Born in Wisconsin and raised in Michigan, Molly has always been a Midwestern girl at heart, despite a four year stint in Boston.  The University of Michigan program was the right fit for many reasons. The program offers a great mix of academic, community and inner-city experiences, as well as the Life Flight program.  Both Molly and her husband, Dave, are looking forward to being within driving distance of their families.  They both enjoy the beautiful Michigan seasons (yes even the snow, but not as much as the summer) and great outdoor activities afforded by the many lakes, rivers, and parks.  Molly is especially looking forward to returning to life surrounded by Midwestern traffic.  In their free time, Molly and Dave enjoy cooking, spending time with friends, hiking, canoeing, traveling, and, soon, training their Golden Retriever puppy, "Woostah."  Go Green

After living four years in the heart of Chicago, I did not expect to find myself at the University of Michigan Hospitals Emergency Medicine Program.  I always envisioned leaving my home city only for another major metropolitan market, but that conviction soon changed after I interviewed at U of M.  Upon stepping inside the hospital, I immediately realized that I could devote at least another four years to this program and to  the town of Ann Arbor.  After learning more about the intricacies of the residency program and meeting the faculty and fellow colleagues, any lingering skepticism was swept away.  Three reasons formed the foundation of my decision to rank this place at the upper echelon of my list:  1.) the undeniable diversity and experience that result from rotating through three hospitals, 2.) the engaging faculty members, and 3.) the proximity of relatives who also happen to live in A2.

When I am not working or studying, I can usually be found in the gym or on the basketball court.  With that being said, the University of Michigan provides a great opportunity to harvest my love for all sports.  I cannot wait to start cheering for the Wolverines during football season, and can only hope that the basketball program will shortly return to prominence.  Within the last two years, I have taken an interest in dancing, particularly hip-hop dancing, and hope that downtown Ann Arbor can offer me a nourishing environment to explore this new interest.  

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Pamela Durling, MD
Hometown:  Lewiston, Montana
Undergrad:  Montana State University
Medical School: University of Washington School of Medicine

Alison Haddock, MD
Hometown:  Bellevue, Washington
Undergrad:  Duke University
Medical School: Cornell University Medical College

Abid Kagalwalla, MD
Hometown:  Troy, Michigan; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Naperville, Illinois
Undergrad:  University of Illinois
Medical School: University of Michigan Medical School

Alexander Lo, MD
Hometown:  New York City, New York
Undergrad:  New York University
Medical School: University of Vermont College of Medicine

Alex is a native New Yorker and recent resident of Vermont, where he learned snowboarding, cross-country skiing and attended medical school when it didn't snow.  He has since left New England for the warmer winters of Michigan and is enjoying life in Ann Arbor.  He is also nowhere as serious as his mugshot would suggest. "I love the program here at Michigan: The residents are a fun bunch of people and great colleagues, there's a very good mix of experiences across the 3 hospitals, and everyone enjoys teaching. Ann Arbor is also a great town with plenty of good FOOD."

Nathan Maust , MD
Hometown:  Harrisonburg, Virginia
Undergrad:  University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Medical School: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Michael Safa , MD
Hometown:  Linden, Michigan
Undergrad:  University of Michigan
Medical School: Loyola University of Chicago Stritch School of Medicine

I'm another one of the "Michigan for Life" residents.  I grew up, went to college and to medical school in the state of Michigan, though somehow didn't manage to spend any time at University of Michigan until now.  My hobbies include driving to the hospital, working at the hospital, reading about treatment I employ at the hospital and catching up on sleep after spending too much time at the hospital.  On rare occasions that I am not engrossed in one those wonderful activities, I spend my time with my family, toddler-wrangling, watching sports or biking with my husband, and getting outdoors as much as possible.

I grew up in the town of Pinckney, Michigan, just twenty miles north of Ann Arbor.  I attended undergrad at Michigan State University where I developed my undying loyalty to the finest basketball program in all the land.  I was able to conceal my Spartan pride just enough to survive medical school here at the University of Michigan where I had a great experience.  I’m also excited to stay on at Michigan for residency for several reasons.  The quality of the program is excellent and the diversity of training outstanding with three distinctive institutional experiences.  Both through the medical school and the program there are tremendous opportunities to be involved with education, administration, and research, and the 4 year format allows one to pursue those interests during residency.  I’ve already had the opportunity to work with many of the faculty in the program and they truly are top-notch!  Finally, having spent much of my life living in or near Ann Arbor, I can vouch that it really is a great place to live, and there are always new and interesting things to do even for an old native like myself.

I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio and then attended undergrad at U of M.  After graduating, I spent a year in Taiwan teaching English, playing piano at a cultural center, and traveling around Asia.  I then returned to U of M for medical school.  Between my M3 and M4 year, I took a year off to pursue clinical research and went to Micronesia for a medical school mission’s project.  I loved Ann Arbor so much – the U of M faculty and the town – that I’ve decided to stay another four years for residency.  I like to spend my free time traveling, playing piano, cooking, playing tennis, and skiing.  I hope that I’ll be able to join my twin brother in Utah this winter to ski!