2025 Residents
Erik Alvarado
Medical School: McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Undergrad: University of Texas at Arlington
Hometown: Mansfield, Texas
Activities/Hobbies: Indoor/Outdoor rock climbing, ultimate frisbee, hockey (Go Stars!), exploring local coffee shops, SoulCycle, skateboarding, EDM, trashy reality TV
Why McGovern: I chose McGovern because even after four years here for med school, I am still in awe of the Texas Medical Center and training at the busiest trauma center in North America. The faculty here are all invested in my education and the clinical training is unmatched. I was most impressed by the depth of knowledge and genuine happiness that all of the residents and attendings here possess. In addition, Houston is a huge city with a diverse population that is evident in both the clinical setting and the amazing food scene.
Interests Within EM: Event Medicine, Ultrasound, Academics, Disaster Medicine, Simulation
Fun Fact: During my fourth year of med school, I worked at lululemon. Sweaty pursuits and the employee discount were too good to pass up with all that free time.
Shaun Collins
Medical School: Lincoln Memorial University DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine
Undergrad: Arizona State University
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada
Activities/Hobbies: Basketball, Hiking, Shoe Collecting
Why McGovern: I chose McGovern due to the ability to train at both a busy academic and county hospital. With MHH being the busiest trauma center in the US, the sheer volume and training you receive is unparalleled. Being able to deal with a very diverse and sick patient population is something I was looking for in a program and what McGovern is able to deliver. Also, Houston and the food are top tier!
Interests Within EM: Pain Medicine, Critical Care, Social EM
Fun Fact: I used to work for Google on their Self-Driving car project!
Nikhil Datla
Medical School: Northeast Ohio Medical University
Undergrad: Youngstown State University
Hometown: Springboro, Ohio
Activities/Hobbies: Chicken Wing Connoisseur, YouTube, NFL Football, Traveling, Basketball
Why McGovern: The duality of training received at McGovern with an academic site with heavy trauma exposure at Memorial Hermann along with a busy county hospital in Lyndon B. Johnson is unmatched. My interactions with faculty at ACEP along with my amazing experience with the program on interview day made me feel very comfortable and excited to be a part of the team. Also, Houston is a large and diverse city that I’m excited to get to know and explore over the next three years.
Interests Within EM: Critical Care, Administration, Pediatrics
Fun Fact: I’ve gone skydiving before and it was a thrilling experience, but I probably won’t do it ever again.
Michelle Egeolu
Medical School: Emory University School of Medicine
Undergrad: Dartmouth College
Hometown: San Antonio, Texas
Activities/Hobbies: Roller Skating, Reading, Watching Cinema (Thrillers, Psychological Dramas, SyFy, Documentary), exploring new foods, Hiking and Running
Why McGovern: From the people to activities, Houston is teeming with excitement, and McGovern is in the “thick of it”! McGovern is the busiest Level 1 Trauma center in the country and LBJ is the highest traffic ED in Houston, so training is robust! The residents and attendings during the interviews were personable and essentially passed the “vibe check”. McGovern emphasizes social EM and really cares for people inside and outside the ED. Also, the faculty is inspiring with their innovations and leadership!
Interests Within EM: Social EM, Addiction Medicine
Fun Fact: I have been learning to braid hair, particularly knotless passion twist
Princess Emeana
Medical School: Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine
Undergrad: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (New Brunswick)
Hometown: Hillside, New Jersey
Activities/Hobbies: Traveling, Brunch, Volleyball, Basketball, Softball, Netflix/Lifetime movies
Why McGovern: There are so many reasons why I chose McGovern. From the program’s commitment to serving a diverse population of patients, high volume, high acuity, variety in training sites, I knew that this program would provide me with the skills, knowledge and foundation in becoming a well-rounded Emergency Physician. To train in the largest medical center in the world and be taught by world-renown faculty and amazing residents is an opportunity I could not forego. After my interview, I knew that this was the program for me!
Houston is also the most diverse city in the US and I am very excited to continue to learn more about the area and explore the culture and awesome food scenes!
Interests Within EM: Critical Care, EMS, Global Health
Fun Fact: I know how to juggle and can juggle up to 4 various objects!
Matthew Fan, MS
Medical School: University of California Riverside School of Medicine
Undergrad: University of California, Riverside
Hometown: Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Activities/Hobbies: Running, Lifting, Snowboarding, Video Games, Sleep, Food
Why McGovern: I fell in love with the people, location, and learning experience; it was obvious to me that I had found my home for the next few years. Houston is a very diverse city with a wide range of things to do, regardless of what floats your boat. UTHealth Houston seemed to be the best place to learn Emergency Medicine, build relationships, and have a ton of fun at the same time!
Interests Within EM: Medical Education, EMS
Fun Fact: I have a twin brother who is also in EM, he’s cool. I was born with two uvula’s; the second one doesn’t do anything special. These fun facts aren’t necessarily related to one another.
Suma Ganji
Medical School: Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L. Foster School of Medicine
Undergrad: University of Texas at San Antonio
Hometown: San Antonio, Texas
Activities/Hobbies: Dancing, Painting, Cooking, Trying out new restaurants, Spending time with friends and family
Why McGovern: I kept track of which programs blew me away during interview season and McGovern did that and more. I loved how welcoming everyone was and hearing about the program made me think I couldn’t not come here! It checked all of my boxes, allowed me to be close to family, and I was confident that training here would make me the EM physician I wanted to be. Plus Houston is such a diverse city with so many opportunities!
Interests Within EM: MedEd, Ultrasound, Critical Care
Fun Fact: I had a steel nail stuck in my heel a week before the biggest dance performance of my life. Spoiler alert- I survived!
Evan Genova
Medical School: Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University
Undergrad: Cornell University
Hometown: LaGrange, Georgia
Activities/Hobbies: Basketball, Hiking, Soccer, Horror and Sci-Fi movies, Trivia, Stephen King novels
Why McGovern: I’ve always believed that the best opportunities in the world don’t matter if you aren’t happy where you’re at; luckily McGovern offers both of these things. All of the faculty and residents seemed to genuinely enjoy each other’s company and were invested in each other’s lives during my interview, and McGovern boasts access to the busiest level 1 trauma center in the entire country, providing all of the volume and exposure needed to become an excellent emergency medicine physician. Combine all of this with a diverse city like Houston with a great food scene where you can find almost anything, and it made picking McGovern an easy choice.
Interests Within EM: Ultrasound, Medical Education
Fun Fact: I learned to play drums from Rock Band and almost went pro in Halo 3
Timothy George
Medical School: McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Undergrad: University of Texas at Austin
Hometown: Pasadena, Texas
Activities/Hobbies: Valentina (my dog), Spanish-language Netflix, Piano (performing and teaching), Baking
Why McGovern: The unmatched assortment of residents and faculty coupled with phenomenal training settings that include two extremes (Memorial Hermann and LBJ) and everything in between make for an unbeatable experience. There are fantastic educators here, the Houston food scene is top tier, and my support system is close by.
Interests Within EM: Ultrasound, Education, Spanish in the ED
Fun Fact: I hold a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance.
Hannah Harvey
Medical School: McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Undergrad: American University
Hometown: Cibolo, Texas
Activities/Hobbies: Bouldering, reading, going to the ballet, road trips
Why McGovern: This is my home program and I just couldn’t bring myself to leave! The residents and faculty are all so supportive and amazing educators.
Interests Within EM: Addiction Medicine, Medical Education, Sports Medicine
Fun Fact: I once lived in the set of a Matthew McConaughey movie. The movie was booed at its premiere and lost millions of dollars. I still haven’t been able bring myself to watch it.
Hannah Huakang Huang, PhD
Medical School: Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University
Undergrad: Peking University
Hometown: Shandong, China
Activities/Hobbies: Running outdoors, BBQ party, Karaoke, Dancing with Pamela, furry animals
Why McGovern: I knew McGovern was the one for me on my interview day. I felt a strong connection with the residents during the zoom social and had a great time. Dr. Van Meter and other attendings were super approachable and supportive to residents. The phenomenal training at McGovern will prepare me well for my EM career. Plus, Houston is a big city with unparalleled assortment of culture. I couldn’t ask for a better place for residency training and enjoying my life!
Interests Within EM: Administration, Pain Management, Critical Care, Social EM, Global Health
Fun Fact: I slid down the Great Wall of China
Divya James
Medical School: University of Florida College of Medicine
Undergrad: University of Florida
Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Activities/Hobbies: Dancing, Hiking, Biking, Plant care/Gardening, Foodie, Traveling
Why McGovern: During my interview at McGovern, I felt just how welcoming and down-to-earth the residents and faculty were. Finding a supportive environment that would train me well for anything beyond residency was of utmost importance to me; I easily found this at McGovern. I was especially drawn to training in both county and academic settings. Not to mention, Houston’s food scene is amazing!
Interests Within EM: EMS, Ultrasound, Pain Management, Palliative Care, Social EM
Fun Fact: Over the last 7 years, I have amassed a collection of over 100 plants (not including gardening). I see no end in sight.
Gabriel Millare
Medical School: McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Undergrad: University of Texas at San Antonio
Hometown: San Antonio, Texas
Activities/Hobbies: Powerlifting (my total is 1300), trying to emulate John Mayer on my guitar, Reading, Anything Outdoors, BBQ
Why McGovern: What stood out to me the most were the relationships between residents with each other, and residents with the attendings. I wanted to train in an environment where I would feel comfortable and supported while I learn from the mistakes I make during residency. I felt most at home rotating through, and I knew this was the community I wanted to learn and grow from as a person and physician. I like that I get to work and have access to the largest medical center in the world and its resources. Houston is also an amazing city with so many fun things to do and good things to eat. I couldn’t think of a better place to train.
Interests Within EM: Medical Education, Entrepreneurship, Public Health
Fun Fact: I make the best steak!
Gunnar Reichenberger
Medical School: Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Undergrad: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Hometown: Madison, Wisconson
Activities/Hobbies: Snowboarding, live music, international travel, and enjoying good food
Why McGovern: As the busiest Level I trauma center in North America that serves a diverse and energizing city, it’s evident the education they provide is top-notch. The interview felt natural, and I was impressed by the extent of hands-on training offered by the program. Additionally, Houston has a great food scene and a multitude of activities to offer outside of the hospital life to explore and maintain a work-life balance.
Interests Within EM: International Medicine, Ultrasound, Administration
Fun Fact: I hold the record for the highest score in a varsity golf match in Wisconsin high school history.
Nishtha Sharma, MS
Medical School: Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L. Foster School of Medicine
Undergrad: The University of Texas at Austin
Hometown: League City, Texas
Activities/Hobbies: Vegan cooking, exploring and traveling to new places, hiking, enjoying time with friends and family!
Why McGovern: When I did my EM Away Rotation at Houston, I was captivated by the knowledgeable and skilled faculty and residents here! They were not only phenomenal teachers, but also humble and friendly individuals, who were very fun to be around and easy to talk to! I was extremely attracted to the program here since it offers a fantastic foundation for EM physicians in training in one of the busiest trauma centers in the country!
Interests Within EM: Global Health, Toxicology, Disaster Medicine
Fun Fact: I was born at a hospital across The Taj Mahal in India!
Matthew Shopshire, MPH
Medical School: Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University
Undergrad: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia
Activities/Hobbies: Soccer, Horror Movies, Nightlife, Step Aerobics
Why McGovern: Throughout the interview process, I felt like I related well to the faculty and residents who seemed to take a genuine interest in me. I knew the program would provide excellent, hands-on training opportunities that would help me build confidence in my skills as a physician. Houston is a large urban area with a diverse patient population and McGovern’s dedication to culture within the program is a reflection of the city they serve. This program will not only provide the type of environment I want to train in, but also a strong professional foundation from which I can build my future career.
Interests Within EM: Global Health, Ultrasound, Sports Medicine, Disaster Medicine
Fun Fact: In high school, my club soccer team won the State Championship title and we were awarded the unique opportunity to travel to England and get absolutely dragged playing their youth club soccer teams.
Adam Woods
Medical School: University of Kentucky College of Medicine
Undergrad: University of Cincinnati
Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio
Activities/Hobbies: Spending time outside with my wife/kids, watching and playing sports
Why McGovern: I left my interview day being completely blown away by the combination of awesome people, unmatched exposure to critically ill patients, and the ability to make a difference in the community through programs like HEROES.
Interests Within EM: Addiction medicine, health disparities, admin, POCUS
Fun Fact: I worked as a locksmith before deciding to go to college/med school
Kristen Woody
Medical School: Saint Louis University School of Medicine
Undergrad: University of South Florida
Hometown: Ormond Beach, Florida
Activities/Hobbies: Boxing, tennis, basketball, Cooking, Attempting to garden & keep plants alive, Spending time with family & friends, Decorating/Organizing, Shopping, Watching football and UFC.
Why McGovern: I was looking for a program that would truly challenge me, provide exceptional training, support me in both personal and professional growth while sharing in my passion for serving underserved populations. I knew that the opportunity to train at the busiest level I trauma center in the country while experiencing a rigorous training curriculum with an emphasis on my interest of critical care would provide me an unparalleled training experience.
Interests Within EM: Social EM, Critical care medicine, Sports medicine
Fun Fact: In college I was a pharmacy technician and I once sold a controlled substance to an undercover DEA agent during an audit (don’t worry we passed).