Ottoscopes Members
A.J. Schramm
Stony Brook School of Medicine
2020 MD Candidate
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A.J. Schramm graduated from Syracuse University in 2016 with a BS in Biochemistry with Research Distinctions, and founded Ottoscopes during his first year of medical school. A.J. is a member of the School of Medicine Admissions Committee and is the President of the Anesthesia IG at Stony Brook. As a frequent volunteer at SB HOME he provides free clinical care and phlebotomy for Long Island's populations without health insurance. With previous experience as an EMT Field Supervisor and as a Surgical/Anesthesia Technician, A.J. is drawn to Anesthesia for its foundation in pharmacology and physiology, focus on interventions with immediate impacts, and the complexity of cardiothoracic anesthesia. Outside of the hospital, he plays the piano and participates on the medical school's basketball and volleyball intramural team, 'Nothing But Netter's'.
Aimee Belak
University of Maryland School of Medicine
2019 MD Candidate
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​Aimee graduated from Syracuse University in 2014 with a B.S. in Biology and a minor in nutrition and was a member of the Renee Crown Honors College. Aimee is currently a second year medical student at the University of Maryland and is interested in pediatrics.
Alyssa Ierardo
Tufts University School of Medicine
2020 MD/MPH Candidate
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Alyssa graduated from Syracuse University in 2013 with a B.S. in Biochemistry. Alyssa is an MD/MPH candidate at Tufts in the heart of Boston. She writes: I have loved my first year of medical school so far, especially my public health courses which have allowed me to explore my interests in global health and initiatives that promote preventative care. I am currently thinking that I will pursue the International Medicine route, with the intention of specializing down the line. I have worked in GI and am interested in hematology/oncology, but I am definitely letting my road take me where it leads and not closing off any possibilities. Boston is a fantastic city to be a student in, and I am really excited to see what opportunities my medical career will offer.
Austin Hager
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
2020 DO Candidate
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Austin Hager graduated in 2016 from Syracuse University with a BS in Biology with Distinctions. At LECOM Austin is an active member of the Student American Academy of Osteopathy where he practices osteopathic manipulative movement (OMM), a defining feature of Osteopathic Medicine. In addition, Austin is an active member of the Student Osteopathic Medical Association. With previous experience working as an EMT and traveling abroad for orthopedic and general medical missions trips, he has an interest in working within underserved communities; however, he is unsure of what specialty to pursue at the current moment. Outside of studying and volunteering he enjoys working out and kayaking on Lake Erie.
Brienne Ryan, MS
University at Buffalo, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
2019 MD Candidate
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Brienne Ryan graduated from Syracuse University in 2011 with a BS in Biology. She completed a research-oriented Master's Degree at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, with a research thesis focused on understanding how lymphocyte infiltration into tumor tissue can be genetically controlled, with hopes of understanding how individual genetics impact lymphocyte response to lung cancer. She is currently completing a M.D degree at Jacob School of Medicine, SUNY Buffalo. Brienne is a co-president of the Frank Hastings Hamilton Surgical Society and co-President of HeartSmart. She is a member of STS and Women in Thoracic Surgery. Brienne plans to pursue a residency in cardiothoracic surgery. Outside of medicine, she enjoys spending time with her husband and dog, creative writing and reading.
Bryan Bunnell
University at Buffalo, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
2018 MD Candidate
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Bryan, originally from Binghamton, NY, graduated from Syracuse in 2014 with a B.S. in Biology and Renee Crown University Honors. During his time at SU, he participated in research with the Moffat Lab at Upstate Medical University where he studied replicative mechanisms of Varicella Zoster Virus and potential therapeutic drug targets. He is currently a third year medical student at the SUNY at Buffalo, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. He will be pursuing a career in Diagnostic Radiology and plans on staying within reasonable driving distance of the Dome during his residency.
Dana Senderoff
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
2017 MD Candidate
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Dana graduated in 2014 with a Bachelor of Science from Syracuse University. Dana is a fourth year medical student applying for OB/GYN Residencies and awaiting Match Day on March 17th, 2017. She was inducted into Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society in her junior year at University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. During her time there, she performed bench research in a breast cancer laboratory and clinical research in obstetrics. Dana is an Anatomy TA as well as a USMLE Step 1 course instructor.
David Carpenter
Duke University School of Medicine
2018 MD/MS Candidate
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David graduated from Syracuse University in 2013 with degrees in Biology and Music and is an MD/MHS candidate at Duke University. David’s research interests include decision modeling and clinical trials within the field of Radiation Oncology. He has also worn orange each time Duke has hosted the Syracuse basketball team during his time there.
David Kopel
Rutgers New Jersey Medical School
2017 MD Candidate
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David graduated from Syracuse University in 2013 with a Bachelor of Science. He is an MS4 going into neurology, beginning his residency this summer. Although he is undecided about which subspecialty or fellowship to pursue, David’s interests are in movement disorders, epilepsy and neuroimmmunology. David was the Vice President of the Neurology IG and enjoyed playing floor hockey as a part of the club team. He conducted epidemiological research on Autism and Parkinson’s Disease during his time at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.
Ella D'Amico
Rutgers New Jersey Medical School
2020 MD Candidate
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Ella D’Amico graduated from Syracuse University in 2016 with a BS in Biology with Distinctions and a minor in Nutrition Science. She is currently attending Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in Newark, New Jersey. At Rutgers, she is helping to bring a chapter of Primary Care Progress to campus. She is also is a member of an inter-professional team through Camden Coalition’s Hotspotting program to educate and provide long-term support to over-utilizers of healthcare services. She is interested in Pediatrics and Lifestyle medicine, but still exploring the many exciting specialties medicine provides.
Elliot Russell
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
2019 MD Candidate
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Elliott graduated from Syracuse University in 2015 with a B.S. in Bioengineering and a B.S. in Biotechnology. While at Syracuse, he performed research with Dr. James Henderson in the Syracuse Biomaterials Institute and was involved in start up development and business competitions in his junior and senior years. Currently Elliott is involved in research in the Department of Infectious Disease at Northwestern and volunteers around Chicago in community clinics and health fairs. Outside of medicine he is involved in running the NU IM indoor soccer league.
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Eric Merrell
SUNY Upstate Medical University
2020 MD Candidate
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Eric Merrell graduated from Syracuse University in 2016 with a BS in Biology. Eric is currently a first-year medical student at SUNY Upstate Medical University. At Upstate, Eric is an active member of the Surgery interest group and is participating in Upstate’s Rural Medical Scholars/Education Program. This program was designed to “identify, recruit and nurture those students interested in future rural practice, by offering community-based clinical training in small town hospitals and practices across NYS.” Eric finds interest in many areas of healthcare, however, he finds himself leaning towards more procedural medicine such as general surgery or other specialties with minimally invasive procedures such as invasive cardiology.
More information about SUNY Upstate’s RMED program can be found here
Jaime Bernstein, MD
Weill Cornell Medical College
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Jaime graduated from Syracuse University in 2013 with a chemistry and Spanish major. Jaime is a Plastic Surgery Resident at Weill Cornell Medical College conducting research in a tissue engineering lab as part of a TL1 grant she received from the NIH. She is also working on a masters degree in clinical and translational research.
Jean-Paul Godreau, MPH
Universidad Central de Caribe
2020 MD Candidate
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Jean-Paul graduated from SU's David B. Falk College of Sport and Dynamics in 2014 with a BS in Public Health. After graduating, he entered the Master of Public Health program at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and graduated in December of 2015. Following graduation he began working as the Practice Administrator at South Florida Radiology Associates in Miami-Dade County FL, a position he still holds today. Jean-Paul started medical school in August of 2016 at Universidad Central del Caribe School of Medicine in Bayamon, Puerto Rico with four fellow SU Alumni that are also graduating in 2020.
Jennifer Lawson
Univeristy of Connecticut School of Medicine
2020 MD Candidate
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I am currently a first year medical student at the University of Connecticut where I remind my fellow students every day how much UConn basketball sucks. After graduation from Syracuse I spent two years working at Boston Children's Hospital studying the genetic causation of pediatric kidney disease. I hope to continue to foster my interests in both genetics and pediatrics throughout my career. As an active traveler I am currently pursuing global health opportunities including summer research in Sri Lanka!
Katherine Frega
SUNY Upstate Medical University
2020 MD Candidate
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Hi! My name is Katherine, I'm a 2016 grad of SU and moved just down the hill to continue my medical education at Upstate. I am passionate about Pediatrics and working with sick children, and I anticipate specializing in a Pediatric Subspecialty (but I have loved every specialty I've had experiences in thus far!) At Upstate I serve as the President of Colleges Against Cancer, and I am on the executive boards for Docs4Tots and ONCO Club. I am involved in PedsPals, a one on one mentorship program for children undergoing cancer or hematology treatment. If you are interested in shadowing at Golisano's to increase your exposure to pediatrics, reach out to me and I can try to put you in contact with some great docs! At SU I was an untraditional pre-med as a Policy Studies major, but I was involved with PhiDE and served as a Remembrance Scholar.
Kelsey Monteith
University at Buffalo, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
2018 MD Candidate
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Kelsey graduated from Syracuse University in 2014 with a BS in Biochemistry. She was a member of the Renee Crown Honors College. Currently is a 3rd year at the University at Buffalo and enjoying all of her rotations... hoping to decide on a speciality soon!
Mariam Bhatti
SUNY Upstate Medical University
2020 MD Candidate
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Mariam Bhatti graduated in 2016 with a BS in English and Biology. She writes:
Hello! I am currently a first year medical student at SUNY Upstate and like you all, I was once an undergrad at SU hoping to get into medical school. As an undergrad I volunteered at the hospital, worked on a research project, and was a part of Deans Team. Although I have not decided on a specialty yet, I am more than willing to answer any questions you may have about what to do during your undergrad years, the application process, or what everyday life is like in medical school.
Marisha Schwab
Central Michigan University College of Medicine
2020 MD Candidate
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Marisha Schwab graduated with Honors from Syracuse University in 2016 with a B.S. in Biochemistry and Forensic Science and a minor in Vocal Music Performance. Marisha is an active member of the AMA, Spanish Culture and Medical Interviewing group, Pediatrics SIG, and Surgery SIG, and volunteers with the Disability Network. She is also a certified EMT. At Syracuse, she re-started the Orange Experience synchronized skating team and was president and captain for three years. She volunteered at Crouse Hospital, was actively involved in research, studied abroad in Spain, and was a member of Phi Delta Epsilon (International Medical Fraternity) and the Concert Choir. She writes, “The road to medical school is long and no easy feat, but it is beyond incredibly worth it! Ask away! We are here to help you achieve your dreams! GO ORANGE!”
Matthew Simon
Drexel University College of Medicine
2020 MD Candidate
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Matt graduated from Syracuse University with a Bachelor of Science in biology in 2014. He is currently a student at Drexel and is interested in surgery including orthopedics, vascular, and oncology.
Michael DeCourcey
SUNY Upstate Medical University
2018 MD Candidate
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Mike graduated from Syracuse University in 2014 with a B.S. in Biology and a minor is Psychology. While at SU, he participated in research in the Zuber lab at SUNY Upstate Medical University, was a member of Phi Delta Epsilon pre-medical fraternity, and enjoyed playing for the SU club soccer team. Mike is currently a third year medical student at SUNY Upstate Medical University where he continues to do research in the Zuber and Brunken labs. He serves in several advising roles, and is the former president of the Campus Activities Governing Board and Ophthalmology interest group. He will be pursuing a career in Ophthalmology.
Robert Reynolds, MPH
SUNY Upstate Medical University
2018 MD Candidate
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Robert graduated in 2010 with a BS and then received his MPH. He is currently interested in pursuing Internal Medicine, Critical Care, and Infectious Disease. He is and active member of Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society and National Pathology Honor Society. At Upstate, he is involved in many clubs including Wilderness Medicine and AMA. Robert is conducting research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, Health Care Access and HIV incidence in Onondaga County. Outside of his studies he enjoys archery, hiking, bowhunting, birding, and the company of his golden retriever.
Tara Brenner, M.D.
University of North Carolina Medical Center
OB/GYN Resident
Tara graduated from SU in 2013 with a B.S. in Biochemistry and Mathematics. She applied early assurance to SUNY Upstate Medical University and was happy to stay in Syracuse for medical school. Since beginning medical school, Tara has been very active in Medical Students for Choice and her interest in women's health advocacy led her to pursue a career in Ob/Gyn. Tara matched at UNC for Ob/Gyn in 2017 and is excited to be starting her Residency training. Outside of the hospital, Tara loves to play Ultimate frisbee, ski, and hike.
Zachary Morrow
Drexel University College of Medicine
2020 MD Candidate