Resident Spotlights
Brittany Tarrant, PGY5 (she/her)
What drew you to UCLA?
I’ve always dreamed of doing residency out-of-state since I was born, raised, and trained solely in the Maryland and DC area. I visited California and knew immediately that it was my type of place! I’d done research on various programs and UCLA’s diversity and stellar training initially piqued my interest. However, it wasn’t until I visited for my interview on a JEDI-designated day for applicants historically underrepresented in medicine that I fell in love with the program! I felt the heart and passion amongst the leadership and trainees and knew that I could fit in with such a cool group of people who are dedicated to making change! The weather, beaches, and fun night life were just a bonus!
What aspects of holistic review resonate with your life experience (i.e. advocacy/community work, distance traveled, resilience)?
The pillars of our holistic review process all really resonate with me, but particularly, I identify with community work and resilience! I am motivated to make a difference in psychiatry after witnessing my grandmother live with schizophrenia. I am inspired by her story and the story of my mother and uncles who’ve had to overcome childhood trauma, foster care, and abuse. They’ve grown to be great people despite it all and I definitely get my strength and resilience from them. I’ve had to overcome a lot both personally and academically to get where I am and I feel like these experiences only make me a better person and psychiatrist. Similarly, the work that I have done and am inspired to do in the community is focused on working with individuals who have had to overcome tremendous hardships and are within underserved, marginalized populations. From mentoring pre-medical students to helping organize community mental health screenings, I am dedicated to destigmatizing mental illness and making psychiatry more inclusive.
Who’s your favorite music artist right now?
Snoh Aalegra, 6lack, Megan Thee Stallion.
What’s your favorite food to order on call?
Tatsu Ramen or Cava!
Conisha Cooper, PGY4 (she/her)
What drew you to UCLA?
I didn’t seriously consider UCLA until my interview day! I was really struck my the energy the residents had for shaping the program and the latitude that residents seemed to have in creating opportunities that catered to individual clinical and research interests. For me, having this kind of agency is critical to resident wellness. I also knew I wanted to be in a training program where faculty treated me like a colleague, and I’ve found that at UCLA.
What brings you joy outside of the hospital?
Hiking with my dogs, Lola and Shiloh!
What’s your favorite food to order on call?
I don’t have call anymore (a PGY-4 perk!) but I think I ordered the eggplant soyrizo bowl from Tacos Tu Madre for 90% of my call shift dinners.
Ask me about: Dream Interpretation.
Dennis Dacarett Galeano, PGY3 (he/him)
What drew you to UCLA?
I first was drawn to UCLA’s program after attending the American Psychiatric Association’s Institute for Psychiatric Services: The Mental Health Services Conference in Chicago, IL. I got to hear directly from residents in the program how they had been shifting conversations and making waves at UCLA — that energy drew me in immediately! When I went to look into the program, I completely resonated with many of the faculty bios and realized the extent to which there is a strong established infrastructure for my academic interests in anthropology, mental health policy and health services research. Thinking about where I wanted to be long-term, UCLA was a natural fit. My partner and I had been in NYC since undergrad. He works in television and in the long-run, he’d been hoping to be closer to his family in Seattle. Being from Austin, Texas, the grey skies of the Pacific Northwest just weren’t going to cut it for me!
What aspects of holistic review resonate with your life experience (i.e. advocacy/community work, distance traveled, resilience)?
All of it — holistic review opens up a tremendously restorative space! For me, this space allowed me to unapologetically discuss the perspectives I am bringing to the field and how my service, research, and advocacy in minority mental health, harm reduction, and the War on Drugs are informed by and situated within the context of my own life experiences as a queer, Honduran-American.
Who’s your favorite music artist right now?
The Brazilian trailblazer Anitta — seeing her perform at LA Pride in June was easily one of the highlights of my year! She’s out here performing regularly in English, Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese — making waves with her electronic-dance music like she did with Sua Cara, producing smooth cross-over reggaeton hits like Envolver, globalizing the marginalized genre of baile funk with tracks like Vai Malandra, and more! If you haven’t already, check her out for sure!
What’s your favorite food to order on call?
It’s a tie between Tacos Tu Madre and Mama Hong’s Vietnamese Kitchen!
Amira Collison, PGY2 (she/her)
What drew you to UCLA?
What drew me to UCLA is probably an even split between: 1) the people (residents & residency leadership) 2) the location (sunny LA) and 3) the quality of training provided. When I first met UCLA residents and faculty, I instantly knew this was a community that I wanted to be a part of. We truly are a family here. Everyone is warm, friendly and incredibly supportive. Because of the community UCLA selects for, showing up to work everyday is something that I look forward to. Learning is fun and casual without the pressures of competition or hierarchy. Additionally, UCLA residents are passionate and dedicated to advocating for our most vulnerable patient populations. I am proud to be a part of a community that speaks out against social injustices.
In regards to the location, I don’t know where to start. The weather is amazing, the views are incredible, and I get to go to the beach a few times per week – regardless of time of year. As someone who thrives in the outdoors, I couldn’t ask for more. Lastly, the quality of training is impeccable. As a large academic institution, UCLA provides a breadth of learning experiences from different treatment modalities (like ECT, TMS, DBS), research opportunities, and complexity of patients you may not get elsewhere. I’m very happy with my choice!
What aspects of holistic review resonate with your life experience (i.e. advocacy/community work, distance traveled, resilience)?
The aspects of holistic review that resonate most with my life experiences are advocacy/community work and resilience. I appreciate that UCLA is a program that appreciates the hurdles that someone has overcome in life to become the person they are today. For me, I experienced a great deal of loss as a child/teenager. Thankfully, I was blessed to have family members to support me throughout my journey which helped me build resilience to keep on in my journey to becoming a physician. My life experiences growing up in a socially and financially disadvantaged neighborhood is what drew me to become so involved in mentorship and pipeline programs for minority high school students. And this is something I see myself being involved in for the rest of my career!
What brings you joy outside of the hospital?
Malibu. It’s a 30 minute drive and I bet you’ll catch me there on any given Saturday.
What’s your favorite food to order on call?
Goop Kitchen. I blame Child Fellow, Rahael Gupta. She started a trend that may never end.
Frederick Burton, PGY1 (he/him)
What drew you to UCLA?
There is so much that drew me to UCLA but there were a few major factors that I was looking for in a program. Those factors were: support with autonomy, rigor with the emphasis of wellness, and the ability to find mentors and step into leadership roles. UCLA checked off all those boxes. I could tell even before my interview day that the people here really cared about wellness not only for the patients they served, but also for the residents that would be serving those patients. Finally, I am originally from the East Coast so I wanted Los Angeles to be my next big adventure!
What aspects of holistic review resonate with your life experience (i.e. advocacy/community work, distance traveled, resilience)?
I appreciate the holistic review because there are so many intangible characteristics that go into becoming a great physician. The current systems for evaluation don’t always capture these qualities. Therefore, we often overlook individuals that can bring so much value to the profession. One thing that is important to me is mentorship and I have worked with many people that are underrepresented in medicine go through the premed journey. I see the obstacles that they had to overcome and the insight they can bring to the field. So I advocate for them and myself to let others know that we don’t all start on the same playing field. I appreciated going through the holistic process because it allowed me the opportunity to tell my story and show all the ways outside my academic packet on why I would be a good fit for this program. In addition, it allowed me the time and opportunity to see if UCLA would be a good fit for me as well.
Who’s your favorite music artist right now?
Kendrick Lamar has been my guy for awhile and it will be awhile before he gets dethroned.
What brings you joy outside of the hospital?
I have been enjoying learning Muay Thai (a martial arts), dancing salsa, and catching the latest movie with friends.
Justin Key (PGY-4) - He/Him/His
What drew you to UCLA?
I fell in love with psychiatry in medical school, but I had reservations. As a black man in America, would I be able to process all of the deep socioeconomic factors that come with the diagnosis and treatment of vulnerable populations? Of the places I had applied, I knew I was on path to receive top-notch clinical training. What drew me to UCLA was not only the diversity of the residency class and the grassroots passion for social justice, but also the concerted effort to make sure these crucial aspects in formulating a holistic residency class would continue for years to come. I knew I would be in a place where I could explore these complex and at times painful issues with peers who were eager to be open and listen.
What does JEDI mean to you?
Having a diverse residency is invaluable. The benefits of walking into a room (or joining a Zoom session) and not being a token, being able to comfortably debrief with peers the inevitable issues of racism both experienced by and received from our patients, and relieving of minority tax burden. JEDI gives us the structure to further capitalize on the benefits of diversity by nurturing our resident community through wellness efforts, teaching our colleagues through curriculum initiatives, and ensuring the best experience for future trainees and their patients by continuing this dynamic through recruitment. JEDI means making sure that this feeling continues for the next generation of UCLA psychiatrists.
Who’s your favorite music artist right now?
Roddy Ricch
What brings you joy outside of the hospital?
My wife, my children, and my writing. I’m approaching ten years of marriage and the journey is still exciting. I’ll be meeting my third child soon, while my first is old enough to ask me about the meaning of life. I write when I can, and publish when someone is moved by my work. Each of those brings me joy in its own unique way, and each makes me a better physician.
What’s your favorite food to order on call?
This answer may get me taken off the website, but I usually opt for the UCLA Salad Bar. There’s a lot of options, it’s fresh, and it’s free with UCLA points!
Elizabeth Fisseha (PGY-4) - She/Her/Hers
What drew you to UCLA?
UCLA was my first choice for medical school and residency, and I couldn’t be happier with my decision! As an LA native, I knew I wanted to train in the beautifully diverse city of LA. UCLA brings together clinicians who are not only committed to providing the best care, but also to promoting diversity. There’s no question that I made the right decision in choosing UCLA. Plus, who could say no to 70° weather year-round?
What aspects of holistic review resonate with your life experience (i.e. advocacy/community work, distance traveled, resilience)?
I’d say most if not all of them! As a first-generation college graduate, I’ve faced multiple challenges on my path to medicine. During my journey through medical school and now residency, I’ve advocated to promote the matriculation of URM students in medicine. I’m committed to combating stigma and improving mental healthcare access and delivery in underserved communities. I’m continually learning how to best advocate for my patients and challenge the status quo every day.
What does JEDI mean to you?
It means community, and not being in this adventure called residency alone! JEDI brings together residents and faculty who are passionate about enacting structural change, improving the recruitment and retention of diverse applicants, and learning from one another’s experiences. JEDI allows us a safe space to fight for equality as well as highlight the importance of diversity.
Who’s your favorite music artist right now?
Burna Boy!!! My fiancé and I went to his concert last year, and somehow flexed our way into VIP and had the time of our lives!
What’s your favorite food to order on call?
Depending on where I’m on call – I’ll either get Westwood Thai Café, or eat at the UCLA hospital cafeteria. Just a quick aside: we have a resident union at UCLA. One of the perks is a large amount of points we’re allocated for the cafeteria. So now, I have more points to use in the café than I can even imagine!
Michael Mensah (PGY-4) - He/Him/His
What drew you to UCLA?
Weather and climate; the sunny weather made me feel bright and boisterous on my visit, and I knew that such bountiful spirit would fuel me when my cup was empty and I was dying of thirst. The climate—both social and clinical—was key, in that UCLA is actively grappling with issues that have impacted psychiatry since jump—inequitable care, pathologizing downstream effects of racism without naming racism, and individual advancement without communal progress. It’s a rich environment here at UCLA ripe for change.
What aspects of holistic review resonate with your life experience (i.e. advocacy/community work, distance traveled, resilience)?
Advocacy fills my cup. Moral injury best repair mechanism is advocacy. You can really get active here at UCLA. People are involved and busy, so you can hit the ground moving. Learning how to influence lever-pullers to make change we all believe in is an indispensable skill I have honed here.
What does JEDI mean to you?
It means family. Work is hard and suffering feels meaningless without peers recognizing it as true suffering. With the group here, I’ve been able to thrive at UCLA despite several setbacks and bumps along the way. JEDI means crowdsourced resilience.
Who’s your favorite music artist right now?
I’ve been on Kendrick for a while, Dababy nice (feeling himself too much tho), def like the old school classics like Nas Illmatic and Blueprint 3 (yes it’s old school ask your little cuzzos).
What’s your favorite food to order on call?.
Gotta getchu some Gushi Korean food or the Night + Market Sham Thai food I’m about to inhale!