Meet the Residents

Julie Alonso-Katzowitz: I was born and raised in New York (city and upstate), and after being a brief resident of Puerto Rico, moved to surburban Atlanta for high school in 1993. It was there that I met my future husband, Josh, on the school newspaper (which he turned into a career) and sort of adjusted to Southern life.

I went on to earn my undergraduate degree from Emory University in Atlanta in Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology before attending medical school at Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tennessee. Even after four years there, I never got used to country music.

I love the melding of pediatrics and child / adolescent psychiatry that was offered in the Triple Board program, and Cincinnati's program has been a great place to train. When I'm not at the hospital, I have other interests like spending time with family and friends, cooking and baking, board games, crafts, gardening, being outdoors, exploring Cincinnati, and traveling abroad.

I spent an amazing month doing a medical rotation in Costa Rica during med school and look forward to traveling abroad for another rotation in residency.

John Diggins: A native of Boston, I did my undergrad studies at Providence College and seminary training in Washington, DC. After campus and hospital ministries and three years as an undergraduate professor, I began my medical studies at the University of Cincinnati (UC). I chose UC for its strong Peds program and relationship with Cincinnati Children's. My original goal was a pediatric residency with a fellowship in neuro or hem / onc. Psychiatry was not on my differential until my psych clerkship. My work with abused children led to a new interest in and appreciation for psychiatry.

When I heard about the triple board program, I knew that it was the perfect program for me. The opportunities offered by the three programs at Cincinnati and the cooperation between them provide a strong environment for developing into a good clinician. I have found the city of Cincinnati to also offer opportunities for growth and development. While the Red Sox and Patriots will always be first in my book (and both have recent championships in case you haven't heard...), I have grown in my loyalty to the Reds and Bengals as well. Thank you for looking into Cincinnati's Triple Board program and please contact me or another resident if you have any questions about it (john.diggins@cchmc.org).

Callie Emery: I chose Cincinnati Children's Triple Board because of its fantastic pediatric training and its equally well-matched Adult and Child Psychiatry training. I wanted to learn at a high-volume free-standing pediatric hospital with great support staff and great teaching. This program is everything I hoped for and more.

The staff at Cincinnati Children's are so supportive of the residents and are excellent advocates for our education and well-being. I also love that the Triple Board here has such a full number of residents so that we form a critical mass of people going through the same process and transitions.

My background is in early childhood development and I grew up on the East Coast and then went to medical school in Dallas. My family and I have enjoyed Cincinnati more than we would have ever anticipated. It is a wonderful-size city with great arts and restaurants, as well as friendly neighborhoods and inviting neighbors. There are beautiful walks and yummy places to eat -- what more could we want?

Chinwe Erike: Hi, I am C.T. Erike, and I hail from the state of New York (born and raised). I attended SUNY Stony Brook School of Medicine. By now you are probably wondering why I am at Cincinnati Children's. Well, it is because the Cincinnati Children's triple program offered me the best of both worlds -- a great educational environment in pediatrics and psychiatry and great people to interact with. And Cincinnati Children's also believes in feeding its residents. What more could a person ask for?

Seriously, Cincinnati Children's is an extraordinary program. As a matter of fact, I consider it the "best kept secret" in the Midwest and that is why I came all the way from New York to Ohio. This is one of the best decisions that I have ever made. I look forward to continuing my medical education here and being the best physician that I can be, for Cincinnati Children's has a reputation for producing wonderful physicians.

Lisa Giles: I am one of the co-chief residents of our program. I came to Cincinnati from Salt Lake City after having graduated from the University of Utah for both undergrad and med school. The sacrifice of leaving the mountains has been more than made up for by the people and program in Cincinnati.

The triple board residency at Cincinnati Children's provides an integrated knowledge base, exciting research opportunities and passion for practicing in the pediatric / child psychiatric interface. Besides, I've discovered plenty of places to bike, water ski and explore in the Midwest. And, our resident indoor soccer team is still undefeated!

Justus Kam: Hi, I am Justus Kam, and I can fit through an unstrung tennis racket. I was born and raised in Knoxville, Tennessee, but attended Emory University in Atlanta, GA for both undergrad and medical school.

Why am I at Cincinnati Children's? My professionally oriented answer would be because the Cincinnati Children's triple board program offers an amazing array of educational opportunities and resources, both in pediatrics and psychiatry. My non-professional answer: Cincinnati Children's feeds me, literally and figuratively. When you have the metabolism of a hummingbird and are used to carrying Boost in your white-coat to not lose weight on rounds, being fed twice daily is a huge thing. Moreover, the people here (both residents and staff) are simultaneously very open and laid-back, yet intensely committed to patient care.

Admittedly, moving to Cincinnati from the dirty South was a bit of a hard sell, but given the environment that Cincinnati Children's provides, I can honestly there is no place I'd rather be.

Andrea Ribier: I received my medical degree at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and my degree in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. I was raised in France until the age of 18 and spent most of my time in the US in Philadelphia.

I decided to enter a Triple Board program because I do not believe it is possible to treat "organic" and psychiatric medical issues separately, particularly in chronically ill children, which are the patient population I would like to work with in the long-run.

Cincinnati Children's is certainly a premier place to learn (enough to keep a "coast snob" like myself in the Midwest).

Manpreet Singh: I am one of the co-chief residents of our program. I am originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan. I attended the University of Michigan and went to medical school at the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine.

I chose a career path through the Triple Board Program because I want to treat children comprehensively and biopsychosocially. I also wanted a strong foundation in academic medicine, which is a guarantee for any Triple Board Program. Cincinnati Children's hosts our program with high integrity, and a commitment to helping patients and families maintain health and well-being with attention to all facets of their lives.

I am learning at a highly innovative and respected institution, and I get to work with reputable faculty who are international leaders in their fields. This program has nurtured both my professional and personal interests, as I have had the opportunity to pursue a Masters of Science program in Clinical Research Design and Statistical Analysis, and do an away elective in pediatric infectious disease in Zambia, Africa. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me (manpreet.singh@cchmc.org).

Lori Sonnier: I am from Lafayette, Louisiana, and attended Louisiana State University for undergrad and medical school. I chose to train triple board because I think it will make me a better child psychiatrist and pediatrician.

Training in pediatrics will provide knowledge of behavioral and developmental variations that exist across healthy children and those with physical ailments. Having this knowledge when working with psychopathology will attune my diagnostic skills and help me sort out the organic from non-organic and the psychopathologic from normal variation. I did an away rotation at Cincinnati Children's last December and was very impressed by the positive working atmosphere in the hospital, the involvement of the faculty and by how happy the residents were! I am very excited to be starting my residency and know I've picked the best possible place for me and my family.

Maria Stamatakos: I'm Maria Stamatakos, part of the graduating class of '08 and I'm actually from Cincinnati, OH. I went to Xavier University as an undergrad and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine for Medical School. Because I am fortunate enough to have stayed in Cincinnati, I have the opportunity to spend a lot of time with both my immediate and extended family, which takes up a lot of my free time, and a nice escape from the world of medicine once in a while.

I chose Cincinnati because of its many strengths, especially in the area of pediatrics. I also was attracted to the closeness and the eagerness of the Child faculty to enter into mentorship relationships with the residents.

William Taft: I am mostly from New Hampshire and Wisconsin, and attended undergrad at UW-Madison and med school at Wash U in St. Louis. Go Packers and Cardinals.

I believe that triple board is the best way to train as a Child Psychiatrist. "3B" gives more exposure to normal behavior, development and family interactions than categorical psych. Its integrative training helps avoid mind-body dualist thinking, and arms us with both pediatric and psychiatric ways of thinking about problems.

I love talking about politics and current events, playing games and Ultimate Frisbee, and watching baseball. Cincinnati Children's is a terrific place to train because the culture expects both excellence in the practice of medicine and the utmost respect for families, staff and patients.

Rabindra Tambyraja: Rabindra Tambyraja (Rob) did his undergraduate degree at Haverford College near Philadelphia, and his medical degree at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. There his career took some novel twists, with an internship in General Surgery at Beth-Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston before joining the Triple-Board program at Cincinnati. Where some see aimless wandering, he prefers to see a broad interest in issues affecting his patients, and the creation of a true "medical home."