Tiger Singh Bawa, M.D.
Hometown: Detroit, Michigan
Medical School: Wayne State University School of Medicine
Research Interest: Improving fertility and access to care
Why do you love UConn OB/GYN: I love how nice and caring the residents and attendings are. This program is blessed to have a very strong and intelligent team with the patience to help their residents grow into amazing physicians.
Favorite thing about Connecticut: You can do whatever you like. In CT you can choose to rest and relax at nearby breweries and lakes. Otherwise, NYC and Boston are so close by!
What are some small things that make your day great? The $4 turkey wrap in Hartford hospital café. When the attendings and medical students treat us with some donuts and snacks. Free lunch Friday. Clearly food makes me very happy.
How do you relax at the end of the day? I am an avid gym goer. I love to work out and cook at home with an episode of new girl or house of dragons in the background!
What is something that everyone should do at least once in their life? Move away from home for at least a little while. Challenge yourself to love your independence.
Laura Ellis, M.D.
Hometown: Tappahannock, VA
Medical School: Virginia Commonwealth University
Research Interest: Opioid use disorder in pregnancy, reproductive rights
Why do you love UConn OB/GYN: Moving so far away from home, I wanted a program that felt close knit while still being challenging. The program is receptive to feedback and your co-residents want you to be successful. It’s like having a big team of cheerleaders.
Favorite thing about Connecticut: I’m still exploring all that Connecticut has to offer. My partner and I are working our way through the local restaurants.
Fun fact about your family? I am one of five kids (I’m 4 out of 5) and we all shared a hall bathroom growing up.
What hobby would you start if time and money weren’t an issue? I picked up watercolor painting during the pandemic. I’m currently working on a series of lemons for my bathroom.
What are some small things that make your day great? A fresh manicure. Really yummy lunch. Listening to podcasts on my way to work.
How do you relax at the end of the day? I’d love to say “go for a run,” but it usually involves a beer while I walk my dog.
If you had to give a 20-minute talk without any preparation, what would you discuss? Samin Nosrat’s cookbook Salt, Fat, Acid, and Heat. It changed how I think about food and cooking. My family is sick of hearing my talk about it.
Rose Emlein, M.D.
Hometown: Providence, RI
Medical School: UConn School of Medicine
Research Interest: Ovarian cancers, maternal trauma
Why do you love UConn OB/GYN: My co-residents! I have made such lovely friends in this program and everyone has been incredibly supportive. There is excellent exposure to complex cases, terrific surgical training, and an incredible patient population who I am learning so much from.
Favorite thing about Connecticut: the proximity to New York, Providence, and Boston; quick weekend trips are so easy to do!
Fun fact about your family? We are spread across 3 continents, 4 countries, and 13 time zones!
What hobby would you start if time and money weren’t an issue? Chocolatier-ing
What are some small things that make your day great? Starting every day with a latte, watching Taskmaster and the Great British Bake Off, and red lipstick.
What languages do you speak? English and French
Moli Karsalia, M.D.
Hometown: Pasadena, MD
Medical School: University of Maryland School of Medicine
Research Interest: Oncology, obstetric outcomes
Why do you love UConn OB/GYN: All of the residents are so kind and make the days feel fun and less like work!
Favorite thing about Connecticut: I want to believe there’s less humidity here than in Maryland. And Gilmore Girls.
What hobby would you start if time and money weren’t an issue? Art
How do you relax at the end of the day? Watching TV, reading, hanging with co-residents
What is something that everyone should do at least once in their life? A safari
Amanda Katz, M.D.
Hometown: Toronto, Canada
Medical School: Tel Aviv University
Research Interest: Refugee Health Policy and Practices, Sex Worker Health, Reproductive Innovations/REI
Why do you love UConn OB/GYN: My co-interns, colleagues, attendings, and ancillary staff who continue to make me feel so welcomed and excited to wake up in the morning and go to work, especially as a non-traditional applicant. The diverse patient population we serve not only offers a breadth of unique pathologies, but also implores us to incorporate the psychosocial model of healthcare into our practice. Offering comprehensive Family Planning services in a Ryan Program is an immense privilege that is incomparable and incredibly humbling.
Favorite thing about Connecticut: My friends from OB/GYN and Internal Medicine who have become my family, winters that feel like Canadian summers, the fall foliage, and of course the store “Hartford Prints” on Pratt Street!
What hobby would you start if time and money weren’t an issue? Mixology/Bartending, and whatever the equivalent for coffee (and cheese) is.
What are some small things that make your day great? My Nespresso machine, an emotional Peloton class, exploring the livelihood of the city, pet therapy consults in the hospital, and phone calls with my parents.
What is something that everyone should do at least once in their life? Travel solo and immerse yourself in a different culture and language! And try all of the new foods, of course.
If you had to give a 20 minute talk without any preparation what would you discuss? How to achieve the perfect bagel schmear: a three-part miniseries including bagel baking lessons, a tutorial on the correct (and only) pronunciation of the word “bagel”, and the evidence-based method to layering bagel toppings.
Kelsey Manfredi, M.D.
Hometown: Westerly, RI
Medical School: University of Connecticut
Research Interest: Infertility
Why do you love UConn OB/GYN: The people! Everyone is so kind, helpful, and welcoming. Everyone works together as a collaborative team to provide the best care to our lovely patients.
Favorite thing about Connecticut: You can choose your own adventure – easily access the beach, the city, or mountains for a hike!
Fun fact about your family? I have a twin brother and back in college our family adopted two dogs from the same litter that we’ve coined our “twin pups.”
What hobby would you start if time and money weren’t an issue? Fitness class instructor! My health has benefitted greatly from the motivation my instructors have given me and I would love to pass that on to others.
How do you relax at the end of the day? Reading, exercise classes, and baking
Roselyn Oluwatoyosi Oyenuga, D.O.
Hometown: Tampa, FL
Medical School: Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine
Research Interest: Infertility, substance use disorder in pregnancy, maternal health disparities in minorities
Why do you love UConn OB/GYN: I love that this is an institution that I can receive great training and that I have great support from my attendings who are truly invested in advancing our careers and teaching us residents how to be great doctors.
Favorite thing about Connecticut: Quiet but has its little gems like restaurants and shops that are fun to explore. I also love that it is close to New York and Boston
What hobby would you start if time and money weren’t an issue? Traveling all over the world, staying at fancy hotels/resorts, touring, and learning about different cultures. I would also go to different restaurants and be a food critic.
What are some small things that make your day great? Positive affirmations and a home cooked meal made by my lovely husband
How do you relax at the end of the day? Drinking a glass of wine and watching the real housewives
What is something that everyone should do at least once in their life? Go on a solo trip out of the country
Monica Saleeb, M.D.
Hometown: Buffalo, NY
Medical School: The George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Research Interest: Urogynecology, Medical Education, Global Health
Why do you love UConn OB/GYN: I love UConn OB/GYN because of how much emphasis is placed on education and how much support there is for the residents. There are so many phenomenal resources and simulations as well as ample time to use these resources throughout the rotations. I will never forget how valued I felt on my Gynecology Oncology rotation, where I had 3 hours 1-on-1 weekly with the Director of Gynecology to teach me FLS (Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery) and Robotic simulation modules, and a 4-5 hour session 1-on-1 with a Gynecology Oncologist, learning detailed pelvic and perineal anatomy, surgical skills, and surgical instrumentation. The UConn community is absolutely fantastic — I always feel supported and feel that everyone around me truly wants me to learn. We also have incredible co-residents and people on different rotations will often ask me if I need help with something and will stop what they’re doing just to answer my questions. I am so lucky to be here and am so grateful for this program. Overall, this is the best learning environment I’ve ever had the pleasure of being a part of!
Favorite thing about Connecticut: Connecticut has wonderful food, amazing views, and is such a great location! There is rarely traffic on the road, living conditions feel spacious and safe, and it is so easy to get to NYC or Boston for a fun weekend! Connecticut also has the greatest creameries with the most delicious homemade ice cream. I also love how wherever I go I can easily find a parking spot — having attended medical school in Washington, DC, it is these little conveniences that really leave the best impression. Connecticut is the definition of easy living!
Fun fact about your family? My nuclear family has moved 13 times across 3 continents! My father is also an OB/GYN, so my family and friends lovingly call me Dr. Saleeb, Jr. My husband is also an attorney and practiced medical malpractice defense for two years!
What hobby would you start if time and money weren’t an issue? Flipping furniture or DIY home renovations.
What are some small things that make your day great? Fleece sweaters, coming home to my husband every day, a good meal, seeing my co-interns who are on different rotations in the hallways, my extra cozy couch, and Facetiming my family.
What languages do you speak? English, Arabic, and I can also read and understand Coptic, which is an evolved form of the ancient Egyptian language.
How do you relax at the end of the day? Taking a hot shower and watching TV (probably an Egyptian soap opera or a murder mystery) while possibly eating ice cream.
What is something that everyone should do at least once in their life? Travel to the Maldives, take an African Safari, and see the Great Pyramids of Giza in Egypt!
If you had to give a 20 minute talk without any preparation what would you discuss? The importance of proper healthcare and education for middle eastern girls and women.
Melody So, M.D.
Hometown: Holmdel, NJ
Medical School: Rutgers New Jersey Medical School
Research Interest: REI, Family Planning
Why do you love UConn OB/GYN: First and foremost, the people. On my interview day, I felt an overwhelming sense of camaraderie and authenticity from the residents and faculty that I had been searching for. The people I have come to meet in this program are incredibly compassionate and competent, and I am grateful to be able to train with and learn from them every day.
What hobby would you start if time and money weren’t an issue? Van life!
What are some small things that make your day great? Home-cooked meals, fresh sheets, long impromptu FaceTime calls with friends/family, morning jams on my daily commute, surprise run-ins with my co-interns
What languages do you speak? English, Cantonese
Helen Zhao, M.D.
Hometown: Woodbridge, CT
Medical School: Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University
Research Interest: Family planning, gynecologic surgery
Why do you love UConn OB/GYN: I love the exposure to the different patient populations we get at each of the three hospitals and love the patients and attendings that I get to work with at WAHS, my continuity clinic. Perhaps most importantly, I love that all of my co-residents support and encourage my love of seltzer and crispy tater tots.
Favorite thing about Connecticut: Fall!
Fun fact about your family? My family and I speak a dialect of Mandarin where we don’t pronounce “h” in any words! Weird!
What hobby would you start if time and money weren’t an issue? So many things but I think I’d start with tap dancing!
What are some small things that make your day great? Long walks, iced mochas, corgis, shiba inus.
What languages do you speak? English and Mandarin!
How do you relax at the end of the day? Polar seltzer, flaming hot Cheetos, Great British Bakeoff.
If you had to give a 20 minute talk without any preparation what would you discuss? My thesis presentation would be titled “Five Reasons why Pokémon Legends: Arceus was revolutionary to the Pokémon Universe.”