Meet the Residents
The Family Medicine Residency welcomes six new physicians to the North Country each year.
Meet The Class of 2027Ismat Huq, MD Ismat was born and raised in the Middle East. After high school, she travelled to Canada and did her undergraduate degree in Biology and Minor in Biotechnology from McGill University in Quebec. After obtaining her bachelor’s degree, she joined a Respiratory Therapy and Anesthesia training program and worked as a Registered Respiratory therapist for a couple of months in Montreal before pursuing medicine at Saba University School of Medicine. She is deeply interested in preventative healthcare, providing full-spectrum care in a rural setting and sleep medicine. Her hobbies are hiking, playing board games, cooking plant-based meal recipes, traveling and spending time with family.
Raj Jain, MD Rajat Jain was born in India and spent his formative years in Vancouver Canada.He obtained his bachelor's degree in medicine from Government Medical College and Hospital in Chandigarh, crediting his family and friends for their unwavering support along the way. Rajat's professional interests lie in emergency and behavioural medicine, alongside his passion for educating medical students.He is impassioned by the potential of AI and technology to address global health challenges and enhance healthcare accessibility for communities worldwide. In his free time, he likes to travel, attend concerts and socialise with his friends.
Anna Michalik, DO Anna was born in Poland and moved to Long Island, New York at the age of ten. She earned a B.S. from Adelphi University where she studied Biology and History, an M.A. in International Education from New York University, and a Ph.D. in World History from St. John’s University. As a doctoral student, Anna focused on the topic of moral courage in times of war and crisis, traveled to various countries for research, and taught undergraduate students. She then completed medical school at the Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine. It was during her third-year clinical rotations in Shreveport, Louisiana as well as in a resource limited, remote clinic in Costa Rica, that Anna realized how truly fulfilling, albeit challenging, the life of a family physician could be. Among Anna’s many interests in Family Medicine are rural medicine, emergency medicine, wilderness medicine, international medicine, behavioral health, and full-spectrum care. Outside of medicine, Anna enjoys cross country skiing, hiking and biking especially in the Adirondacks. She also loves traveling, reading, and spending quality time with her family, friends, and her family dogs Tilli and Luna.
Jessica Sandoval, MD Jessica (Jessie) hails from Tottenham, Ontario, where growing up, she was actively involved in gymnastics as an athlete, coach, and judge. After attending York University for undergraduate studies in Specialized Honors Biochemistry, she made the move to Poland for medical school at Poznan University of Medical Sciences. Her medical interests include obstetrics, emergency medicine, and working in a rural area offering full-spectrum health care. Jessie believes that it is an honor to build relationships with patients and support them in good and challenging times. In her leisure time, Jessie is an avid skier, loves to swim at her cottage, and ride horses. She also enjoys musical theater and traveling.
Thomas Shelton, MD Thomas grew up in Ohio, and spent summer in New Hampshire, where he cultivated his love for the outdoors. He studied history at Depauw University before pursuing his medical education at The Ohio State University. Throughout his academic journey, he developed an interest in rural medicine, mental health, and sports medicine. He has a passion for using integrative approaches to help patients live active lives. Outside of medicine Thomas loves to read, run, ski, and cook with his wife.
Aathman Swaminathan, MD Aathman was born and raised in Rhode Island and briefly lived in the United Kingdom during his middle school years. He attended undergrad at the University of Vermont and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Neuroscience in May 2015. After college, Aathman worked as a research assistant within the Department of Neurology at the Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore, MD from 2015-2018 and then went on to receive his Master of Science in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the Bloomberg School of Public Health in 2020. In 2024, Aathman received his medical degree from The Robert Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont. Aathman’s interest in Family Medicine developed late in his medical school journey and he hopes to find a means to combine his neuroscience background with primary care. He is beyond excited to start his medical training at CVPH and is grateful to remain a homegrown resident physician as part of the University of Vermont Health Network! In his spare time, Aathman is a keen martial artist and has been practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu on and off since 2017. He also loves listening to audiobooks, watching sports and playing video games. He is a proud dog dad to a yorkie mix named Mowgli, and a self-described “family man” as a loving partner, brother and son. Meet The Class of 2026Maria Czajkowski, MD Maria was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. She completed her undergraduate studies at The University of Toronto and went on to pursue medicine at Poznan University of Medical Sciences. She is interested in emergency medicine, as well as geriatrics and full spectrum care. Born to Polish parents, she enjoys exploring Polish recipes, travelling, playing tennis, spending time outdoors with her husband Michal and visiting her family in Toronto.
Michal Klokner, MD Michal was born Etobicoke, a suburb of Toronto, before moving with his parents to Poland where he spent much of his childhood on his grandparent’s farm. He returned to Canada to begin school and attended the University of Toronto for his undergraduate studies, majoring in Human Biology. He went on to pursue his dream of becoming a physician by returning to Poland to attend Poznan University of Medical Sciences. He is very passionate about sports medicine and rural medicine, as he hopes to one day open his own practice in a rural and underserved area and fulfill his dream of living away from the city. He attributes all his success to the support system of his family and friends, as well as his wife Maria, who he is grateful to share his journey with. In his free time, Michal enjoys spending time outdoors playing sports and fishing, as well as avidly cheering on his favorite sports teams with unrelenting loyalty.
Jacob Moore, DO Jacob was born and raised in Glendale, Arizona. He completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Arizona in physiology with a minor in biochemistry. He went on to complete a graduate program getting a masters in biomedical sciences at Midwestern University. He then matriculated into medical school at Midwestern University Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine. He aspires to become a well-rounded family medicine physician in a small-town setting with skills for both inpatient and outpatient medicine. Other interests include playing basketball, powerlifting, cooking (especially guacamole), and spending time with his wife and two kids.
Nicholas Rzepski, MD Nicholas Rzepski was born and raised in Chadds Ford, PA. He attended New York University where he received his Bachelor’s degree in Classics and French. He attended medical school at Drexel University College of Medicine. Medically, his interests are preventative medicine, reproductive and gender-affirming care, and performing small procedures. In his free time, he enjoys playing guitar, hiking, kayaking, cooking, and learning languages.
Esha Sanyal, MD Born in Toronto, Ontario but raised in the US, Canada and the Middle East, Esha has loved travelling and seeing medicine in different countries. She completed her undergraduate degree in Anatomy and Cell Biology with a minor in Anthropology from McGill University in Montreal, QC and medical school at the American University of the Caribbean in St. Maarten, Netherland Antilles. She pursued her third year of medical school in Epsom General Hospital in the United Kingdom followed by fourth year in the US between New York and Chicago. Her passions in family medicine lie in preventative care, women's health and lifestyle medicine. In the year she took off between medical school and residency she mentored medical students and started a small (tiny) home baking business! In her time off she loves to bake cakes, cook, and travel with her husband.
Charlotte Spear, MD Charlotte grew up in rural Colorado and Wyoming on a horse ranch where her passion for serving rural communities began. She completed her undergraduate degree in Biology at Hamilton College in Clinton, NY and later went on to pursue her Masters in Anatomy and medical degree at Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha, NE. Charlotte underwent her clinical training at St. Joseph Hospital Medical Center in Phoenix, AZ where she volunteered in free clinics in South Phoenix. She later went on to pursue training in general surgery and spent four years at West Virgina University, Ruby Memorial Hospital, an 800-bed Level I trauma center in Morgantown, WV. Refocusing on her passion to serve communities in rural and austere environments, Charlotte made a career transition and joined the family medicine residency at CVPH. Her interests include wilderness and international medicine, mission work, and wound care. In her spare time, she enjoys exploring the outdoors, gardening, and painting.
Christina Yang, MD Christina was born and raised in China. She came to the United States for Ph.D. in organic chemistry at the University of Vermont. After that, she moved to Montreal to attend medical school at McGill University. Her interest in family medicine includes full-spectrum primary care in rural regions, women’s health, dermatology, geriatrics, and urgent care. During her free time, she loves playing with her two young kids. She enjoys watching her children grow while pursuing her lifelong dream of becoming a physician. Meet The Class of 2025
Eric King, MD Eric grew up in Vermont where he learned to enjoy the natural beauty of the Lake Champlain region. He studied biology with a minor in philosophy at Denison University for his undergraduate degree. He then went on an adventure to Mozambique where he served as a Peace Corps volunteer, teaching high school chemistry in a rural setting for 2 years before attending medical school at the University of Vermont. He has interests in rural medicine, longitudinal care, and mental health. In his free time Eric likes to hike, camp, canoe, ride bikes, read sci fi, and "compete" in various card, board, and video games.
Jeffrey Klotz, MD Jeffrey was born and raised in Caledon, Ontario. From there he went on to play NCAA Division I tennis on a scholarship at Stetson University in Florida. While competing he received both a B.A. in philosophy and a B.Sc. in biology. Jeffrey then went on to the University of Toronto to do his Master’s in medical science, while designing a hospital-implemented eHealth tool at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. Jeffrey attended medical school at St. George’s University in the Global Scholars program and spent his first year in Newcastle, England, his second year in Grenada, West Indies, and his final two years gaining clinical experience at hospitals in Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx. Jeffrey is very excited to be joining the team at CVPH and hopes to bring his diverse experience and training to be the best advocate he can for his patients. His academic interests include bioethics, patient education, informed consent, and public health. Outside of medicine, Jeffrey enjoys travelling, racquet sports, golf, cycling and mountain biking, hiking, camping, skiing, and all things outdoors.
Jared McDonald, MD Jared was born and raised in Cornwall, Ontario. He studied Biology and Psychology at Carleton University in Ottawa as an undergrad, and went on to complete his M.Sc in molecular physiology at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. Jared then attended medical school at St. George’s University. Hailing from Cornwall very close by, Jared is familiar with upstate NY, having learned to ski at Titus Mountain as a teenager. This familiarity of the area made Plattsburgh a perfect place for him as it feels so much like home. He is very passionate about small-town primary care and preventative medicine and is eager to become a part of the wonderful community. In his spare time, Jared can be found playing/watching basketball, *trying* to work out at the gym, or spending time with his lovely wife and dogs.
Aaron Rode, MD Aaron was born in Mississauga, Ontario and grew up in the border town of LaSalle, Ontario. He attended the University of Western Ontario where he studied kinesiology, a field that enriched his lifelong passion for medicine. He pursued his medical degree at St. George’s University and completed his clinical training in Detroit, Michigan. One of Aaron’s favorite parts of medicine is getting to know his patients and using his knowledge to work together with them to develop a healthier, happier life. He also holds special interests in preventative and community medicine and behavioral health. He developed a particular interest in sports medicine while training to compete at the 2012 & 2016 Olympic Trials as a swimmer. When he is not at the hospital, he enjoys hiking and exploring the outdoors, swimming, running, watching hockey, and spending time with his friends. He is thrilled and grateful to have the opportunity to explore the North Country and work with the people of its communities.
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