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Faculty

Transitional Year Program Director


Gary Olds, MD

Transitional Year Program Director

Medical School: Oregon Health & Sciences University 

Residency: University of Arizona, Tucson, Chief Resident  

Professional Interest: My interests in emergency medicine include medical resuscitations, orthopedic injuries, and COVID....and then more COVID, after that COVID. And sometimes influenza, then COVID. Sometimes I also enjoy procalcitonin and lactic acid. 

Outside of the hospital I enjoy breakfast foods, college football, video games, warm weather, and freedom.  My dislikes include water chestnuts, taxes, cold weather, and drivers who don't use their blinkers. 

I am indifferent on cilantro, as I don't suffer from this single-nucleotide polymorphism. I am also indifferent to people with poor spelling, as I do suffer from this affliction. 

Gary Olds, MD

Transitional Year Program Director

Medical School: Oregon Health & Sciences University 

Residency: University of Arizona, Tucson, Chief Resident  

Professional Interest: My interests in emergency medicine include medical resuscitations, orthopedic injuries, and COVID....and then more COVID, after that COVID. And sometimes influenza, then COVID. Sometimes I also enjoy procalcitonin and lactic acid. 

Outside of the hospital I enjoy breakfast foods, college football, video games, warm weather, and freedom.  My dislikes include water chestnuts, taxes, cold weather, and drivers who don't use their blinkers. 

I am indifferent on cilantro, as I don't suffer from this single-nucleotide polymorphism. I am also indifferent to people with poor spelling, as I do suffer from this affliction. 

Core Faculty


Brian Wood, MD

Emergency Medicine Program Director/Clerkship Director

Medical School: Keck School of Medicine of USC

Residency: Yale-New Haven Hospital, CT

Fellowship: Medical Education Leadership, Yale-New Haven Hospital

Professional Interests: Medical education

Hobbies: Hiking, gardening, baking bread, spending time with family

Brian Wood, MD

Emergency Medicine Program Director/Clerkship Director

Medical School: Keck School of Medicine of USC

Residency: Yale-New Haven Hospital, CT

Fellowship: Medical Education Leadership, Yale-New Haven Hospital

Professional Interests: Medical education

Hobbies: Hiking, gardening, baking bread, spending time with family


Zachary Haberman, MD

Emergency Medicine

Undergraduate: Pomona College

Medical School: Keck School of Medicine of USC

Residency: Los Angeles County + USC Emergency Medicine, Graduated 6/2019

Hometown: Concord, MA

Time at Joe's: 9/2019-Current.

Hobbies/Interests: Skiing, slow pitch softball (now that my baseball days are behind me), ping pong, traveling off the beaten track, finding the best cheap eats. Somehow, I wound up a huge fan of 3 of the most hated teams in sports- the USC Trojans, New England Patriots, and New York Yankees.

Random/Fun Fact: In order to support myself as a pre-med ski bum, I worked as a Subway mascot. Yes, I danced around in a giant sandwich costume. The highlight of my career was offering a coupon for a buy one, get one free 6 inch sub to former Yankees 1st Baseman and LA Dodgers manager Don Mattingly (he totally declined). Sadly, I got a job as an EMT in Snowmass, CO and had to retire from mascothood.

Zachary Haberman, MD

Emergency Medicine

Undergraduate: Pomona College

Medical School: Keck School of Medicine of USC

Residency: Los Angeles County + USC Emergency Medicine, Graduated 6/2019

Hometown: Concord, MA

Time at Joe's: 9/2019-Current.

Hobbies/Interests: Skiing, slow pitch softball (now that my baseball days are behind me), ping pong, traveling off the beaten track, finding the best cheap eats. Somehow, I wound up a huge fan of 3 of the most hated teams in sports- the USC Trojans, New England Patriots, and New York Yankees.

Random/Fun Fact: In order to support myself as a pre-med ski bum, I worked as a Subway mascot. Yes, I danced around in a giant sandwich costume. The highlight of my career was offering a coupon for a buy one, get one free 6 inch sub to former Yankees 1st Baseman and LA Dodgers manager Don Mattingly (he totally declined). Sadly, I got a job as an EMT in Snowmass, CO and had to retire from mascothood.


Matthew Kiefer, MD

Director of Simulation

Medical School: University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

Residency: Highland Hospital, Oakland, CA

Fellowship: Medical Simulation, UC Davis

Professional Interest: Simulation, medical education, ultrasound.

Hobbies: Sailing/kayaking/canoeing, playing music, spending time with my family.

Matthew Kiefer, MD

Director of Simulation

Medical School: University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

Residency: Highland Hospital, Oakland, CA

Fellowship: Medical Simulation, UC Davis

Professional Interest: Simulation, medical education, ultrasound.

Hobbies: Sailing/kayaking/canoeing, playing music, spending time with my family.


Dr. Kandria Ledesma and her dog, Koda

Medical School: American University of Antigua

Residency: St. Joseph’s Medical Center

Fellowship: Ultrasound at Northshore University/Long Island Jewish

Professional Interests: ocular and lung ultrasounds, QA, and also trying to get better at VexUS.

Hobbies: East coast born, West coast trained. I enjoy the California fresh produce and the lack of humidity, but you will not find me eating a West coast pizza or bagel. If I’m not in the emergency department, I am probably running a half marathon/marathon, at a music festival, hanging out with my cat-dog Koda and fiance Jordan, or napping while watching Netflix/Hulu.

Dr. Kandria Ledesma and her dog, Koda

Medical School: American University of Antigua

Residency: St. Joseph’s Medical Center

Fellowship: Ultrasound at Northshore University/Long Island Jewish

Professional Interests: ocular and lung ultrasounds, QA, and also trying to get better at VexUS.

Hobbies: East coast born, West coast trained. I enjoy the California fresh produce and the lack of humidity, but you will not find me eating a West coast pizza or bagel. If I’m not in the emergency department, I am probably running a half marathon/marathon, at a music festival, hanging out with my cat-dog Koda and fiance Jordan, or napping while watching Netflix/Hulu.


Pallavi Pothuri, MD

Internist at SJMC

Medical School: Gandhi Medical College Secunderabad, Telangana India

Residency: Internal Medicine at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai 

Professional Interest: Dealing with complex inpatients, love coordinating care with different specialists and work on quality improvement projects.  I am very passionate about teaching and resident education as I believe both med school and residency is a wonderful memorable journey in a physician’s life. It gives me immense pleasure to help students and residents walk through this journey and help them become a compassionate patient’s doctor.

Hobbies: Spending time with family especially with my 2 super energetic boys who keep me busy all the time at home. Other hobbies include cooking, Traveling etc. I have great passion for classical music as well.

Pallavi Pothuri, MD

Internist at SJMC

Medical School: Gandhi Medical College Secunderabad, Telangana India

Residency: Internal Medicine at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai 

Professional Interest: Dealing with complex inpatients, love coordinating care with different specialists and work on quality improvement projects.  I am very passionate about teaching and resident education as I believe both med school and residency is a wonderful memorable journey in a physician’s life. It gives me immense pleasure to help students and residents walk through this journey and help them become a compassionate patient’s doctor.

Hobbies: Spending time with family especially with my 2 super energetic boys who keep me busy all the time at home. Other hobbies include cooking, Traveling etc. I have great passion for classical music as well.


Internal Medicine Hospitalist with Sound Physicians

Medical School: M.B.B.S: CMH Lahore Medical College, Pakistan Nov, 2008- June, 2015 

Residency Information: Chief Medical Resident: May 2023 to June 2024 Internal Medicine Residency UHS Wilson Hospital, NY , Psychiatry Resident Physician Rochester Regional Health Rochester, NY, Transitional Year Resident St. Joseph’s Medical Center Stockton, CA

Hobbies: Ardent enthusiast of books, tea, movies, traveling and photography (a hoarder of memories and moments)

Internal Medicine Hospitalist with Sound Physicians

Medical School: M.B.B.S: CMH Lahore Medical College, Pakistan Nov, 2008- June, 2015 

Residency Information: Chief Medical Resident: May 2023 to June 2024 Internal Medicine Residency UHS Wilson Hospital, NY , Psychiatry Resident Physician Rochester Regional Health Rochester, NY, Transitional Year Resident St. Joseph’s Medical Center Stockton, CA

Hobbies: Ardent enthusiast of books, tea, movies, traveling and photography (a hoarder of memories and moments)

Non-Clinical Faculty


Mouchumi Bhattacharyya, PhD

Research Director: Graduate Medical Education

Education: Ph.D., Statistics Univ. of Wisconsin-Mil/Medical College of Wisconsin

Mouchumi Bhattacharyya, PhD

Research Director: Graduate Medical Education

Education: Ph.D., Statistics Univ. of Wisconsin-Mil/Medical College of Wisconsin