LLU EMERGENCY MEDICINE
  • Applicants
    • Overview
    • Curriculum
    • Stipends and Benefits
    • About the Area
    • Applying
  • People
    • LLUMC Faculty
    • Current Residents >
      • Class of 2027
      • Class of 2026
      • Class of 2025
    • Administrative Staff
  • EM Clerkship
    • LLUEM Intensive
    • Intensive Application
    • Resources
    • Evaluations
  • Fellowships
    • Combined Global Health/EM Ultrasound
    • EMS Fellowship
    • Global EM Fellowship
    • Medical Education Fellowship
    • PEM Fellowship
    • Ultrasound Fellowship
  • Links/Photos

LLUMC Faculty

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Tamara Thomas, MD

Dean, Loma Linda University School of Medicine
Contact
   email: [email protected]
Professional
Medical School: Loma Linda University School of Medicine
Residency: Emergency Medicine, Loma Linda University Medical Center
Academic Interests: global health, faculty development, disaster response
Current Research: career development, learning for the long-term
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Personal
Hometown: Spokane, WA
Hidden Talents: fantasy football
Favorite Pastimes: exploring, reading, cooking, hiking, skiing
Favorite Past Job: lifeguard on the lake – can life get any better than that?
Fictional Character You Most Identify With: Padawan for life long learning; fantasy life- Wonder Woman
Favorite Place You’ve Visited: Solomon Islands, Afghanistan
What Do You Like To Do In The Loma Linda Area: hiking, gardening, cooking


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Lea Walters, MD

Chair, Department of Emergency Medicine
Contact
   email: [email protected]
  
Professional
Medical School: Loma Linda University School of Medicine
Residency: Emergency Medicine, Loma Linda University Medical Center
Academic Interests: disaster medicine, intergenerational communication
Current Research: Working in Fours: a toolkit to facilitate intergenerational communication in the emergency department. In process: a qualitative study of emergency department staff responding to the San Bernardino terrorism attack.
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Personal
Hometown: Phoenix, AZ
Hidden Talents: according to my husband, Cliff, I can make dogs howl (with my singing!) I can undo all knots.
Favorite Pastimes: hiking with our dogs, but I also love knitting and reading.
Favorite Past Job: teaching high school science
Fictional Character You Most Identify With: has to be Nancy Drew. I mean who wouldn’t!  Great friends, perfect hair, cute little sports car, smart, and always on an adventure!
Favorite Place You’ve Visited: The Galapagos. That was on my bucket list and it was an incredible trip!
Most Interesting Fact About You: Sorry, I can’t tell you that! 😄 But one thing most people don’t know about me is my mother was Filipino and I make delicious lumpia and pancit!
What Do You Like To Do In The Loma Linda Area: I love the shops and restaurants in Redlands. I live in the mountains, so I’m close to beautiful hiking trips.


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Besh Barcega, MD

Pediatric Emergency Medicine Faculty, Department of Emergency Medicine
Contact
email: [email protected]
Professional
Medical School: Loma Linda University School of Medicine
Residency: Pediatrics, Loma Linda University Medical Center
Fellowship: Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Loma Linda University Medical Center
Academic Interests: teaching situational awareness, patient/family centered care

Personal
Hometown: Philippines
Hidden Talents: it’s so hidden, even I can’t figure it out
Favorite Pastime: reading, traveling 
Favorite Past Job: it was NOT being a venipuncture tech
Fictional Character You Most Identify With: Hercule Poirot
Favorite Place You’ve Visited: most recently- Waimanalo Beach in Oahu 
Most Interesting Fact About You: attended 3 different schools for 1st grade

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Robert Barry, MD

Emergency Medicine Faculty, Department of Emergency Medicine

Contact:
email: [email protected]​
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Professional:
Medical School: Stony Brook University School of Medicine
Residency: Jackson Memorial Hospital/University of Miami
Academic Interests: Maritime and wilderness medicine

Personal:
Hometown: Los Angeles
Hidden Talents: Cooking
Favorite Pastimes: Diving, fishing, surfing
Favorite Past Job: Data Manager for surgical missions abroad
Fictional Character you most identify with: Calvin's Dad from Calvin and Hobbes
Favorite place you’ve visited: Pohnpei in the Federated states of Micronesia
What do you like to do in the Loma Linda Area: Hiking in the nearby mountains


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Deena Bengiamin, MD

Associate Residency Program Director,
Department of Emergency Medicine

Medical Education Fellowship Director,
Department of Emergency Medicine
Contact:
email: [email protected]
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Professional
Medical School: UC Irvine School of Medicine
Residency: Emergency Medicine, UC Irvine Medical Center
Fellowship: Medical Education, UCSF Fresno
Academic Interests: medical education, simulation, faculty development

Personal
Hometown: Irvine, CA
Hidden Talents: crocheting
Favorite Pastime: spending time with my family, cooking and baking
Favorite Past Job: Santa's helper
Fictional Character You Most Identify With: Jasmine
Favorite Place You’ve Visited: Florence, Italy and Varanasi, India
Most Interesting Fact About You: I was born in Egypt and grew up in Oman
What Do You Like To Do In The Loma Linda Area: exploring the outdoors


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Lance Brown, MD

Vice-Chair for Operations, Department of Emergency Medicine
Head, Department of Pediatric Emergency Medicine
Contact
    email: [email protected]
Professional
Medical School: Harvard Medical School
Residency: Emergency Medicine, LA County/USC
Fellowship: Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Loma Linda University Medical Center
Academic Interests: educational debt, foreign body management
Current Research: abdominal pain in children
Personal
Hometown: I grew up in Michigan
Hidden Talents: I can put central lines in left handed
Favorite Pastime: triathlons
Favorite Past Job: emergency physician, Tuba City, AZ
Fictional Character You Most Identify With: Hubert J Farnsworth
Favorite Place You’ve Visited: Putrajaya, Malaysia
Most Interesting Fact About You: I have completed several Ironman races
What Do You Like To Do In The Loma Linda Area: swimming

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Eric Chao, MD

Emergency Medicine Faculty, Department of Emergency Medicine
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Professional
Medical School:
NYU Grossman School of Medicine  
Residency: Emergency Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital
Academic Interests: operations, education, wellness, telemedicine
 
Personal
Hometown: Honolulu, HI
Hidden Talents: being loud enough to karaoke without needing a microphone
Favorite Pastimes: NYT crossword, board games, running (sometimes), traveling, napping
Favorite Past Job: busking with my cello in Waikiki
Fictional Character you most identify with: Neville Longbottom
Favorite place you’ve visited: Rome, Italy. Carbs and culture, what more could you want?


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Lynda Daniel-Underwood,
​MD, PhD

 Associate Dean, Curriculum Evaluation and Learner Assessment, School of Medicine
Contact
    email: [email protected]
Professional
Medical School:  Loma Linda University School of Medicine
Residency:  Emergency Medicine, Loma Linda University Medical Center
Advanced Degree:  PhD in Leadership, Andrews University
Academic Interests: undergraduate medical education
Current Research:  education
Personal
Hometown:  Berrien Springs, MI
Hidden Talents: score keeper for volleyball and basketball at Mesa Grande Academy
Fictional Character You Most Identify With:  Albus Dumbledore
Favorite Place You’ve Visited: New Zealand, Iceland
What Do You Like To Do In The Loma Linda Area:  find locally-owned restaurants

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Viam Dinh, MD

Ultrasound Director, Department of Emergency Medicine
Contact
    social media: @viamdinh
Professional
Medical School: University of California San Francisco
Residency: Emergency Medicine, Loma Linda University Medical Center
Fellowship:  Ultrasound and Critical Care Fellowships, Loma Linda University Medical Center
Academic Interests: critical care ultrasound
Current Research:
critical care ultrasound, medical student ultrasound
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Personal
Hometown: Orange County, CA
Favorite Pastimes: tennis, yoga, paddle boarding
Favorite Past Job: working at the swapmeet
Favorite Place You’ve Visited: Vietnam
What Do You Like To Do In The Loma Linda Area: apple picking, hiking, yoga, tennis, eating great food


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Seth Dukes, MD

EMS Faculty, Department of Emergency Medicine
Contact
email: [email protected]
Professional
Medical School: University of Texas Medical Branch
Residency: Emergency Medicine, Loma Linda University Medical Center
Fellowship: EMS and Disaster Medicine, SUNY Upstate Medical University
Academic Interests: prehospital medicine, tactical medicine
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Personal
Hometown: Houston, TX
Hidden Talents: I can fall asleep almost anywhere
Favorite Pastimes: playing sports (football, soccer, basketball, etc)
Favorite Past Job: SWAT medic
Fictional Character You Most Identify With: this was the hardest question to answer...going with Papa Smurf (football nickname, you can ask me about it and I will explain it)
Favorite Place You’ve Visited: Zurich, Switzerland
Most Interesting Fact About You: I don’t know if it is the most interesting, but I have congenital radioulnar synostosis on the right
What Do You Like To Do In The Loma Linda Area: many great restaurants to enjoy, get a workout in or play intramurals at the Drayson Center, jump some EMS calls


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Nancy Ngo, DO

Emergency Medicine Clerkship Director,
Department of Emergency Medicine


Contact:
email:
 [email protected]​
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Professional
Medical School: Des Moines Univ Osteopathic Medical School
Residency: NYC Health + Hospitals/Coney Island
 
Personal
Hometown: Chicago  
Favorite Pastimes: binging k dramas, snowboarding and cooking complicated recipes that are probably way over my head
Fun Fact:  I hate running but ironically have run 2 marathons
Favorite place you’ve visited: Havasu Falls


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Amye Farag, MD

Global Health Fellowship Director,
Department of Emergency Medicine
Emergency Medicine Faculty,
​Department of Emergency Medicine


Contact:
email:
 [email protected]​
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Professional 
Medical School: Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine: Dayton, OH
Residency: Mercy Saint Vincent Medical Center: Toledo, OH 
Academic Interests: Health Care Systems Development, Access to Care, Health Care costs
Current Research: ED Costing in Sudan/Sub-Saharan Africa
 
Personal 
Hometown: Scottsdale, AZ
Hidden Talents: event planning, master googling
Favorite Pastimes: travel, spending time at the beach or hiking, spending time with my family and our pups!
Favorite Past Job: flight physician!
Fictional Character you most identify with: Princess Jasmine
Favorite place you’ve visited: Cinque Terre, Italy or Cairnes, Australia
What do you like to do in the Loma Linda Area: trying out new coffee shops and local food spots!


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Liz Fierro, MD

Associate Residency Program Director,
Department of Emergency Medicine

Pediatric Emergency Medicine Asst. Program Director,
​Department of Emergency Medicine
Contact
    email:  [email protected]
    social media:  @liz_fierro_md
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Professional
Medical School: UC Davis School of Medicine
Residency: EM, Loma Linda University Medical Center
Fellowship: Pediatric EM, Loma Linda University Medical Center
Academic Interests: PEM, medical education, diversity in EM, pediatric emergency management, thegurneyroom.org, pocketpem.com
Current Research: Resident education, Western Regional Alliance Pediatric Emergency Management. 

Personal
Hometown: Richmond, CA
Hidden Talents: Fixing things, techy wizard
Favorite Pastimes: Peloton or Tonal workouts, playing with my pups, fixing websites, renovating my house
​Favorite Past Job: HS teacher
Favorite Place You’ve Visited: Great Barrier Reef (with Heather)
Most Interesting Thing About You: I took the very non-traditional route to medicine and my husband built an airplane in our garage. 
 


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Zan Jafry, MD

Ultrasound Fellowship Director, Department of Emergency Medicine
 Contact
email:  [email protected]
social media:  @EDechographer
Professional
Medical School:  American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine
Residency: Emergency Medicine, Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center
Fellowship: Emergency & Critical Care Ultrasound, Loma Linda University
Academic Interests:  resuscitative transesophageal echocardiography, medical education, physician coaching, advanced cardiac ultrasound
Current Research:  TEE in the ED, POCUS for the diagnosis of HOCM,
integration of POCUS training into undergraduate medical curricula

Personal
Hometown: Detroit Metropolitan Area, MI
Hidden Talents: remixing foods in the kitchen
Favorite Pastime:  travel, reading
Favorite Past Job:  flight doc
Most Interesting Fact About You:  I'm way too interested in Jeopardy
What Do You Like To Do In The Loma Linda Area:  bowl


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Sharmin Kalam, MD

Medical Director, Advanced Urgent Care,
​Department of Emergency Medicine
Ultrasound Faculty, Department of Emergency Medicine
Contact:
    email: [email protected]
    social media: @KalamSharmin (Twitter)
Professional
Medical School: Wayne State University School of Medicine
Residency: Emergency Medicine, Sinai Grace Hospital/Detroit Medical Center
Fellowship: Ultrasound, Yale University
Academic Interests: ultrasound and global health
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Personal
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Hidden Talents: basketball, photography
Favorite Pastimes: travel, photography and watching TV, foodie
Favorite Past Job: worked for Air Tahiti Airlines
Fictional Character You Most Identify With: Daenerys Targaryan (aka Mother of Dragons)
Favorite Place You’ve Visited: Bora Bora, Tahiti
Most Interesting Fact About You: before medical school, I was training for Muay Thai boxing competitions


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Mike Kiemeney, MD

EM Residency Program Director, Department of Emergency Medicine
Contact
social media:
@MikeKiemeney
Professional
Medical School: Loma Linda University School of Medicine
Residency: Emergency Medicine, East Carolina University/Vidant Medical Center
Academic Interests: graduate medical education, wellness, emotional intelligence
Current Research: entrustable professional activities, medical education, wellness, emotional intelligence
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Personal
Hometown: Chino Hills, CA
Hidden Talents: seeing over crowds, telling amazing dad jokes
Favorite Pastime: playing with my kids, watching the Dodgers and Lakers, concerts, reading, telling amazing dad jokes
Favorite Past Job: chemistry and math tutor in college
Fictional Character You Most Identify With: Jolly Green Giant
Favorite Place You’ve Visited: Maui, HI
Most Interesting Fact About You: The first time I traveled outside the country was to Papua New Guinea for 1 month on a medical mission trip as a medical student.
What Do You Like To Do In The Loma Linda Area: eat, hike in the hills, tell amazing dad jokes


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Heather Kuntz, MD

Associate Pediatric Emergency Fellowship Program Director, Department of Emergency Medicine
Contact
    email: [email protected]
    social media: @pedsdr_maru
Professional
Medical School: Medical College of Wisconsin
Residency: EM, Loma Linda University Medical Center
Fellowship: Pediatric EM, Loma Linda University Medical Center
Academic Interests: medical education, radiology
Current Research: Interpersonal violence in physicians
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Personal
Hometown: Milwaukee, WI
Hidden Talents: climbing ropes, juggling, playing violin
Favorite Pastimes: beach days, surfing
Favorite Past Job: life-guarding
Fictional Character You Most Identify With: Hermione – if only I had magic!
Favorite Place You’ve Visited: Great Barrier Reef (with Liz)
Most Interesting Fact About You: I joined the Redlands circus
What Do You Like To Do In The Loma Linda Area: hike with friends and dogs on the various trails around


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Jean Lo, MD

Toxicology Faculty, Department of Emergency Medicine
Contact:
email: [email protected]
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Professional  
Medical School: University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine
Residency: Emergency Medicine, Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center
Fellowship: Toxicology, University of California San Diego Medical Center
Academic Interests: medical toxicology (CO poisonings, envenomations and drug interactions), trauma and neurologic emergencies
Current Research: anticoagulants, envenomation

Personal
Hometown: Alhambra, CA
Hidden Talents: long distance running
Favorite Pastime: hanging out with family and friends
Favorite Past Job: worked at a bowling alley in high school
Hobbies: running
Favorite Place You’ve Visited: Paris, New Orleans (great food and music)
Most Interesting Fact About You: I enjoyed a solo drive from Iowa City to New Orleans during medical school
What Do You Like To Do In The Loma Linda Area: visit Redlands


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Alana Harp, MD

Medical Education Fellow, Department of Emergency Medicine
Emergency Medicine Faculty, Department of Emergency Medicine


Contact:
​email:
 [email protected]
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Professional:
Medical School: Loma Linda University University
Residency: Stanford
Academic Interests: Medical education

Personal:
Hometown: San Bernardino, CA
Hidden Talents: I can sleep takeoff to landing on practically any flight. 
Favorite past job: I was a lifeguard for a swim school in San Diego and I loved it so much. 
Favorite place I’ve visited: New York City. We are fortunate to visit frequently because we have family back east and I never get tired of the hustle and bustle (or the pizza). There’s always something new to do or see or eat and I always look forward to our next trip back.


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Daniel Rossie, MD

Associate Medical Director, Department of Emergency Medicine
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Professional
Medical School: Temple University School of Medicine
Residency: Emergency Medicine, Loma Linda University Medical Center
Academic Interests: ED throughput, bedside resident training
Current Research: traumatic arthrotomy work up in pediatric patients

Personal
Hometown: Granada Hills, CA
Hidden Talents: cat dad/cat whisperer
Favorite Pastimes: napping, watching the Dodgers or the LA Kings
Favorite past job: baseball umpiring
Fictional character you most identify with: Pablo from Backyard Baseball
Favorite place you’ve visited: The north shore of Oahu
What do you like to do in the Loma Linda area: explore the many restaurants of downtown Redlands, hiking in the nearby mountains


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Brian Savino, MD

Medical Director, Department of Emergency Medicine
EMS Fellowship Director, Department of Emergency Medicine
Contact
    email: [email protected]
    social media: @EMSavvy
Professional
Medical School: Loma Linda University School of Medicine
Residency: Emergency Medicine, Western Michigan University School of Medicine
Fellowship: EMS, University of California San Francisco
Academic Interests: EMS
Current Research: comparing direct versus video laryngoscopy for prehospital intubation
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Personal
Hometown: Riverside, CA
Hidden Talents: toddler wrangler, burrito connoisseur
Favorite Pastimes: guitar, hiking
Favorite Past Job: wakeboard instructor
Fictional Character You Most Identify With: John McClane. Yippee-ki-yay!!
Favorite Place You’ve Visited: Florence, Italy
Most Interesting Fact About You: I’ve intubated while lying, sitting and standing. That’s why EMS is the best!
What Do You Like To Do In The Loma Linda Area: head up the mountains – camping, hiking, lakes!


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Dustin Smith, MD

Vice Chair for Academic Affairs, Department of Emergency Medicine
Medical Director, Medical Simulation Center

Contact
email: [email protected]
social media: @DustinsTw1tter (Although 140 characters just doesn't usually work. I'd rather grab coffee and actually laugh together in person)
Professional
Medical School: Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
Residency: Emergency Medicine, Loma Linda University School of Medicine
Fellowship: Global Health, Loma Linda University Medical Center
Academic Interests:  education, simulation
Current Research: education, simulation, empathy
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Personal
Hometown: Langhorne, PA
Hidden Talents: My kids say I can always tell when someone is lying. That’s a parent win!
Favorite Pastime: anything that involves time with family, preferably outdoors
Favorite Past Job: rose nursery grunt.  I am sure it didn't have a job description other than "get that kid to do it, he's only here for the summer"
Fictional Character You Most Identify With: Hobbes – still laugh out loud when reading those comics
Favorite Place You’ve Visited: Quartier-Morin, Haiti
Most Interesting Fact About You: I always get pulled aside for secondary screening at airports. Every. Single. Time. In fairness, I do have some weird stamps on my passport
What Do You Like To Do In The Loma Linda Area: Go out to eat with my wife.  Less of a foodie and more of a "that place will either kill us with a GI bug or be really good" kind of experience


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Cory Toomasian, MD

Associate Medical Director, Department of Emergency Medicine
Professional
Medical School: Wayne State University School of Medicine
Residency: Emergency Medicine, Loma Linda University Medical Center
Academic Interests: medical student and resident education
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Personal
Hometown:
Menlo Park, CA and Ann Arbor, MI
Hidden talents: I speak Mandarin Chinese (真的!) 
Favorite pastimes: swimming, hiking, long drives for weekend camping
Favorite past job: I used to run anesthesia on sheep and pigs!
Fictional character I relate with most: Forrest Gump ("I'm not a smart man, but I know what love is" also "JENNNNNY")
Favorite place: Yosemite NP
Loma Linda area activities: exploring area mountains, dodging rattlesnakes, hunting for special hole-in-the-wall restaurants


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Brian Wolk, MD

Associate Residency Program Director,
​Department of Emergency Medicine
Toxicology Faculty, Department of Emergency Medicine
Contact
    email: [email protected]
​Professional
Medical School: Tufts University School of Medicine
Residency: Emergency Medicine, University of Massachusetts
Fellowship:  Toxicology, University of Massachusetts
Academic Interests: toxicology, education
Current Research: envenomation
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Personal
Hometown: Boston, MA
Hidden Talents: useless trivia
Favorite Pastime: skiing
Favorite Past Job: firefighter (volunteer)
Fictional Character You Most Identify With: ‘Dug’ (the dog) from ‘Up’
Favorite Place You’ve Visited: Switzerland
Most Interesting Fact About You: During medical school, I went backpacking solo (in the rain) and smashed my face on a rock. I put on a butterfly dressing and didn’t seek medical attention until 2 days later when someone noted it looked gnarly. By then, the laceration was already starting to heal and they wouldn’t close it- luckily it healed well
What Do You Like To Do In The Loma Linda Area: hiking


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Tim Young, MD

Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellowship Director,
​Department of Emergency Medicine
Contact
    email: [email protected]
    social media: @timpyoung
Professional
Medical School: Loma Linda University School of Medicine
Residency: EM, Loma Linda University Medical Center
Fellowship: Pediatric EM, Loma Linda University Medical Center
Academic Interests: medical education, pediatric resuscitation, simulation, technical skills, teaching and learning using technology
Current Research: simulation for teaching medical student acute care skills, sports performance analysis software for teaching intubation, TED-style resident grand rounds presentations
Personal
Hometown: Fontana, CA
Hidden Talents: fast reflexes - honed by years of my kids knocking things off of tables and my ability to pick out fake American accents on TV and in movies
Favorite Pastimes: currently watching Stranger Things with headphones after my kids go to bed and then being unable to fall asleep. Millie Bobby Brown is British.
Favorite Past Job: demolition worker or batting cage attendant
Fictional Character You Most Identify With: Cameron Frye from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Hobbies: watching Angels baseball, playing wiffle ball/baseball/softball with my kids, daytime surf trips to Orange County, trips to San Diego with my wife while the kids are in school, playing guitar, trailer camping
Favorite Place You’ve Visited: Cusco/Machu Picchu
Most Interesting Fact About You: I was once hit by a foul ball at a baseball game and was carted out of the stadium. This was before the fast reflexes.
What Do You Like To Do In The Loma Linda Area: drive-in movies at Mission Tiki with my kids, eating at Eureka Burger, the State, or Dhat Island and dessert at A La Minute.

Location

Contact Us

[email protected]
909-​558-8719

11234 Anderson St
Loma Linda, CA 92354
Copyright © 2021, LLUEM Residency. All rights reserved.
  • Applicants
    • Overview
    • Curriculum
    • Stipends and Benefits
    • About the Area
    • Applying
  • People
    • LLUMC Faculty
    • Current Residents >
      • Class of 2027
      • Class of 2026
      • Class of 2025
    • Administrative Staff
  • EM Clerkship
    • LLUEM Intensive
    • Intensive Application
    • Resources
    • Evaluations
  • Fellowships
    • Combined Global Health/EM Ultrasound
    • EMS Fellowship
    • Global EM Fellowship
    • Medical Education Fellowship
    • PEM Fellowship
    • Ultrasound Fellowship
  • Links/Photos