Residents
Residents at UH St. John’s Medical Center, in conjunction with Northeast Ohio Medical University receive an immersive and comprehensive education that prepares them for careers in hospital medicine, primary care and subspecialties.
Chief Residents
Stephanie Brooks, DO
Hometown: Indianapolis, IN
Medical School: Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine (KYCOM)
Professional Interest: Critical Care Medicine and Hospital Administration
I took an unconventional path to residency, beginning my journey as a medical device sales representative for a women's healthcare company. This experience ignited my passion for hospital administration and motivated me to attend medical school. While attending KYCOM, I fell in love with the intensive care unit and I plan to pursue a career in critical care after residency. During my time at St. John's, I was able to take part in programs that furthered my passion for hospital administration, such as completing my Six Sigma certification through a partnership with NEOMED. I am honored to serve as the Academic Chief for the Internal Medicine Program and I look forward to making a positive impact on the program. When I am not cheering on my favorite sports teams, I am either checking out the newest food scene or hunting for my next hidden gem at a local thrift spot.
Lukasz Sobieraj, DO
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Medical School: Midwestern University Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine (CCOM)
Professional Interest: Acute Care Medicine, Critical Care Medicine
I am originally from Chicago, IL having grown up in a predominantly Polish upbringing. I earned my bachelor’s degree from Vassar College and then went on to earn my osteopathic medicine degree from MWU-CCOM located in the suburbs of Chicago. I am currently the Internal Medicine Clinical Chief Resident for the 2025-2026 academic year. Outside of work, I enjoy playing sand volleyball, volunteering at the local animal shelters, and lifting weights. Cleveland has been a wonderful home away from home offering a multitude of resources for all my interests. I am also an avid traveler, foodie, and always looking for my next good meal.
Current Residents
Meet Some of Our Residents
- Caitlin Clay, DO
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Caitlin Clay, DO
Hometown: Luckey, Ohio
Medical School: Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine - Cleveland Campus
Professional Interest: Gastroenterology and Hospital MedicineWhat advice would you give to a M-4 student applying to residency?
Be authentically yourself during interviews, and you’ll end up where you’re meant to be. As medical school winds down, take full advantage of your time off—travel, spend time with loved ones, try something new, and enjoy the freedom before residency begins.What inspired you to pursue internal medicine?
Before medical school, I worked as a patient care assistant on a cardiac step-down unit. It was my first real exposure to internal medicine, and I was inspired by the depth of knowledge and care the doctors brought to each patient. I’ve been drawn to internal medicine ever since, and my third year of med school only strengthened that interest. I love the critical thinking it requires, the variety of pathology, and the flexibility to explore so many directions within the field.What are you most looking forward to as you begin your Internal Medicine Residency?
I’m most excited to learn how to think like a physician and to gain confidence in diagnosing and managing complex patients. I also look forward to getting to know my co-residents and building strong bonds with the people I’ll be growing alongside over the next three years.What are the top three things you want to accomplish during residency?
I hope to become confident and capable in procedural skills. I also want to develop my teaching skills by supporting medical students and, eventually, guiding interns the way my seniors supported me. Lastly, I’d love to have the opportunity to present at a conference. - Natalia Diaz-Medero, MD
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Natalia Diaz-Medero, MD
Hometown: Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Medical School: American University of Antigua College of Medicine
Professional Interest: Hospitalist or Critical CareWhat advice would you give to a M-4 student applying to residency?
Be as genuine as possible on interviews so you can be true to yourself and have a list of priorities that are important for you to have in your program so that it can be a great match.What inspired you to pursue internal medicine?
What inspires me to pursue internal medicine is being part of the primary team where I can provide a full and interdisciplinary care and be an advocate for my patients.What are you most looking forward to as you begin your Internal Medicine Residency?
I’m looking forward to continue learning, applying my knowledge to improve the care of the patients and have a better perspective into my future plans in my career.What are the top three things you want to accomplish during residency?
During my residency part of my goals are to expand my knowledge, be able to challenge myself outside of my comfort zones and continue working on becoming my best version. - Hamzeh Jajeh, DO
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Hamzeh Jajeh, DO
Hometown: Damascus, Syria
Medical School: Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine
Professional Interest: GIWhat advice would you give to a M-4 student applying to residency?
A moment of pain is worth a lifetime of glory.What inspired you to pursue internal medicine?
I like how broad and well-rounded you become after IM.What are you most looking forward to as you begin your Internal Medicine Residency?
Get to know the community and work together as a team.What are the top three things you want to accomplish during residency?
Become a great compassionate physician that treats patients from all walks of life with dignity and respect. - Isaac Kuragayala, MD
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Isaac Kuragayala, MD
Hometown: Cleveland, OH
Medical School: Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED)
Professional Interest: CardiologyWhat advice would you give to a M-4 student applying to residency?
Make sure you know what you’re signing up for. Don’t pick a field based on how the residents’ work/life is like. Shadow some attendings and see what their day to day is like. When it comes to actual interview season, make sure you practice with someone who can give you constructive feedback. Have the answers to the most commonly asked questions ready. You’ll be surprised how chill some of these interviews will go. Finally, make sure you take some time for yourself. You worked hard to get to this stage, so don’t crash and burn just yet! Residency is truly what you make of it. You can coast by, or you can put yourself forward at each opportunity that’s presented. More so than anything, really imagine what you want your life to be like in your 40s and 50s and make a plan to get there.What inspired you to pursue internal medicine?
Internal medicine is a field where you can truly experience everything. Sure, peds is out of the wheelhouse, but everything else is fair game. Modern medicine is truly a marvel, and when I think back to the days of William Osler when he was pioneering the field, modern day internal medicine gives you a true appreciation for how far medical science has come. For me, I wanted to be competent in all aspects of medicine. I enjoy the unpredictability of each day. I enjoy the breadth of knowledge that is required from me when treating each patient. The satisfaction I feel when I successfully make the correct diagnosis and see the effects of my treatments on patients is a feeling I didn’t get from any other rotation from med school. When I enjoyed internal medicine this much, I couldn’t envision myself doing anything else.What are you most looking forward to as you begin your Internal Medicine Residency?
To be frank, I’m most eager to actually put my education to the test. In med school, we sit and study for hours upon hours, and to me, it felt like I wasn’t really “doing” medicine. Regurgitating facts on an exam was not fun, but once 3rd and 4th year came along, I finally felt like my studying amounted to something. I want to soak up as much as I can. With St. John’s, there is ample opportunities for procedural experience which I’m looking forward to as well.What are the top three things you want to accomplish during residency?
- I really want to get better at reading and remembering landmark papers in the field, especially in Cardiology.
- I have a driver sitting in my garage collecting dust. I want to pull the trigger and get an iron set and actually get better at golf.
- I need to actually get past recursion lol. There have been so many times I started and stopped learning to code, and recursion has been my road block every time. Hopefully, I’ll actually have some time to truly understand it.
- Erika Bravo, DO
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Erika Bravo, DO
Hometown: Rochester, NY
Medical School: Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
Professional Interest: Infectious DiseaseWhat is your favorite part of the St. John’s Internal Medicine Program?
Supportive environment. Everyone (my colleagues and attendings) is always there to help you grow and succeed as long as you keep an open-mind and stay receptive to feedback. You would never feel alone.What is the most difficult part of residency?
Transitioning from PGY-1 to PGY-2 as you take in more responsibilities--which can be overwhelming. However, with perseverance and faith in own's abilities, you will get through it!What advice would you give to a M-4 student applying to residency?
Make the most out of all your rotations. Learn as much as you can from your residents and attendings. I did this during my M4, and it made transitioning from M4 to PGY-1 easier.What’s life in Cleveland like outside of the hospital?
Cleveland is surprisingly diverse! It has everything I like—bougie coffee shops (highly recommend Mojo's at Bay Village), thrift shops with hidden gems, markets with international foods selections and fresh produces, etc. Aside from shops, Cleveland also has great MetroParks! My favorite one is Rocky River Reservation! It has great hiking trails, and it looks beautiful in the Fall with all the foliage.What’s your favorite Cleveland restaurant?
Hands up to Istanbul Grill! They have the best baba-ghanoush and delicious pita bread! - Christine Hruska, DO
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Christine Hruska, DO
Hometown: Lenexa, KS
Medical School: Lincoln Memorial University in Tennessee
Professional Interest: Keeping my options open (considering hospitalist, endocrinology, nephrology, rheumatology)What is your favorite part of the St. John’s Internal Medicine Program?
My favorite part about SJMC IM Residency is the people. My co-residents are super helpful and supportive, and all of the attendings are great too. The specialists are nice and always willing to answer questions when you want to clarify the treatment plan. The nurses, social workers, and everyone else in the hospital are also super friendly.What is the most difficult part of residency?
Maintaining work-life balance during medicine and ICU blocks.What advice would you give to a M-4 student applying to residency?
Be yourself and be prepared for your interviews. Be sure to show interest, but also keep in mind that an interview is a chance for you to get to know the program as well. It can be very difficult ranking programs with virtual interviews, so do your best to learn as much as you can about the programs. If able, doing audition rotations is a great way to learn more about a program's culture and determine if you would be a good fit.What’s life in Cleveland like outside of the hospital?
There's a lot to do in Cleveland! The park system is great, and there are beaches along the lake as well. There are plenty of sports teams, including football, baseball, basketball, and minor league hockey. There's also a lot of rec sports leagues that you can get involved with too.What’s your favorite Cleveland restaurant?
That's a tough question. I really like Lehman's Deli & Bakery, which is at Detroit and Columbia, so somewhat close to the hospital. I also really enjoy Momocho, a Mexican restaurant in Ohio City.