Nick Asselin

Hometown: Readfield, ME
Undergraduate: Connecticut College
Medical School: University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine
Emergency Medicine Interests:
EMS and Disaster Medicine, Sports Medicine, Medical Student education
Interests outside of Medicine:
Spending time with my wife and ever-expanding pet menagerie (2 labs and 1 cat so far), enjoying the dominance of New England professional sports (while it lasts), gardening and various other home-improvement projects
What made you choose Brown Emergency Medicine?
I was drawn to Brown EM because it was a "best of both worlds" kind of place; Brown combined the volume and pathology of a big county ER with the faculty and support staff of an academic program. Add in a friendly and accomplished group of residents and you have quite the program!
I grew up in rural (one blinking traffic light) Maine. So naturally, I was drawn to a program that sees a ton of patients in its Department. The volume brings an abundance of pathology and a myriad of procedures even for us junior residents except it doesn't feel like a large county ER. There are no patients milling in the halls, the nurses are accessible, and imaging studies and labs are performed in a timely fashion so you can disposition your patients rapidly. A little more cow-related trauma would make me feel more at home, but hey, no place is perfect. 
Next are the faculty who are outstanding teachers, accomplished academics, completely approachable and happy to mentor young physicians in the varied niches available in EM. I have a variety of interests, and before I even finished my orientation, I had several research ideas in process, was connected with the sports medicine clinic and was encouraged to join the Rhode Island Medical Reserve Corps (a state mirror of a FEMA DMAT team) to explore that aspect of Emergency Medicine.
Most important are my impressive resident colleagues. Already accomplished clinicians, teachers, researchers and world travelers, I feel humbled every day to be among such talented young doctors. AND, they are really fun! I get to have a blast when I go to work, or when we meet up after work to enjoy all of the culture, nightlife and food (especially the food) that Providence has to offer.

Patrick Axtmayer

Hometown: Wallingford, CT
Undergraduate: Boston College
Medical School: Tufts University
Emergency Medicine Interests:
Evolving
Interests outside of Medicine: 
Skiing, family, hangin' out
What made you choose Brown Emergency Medicine?
Brown EM clearly has plenty going for it on paper (patient volume, diversity, fellowships, research funding, et cetera), but more notably, the residents and faculty I met made a great impression - quality people who I would enjoy working with for four years, and three months into this gig, my first impressions have held true. 
I also felt that the programs emphasis on teaching - during morning report, in quality didactic and conference, and from strong faculty - was something that no other program could equally offer. There are plenty of opportunities at Brown to pursue just about any aspect of emergency medicine, and the program supports the residents to develop their own interests as well. 
Being a native of Connecticut and having resided in Boston for 8 of the last 9 years, Providence was a great spot to be close to both family and friends in New England. There is certainly no lack of things to do here in Rhode Island (beaches, hiking, biking, quality grub, to name a few), and what it lacks is a stones throw away in Boston, NYC, or the mountains of northern New England. I think the location, the program, and the people are everything one would need in a residency program.

Rebecca Barron

Hometown: Newton, MA
Undergraduate: Harvard University
Medical School: Tufts University
Emergency Medicine Interests:
Women's Health, International Emergency Medicine, Wilderness Medicine
Interests outside of Medicine: 
Hiking, traveling, vegetarian food
What made you choose Brown Emergency Medicine?
Brown EM seamlessly blends virtually everything I was looking for in an EM program. Clinically, Rhode Island Hospital offers both volume and acuity that reflect its standing as the only level one trauma center in its catchment area. As a leading academic medical center, it has premier faculty and resources that other hospitals don't, which was particularly important to me as someone interested in public health and research. The people I met at Brown were also a big draw for me—I found them to be nicer and more down-to-earth than almost anywhere else. It didn't hurt that Brown is in Providence, a city that is close to my hometown of Boston but far enough away to constitute "somewhere new." In the end, though, I went with my gut and picked the program I thought would make me happiest, and with its diverse patient population, committed faculty, and proximity to a multitude of delicious restaurants, Brown has yet to disappoint.

Andre Boustani

Hometown: Tulsa, OK
Undergraduate: University of Tulsa
Medical School: Vanderbilt University
Emergency Medicine Interests:
Critical Care, Toxicology
Interests outside of Medicine: 
Reading, cooking (poorly), playing violin (even worse)
What made you choose Brown Emergency Medicine?
Basically, I saw this program as a place that didn't have anything missing. Academically, I met supportive faculty, happy residents, and saw plenty of clinical and research opportunities in every possible field. Providence has been a great place, with plenty to do (in my case, more eating than I probably should) while still being a very comfortable place to live. Also, I couples-matched, so it didn't hurt to have a great Psychiatry program here as well.

Andy Chen

Hometown: Yellow Springs, OH
Undergraduate: Miami University (Oxford, OH)
Medical School: University of Cincinnati
Emergency Medicine Interests:
Emergency medical services, Emergency medicine administration/operations/logistics, International emergency medicine
Interests outside of Medicine: 
Living vicariously through Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations reruns
What made you choose Brown Emergency Medicine?
I chose Brown Emergency Medicine because of the faculty and co-residents, the clinical training (we're the only game in town), the academic opportunities, the Rhode Island accent, and the seafood!

Gregory Hayward

Hometown: Portland, OR
Undergraduate: Carleton College
Medical School: University of Southern California
Emergency Medicine Interests:
International health, community health
Interests outside of Medicine:
Low-speed/non-extreme sports, training Wallabies
What made you choose Brown Emergency Medicine?
A chance meeting with Dr. Clyne at the 2010 SAEM conference in Phoenix led to a fortuitous last-minute rotation at Brown. Immediately I felt at home. Everyone I met seemed well-adjusted, friendly and really dedicated to teaching. Actually, that's not entirely true. The very first thing I heard from my attending on my very first shift was, "Where are you coming from?" and then jokingly, "Ah, the University of Spoiled Children." After that everything was awesome. Providence is a great town and it fits me well. I really believe that Brown has the top EM training program in the country.

Elena Kapilevich

Hometown: Yoshkar-Ola, Russian Federation
Undergraduate: Boston University
Medical School: Sackler School of Medicine
Emergency Medicine Interests:
Critical Care, International Emergency Medicine
Interests outside of Medicine:
Dancing, reading books without medical words in them, going to the beach as frequently as possible
What made you choose Brown Emergency Medicine?
Coming to Brown for my residency training was an easy decision, and not just because of the long stretches of white sand at Narragansett Bay. I looked for a residency program that met three main criteria - happy residents, supportive faculty, and ample educational resources. Brown nailed all three. The residents are an amazingly warm and fun-loving group while the faculty are some of the most knowledgeable and down-to-earth people I've ever come across. Other great perks: 5+ months of flexible elective time, research and fellowship opportunities in practically anything you can imagine, an incredibly diverse patient population, and I can't forget to mention the best Italian food on this side of the Atlantic!

Charmiane Lieu

Hometown: Hong Kong S.A.R., China
Undergraduate: Brown University
Medical School: University of Utah School of Medicine
Emergency Medicine Interests:
Wilderness Medicine, International Medicine, Ultrasound 
Interests outside of Medicine:
Kicking back, climbing, hiking, camping, eating (that may be all I talked about during my interviews—food!!)
What made you choose Brown Emergency Medicine?
I did an away rotation at Brown during my fourth year and was impressed with the strength of the program and how incredibly well rounded it is. I love the emphasis on resident training and resident wellness despite how busy the ED can be. In addition, the amazing simulation center, diverse faculty and resources the program has to offer make Brown EM an ideal place to discover and pursue new career interests no matter what they; which is great if you're like me and aren't sure yet!
Last but not the least, I missed all the amazing food Providence has to offer. Providence is such a manageable city with lots of unexpected things to do and sights to see. While I do miss the mountains of Utah, the summers and beaches here are beautiful and it's nice to back on the East Coast again!

Joy Mackey

Hometown: Yacaipea, CA
Undergraduate: Westmont College
Medical School: Baylor College of Medicine
Emergency Medicine Interests:
International Emergency Medicine (esp Latin America), Ultrasound
Interests outside of Medicine:
Good food, travel, finding quirky places to explore around New England
What made you choose Brown Emergency Medicine?
The people are amazing, the faculty are supportive, and we get great exposure to emergency medicine sub-specialties especially international emergency medicine. We also have a great mix of public and private patients in a super busy ED.

Ramon Millan

Hometown: Alburquerque, NM
Undergraduate: Brown University
Medical School: Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons
Emergency Medicine Interests:
International Emergency Medicine
Interests outside of Medicine:
Travel
What made you choose Brown Emergency Medicine?
I chose Brown because it is the best of all worlds in terms of volume, acuity, academics, and people. I didn't want to compromise practical skills for theoretical knowledge, and Brown offers both in a fun laid back environment. I was glad to see that the Brown philosophy of freedom and individuality that I experienced as an undergraduate carries over through all aspects of the Brown community, along with the overwhelming help and support from so many different sources. I also love New England and Providence. For being such a tiny state, Rhode Island really packs in a lot of great restaurants and activities with a ton of great beaches all less than an hour away!

Yvonne Wang

Hometown: Saratoga, CA
Undergraduate: Brown University
Medical School: Brown University
Emergency Medicine Interests:
Pediatric Emergency Medicine, International Emergency Medicine, Education
Interests outside of Medicine:
Ballet, Travel, San Francisco Giants, Reading
What made you choose Brown Emergency Medicine?
I'm originally from California, but have now been in Rhode Island for more than eight years! Obviously, I love living in Rhode Island – from the historic streets and graveyards, the beaches and outdoorsyactivities, to the changing of the seasons, there are many things to enjoy about life in Providence. The reason I chose Brown EM, however, was really about the quality of the education, and more importantly, the quality of the people with whom you work. The staff, attendings and residents are amazing, and I am thrilled to be here!

Grace W. Wanjiku

Hometown: Thika, Kenya
Undergraduate: Wellesley College
Medical School: Yale School of Medicine
Emergency Medicine Interests:
International Emergency Medicine, Education and Emergency Medicine specialty development, telemedicine
Interests outside of Medicine:
Travel, culture and history, music and singing (mostly a cappella harmonizing)
What made you choose Brown Emergency Medicine?
I chose Brown because it offered a lot of what I was looking for. It offers a strong clinical experience in a large busy urban ED that serves a diverse patient population presenting with a wide range of pathology. In addition, it offers a longitudinal pediatric and community EM experience at the Hasbro Children and Miriam Hospitals respectively. The Brown University Emergency Medicine Residency Program also has very large faculty who offer opportunities for mentorship and research in all the different Emergency Medicine specialties. There are also a multitude of opportunities to work internationally and with the underserved right here in Providence. Last but not least, the program is genuinely interested in their trainees and the residents are happy and balanced. It is overall a rigorous yet supportive place to work.