Class of 2024

Residents

Brief Bio

Zana Allattar, MD
Zana Alattar, MD

Hometown: Chicago, IL
Medical School: UArizona College of Medicine – Phoenix
Clinical Interests: Surgical critical care, global health, medical education (student and resident), simulation-based teaching, surgical innovation
Research Interests: Clinical research and quality improvement
Personal Interests: Tech, travel, photography
Why UArizona College of Medicine – Phoenix: The culture, the people and the strong clinical training. Our program does an excellent job of balancing the grit that makes you a great surgeon with the appreciation for non-hospital life that makes you a great friend, spouse, parent, etc. The female leadership and presence in our program is unmatched. And finally, the confidence that I know our graduating chiefs have when they move on to become attendings reassures me that our program does what it has always wanted and meant to do, prepare us to be excellent general surgeons.

Nicole Broden, MD
Nicole Broden, MD

Hometown: Great Falls/Belt, MT
Medical School: University of Washington School of Medicine
Clinical Interests: Rural surgery, general surgery, trauma/critical care, global surgery
Research Interests: Rural and underserved health care
Personal Interests: Running, camping, fishing, yoga, home improvements
Why UArizona College of Medicine – Phoenix: The people in every aspect of the program — co-residents, attendings, nurses, scrub techs — are all supportive and committed to helping the residents become the best surgeons possible. People make a program.

 


Luc Colburn, MD
Luc Colburn, MD

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Medical School: Creighton University School of Medicine
Clinical Interests: MIS, colorectal, vascular
Research Interests: Robotic surgery, resident wellness
Personal Interests: Cooking, working out, golf, premier league soccer, formula 1
Why UArizona College of Medicine – Phoenix: At my pre-interview dinner, I could tell the residents truly cared about each other and knew this was where I wanted to train. We also have a strong focus on producing well-rounded general surgeons who go straight into practice.

Eleanor Kitchell, MD
Eleanor Kitchell, MD

Hometown: Seattle, WA
Medical School: University of Washington School of Medicine 
Clinical Interests: Cardiothoracic surgery, trauma surgery
Research Interests: Surgical education, ECMO
Personal Interests: Skiing, mountain biking, fly-fishing, camping, chocolate chip cookies
Why UArizona College of Medicine – Phoenix: Resident collegiality, supportive, professional and personal mentors, early operative exposure, chief residents who are equally prepared for fellowship or practice

Justin Owumi, MD
Justin Owumi, MD

Hometown: Dorchester, MA
Medical School: Tufts University School of Medicine 
Clinical Interests: Colorectal, MIS
Research Interests: MIS
Personal Interests: Cooking, yoga, reading, writing, basketball
Why UArizona College of Medicine – Phoenix: Early and diverse operative experience, diverse patient population


Amber Sandoval, MD
Amber Sandoval, MD

Hometown: Albuquerque, NM
Medical School: UArizona College of Medicine – Phoenix
Clinical Interests: General surgery, MIS, colorectal, plastics
Research Interests: Surgical education, simulation
Personal Interests: Hiking, basketball, volleyball, brunch, spending time with family and friends
Why UArizona College of Medicine – Phoenix: I was fortunate to have extensive exposure to this program as a medical student, and I knew this was the place for me after getting to see the chiefs consistently and adeptly operate and run services autonomously. I wanted a program that could prepare me to confidently and competently enter practice after residency, but also had the foundation to prepare me and successfully match me into a fellowship if desired. Moreover, the camaraderie among the residents and investment of the faculty was a major reason that this program felt like home to me and remains my favorite part of being a resident here.

Morgan Vonasek, MD
Morgan Vonasek, MD

Hometown: El Dorado, CA
Medical School: Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine 
Clinical Interests: Plastic and reconstructive surgery, MIS
Research Interests: MIS, quality improvement
Personal Interests: Fly-fishing, hiking, camping
Why UArizona College of Medicine – Phoenix: After my experience as a sub-intern during medical school, I knew I wanted to be part of a residency program that offers a tight-knit community between co-residents. The UArizona College of Medicine – Phoenix cultivates a positive, supportive community within the hospital that I knew I wanted to join. General surgery residency is demanding, but being surrounded by fun and hard working colleagues makes training even more rewarding and enjoyable

Bernadette White, MD
Bernadette White, MD

Hometown: Scottsdale, AZ
Medical School: Emory University School of Medicine 
Clinical Interests: General surgery, colorectal, breast
Research Interests: Quality improvement
Personal Interests: General grandma activities — trying to keep my plants from dying, hanging out with family, baking, cross stitching
Why UArizona College of Medicine – Phoenix: Seeing the M&M at this program clinched the decision for me. It was educational and not in any way punitive. I took that as a marker of the style of this program, and I’m glad I did. Everyone looks out for each other here and celebrates each success and grows from each mistake as a team.