecology because it's the field where I can truly practice my values. I'd love to further my training in the scope of family planning and hope to incorporate the work of coalition building and informing health policy in my future career. Born and raised in New York City, I'm new to the Southwest and eager to breathe good air, be in outdoor spaces and soak in all the natural beauty New Mexico has to offer. In my down time you can find me meal prepping for the week, listening to podcasts, watercolor painting, video chatting with my grandparents and out on day hikes.
Alyssa Mayo, MD
I grew up near the Jersey Shore in Bayville, NJ. Philadelphia became my second home after studying physics and playing field hockey at Haverford College. I was fortunate enough to attend medical school across the river from Philadelphia in Camden, NJ. Experiences in Camden outside of the hospital allowed me to realize my interest in women’s health, advocacy, and meeting women where they are in their care. I am excited to now be part of UNM’s OBGYN residency and the greater New Mexico community. At UNM, I hope to learn how to best serve the diverse needs of this community, and how to provide empathetic and comprehensive women's care. In Albuquerque I will be finding ways to enjoy the outdoors, as well as time with my sister and cat Nina (who also both made the move from the Northeast).
Abby Nimz, MD
I grew up in Manitou Springs, Colorado and completed medical school at the University of Colorado. Before finding my passion in ObGyn (especially high-risk OB and gyn surgery), I completed a Family Medicine residency in Ventura, California. I am drawn to New Mexico because of the focus on advocacy and the diverse patient population. In my free time, I enjoy being outdoors, hiking, traveling, planting succulents, and spending time with friends. I am so excited to be joining the UNM family!
Casey R. Smith, MD
I grew up in Albuquerque but have lived all over California and Alaska. I'm passionate about health advocacy and plan to work as a generalist in a rural setting after I complete my training. Outside of work, my partner and I enjoy exploring the outdoors with our daughter.
Autumn Walker, MD
There are many aspects to the University of New Mexico Ob/Gyn Program that speak to my heart and interests, such as the ability to serve a diverse array of patients in a large rural state, strong family planning, and commitment to providing care to the underserved through service and advocacy. As an Ob/Gyn, I hope to empower all persons with gynecologic and obstetric needs to achieve optimal health and wellbeing, and support the development of healthy families through personalized, culturally sensitive prenatal care. My partner, daughter and I hail from the Puget Sound area in Washington State, and are excited to live in beautiful Albuquerque. As a family, we like to day hike, go to the zoo, prepare and eat healthy and delicious food, and laugh often.
Alana Carstens Yalom, MD
I am California-raised, Louisiana-trained, and thrilled to start the next phase of my medical journey exploring the Southwest. I am passionate about reproductive justice, reproductive psychiatry, and public health interventions and look forward to learning to incorporate these into my ObGyn practice. When I’m not working or studying you can find me exploring the outdoors, on the dance floor, hosting dinner parties or clothing swaps, writing, baking my secret chocolate chip cookie recipe, or brainstorming Mardi Gras costumes.
Matthew Davoudzadeh, MD
Hi! I am originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico. I was drawn to Ob/Gyn by the realization that there are widespread struggles in accessing care, and when women can advocate for themselves, they lift the communities around them. My future goals are to pursue a Family Planning fellowship, or practice General Ob/Gyn. I love music (have been to well over 100 individual shows), the outdoors, and cooking!
Paula Delgado, MD
Hi! I was born in Guadalajara, Mexico, and raised just north of Atlanta, Georgia. I am ecstatic and so thankful for the opportunity to be in the Land of Enchantment for training. I love Ob-Gyn because it's a field that offers the ability to follow patients through a wide spectrum of their life, the ability to empower women through education and health, and by extension, positively impact entire families. In the future, I see myself serving underserved/underrepresented communities and helping to improve healthcare disparities- this is something I am very passionate about. Things that make me happy include: spending time with family, hiking, gardening, eating, and keeping active to balance my love for food.
Emmeline Friedman, MD
I grew up in Jacksonville, Florida. Before coming to New Mexico, I lived in New York City and went to medical school at Mount Sinai. I chose Obstetrics and Gynecology because of the diverse set of skills it offers to support women and gender minorities throughout their lifespan in complex ways. I'm especially interested in supporting people in their reproductive desires, managing gynecologic cancers, and family planning. Some of my interests include anti-racist healthcare, prison abolition as well as healthcare for women experiencing incarceration, reproductive justice, the practice of medicine in solidarity with marginalized communities, and community building. I love to learn new things. I also like house dance, surfing, and being outside.
Fleur Mak, MD
I grew up and went to medical school in Ghent, Belgium. I am excited to provide care for the women of New Mexico and combine advocacy, primary care and surgery! When not at work, I love exploring New Mexico’s wilderness and can be found running, climbing, hiking or camping with my husband and our new puppy.
Maria Ramirez-Cruz
I was born in Bogota, Colombia and arrived in the U.S. at the age of 11 with my family. I am a military wife and stepmother to a wonderful 12-year-old boy, and as a family we love to go hiking in the beautiful New Mexico mountains. Growing up, I experienced firsthand some of the disparities my community faced and saw the strength of individuals within those communities, particularly of women. I am driven to help empower those whose voices are often not heard, to serve as a mentor for underrepresented minorities, and to advocate for women’s rights and health.
Diana Rascon, MD
I grew up mostly in San Antonio, Texas. Before medical school, I worked as a radiation therapist delivering cancer treatments. I went into OBGYN because I love building relationships with patients, being in the OR, and delivering babies! I am passionate about women’s health, improving health literacy, overcoming socioeconomic barriers, and patient advocacy. During my free time I enjoy going out, spending time with my family and friends, being outdoors, gardening, and lots of other random hobbies! I’m looking forward to working with the diverse population in New Mexico.
Fabiola Miranda, MD
I was born in Lima, Peru, but my family is from Cusco. I grew up in Los Angeles, CA, went to college at
Emory in Atlanta, GA and FIU medical school in Miami, FL. I am THRILLED to be in Albuquerque, NM I am in awe of its beauty! I feel that Ob/ Gyn chose me. I love the mix of surgery and continuity of care. I feel
honored to care for the female patient population. I want to fight for women's healthcare needs and serve as a culturally competent healthcare provider. I am interested in high risk obstetrics, preventive care in oncology, and pursuing a fellowship. I love running, tennis, cooking, dancing, reading, spending time with my family, and annoying my cat.
Jessica Rodriguez Hernandez, MD
I was born and raised in Puerto Rico ( una Boricua del oeste !). I am passionate about women’s health and empowerment, diversity in medicine, mental health, and healthcare equity for underserved communities. I chose Ob/ Gyn because it is the perfect combination of preventive medicine, continuity of care, surgical procedures, and active lifestyle. I enjoy going to the beach and spending time with friends and loved ones. Two fun facts about me: I saw snow for the first time in my late twenties, and I will immediately try to pet a cat when I see one. I am thrilled to be joining UNM for my residency training and very excited to meet the whole team in June.
Martin Jurado, MD
Originally from Durango, Mexico and raised in Belen, New Mexico, I am thrilled to continue my training here at home. Having grown up around many Tías (Aunts in Spanish), I learned the importance of womens health at an early age and while in medical school, I realized the impact women have on society and their communities Therefore, I came to the conclusion that the field of OB/GYN, would allow me to incorporate aspects primary care, patient advocacy, and surgical skills to provide care to all women When I am not at the hospital, you can usually catch me at the gym, snowboarding, mountain biking, training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, or video gaming.
Mingma Sherpa, MD
I was born and raised in Kathmandu, Nepal and moved to NM at the age of 18 for my undergraduate studies. I attended medical school at UNM, and I am beyond excited to continue my training here. I am passionate about reproductive justice, and social determinants of health; I hope to work in a rural community in the future. In my free time I love visiting national parks, hiking, going on long walks with my dog, Phuchu, watching movies, and knitting.
Raymundo Bustos, MD
I am from Rome, Georgia As of now my future professional interest is working in a rural setting and working with underserved communities Some of my new hobbies I have been getting into is herping the study of reptiles and amphibians, and hunting Fun fact about me is that I am very interested in learning the International UFO Museum in Roswell, NM.
Ammarilis Camacho-Quinones, MD
I am from Toa Baja, Puerto Rico. I decided to become an Ob/Gyn because I am very passionate on working in women's health, a field where there is both primary care and surgical procedures. I love spending time with family, friends and my beautiful doggie daughters. I am super excited to start as an Intern in UNM and I am very grateful to be here.
Karen Castaneda, MD
I grew up in the El Paso-Juarez border. I chose Ob/Gyn because it is a specialty where you get to be an expert in women’s health but also get a lot of variety. It allows me to work with underserved communities similar to the one I grew up in, practice primary care, perform procedures and surgeries, welcome babies into the world, participate in research and public health, and be an advocate for women. UNM provides opportunities to meet all my interests and I am really excited to be training here. A fun fact about me is that I can eat chocolate every day. I also like painting, gardening, running, napping, taking my dog on walks, and binge-watching TV shows.
Juliete Durstock-Castillo, MD
I grew up mostly in El Paso, TX, but I also lived in North Carolina as a child and went to UNC for medical school. I was drawn to OBGYN because of the combination of primary care, surgery, and procedures and the ability to be with patients during the highs and lows of their lives. I’m passionate about Addiction Medicine, working with underserved communities, and palliative care. In my free time, I love exploring new restaurants and breweries, or watching my favorite tv shows and crocheting with my husband and cat.
Hannah Dowdy-Sue, MD
Growing up in Albuquerque has inspired me in so many ways! After attending UNM for undergrad and medical school, I am beyond proud to continue my medical journey as an OB/Gyn here in New Mexico. I am passionate about reproductive justice and equality, using my voice to advocate for the rights of others and creating long-lasting connections within the communities I serve. Outside of work, I enjoy supporting my partner in his biking endeavors, gardening, relaxing with my rabbits and, recently, my new-found hobby of carding and spinning wool into yarn.
Destine Marquez, MD
I am Destinie Marquez (she/her) an Afro-Latina from Roswell, NM. I have wanted to become a doctor for as long as I can remember and fell in love with women’s health along the way. It is such an honor to be there for women, men, families, and the LGBTQ+ community at such special, momentous times in their lives. I have an interest in maternal fetal medicine and family planning as potential fellowship pursuits as well as a special interest in Black maternal health. Some of my hobbies include painting, traveling/exploring, going for walks with my dog, and trying out new coffee shops.
Valeria Pereira, MD
I was born in Puerto Rico and lived in Florida since I was eleven years old. I am passionate about serving the underserved, addressing health disparities, and academic medicine. I also have a passion for creating a safe space in healthcare for those in the LGBTQIA+ community. My hobbies include discovering local coffee shops and restaurants, karaoke, and listening to audio books. A fun fact about myself is that I am a mom to a dog and three cats.
UNM Obstetrics & Gynecology Residency
Learn more about our Residency in this video.
Questions about how to get started? Reach out to the UNM Ob/Gyn Residency Program office.
Nick Andrews, MD, PhD
Residency Program Director; Assistant Professor
Amber Truehart, MD
Residency Associate Program Director; Assistant Professor
Eve Espey, MD, MPH
Professor and Chair
Rachel Torano-Mark
Medical Education Program Specialist