2021 Geriatric Medicine Fellowship Class

Please welcome our UCSF Division of Geriatrics incoming Geriatric Medicine Fellowship Class of 2021! Please see our Geriatric Medicine Fellowship Program Director, Dr. Eric Widera's introductions below.

Geri

  • Alexander Kazberouk: Can’t tell you how many emails I got from residents, fellows and faculty about how we “must” keep Alex at UCSF and I certainly agreed with all of them.  Alex grew up in Belarus, went to Yale for undergrad, did his MD/MBA training at Harvard Medical School and is now at UCSF Primary Care General Internal Medicine Residency Program.  He is interested in health care systems, models of care, and system-based changes. He hopes to utilize his MBA background to think about how to develop new models of care or adapt existing models to meet the needs of older adults/adults with high complexity.  Alex’s hobbies include: Mountaineering, where he’s summited 3 of highest peaks on 7 continents.  Recent summits include Cotopaxi, Iztaccíhuatl, Elbrus, Shasta, Adams, although lets see if he can tackle getting up to Lynn Flints house at the top of Mount Tam.  He also enjoys backpacking, climbing, skiing, SCUBA (Certified PADI Advanced and freediving (Certified SSI).
  • Angela Primbas: Angela went to Harvard for undergrad and then joined Teach for America, teaching 7th grade match and creating alternative teaching plans for ESL student.  She subsequently went to medical school training at University of Washington where among many other things she did research in HIV care and was one of 14 council representatives for ACP.   She is now at Stanford for Internal Medicine residency where she has done a a year long training in DEI, as well as research in microaggressions.   She also co-founded Stanford’s LGBTQ health curriculum for IM residents and is one of two resident leaders in designing primary care track curriculum for residents.   She is interested in a clinician educator track with a focus on LGBTQ older adults.  Her hobbies include modern dance choreography, writing poetry and baking Greek/Spanish pastries (maybe she can go into business with Elaine on a bakery).  
  • Sue Runyan: I am personally excited to learn from Sue, as she has over 20 years of experience as a family physician and educator.  A little background about her.  Sue went to Princeton University for undergrad getting a BA in religion.  She did her medical training at UCSF, got an MPH from Berkeley, and did her residency training at University of Washington.  After a stint as faulty at UW she came down to join the UCSF community as a faculty member in Family Medicine (from ’02-’09).  She is now at One Medical as a primary care physician as well as UCSF volunteer faculty.  She is interested in being involved in systems change and teaching, as well as having a interest in palliative care (I think I know a couple others with similar GeriPal interests).  Her hobbies include swimming, nature and ping pong.
  • Julie Thai: Julie went to University of California, Riverside for undergrad, Columbia University for her MPH in Public Health and Aging, did her medical school training at Michigan State University and is currently a Family resident at McLaren Health Care-Flint/Michigan State University Program.  Julie was previously a research assistant to Drs. Alex Smith and Sei Lee and also came back to UCSF to participate in the MSTAR program under the mentorship of Alex Smith. She is interested in clinical research and how that informs health policy and advocacy. Her hobbies include photography, creating postcards using her own original photography from all over the U.S., cooking a variety of cuisines and baking bread and desserts from scratch and partaking in rock climbing, surfing, and hiking when given the opportunity.  We’re so excited to have Julie back!  While Julie left us for a little while, we were always keeping a seat warm for her at UCSF!

Geripal

  • Megan Gillum: Megan went to University of Arizona for undergrad, did her medical training at University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine where among other things did research in late life depression.  She then went to Duke for internal medicine residency and now is working in Alaska as a hospitalist (where she is also a member of the American College of Physicians Alaska Chapter Advocacy Committee and the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium).  Her hobbies include reading mystery novels, print making and encaustic painting (I had to look that one up – apparently it includes the use of hot beeswax), leisurely cycling and hiking, traveling to historical sites.  Megan would like to bring geriatrics back to Alaska as the first geriatrician in the state!