Postgraduate Year 3
Class of 2023

Class of 2023

University of Florida

Erin Bruney

Subspecialty: General Pediatrics

Erin adores her dog Minnow and her husband Paul. She lives in a little green house with a big garden and a chicken coop. She has an encyclopedic knowledge of the series Gilmore Girls, loves painting with bright colors, and is fascinated by ancient oak trees.

Erin Bruney

University of Florida

Samantha Cresoe

Subspecialty: GI

Samantha grew up in the Tampa Bay area and became the first in her family to attend college. She earned her undergraduate degrees from the University of South Florida and didn’t stray too far from home to attend medical school at the University of Florida. She is excited to be a double gator as she moves forward with her residency training here at UF. She enjoys playing flag football, cave exploring, hiking, visiting beaches, and spending time with family and friends.

Samantha Cresoe

Mercer University

Taylor Gowen

Subspecialty: Undecided

Taylor is from Nahunta, GA, which is a small, rural town just north of the Florida state line. She attended Mercer University in Macon, GA for undergrad and Mercer University in Savannah, GA for medical school. Taylor is very passionate about primary care but is excited about exploring different specialties and possibly pursuing a fellowship! Taylor loves spending time with her and her husband’s family, going to the beach, and cooking!

Taylor Gowen

Indiana University

Melissa Gronceski

Subspecialty: Endocrinology

Melissa was born and raised an Indiana Hoosier. She graduated from Indiana University School of Medicine. She is an avid sports fan and is excited to make the leap to the Sunshine State and to cheer for some Gator football!

Mellissa Gronceski

University of Kentucky

Matt Henry

Subspecialty: Pediatric Emergency Medicine

Matt is from Somerset, Kentucky, and completed his undergraduate training at Liberty University before attending the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. He is a huge fan of ultimate frisbee, and also enjoys running, hiking, playing drums, Pixar movies, watching the Kentucky Wildcats (especially when they beat the Florida Gators), and eating. During intern year, he and his wife Dawn welcomed their second child and a puppy to the family.

Matt Henry

Quaid-e-Azam Medical College

Mahmoud Jaara

Subspecialty: Cardiology

Mahmoud was born and raised in Jordan and went to medical school in Pakistan. I moved with my wife Ghadeer to Gainesville to join her while she pursued her pediatrics residency. Outside of medicine I like soccer,hosting people,barbecuing and reading. I am very excited to join UF pediatric residency program and officially become a member of the gator nation.

Mahmoud Jarra

Texas A&M University

Ann Marie Karam

Subspecialty: General Pediatrics

Ann Marie was born and raised in Dallas, TX. She studied Physics at Gonzaga University and went on to Medical School at Texas A&M. She is excited to fulfill her lifelong dream of being a Pediatrician and helping children grow.

Ann Marie Karam

University of Mississippi

Harman Kaur

Subspecialty: Hosptialist / Emergency Medicine

Harman grew up in Clinton, MS and attended Ole Miss (Go Rebs!) for undergrad and medical school but is now ready to be a Gator! During her free time, she likes to cook and spend time with her puppy, Rogue, outdoors. She is excited to be a pediatrics resident at Shands and ready to explore all that Gainesville has to offer!

Harman Kaur

Florida State University

Monika Kossey

Subspecialty: Undecided

Monika is a Polish native, now a Polish and U.S. citizen, who came to the U.S. to continue her education at Virginia Commonwealth University, where she received Master of Science degrees in Physics and in Physiology and Biophysics. While teaching at the Physics Department, she began the process of becoming a physician, and after getting married and moving to Florida she attended medical school at Florida State University College of Medicine. She loves spending time with her husband and two young children and is thrilled to be at University of Florida for residency!

Monika Kossey

Meharry Medical College

Ketialie Laroche

Subspecialty: Undecided

Ketialie grew up in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. She attended Florida International University for her undergraduate education then Meharry Medical College for a Masters in Health Sciences and medical school. In her spare time, she enjoys watching movies and spending time with family and friends.

Ketialie Laroche

Marshall University

Will Lester

Subspecialty: NICU

Will Lester is from Huntington, West Virginia. He did his undergraduate studies in chemistry at the University of Kentucky and received his MD from the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine. Outside of medicine, he enjoys watching soccer and playing guitar and piano.

Will Lester

University of Central Florida

Shazia Majid

Subspecialty: Hospitalist / NICU

Shazia is a native Floridian, born and raised in the Tampa Bay area, and attended undergrad at USF followed by medical school at UCF. Her medical interests include preventive medicine, health education, and advocacy. In her free time, she enjoys cooking and baking, as well as spending time with family and friends. She is very excited to continue making her way across Florida to join the UF family and serve the pediatric population of her home state, while also exploring all that Gainesville has to offer!

Shazia Majid

Lagos State University

Deji Otufowora

Subspecialty: Research / Undecided

Deji is originally from Lagos, Nigeria. He completed his medical education at the Lagos State University College of Medicine. He is excited to be a triple gator! He enjoys watching basketball, traveling and making friends.

Ayodeji Otufowora

UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO RIO DE JANEIRO

Giulia Pasqualini de Lima

Subspecialty: Research / Undecided

Giulia was born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and attended medical school at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. Her academic interests include research and pediatrics infectious disease. She is really excited about her new life in Gainesville with her husband Fernando and their two rescued pups. She loves having her house full of friends and family and spends her free time taking her dogs out.

Giulia Pasqualini de Lima

UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO

Aaron Scarpa

Subspecialty: Cardiology / Critical Care

Aaron is from rural eastern New Mexico, and is coming to Florida after having lived his entire life in the deserts of the southwest. In his free time, Aaron enjoys hiking/climbing really tall mountains, training for and running marathons, and watching college sports (Wreck ’em Texas Tech!). He is excited to be at Shands for residency as he continues toward his academic and professional goals!

Aaron Scarpa

Meharry Medical College

Jo Thota

Subspecialty: Hospitalist

Jo Thota grew up in Galveston, TX but has lived in Nashville, TN for more than a decade. She completed her Bachelor of Science at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville before returning to Nashville to complete medical school at Meharry Medical College. Jo took an additional year in between her 3rd and 4th year of medical school to pursue research sponsored by the CDC and through the New Vaccine Surveillance Network at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. Outside of medicine, Jo’s interests include hiking, baking, yoga, and trying out new restaurants and cafes. Jo is excited to return to a university in the SEC and honored to serve the children and families at UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital.

Jyotsna Thota