Subspecialty: Cardiology/Endocrinology

Laith Al Ejeilat is a graduate of medicine from the University of Jordan. His academics interests include pediatrics and education. He likes coffee, music, electronics, and outdoor activities (mainly hiking).

Subspecialty: Pediatric Critical Care, Palliative care

Zach is really excited to begin this journey with everyone and he believes that his hopes and dreams will be well fostered here at Shands. He is currently training his dog Carl to be a therapy dog and can’t wait for everyone to meet him!

Subspecialty: Rheumatology

Ezequiel Borgia was born in Mendoza, Argentina and completed medical school in Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. He then completed a Postdoctoral Lupus Fellowship at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto and Pediatric Rheumatology fellowship at UF. His research interests include health disparities and social determinants of health in pediatric lupus.

Subspecialty: Emergency Medicine/ Endocrinology

Maddie is interested in general pediatrics and pediatric endocrinology with a focus on healthcare disparities. She is in the public health track and plans to complete a Masters in Public Health after residency. She is married to Jack, who is an anesthesia resident, and they enjoy cooking (especially homemade pasta) and going for hikes with their dog, Otto.

Subspecialty: General Pediatrics

Ali grew up in Miami, Fl and attended Vanderbilt University for undergrad. She joined the Gator Nation for medical school and is excited to remain at UF Shands Children’s Hospital for residency! She loves running, traveling, and trying new restaurants in Gainesville with friends, co-interns, and her fiancé, Keith (an Anesthesiology resident). She’s interested in academic general pediatrics and looks forward to working with wonderful mentors at UF.

Subspecialty: General Pediatrics

Elyse grew up in Miami, FL and attended undergraduate and medical school here at the University of Florida. She is excited to now be a triple gator after joining the pediatric residency program. She enjoys traveling, cooking, watching football, and spending time with her family, friends, and her puppy Teddy!

Subspecialty: Adolescent Medicine/ Emergency Medicine

Meggan is a native of Charleston, SC. She went to Wofford College in Spartanburg, SC and the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, SC. Fun fact: She was a full time coach for a competitive cheerleading squad during medical school and she has a company that specializes in competition cheer hair bows.

Subspecialty: General Pediatrics

Toria was born and raised in Hebron, Kentucky and she completed her undergraduate and medical degrees at the University of Kentucky (Go Cats!). She chose UF Pediatrics after seeing the close friendships among residents on interview day and learning about the unique primary care opportunities like the After Hours Clinic. In her free time, she enjoys cooking/baking new recipes, visiting local restaurants and breweries with her husband, and participating in a variety of workout classes. She is looking forward to exploring her new Gainesville home over the next three years.

Subspecialty: Cardiology

Savannah is from Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she has lived her entire life until moving to Gainesville for residency with her husband Sean. In her free time, she likes to do crafts (such as cross stitch), play tabletop games and her violin, read dystopian novels and science fiction, and play with dogs! She is interested in pursuing a fellowship, and is currently considering cardiology as the top contender. She is also trying to keep an open mind. She is super excited to be at UF for residency!

Subspecialty: Emergency Medicine/ Critical Care

Dillon Joiner came to UF from the LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is originally from a small town called Ponchatoula, just outside of New Orleans, and is the first physician in his family!

Subspecialty: Cardiology

Ahmed Lababidi is from Cincinnati, OH. He fell in love with Florida after he moved to Orlando for medical school. He feels fortunate to continue his training at Shands. He is very much excited to explore Gainesville and to visit as many coffee shops as possible.

Subspecialty: Undecided

Christine Lee is from Atlanta, GA. She has never lived anywhere else besides Atlanta, so she is excited to see what Gainesville has to offer! She loves spending time with family and friends, as well as exploring new places and trying different foods.

Subspecialty: Hematology/Oncology

Karna was born and raised in South Florida, where he attended the University of Miami for undergrad and Nova Southeastern for medical school. He is a big fan of sports, video games, and working out!

Subspecialty: Critical Care, Global Health

Chelsea was born and raised in South Carolina. She graduated from the College of Charleston with degrees in Political Science and German and then attended medical school at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville. She and her husband are thrilled to be starting residency in Gainesville and never pass up an opportunity to hit the trails/boardwalks/swamps for another gator sighting! In addition to exploring the great outdoors, Chelsea also enjoys traveling, festivals, wood projects, and learning about animals.

Subspecialty: Hospitalist/ GI

Kayla is originally from Montreal, Canada, but grew up in South Florida. She is a former gator alum and went to Nova for medical school. Outside of medicine, she loves getting creative with crafts, heading to the gym, watching Ellen, and cooking with her fiancé.

Subspecialty: NICU/CardiologyEvelyn was born in Lima, Peru and spent her childhood between Mexico, the U.S., and Spain. She completed medical school at San Martin de Porres University in Lima and completed a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Newborn Medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. She is interested in health disparities and social determinants of health.

Subspecialty: Child Neurology

Kate was born and raised in St. Louis and studied biology at Oklahoma Christian University. She went to Ross University School of Medicine on the island of Dominica and enjoyed studying and teaching in the Caribbean. A fun fact about Kate is that, during her clinical years, she became certified as a therapy clown.

Subspecialty: Emergency Medicine

Morgan was an undergraduate here at UF and then attended medical school at UCF in Orlando. She is very excited to be back in Gainesville as a pediatric resident! In her free time she likes spending time with her dog, running, and doing yoga!

Subspecialty: Endocrinology/ Global Health

Christina “Baxter” is a native Floridian who enjoys fishing with her husband Nick and eating very spicy food. She is interested in endocrinology and general pediatrics right now but knows that may change! Her biggest goals are to be back in Haiti soon as a “real” doctor and to keep traveling with Nick.