Cristina Caridi, MD

Undergraduate: George Washington University, Washington, DC
Medical School: St. George’s University School of Medicine, Grenada, West Indies
Residency: New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, Brooklyn, NY

Q & A with Dr. Cristina Caridi

How did you get into pediatrics?
I absolutely love working with children, and the opportunity to watch them grow up and help set them up for success made choosing pediatrics a no-brainer.

Where did you grow up?
New York City.

Where do you live?
Red Hook.

What do you enjoy most about working in your neighborhood office?
I lived in Williamsburg and Bushwick for several years and am thrilled to be back serving the families of this community.

What do you do for fun?
I love to be outdoors. I spend a lot of time at the park with my family, and we love to go upstate whenever we have the chance.

Orin Imani Donaldson, MD

Undergraduate: Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education, New York, NY
Medical School: Albany Medical College, Albany, NY
Residency: Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, NY

Q&A with Dr. Orin Imani Donaldson

How did you get into pediatrics?
I always felt that children and teens deserved advocates that took care of them not just in regards to their physical health but also their mental and social wellbeing as well. Building trusting relationships with families and seeing them grow has always been my favorite part of residency and sorry to all of the adults out there but working with kids is way more fun.

Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Jamaica, Queens. Being a New Yorker with Caribbean roots has always been a big point of pride for me and made me feel even more connected to my patients especially my patients of color. Being from such a diverse background, you get a real appreciation for medical equity and advocating that your patients get the full care that they deserve.

Where do you live?
I still live in Jamaica, Queens and hope to remain a resident of the five Boroughs for a long time.

What do you enjoy most about working in your neighborhood office?
Working with a great team of medical professionals, bringing smiles and great health to my patients, and being a part of community efforts to improve patient outcomes and close the gap on health disparities.

What keeps you motivated?
Knowing that I’ll be working with a great team and building trusting relationships with my patients and their families is great motivation for me.
No one will ever know every single aspect of medicine but I hope to improve my knowledge every day.

What do you do for fun?
I love playing with my son, date nights with my wife, reading more books (where are my Stormlight Archive fans at?), hanging out with my friends, or just vegging out on the couch rewatching movies I’ve seen a million times. One of my goals is to make exercise a more consistent part of my routine so I can maybe participate in a Spartan Race one of these days.

Prachi Gautam, MD

Medical School: Lala Lajpat Rai Memorial Medical College, India
Residency: MLN Med College, Allahabad, India and SN Med College, Agra, India
Additional Training: Pediatric Nephrology Fellowship, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York
Additional Languages: Hindi

Q & A with Dr. Prachi Gautam

How did you get into pediatrics?
Growing up, I was always comfortable being around children and could relate to them easily. I chose to be a Pediatrician and have loved every minute of my career. I think children are the most innocent and pure form of human beings. They are energetic, funny and great to work with. Having raised children of my own, I can relate to concerns of children and families that come to Pediatric clinics.

Where did you grow up?
I grew up in India.

Where do you live?
Brooklyn, New York.

What do you enjoy most about working in your neighborhood office?
The warm, family environment.

What keeps you motivated?
Helping my children and families, and providing the best possible care.

What do you do for fun?
Listen to music, spend time with my family, watch movies, and go on picnics!

Brianna Johnson, DO

Undergraduate: Drake University, Des Moines, IA
Medical School: Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Des Moines, IA
Residency: Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY
Additional Languages: Spanish

Q & A with Dr. Brianna Johnson

How did you get into pediatrics?
I come from a family of educators; my dad was a school counselor and my mom a school psychologist. My brother followed in their footsteps, but I was more interested in medicine. However, primary care is where my heart is. I love working not only with children themselves, but also with their parents to help guide them through the obstacles that come with growing up. Connecting with patients and their families is one of the aspects of medicine that I most enjoy.

Where did you grow up?
Hastings, Minnesota.

Where do you live?
Midtown Manhattan.

What do you enjoy most about working in your neighborhood office?
The best part of pediatrics is watching the kids grow! It’s so rewarding and fun to see patients month to month and year to year.

What keeps you motivated?
Being a pediatrician ties together both my ability to build relationships and my affinity for problem-solving. I am very motivated by the help I feel I can provide to patients, whether that is by answering a simple newborn question or digging deep to help solve a complex medical problem.

What do you do for fun?
I love to explore the city and enjoy discovering new places to eat or shop. When I’m feeling like an adventure, I like to hike, and when I’m feeling lazier, I like to bake. I also enjoy trips back to Minnesota whenever I can to spend time with family and friends!

Danielle Lajoux, PNP

Undergraduate: Binghamton University, State University of New York, Binghamton, NY
Graduate School: New York University, Rory Meyers College of Nursing, New York, NY

Q & A with Danielle Lajoux

How did you get into pediatrics?
I always wanted to work with children from when I was younger. They are curious and eager to learn. They keep you on your toes, and they keep you laughing. It is also truly rewarding helping children to be healthy and to stay healthy so that they can grow into the people they want to be one day.

Where did you grow up?
Riverdale, NY.

Where do you live?
Riverdale, NY.

What do you enjoy most about working in your neighborhood office?
I am eager and excited to meet the families I am going to serve in this community.

What keeps you motivated?
The constantly growing field of pediatrics keeps me motivated. I enjoy reading the latest updates that help guide our practices to better serve our children. Also, watching children grow and learn about the world around them and the joy they have in learning something new keeps me motivated to continue learning myself.

What do you do for fun?
I enjoy staying active by running and taking ballet classes in the city.

Joseph Louie, MD

Undergraduate: Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY.
Medical School: Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, Bronx, NY
Residency: Jacobi Medical Center, Bronx, NY
Additional languages: Spanish

Q & A with Dr. Joseph Louie

How did you get into pediatrics?
When I was six, my younger sister was born, and I’ve loved kids ever since (especially babies). Watching her grow up and working with kids at church solidified my choice. By the time I started medical school, I knew I was going for pediatrics and there wasn’t even a close second! Children keep me humble and make me belly-laugh.

Where did you grow up?
Westchester County.

Where do you live?
Manhattan.

What keeps you motivated?
I love working with children of all ages, building long-term relationships with families, and learning more along the way. Having great colleagues, wise mentors, and a loving community are all essential as well!

What do you do for fun?
I enjoy bouldering, singing, and playing video games.

Yuliana Noah, MD

Undergraduate: Rutgers University New Brunswick, NJ
Medical School: Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY
Residency: Jacobi Medical Center, Bronx, NY

Q & A with Dr. Yuliana Noah

How did you get into pediatrics?
My journey to finding pediatrics was a slow one, which probably started with my own pediatrician as a child who I remember always had a gentle manner and a toy on his stethoscope (thanks Dr. Gooberman!). Eventually I was drawn to the field as I believe it is perhaps one of the few medical specialties that emphasizes holistic preventative care, in particular of young people and their families.

Where did you grow up?
New Jersey.

Where do you live?
Manhattan.

What keeps you motivated?
Generally, I stay motivated by developing strong relationships with my colleagues and working as a team, as well as balancing caring for children with caring for my mind and body.

What do you do for fun?
Fun and play take many forms for me! I enjoy cooking, ceramics, running/tennis/yoga, reading and writing, meditation, and learning new skills or hobbies (right now dabbling in learning a golf swing, knitting, and chess). I would also like to start learning a new language and maybe picking up an instrument!

Travis Pearson, MD

Undergraduate: Farmingdale State College, Farmingdale, NY
Medical School: St. George’s University School of Medicine, Grenada, WI
Residency: Ascension St. John Hospital, Detroit, MI

Q & A with Dr. Travis Pearson

How did you get into pediatrics?
I love working with children and being involved in their development throughout the early stages of their lives.The two events which helped reinforce my decision to choose Pediatrics were when I spent a week in an orphanage in the Dominican Republic during my time in college and when I rotated in Pediatrics during my third and fourth years of medical school.

Where did you grow up?
Cambria Heights in Queens, and Brooklyn.

Where do you live?
Brooklyn, NY.

What do you enjoy most about working in your neighborhood office?
I enjoy being able to work in the borough where I grew up and being able to work with kids who grew up in the same environment that I once did. I also enjoy being minutes away from my family here!

What keeps you motivated?
My fellow colleagues and everyone else who has have guided me along the way. My family keeps me motivated as well, including my niece and nephew.My family keeps me motivated as well, including my niece and nephew.

What do you do for fun?
I enjoy watching sports, especially soccer, and am now starting to get back into playing soccer and other sports since I tore my ACL back in 2020. I also like to try out new restaurants to eat at and I also like to travel. I have a whole list of countries that I want to visit in the future!

Mohammad Rizvi, MD

Undergraduate: Queens College, City University of New York, Queens, NY
Medical School: St. George’s University School of Medicine, Grenada, West Indies
Residency: Hackensack University Medical Center, Hackensack, NJ
Additional languages: Urdu

Q & A with Dr. Mohammad Rizvi

How did you get into pediatrics?
Within the first week of my pediatric rotation in medical school, I knew exactly what specialty I’d be going into. Seeing children and babies overcome their illnesses had really shed light on just how resilient children can be and helping them recover from what life throws their way whether it be sickness or the struggles of growing up gave me a sense of fulfillment that I really didn’t see coming.

Where did you grow up?
Long Island, NY.

Where do you live?
Jersey City, NJ.

What keeps you motivated?
Knowing that the work I put in every day to become the best doctor I can be can not only help me grow as a person but can potentially have a positive impact on the life of another.

What do you do for fun?
When I’m not working I like to keep myself active with hobbies such as basketball and muay thai as well as enjoying quality time with my nieces and nephews.

Yevgeniya (Jane) Shurp, MD

Medical School: Central Asian Medical Pediatrics Institute, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Residency: St Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital, New York, NY
Additional languages: Russian

Q & A with Dr. Yevgeniya (Jane) Shurp

How did you get into pediatrics?
I have always dreamed of becoming a physician, specifically, a pediatrician. My choice was greatly influenced by my grandmother, who was a highly respected and prominent pediatrician. She encouraged my interest in becoming a pediatrician, but wanted me to realize that there was more to medicine than saving lives and relieving suffering. She taught me that this profession carries an enormous responsibilities for whole patient and this responsibility entails emotional stress.

Where did you grow up?
Tashkent, Uzbekistan (former USSR).

Where do you live?
Westchester.

What do you enjoy most about working in your neighborhood office?
I like to be the part of the community: see kids and their families outside the office, and read about their achievements in local newspapers.

What keeps you motivated?
Smiles on children’s and caregiver’s faces. Watching the kids grow and mature over the years and developing a unique bond with not only the child but the whole family.

What do you do for fun?
I like to travel, garden, cook, and spend time with friends and family.