Meet our PGY-1 Residents


PGY1 Residents

Our Emergency Medicine residents are one-of-a-kind, and each comes to their training with a unique background. Get to know a little more about our Emergency Medicine PGY-1 Residents, below:

Nikita Chalaka

Nikita Chalaka

Hometown: San Jose, CA

Undergrad: University of California, San Diego

Medical School: Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine

Hobbies: I love traveling and hiking. I am also a huge foodie and enjoy trying new cuisines and restaurants in every place I visit.

Fun fact: I have traveled to 20 countries and 22 states—hopefully many more to come!

Favorite thing about Fresno: I love how close Fresno is to so many national parks. I also think there's a great food scene here.

Maram Cooper

Maram Cooper

Hometown: Chowchilla, CA

Undergrad: California State University, Fresno

Medical School: California Health Sciences University

Hobbies: Jogging, going to the gym, hiking and cooking

Fun fact: I could each chicken tenders every day for the rest of my life.

Favorite thing about Fresno: Family and friends are close by—as well as the food!

Dildeep Kaur Dhaliwal

Dildeep Kaur Dhaliwal

Hometown: Caruthers, CA

Undergrad: California State University, Fresno

Medical School: St. George's University School of Medicine

Hobbies: Traveling, spending time with my family, gardening, cooking and baking.

Fun fact: I have traveled to 12 countries so far.

Favorite thing about Fresno: My favorite thing about Fresno is its central location, which makes it easy to drive to nearby destinations when I want to get out of town. I also love being surrounded by agriculture and having access to numerous food markets all year long. Fresno's weather is also generally great, except for the 3-4 months of summertime heat!

Adam Macksoud

Adam Macksoud

Hometown: Seal Beach, CA

Undergrad: University of California, Los Angeles

Medical School: St. George's University School of Medicine

Hobbies: Cooking, trying new foods, listening to music, spending time with my dog, personal fitness, traveling and family time

Fun fact: I share the same birthday as Michael Jordan

Favorite thing about Fresno: The affordability, the "small-town vibes," and its close location to Yosemite

Erick Melara

Erick Melara

Hometown: Fresno, CA

Undergrad: University of California, Santa Cruz

Medical School: Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine

Hobbies: Hanging out with my family, playing soccer and practicing Brazilian jiu-jitsu

Fun fact: I cut my own hair

Favorite thing about Fresno: The HEAT

Kareem Mohamed

Kareem Mohamed

Hometown: Dearborn, Michigan

Undergrad: Michigan State University

Medical School: UQ-Ochsner Medical School, University of Queensland

Hobbies: Working out, traveling, cooking and baking, anything related to sports (e.g., watching, playing... the works)

Fun fact: They call me 'Chef Boyarde' in this town—you just got to try a dish to believe it!

Favorite thing about Fresno: The proximity to California's major cities while enjoying all of the beautiful mountain ranges surrounding us makes for some awesome hikes and stunning sunrises and sunsets.

Conrad Njamfa

Conrad Njamfa

Hometown: Tracy, CA

Undergrad: University of California, Riverside

Medical School: Morehouse School of Medicine

Hobbies: Hiking, weightlifting, basketball, watching documentaries.

Fun fact: I am double-jointed in my left thumb.

Favorite thing about Fresno: All of the hiking trails!

Lea Ann Urita

Lea Ann S. Urita

Hometown: Palm Springs, CA

Undergrad: La Sierra University

Medical School: Ross University School of Medicine

Hobbies: Hiking, hanging out with my daughter, DIY home projects, and tinkering

Fun fact: I once rode a motorcycle solo from Manali to Leh in India over 10 days after learning to ride a bike just a week before!

Favorite thing about Fresno: There are a LOT of parks for kids to play in around the city and a HUGE variety of restraurants to eat from.