Residents
PGY 1 Residents
- Alfarooq Al-Shaikhli, MD
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PGY1
I was born and raised in Iraq, where I attended medical school at the University of Baghdad/College of Medicine. After completion my medical degree, I finished a one-year of Internship at a Kindy teaching Hospital in Baghdad. In the USA, my journey to pursue residency in Internal Medicine in the U.S. began. Soon after, I had the privilege to work as a lecturer/Student advisor at Kaplan Institute in Houston. I also worked a Medical Scribe in a cardiology clinic in Detroit. Moreover, I enhance my interests in research and evidence-based Medicine through working an Author/Editor at an online medical website. I am so thrilled to join UTRGV at DHR to enhance my medical knowledge in team based enriched environment. In my spare time, I enjoy playing soccer, cooking, and listening to podcasts.
- Blesset Alexander, MD
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PGY1
Dr. Alexander was born and brought up in Kerala, India. She completed her medical degree from Christian Medical College, Ludhiana, India. She went on to work in an underserved area post her graduation. She is a dreamer and hard worker, and it is her passion for medicine that brought her to the United States. She is excited and looking forward to receive training in such a diverse community under the guidance of great mentors. Outside of her work she relishes spending quality time with her husband, cooking, sketching, and traveling.
- Hector Arredondo, MD
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PGY1
Dr. Arredondo was born and raised in Mexico, just across the Rio Grande Valley. He received his Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Texas Pan American and during his time studying in the valley he volunteered at the Edinburg Regional Medical Center & Children's Hospital. Dr. Arredondo attended medical school at Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara in Mexico. He did rotations at the Jackson Memorial and the University of Miami Hospitals where he found his passion for Internal Medicine.
Prior to joining the UTRGV-DHR Internal Medicine program, Dr. Arredondo worked as a primary care physician for the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he was assigned to the emergency department of his hometown, where he developed an interest in critical care.
Outside of medicine, he enjoys spending time with his lovely wife Fabiola and going to the movie theaters. He is a big fan of Formula 1, Tigres soccer club, and Metallica. His hobbies are playing the guitar and listening to all kinds of music.
- Andreina Baird, MD
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PGY1
Dr. Baird was born and raised in Guayaquil, Ecuador. She completed her medical school in Universidad Catolica Santiago de Guayaquil, and worked for one year in the impoverished areas of Ecuador. Driven by her passion and enthusiasm for becoming a better doctor, she moved to New York and pursued the USMLE pathway. Dr. Baird enjoys educating the patient population and participated as a panelist in a local TV program. She also engaged in volunteering activities and worked with Covid-19 patients in a Canadian accredited Hospital in Ecuador. She is an avid chess player and has received gold and bronze medals in various inter-school chess tournaments. She is very excited and grateful to have the opportunity to learn from UTRGV professors in DHR and to be able to serve the community of Rio Grande Valley. Dr. Baird's role model is her mom and attributes her with all the achievements in her life. In her spare time, she enjoys talking with her family, spending time with her friends, traveling, painting, drawing and working-out.
- Mery Bartl, MD
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PGY1
Dr. Bartl was born and raised in Valencia city, Venezuela. She obtained her medical degree at the Universidad de Carabobo. Upon graduation, she worked in her hometown as a general physician until she decided to move to Chicago. After completing several observerships in New York, New Jersey and Chicago she joined the Department of Nephrology at The University of Illinois at Chicago volunteering in research. She is passionate about hospital medicine and enjoys working with underserved communities. In her spare time, she likes spending time with family and friends. She also enjoys going to the beach, outdoors activities, cooking Venezuelan food and baking.
- Cristina Escobar, MD
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PGY1
Dr. Cristina Escobar was born and raised in Quito, Ecuador. She graduated valedictorian from Universidad de las Americas, where she actively led social projects as a student and was part of medical brigades in rural communities. These experiences motivated her to pursue her medical residency in Internal Medicine, a specialty with a broad range of care. Her professional experience includes externships in the areas of cardiology, pulmonology, and general internal medicine at various hospitals around the Unites States. After living in Chicago Dr. Escobar moved to the Rio Grande Valley to join the UTRGV family. Her professional interests include endocrinology, research, and public health. In her free time she enjoys hiking, reading, and watching sports.
- Alcibiades Fleires, MD
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PGY1
Dr. Fleires was born and raised in Venezuela. He earned his medical degree from La Universidad del Zulia, Venezuela. Soon after graduation, he worked in a rural area close to the Colombian border where he provided care to the underserved, indigenous population for a year. After, he relocated to the USA and joined Baylor College of Medicine to work as a research coordinator in Endocrinology.
Now that he is a part of the UTRGV family, he is excited to offer valuable and meaningful medical care to the local communities.
Outside of the hospital, he enjoys spending time with his family, friends, and two dogs. He is also passionate about playing music and exploring new cultures and places. His interests include Endocrinology and Hospital medicine.
- Jose Gomez, MD
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PGY1
Dr. Jose Gomez Casanovas was born and raised in El Salvador. He obtained his medical degree from Universidad Dr. Jose Matias Delgado. Since his early years in medicine he had the opportunity to rotate in the US, one of his various rotations was in the Valley at Doctors Hospital at Renaissance. He discovered that he loved the program, the warm hospitality, its people and the potential the valley offered as a city to work and potentially grow his family with his wife, Fernanda. Since then, it was a personal desire to come back for his residency in internal medicine and he is glad he did! After completing medical school, he then moved to Houston to study for the USMLE boards. Outside work, he enjoys spending time with his wife, exercising, photography and trying new restaurants.
- Francisco Gonzalez, MD
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PGY1
Dr. Gonzalez was born in Irapuato, Guanajuato and moved to Texas in 2013 where he completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Texas at Austin. He returned to Mexico to attend medical school at the Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara where he graduated in December 2019. He is interested in Hospital Medicine and plans to become a Hospitalist after Residency. He is excited to attend residency at UTRGV DHR program and is also grateful for the opportunity to serve the Rio Grande Valley community. When not busy with medical residency work, he likes to play soccer and root for his favorite soccer team, Cruz Azul.
- Oscar Lopez, MD
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PGY1
Dr. Lopez was born and raised in the beautiful Dominican Republic. He inherited his love and passion for medicine from his father and grandfather, two renowned physicians in his home country. After obtaining his medical degree from the Universidad Iberoamericana, he decided to continue his medical training in the US. He was able to do rotations in Montefiore Hospital, Medical College of Georgia, and Saint Barnabas Medical Center. He also got the opportunity to work for a year as a general practitioner in the renowned Corazones Unidos Hospital back in the city of Santo Domingo, where he developed a special interest in the field of Cardiology. He is very excited to be able to continue his education and provide service here in the Rio Grande Valley. Outside of the hospital, Dr. Lopez enjoys playing soccer, watching baseball, spending quality time with family and friends, and exploring good bars and restaurants.
- Kalyana Yashasvi Mondreti, MD
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PGY1
Dr. Kalyana Mondreti was born and raised in the coastal city of Visakhapatnam in India. Inspired by his parents and sister, he completed his medical education and internship at NRI Institute of Medical Sciences, Visakhapatnam. During his internship Dr. Mondreti was the primary care physician for people coming from diverse backgrounds, and he also took part in many rural health and cyclone relief camps. He is a staunch believer that learning is a continuous phenomenon and finds satisfaction in working his way through the challenges and taking things to completion. Whether it is a round of tennis or a cricket match, he is game for it and finds music very relaxing, to help unwind after a busy day.
- Sonya Montes, MD
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PGY1
Dr. Sonya Montes was born and raised in Brownsville, Texas. She obtained her medical degree from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine. She is excited about the opportunity to serve her community of the RGV. She enjoys running, cooking and spending time with family and friends.
- Yilen Karen Ng Wong, MD
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PGY1
Dr. Ng Wong was born and raised in Venezuela in a small city called Barinas. She moved to Caracas to obtain her medical degree at the Universidad Central de Venezuela, School of Medicine Luis Razetti. Upon graduation, she worked two years in her hometown as general physician, when she decided to pursue the USMLE pathway. Before joining the UTRGV Internal Medicine Residency Program at DHR, she did several observerships in New York City and Chicago, and she was also able to work as Clinical Research Fellow at Case Western Reserve University - Cleveland VA Medical center in the Department of Infectious Diseases and at Cleveland Clinic in the Pain Management Department, where she was in charge of different research projects. Outside the work setting, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, practice outdoors activities, cooking Venezuelan and Chinese food.
- Josenny L. Rodriguez Paez, MD
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PGY1
Dr. Rodriguez was born and raised in the beautiful country of Venezuela. While she was in a High School mission trip to an indigenous area, she discovered her passion of helping people in need and that was the main reason she decided to become a doctor. Dr. Rodriguez moved to Argentina in order to pursue her education in medicine. During her time in Argentina, she volunteered in multiple impoverished communities where she was able to bring aid and relief to many people in need as her passion has always been to work and advocate for people in underserved communities.
Dr. Rodriguez is excited for the opportunity to continue her education at UTRGV where she believes she will receive the proper tools and resources to accomplish her life-long dream. In her free time, Dr. Rodriguez enjoys going to the beach, walking and reading true crime books.
- Eric Sanchez, MD
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PGY1
Eric was born and raised in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He attended Universidad Iberoamericana in Santo Domingo for medical school, graduating in 2016. Shortly after finishing medical school, Eric completed an internship year at a private healthcare facility located in the heart of Santo Domingo; where the journey to pursue medical residency training the United States began. During medical school and intern year in the Dominican Republic, Eric actively worked with non-profit organizations across the island helping the most in need. Around the time Eric was preparing for the US medical board exams, he completed various rotations across the US. His main interests include pulmonary medicine and critical care. Outside medicine, Eric is a diehard FC Barcelona fan, and passionate about travelling, jazz music, Caribbean music, independent rock, exercising, and trying new bars and restaurants.
