The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Dr. Rukayat Akande was born and raised in Nigeria. She completed her medical education at the University of Ibadan and then received a Master of Public Health degree from Harvard University. She is committed to promoting access to health for all and is eager to work with underserved populations. She enjoys sightseeing and poetry.
Dr. Bareera Akhtar was born and raised in the hustling city of Karachi, Pakistan before moving to Houston where she stayed with her husband for a few years. She attended medical school at Sindh Medical College, Dow University of Health Sciences. Outside of medicine she is a gourmet cook, enjoys being around her family and friends, traveling and exploring different restaurants and trying new cuisines. She believes it is not just about eating food but also reflecting the culture surrounding it. She is excited to experience everything the valley has to offer and cannot think of a better place to start the new beginning of her life than UTRGV-Knapp Program.
Dr. Hector Arredondo earned his Bachelor of Science in Biology at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. It was during this period that he volunteered at the Edinburg Regional Medical Center & Children's Hospital, sparking his interest in the field of medicine. He pursued his medical education at the Autonomous University of Guadalajara, and it was during his rotation at the University of Miami Hospital that he discovered his passion for internal medicine. Before joining the UTRGV Internal Medicine Residency Program, Dr. Arredondo worked as a primary care physician for the Mexican Institute of Social Security. The COVID-19 pandemic led him to be assigned to the emergency department in his hometown, where his fascination with critical care developed. Dr. Arredondo considers himself a generalist and is enthusiastic about POCUS. In his leisure time, he enjoys quality moments with his beloved wife, playing the electric guitar, and playing soccer.
Dr. Astorga was raised in the Rio Grande Valley and San Antonio, Texas before studying medicine at the Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara in Mexico. Dr. Astorga is excited to come back to the Rio Grande Valley and give back to the same community that provided him with the educational opportunities to reach his goals today. When he is not studying nor saying hello to his patients at Knapp Medical Center, you may find him scuba diving, playing sports, spending time with friends and family, or looking for new travel destinations.
Dr. Mery Bartl was born and raised in Valencia, Venezuela. She obtained her medical degree from Universidad de Carabobo. She worked in her hometown as a general physician before pursuing internal medicine in the United States. She joined the Department of Nephrology at The University of Illinois at Chicago volunteering in research. She enjoys working with underserved communities and she is passionate about preventive medicine, primary care, and rheumatology. In her spare time, she enjoys going to the beach, outdoor activities, cooking Venezuelan food, and spending time with her family and friends.
Dr. Cristina Escobar was born and raised surrounded by mountains in the beautiful city of Quito, Ecuador. Throughout her life, she developed a deep-rooted passion for holistic care in medicine, that drew her towards the field of internal medicine and special interest in palliative care. Witnessing the profound impact of compassionate and comprehensive care on patients and their families has fueled her desire to make a difference in healthcare. Dr. Escobar enjoys outdoor activities like hiking but she also finds joy in reading a good book in the afternoon.
Originally from Venezuela, Dr. Alcibiades Fleires moved to the United States to pursue a career in internal medicine. His area of interest is critical care medicine and hospital medicine. Beyond his medical pursuits, Dr. Fleires enjoys photography, playing music, traveling, and spending time with his loved ones and dogs. Dr. Fleires is committed to provide compassionate and dedicated medical care and making a positive impact on the health and well-being of those he serves.
Dr. Jose Gomez Casanovas was born in El Salvador. He obtained his medical degree from Universidad Dr. Jose Matias Delgado. Since his early medicine years, he had the opportunity to rotate in the US, and one of his various rotations was in the Valley with UTRGV. He discovered that he loved the program, the warm hospitality, its people, and the potential the Valley offered as a place to work and grow. Since then, it was a personal desire to come back for his residency in internal medicine and he is glad he did! Dr. Gomez was chosen by leadership to be a PGY3 chief resident and he is currently applying to cardiovascular disease fellowship. Outside work, he enjoys spending time with his family, exercising, photography, and trying new restaurants.
Dr. Francisco Gonzalez was born and raised in Guanajuato, Mexico and later migrated to Texas where he completed high school in a small town near the Galveston area. He graduated with a BS in Biology from The University of Texas at Austin and traveled back to Mexico to complete Medical School in La Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara. Dr. Gonzalez returned to Texas for medical residency in the Rio Grande Valley where he has become so comfortable that he plans to remain local as an internist focused mainly in hospital medicine. His personal interests are spending time with his family and dog as well as playing soccer in local competitions.
Dr. Sabhi Gull was raised in Houston and obtained her medical education in Dallas at UT Southwestern. Her career interests are evolving but currently include GI, Cardiology, and clinical outcomes trials. She believes in providing compassionate and evidence-based care while also understanding the unique social, economic, and geographic challenges faced by the residents of the Rio Grande Valley. Her personal interests include Permaculture, Surrealist art, spending time with her family, and finding hole-in-the-wall restaurants.
Dr. Muhammad Jamal was born and raised in Jhelum, Punjab, Pakistan. He completed his medical school at Bei Hua University, Jilin, China. Dr. Jamal first came to the Rio Grande Valley in 2019 and is excited to come back here to pursue Internal medicine at UTRGV-Knapp Medical Center. He is an aspiring hospital medicine physician with special interests in POCUS. During his time off, he enjoys gardening, traveling, baking, and spending quality time with friends and family.
Dr. Oscar 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 restaurants.
Dr. Radhika Mehta was born and raised in New Jersey. She pursued her medical education from Smt. N.H.L. Municipal Medical College, Ahmedabad, India. From her days in medical school, she has been very passionate about working with underserved populations and advocating for the practice of preventive medicine. She has extensive volunteer and work experience in the primary care setting. Her professional interests lie in Critical Care and Hospitalist Medicine. Outside of medicine, she enjoys traveling and spending time with family and friends.
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.
Dr. Juan Camilo Naranjo was born and raised in Cali, Colombia. After obtaining his medical degree from Universidad Icesi, he completed his Obligatory Social Service in Fundación Valle del Lili doing research in rheumatology. During this time, he published multiple articles in medical journals and participated in oral presentations in international conferences. Juan Camilo's personal interests include rheumatology and oncology. He really enjoys living in the Valley; when not at Knapp Medical Center he likes to workout, being outdoors, reading and spending time with friends and family.
Dr. Karen 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 a general physician, when she decided to pursue the USMLE pathway. Before joining the UTRGV Internal Medicine Residency Program at Knapp Medical Center, she made several observerships in New York City and Chicago, and she was also able to work as a 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, practicing outdoors activities, and cooking Venezuelan and Chinese food.
Dr. Sreejith Pillai was born and raised in Kottayam, India. He obtained his medical education at AVMC in Pondicherry, India, and has recently relocated to the United States. During his time in the US, he volunteered at local charity clinics and the American Red Cross, and completed rotations at hospitals in Dallas, Texas. Dr. Pillai is excited about the opportunity to be part of UTRGV-Knapp Internal Medicine. His medical interests include pulmonary/critical care and hospital medicine. In his free time, Dr. Pillai enjoys exploring new places, indulging in cooking, and spending time with his family.
Dr. Natalia Pinto was born in Cúcuta, Colombia, a small city in the border with Venezuela. She obtained her medical degree from Universidad Libre de Cali. She worked at Fundacion Valle de Lili before coming to the United States. While she was preparing for her board exams, she was able to work as research coordinator at VA – Case Western University. Outside of the medical field, Dr. Pinto is a fur-mama of Lorenzo, she enjoys traveling with her husband, practicing yoga, and dancing salsa!
Dr. Celin Rajan was born in Delhi, India, and raised in Houston, Texas. She attained her medical education in India at Christian Medical College, Ludhiana. Working in rural India and being able to provide medical care in an underserved region has been one of the most rewarding experiences in her life. She is excited to be part of internal medicine residency program at UTRGV-Knapp Medical Center and serve the Valley. Outside of medicine, she enjoys outdoor activities, DIY projects and spending time with friends and family.
Dr. Josenny Rodriguez was born and raised in the beautiful country of Venezuela. She 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.