Residents

First Year Residents Class of 2010

Rachelle Brilliant, D.O. - Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
Sheryl Brown, M.D. - Ross University, Dominica
Erica Fish, D.O. -New England College of Osteopathic Medicine
Malalai Nasiri, M.D. - Ross University, Dominica
Adam Stallmer, M.D. -SUNY Upstate Medical College @ Syracuse
Ali Wazni, M.D. - Ross University, Dominica

Rachelle Brilliant, D.O.

When meeting for the first time, people usually ask, "Where are you from?" The answer is not as simple as it appears. Should I start with where I call home now. My parents live in Niskayuna, NY (when away from the Capital District I say Albany) but they moved there two days before my freshman year of college at Binghamton University. My father was in the Air Force and I went to high school and spent the most years in Dayton, OH, but I was born in Colorado Springs, CO, and we also lived in Albuquerque, NM, and Nashua, NH. Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine is in Erie, PA but my third and fourth years were spent in over five different cities in MI, PA, and NY at more that ten different hospitals. It's a good thing I love traveling, because I've done a lot of it. When not studying I enjoy skiing, theater, crocheting, calligraphy, pottery, and biking. I'm looking forward to joining the Albany Medical College Family Medicine Department and settling down and having my own apartment again.

Sheryl Brown, M.D.

At the age of five my family and I migrated from Jamaica to the USA. I was raised in a suburb of Queens, New York. Growing up in a family where both of your parents are Registered Nurses fostered this passion of medicine that has grown within me. During high school I participated in creative arts including acting, painting and writing. As I furthered my education at SUNY College at Buffalo I began to foster my interest in medicine more intensely. I later decided to participate in student exchange program in Manchester Metropolitan University in Manchester, England where I met wonderful people traveled and indulged in the culture. Upon graduating from undergrad my family and I moved to Georgia. Shortly after the move I went to Ross University medical school on the island of Dominica. Coming from a Caribbean background this was not a very difficult transition and I enjoyed my time in Dominica. During my rotations in New York I resided in Queens NY for the duration of my medical school training. As this new chapter of my life unfolds I am overly excited to know that Albany Medical Center is the Hospital I will complete my residency training. I feel extremely fortunate to train and learn from this amazing group of Residents and Attendings. I look forward to the road ahead and appreciate all of the opportunities that have taken me thus far.

Erica Fish, D.O.

I was born in Iowa and moved around quite a bit as a child. I grew up mostly in Watertown, New York. I went off to college at Umass Amherst and loved every minute of it. I went straight into med school at UNE and here I am in Albany.

I am definitely an outgoing person and I love meeting new people. I enjoy doing anything outside especially being at the beach or near the water. I love traveling and experiencing new things. I hold my family and friends close and jump at any chance to get together and have a good time. Last of all I love to laugh! I look forward to meeting my colleagues and gaining a great educational experience.

Malalai Nasiri, M.D.

I spent most of my childhood in Afghanistan. I have also lived in Buffalo, New York and the Bay Area, California. I attended the University of California at Davis, earning a Bachelor of Sciences in Biology. I received my Medical Degree from Ross University.

My interest in Medicine began early in life, and it was then that I realized the difference trained healthcare professionals can make in peoples' lives. Family Medicine best suits me because it is the primary care specialty that cares for children and adults as members of a whole family unit.

I am fluent in Pashto, Farsi and have a moderate understanding of Hindi and Spanish. I have two brothers and two sisters who are also pursuing Medicine. I don't get a chance to see them often so it is always a treat to spend time with them.

My hobbies include jogging, cooking, gardening and watching Hindi movies.

Adam Stallmer, M.D.

Until the near-end of my teen years, I lived just across the Hudson River from Albany in the city of Troy. After high school, I enlisted in the Marine Corps where over a period of six years I was afforded the opportunity to travel extensively, especially throughout the Western Pacific and Middle East. I then returned home to continue my education, leading to a B.S in biology from RPI. During this time I also was very active in my church and there met the woman who is now my wife, Joy. From there we were led to Syracuse, NY where I attended SUNY Upstate Medical University. At the beginning of my third year we were thrilled to introduce to the world our first-born, Kara Marie, who since her birth to now, continues to be the sweetest little girl. For my last year of med school we moved about 45 minutes north of Albany to Glens Falls, NY where I participated in Upstate's Rural Medical Education program. This move brought me in touch with the residents and faculty of the Albany Family Medicine program. I found the program and people to be great, outstanding, second-to-none, etc. I knew after spending elective time there that I certainly wanted to become part of the team of bright and caring people.

My family and I now live in Latham, where we look forward to starting another chapter in life and await the arrival of another baby come fall 2007. I try to stay involved in the church and in my rare free time enjoy tinkering on the piano/guitar, running, cycling, swimming and just about any contact sport. After a recent medical mission trip to Guatemala, I have a renewed interest in international medicine and hope to become more involved with medical mission work in the future. For now, however, I'm looking forward to caring for the people of the capital district and continuing my education here in Albany!!

Ali Wazni, M.D.

Being a native of the Metro Detroit area, I have had the privilege of growing up in the immersion of multi-culture and diversity. I began my undergraduate studies at Ferris State University in northern Michigan, whereupon I discovered my interest to study medicine. I earned my medical degree at Ross University, where I enjoyed the beauty and culture of the West Indies. After graduation I participated in Oncology research at Providence Hospital in Southfield, MI. Having had the foresight from an older brother also with a Family Practice background, I decided to pursue a career in family medicine. In my spare time I enjoy weightlifting, biking, sports (DEEE-TROIT Basketball), movies and sharing quality time with friends and family. Today, I look forward to working with my new family at AMC.

Second Year Residents Class of 2009

Archie Adams, M.D - Albany Medical College
Faith Cruz, M.D. - St. Georges University, Granada
Elizabeth Locke, M.D. - SUNY Upstate Medical College @ Syracuse
Scott Pregont, M.D. - Albany Medical College
Perry Ramdeo, M.D. - Ross University, Dominica
Louis Rotkowitz, M.D. - St. Matthews University School of Medicine, Cayman Islands

Archie Adams, M.D.
Life has many unexpected turns for me. At age 12, I emigrated from my home country, China to Alaska with my mom, knowing only two English phrases, "I'm hungry" and "good morning" (not in that order of course). At age 16, I represented the U.S. and competed in the 1994 Arctic Winter Olympic Games in Canada, brought home 2 Silver medals in Shooting competition. At age 18, I took a big scholarship and moved to Troy, NY for undergraduate studies at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. I also spent a summer and studied abroad at Oxford University in England. After getting into Albany Medical, I pursued my life-long dream of becoming a surgeon, which got me into a year of Internship in General Surgery. Then many things happened and priorities have changed in my life at this point. To adjust my new priorities in life, I redirected my career goal to Family Medicine. This path offers me the opportunity to enjoy my work and family at the same time. My family includes my beautiful wife, Julie, our new adorable daughter, Jasmine, and our cute Japanese dog, Sachi. I still love target shooting, give me a call if you are up for a few practice rounds. I also love watching movies with my wife, playing tennis and ping pong, shooting table pool, now my new hobby is to spoil my daughter.

Faith Cruz, M.D.
I have spent the majority of my life in the Capital District. I grew up in Clifton Park, NY which is 20 miles north of Albany. I then went to college at RPI for Biology and minored in both management and fine arts. Med school at St George's University took me the farthest from home in which I spent two years in Grenada and then two years in Queens, NY. I'm ecstatic to be back in Upstate NY where I can be close to my family and everything that is familiar. This will be the first time in a long time that my entire immediate family will be living in the same geographic area. When I'm not consumed with anything medicine related or recovering from it, I love to draw/paint, play the piano, read, and spend time with friends and family. I look forward to joining my new family at AMC. During my fourth year family practice elective at AMC I knew this was the supportive yet challenging environment I wanted to be a part of for the next three years.

Elizabeth Locke, M.D.
I have spent most of my life just a short trip down the Thruway from Albany. I went to Liverpool High School, a suburb just outside of Syracuse. I earned my B.S. in Biology at LeMoyne College and my MD at SUNY Upstate Medical University, both in Syracuse. My fourth year of medical school, however, was spent in Watkins Glen, NY as part of Upstates Rural Medical Education program. There in the heart of New York State's wine country I fell in love with Family Medicine. My other loves include softball, ice skating, rollerblading, skiing, hiking, camping and, of course, spending time with family and friends. I have heard great things about Albany from my sister, who currently attends Albany College of Pharmacy and look forward to continuing my medical education here.

Scott Pregont, M.D.
I've lived here in the Capital District my whole life. I completed my undergraduate studies at SUNY- Albany and graduated with a combined degree in Biological Chemistry and Molecular Biology. I then attended Albany Medical College, where I fell in love with the entire Family Practice Department. After getting to know everyone here there was no doubt in my mind that this was where I wanted to be outside of medicine, my 10 year old daughter, Hannah, keeps me very busy. She is a phenomenal dancer and competes all over the country. I also love sports (N.Y. Yankees and N.Y. Giants) and the occasional night out on the town (Unfortunately, there are a few photographs in the Family Practice office in the college that prove this latter love.).

Perry Ramdeo, M.D.
All my life I have been traveling. I was born and raised in Guyana which is where my interest in medicine was first sparked. The medical system in the Caribbean is lacking to say the least and I had the chance to see a lot of these pathologies first hand. When I was 14, I moved to New York with my parents and started on my quest to becoming a doctor. I went to Brooklyn College for my undergraduate where I majored in biology and minored in chemistry. After my undergraduate studies I had the chance to be in the Caribbean once again and went to Ross University for medical school. During my residency interviews I was absolutely floored by AMC. The residents, along with the attendings and the staff, were absolutely phenomenal, and I could not see myself anywhere else other than AMC getting trained for my residency. I thrive when challenged, and I believe Family Medicine offers more challenges than any other specialty. In a residency program at AMC, I seek a strong clinical base in both primary care and the specialty aspects of Family medicine. I have a strong passion for this field, and I know that excellent training is the key I need to fulfill my goals. When I do have spare time, I love to travel, play basketball, swim and watch movies.

Louis Rotkowitz, M.D.
Growing up on Long Island, my early life experiences occurred at the footsteps of one of the foremost urban centers of the world, New York City. This diverse landscape has led me to develop a true love of traveling and experiencing different cultures. I earned a BA in Biological Sciences at the University of Delaware in 1999. My part-time summer careers were colorful and delightful. Making kosher pastrami sandwiches and patrolling Long Islands parks and athletic fields as a Nassau County Ranger gave me some memorable summertime experiences, but could not contain my hearts desire to pursue a career in medicine.

I studied the basic medical sciences in Belize, Central America and completed the majority of my clinical rotations in Brighton, England. While completing my medical education I managed to become near fluent in Spanish and traveled to some of the most beautiful and interesting places in the world. The cities of Paris, Tel Aviv and Athens were simply beautiful, but my visit to St. Petersburg, Russia brought me to the doorsteps of my familys history and connected me with the past of my people.

My friendships with the people of Belize, Guatemala and Haiti will forever be with me. I hope to someday return to these places and perhaps offer some professional help and assistance to the unfortunate in these impoverished nations.

Ive spent the past 2005-2006 academic year as a PGY-1 Surgical Resident at the Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow, Long Island. Among the most unforgettable and challenging moments of this year include my over 4 months of experience working in this Level 1 Trauma Centers Surgical Intensive Care Unit.

I am looking forward to joining my new colleagues, teachers, patients and friends at Albany Medical College Family and Community Medicine Department.

Third Year Residents Class of 2008

Jill Adelman, M.D. - Albany Medical College
Carlos Elguero, M.D. - Ross University
Matthew Leafblad, M.D. - Ross University
Craig Maier, M.D. - SUNY Upstate Medical College @ Syracuse
William Parker, M.D. - SUNY Upstate Medical College @ Syracuse
Lee Stetzer, M.D. - Emory University

Jill Adelman, M.D.
I grew up in Erie, PA, went to college at the University of Michigan majoring in English Language & Literature, and went west to the San Francisco Bay. There I worked at the Berkeley Community Health Project where my interest in medicine was rekindled. After completing medical school here in Albany, I decided to take some time off before starting a residency and found myself running a small primary care and mental health practice in the West Hill area of Albany. My husband, Frank, is working on a Ph.D. in Political Theory. We live in Albany with our daughter and four cats. AMC Family Practice residency program is a natural choice for me as it is an excellent program, filled with great doctors and staff who care about the underserved people of the region, and is very family friendly.

Carlos Elguero, M.D.
I lived the majority of my life in a small town in Western Massachusetts called Hampden. Growing up I always wondered how things worked. These interests led naturally to the choice of mechanical engineering as an undergraduate at the University of Massachusetts. I enjoyed the process of taking scientific ideas and applying them to real life problems. It is this same synergy between the science of medicine and working with people that drove me to pursue medicine. I completed my medical degree at Ross University. After seeing hundreds of unique people with a diversity of pathology I realized family medicine is the specialty for me. Outside of medicine I enjoy running, hiking, skiing, movies, and most of all spending time with friends and family.

Matthew Leafblad, M.D.
The last nine years of my life, it seems, have been dominated by a theme of travel and relocation. Originally, I'm from Brookfield, WI; a small suburb outside of Milwaukee. For my undergraduate studies, I attended Bethel College and relocated to St. Paul, MN. There, I majored in Biology and after finishing my B.S. degree, I began my medical studies at Ross University School of Medicine.

This choice brought me to the island nation of Dominica, located in the West Indies. I lived there for a year and a half, while completing the basic science curriculum. My clinical years were then, subsequently, completed through various US medical schools in Miami, Cape Cod, and Brooklyn.

I was drawn to AMC by the excellent reputation that preceded the Family Practice program. After interviewing, I knew the Family Practice residency program would be my top choice for training. I was impressed by the dedicated faculty and quality residents. Also, the residency program offers strong academic and community training. Most importantly though, I saw, demonstrated in the faculty, the attributes of the type of physician I hope to become.
In my spare time, I enjoy hiking, reading and traveling every chance I get. While in Albany, I also hope to pick-up cross-country skiing, and look forward to exploring the Adirondacks and Upstate New York.

Craig Maier, M.D.
I was born and raised right here in the Capitol District. I went through the Guilderland school system, where my fiance currently teaches 6th grade, and even worked as a bugler for a summer up at Saratoga. I then attended Boston College where I majored in Biology and was a member of the College of Arts and Sciences Honors Program. From there I went on to SUNY Upstate Medical University. The choice of Albany Med for family practice was simple. The program has a fantastic reputation and the attendings and residents are a great group of people. In my free time I enjoy playing golf, tennis, reading, working out in the yard and cheering on my BC Eagles in any sport that happens to be televised.

William Parker, M.D.
I am originally from Cohoes, NY. I received my B.S. in Biology with a minor in Philosophy from LeMoyne College, and later my medical degree from SUNY Upstate Medical University, both located in Syracuse, NY. I was actually born at St. Peter's Hospital and later worked as a volunteer in college (and had a few ER visits in between), so it will be an interesting and exciting experience to return as a resident. I enjoy running, skiing, and fishing. I must say, however, my absolute favorite hobby is watching the Yankees at the Stadium or on t.v., especially when they're beating up on the Red Sox (refer to '99 ALCS, '03 ALCS, 4/22/01, 7/1/04,....and let's not forget 26 World Series Championships you can have 2004).

Lee Stetzer, M.D.
I grew up in New York City. After graduating from Vassar College I moved out west where I worked as an EMT in Montana, a National Park Service Ranger in Arizona, and a 911 Dispatcher and EMT in Boulder, Colorado. Of course, I also played in the mountains as much as I could. At some point I decided to go to medical school, and so I slowly picked up the premed classes that I needed. Along the way I moved to Atlanta to be with the fabulous woman who is now my wife, earned a master's degree in public health from Emory University, and worked in epidemiology at the CDC while applying to med schools. I ended up staying at Emory University for medical school. My wife and I like to spend as much of our free time hiking/biking/backpacking in the wilderness as possible, although much of her time is taken up working as a family physician in Glens Falls. We have a very sweet Carolina Dog named Xena who also likes being outside, but her main activities include licking, shedding, and sniffing.

Class of 2007 Graduates

Malisa Abraham, M.D. - Albany Medical College
Anne Asam, M.D. - Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, DC
Todd Armbruster, D.O. - Western University of Health Sciences
A. Jill Davis, M.D. - St. Georges University
Timothy DeRenzo, M.D. - Ross University
Beth Goldman, M.D. - SUNY Upstate Medical College at Syracuse

Malisa Abraham, M.D.
grew up in West Hartford, CT. I went to Siena College and graduated with a B.A. in biology and a minor in Spanish. I then went to Albany Medical College for medical school. I decided to stay in Albany for residency because I fell in love with the program, the faculty and the residents. I consider Albany my second home. I enjoy sports, and in my spare time I like to figure skate, ski and play tennis. I also love watching baseball, football and college basketball.

Anne Asam, M.D.
I was born and raised on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. I went to Kamehameha Schools (a private school for native Hawaiian children) and was an undergrad at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. I received my Masters degree in biological sciences at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN. I then attended Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, DC. Although I have grown to love the East coast, my goal (and impetus to go into medicine) is to return to Hawaii and serve my native Hawaiian community

Todd Armbruster, D.O.
So far the secret to my success has been to surround myself with good people. My parents, friends, and now my colleagues at AMC Family Medicine are some of those special individuals who are making a difference in me and in what I choose to do. Prior to residency I was a pharmaceutical researcher, but fortunately my career took a turn and led me to family medicine. Even though I was born in Montreal, Quebec, I grew up outside Philadelphia, PA. After 30 years in Pennsylvania, I decided to strike out west where I went to med school at Western University of Health Sciences in beautifully pristine Pomona, CA. I did a fourth year rotation here in Albany and knew this was the place for me. I'm very happy about coming here for my residency and may very well stay here afterwards.

A. Jill Davis, M.D.
I have spent most of my life living on islands. I grew up on Whidbey Island in Washington State, attended medical school in Grenada at St. Georges University and did some of my rotations in England. Undergraduate college at Randolph-Macon Woman's College in Lynchburg, Virginia and now residency are the only times not on an island. I met my husband, Keefe, a Med/Ped Intern here in Albany while studying medicine, and we were married in November, 2004. Keefe and I welcomed the birth of our daughter in June of 2006. In my spare time I enjoy cooking, reading, hiking and equestrian sports. My interests within family medicine include international medicine, sports medicine and obstetrics. I look forward to investigating these areas and finding my niche.

Timothy DeRenzo, M.D.
Growing up in Albany and then attending undergrad at SUNY Plattsburgh, I know the area well, and I know and love the change of seasons here. Between college and medical school I was a ski bum for a year in Colorado mastering the art of skiing. Wanting to experience the more temperate climates, I went to medical school at Ross University on the Island of Dominica, and then did a semester in Miami before doing my clinical years in several different locations. I returned to Albany because the location is ideal for me and my wife's lifestyle. We are so close to exciting places like New York City, Boston and Montreal and yet also have the wonderful opportunities offered in the wilderness regions of the Adirondacks.

Beth Goldman, M.D.
New York is certainly my State. I grew up as an only child on Long Island, went to undergraduate college at SUNY Genesseo near Rochester, majoring in Biology and Spanish, and went directly to medical school at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse. One month after graduation, I married the love of my life, Justin Goldman, who is a chef. He is currently working in food sales. We have two cats named Bailey and Zoe. I am continuing my pattern of staying in New York State for residency and most likely will choose a practice location here as well. This is home!