Residency Profiles

PGY5

Benjamin Childs, M.D.
Benjamin Childs, M.D.

Hometown: Detroit, Michigan
Undergrad: Columbia University
Medical School: Florida Atlantic University College of Medicine
Favorite thing about El Paso: The mountains and the sunshine.
Hobbies/Interests: Technology.

Isaac Fernandez, M.D.
Isaac Fernandez, M.D.

Hometown: El Paso, Texas
Undergrad: University of Texas at El Paso
Medical School: University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
Favorite thing about El Paso: The culture and people.
Hobbies/Interests: Various outdoor activities, vehicle performance modifications, off-roading,
physics, coding, and device design.

Joshua Simson, M.D.
Joshua Simson, M.D.

Hometown: Overland Park, Kansas
Undergrad: University of Texas at Austin
Medical School: Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, TTUHSC El Paso
Favorite thing about El Paso: Franklin Mountains.
Hobbies/Interests: Spending time with my wife and our Jack Russell terriers, home gym, sports, and
travel.

Mikel Tihista, M.D.
Mikel Tihista, M.D.

Hometown: Seattle, Washington
Undergrad: Washington State University
Medical School: The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Favorite thing about El Paso: Weather, señoritas, margaritas, cheap enough I could build a pool, no
traffic, need I say further?
Hobbies/Interests: Other than those applicable above, up north (in a past life): Snow skiing, travel,
golf, wake boarding, slalom skiing, scuba, surfing, and back packing.

Matthew Wells, D.O.
Matthew Wells, D.O.

Hometown: West Milford, New Jersey
Undergrad: The College of New Jersey
Medical School: Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
Favorite thing about El Paso: Being able to go outside or to the park with my wife and boys every
season of the year. The weather is fantastic here.
Hobbies/Interests: Spending time with family, working out, and hiking

PGY4

Anthony Gavalas, M.D.r
Anthony Gavalas, M.D.

Hometown: North Augusta, South Carolina
Undergrad: Francis Marion University
Medical School: University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia
Favorite thing about El Paso: All the outdoor activities and great weather.
Hobbies/Interests: Golf, working out, off-roading.

Jeffrey Jones, M.D.
Jeffrey Jones, M.D.

Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky
Undergrad: University of Louisville
Medical School: University of Louisville
Favorite thing about El Paso: The people are friendly.
Hobbies/Interests: Cooking, car/home maintenance, and precision rifle shooting.

James Jordan, M.D.
James Jordan, M.D.

Hometown: Smyrna, Tennessee
Undergrad: Tennessee Technological University
Medical School: East Tennessee State University Quillen College of Medicine
Favorite thing about El Paso: The blend of cultures, great food, and all of the nice people I have
been fortunate enough to meet so far.
Hobbies/Interests: Spending time with my wife and son and our two dogs, Alabama football,
weightlifting.

Logan Kenney, M.D.
Logan Kenney, M.D.

Hometown: State College, Pennsylvania
Undergrad: Penn State University
Medical School: Uniformed Services University, F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine
Favorite thing about El Paso: Warm weather and outdoor activities.
Hobbies/Interests: Sports, hiking, climbing, movies.

Cole Patrick, M.D.
Cole Patrick, M.D.

Hometown: Lawton, Oklahoma
Undergrad: United States Military Academy
Medical School: University of Oklahoma College of Medicine
Favorite thing about El Paso: The mountains.
Hobbies/Interests: Skiing, rock-climbing, building, and family.

 

PGY3

Aaron J. Folsom, M.D., PGY-1
Aaron J. Folsom, M.D.

Hometown: Warren, Michigan
Undergrad: United States Military Academy, West Point, New York
Medical School: Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, MarylandMedicine
Favorite thing about El Paso: Outdoor recreation.
Hobbies/Interests: Backpacking, hiking, scuba diving, emergency preparedness.

Cole Johnson, M.D., PGY-1
Cole Johnson, M.D.

Hometown: Shelbyville, Indiana
Undergrad: University of Notre Dame
Medical School: University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Favorite thing about El Paso: Sunshine and Mexican food.
Hobbies/Interests: Grilling, playing board games, golfing and kayaking.

Franklin Powlan, M.D., PGY-1
Franklin Powlan, M.D.

Hometown: Denver, Colorado
Undergrad: University of Colorado – Boulder, Boulder, Colorado
Medical School: University of Colorado School of Medicine
Favorite thing about El Paso: Sunshine and cost of living.
Hobbies/Interests: Staying physically active by going to the gym, hiking, mountain biking, and skiing. Trying new local restaurants and unique cuisines. Spending time with my significant other, our dog, and friends.

Kayleigh Renfro, M.D., PGY-1
Kayleigh Renfro, M.D.

Hometown: Carrollton, Texas
Undergrad: Newman University, Wichita, Kansas
Medical School: The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Texas
Favorite thing about El Paso: I love all the good restaurants and how friendly everyone is here.
Hobbies/Interests: Ultimate Frisbee, Concerts, Cooking and Grilling: My personal favorites are gumbo and my signature kabobs.

Reid Tompkins, M.D., PGY-1
Reid Tompkins, M.D.

Hometown: Corpus Christi, Texas
Undergrad: Texas A & M University, College Station, Texas
Medical School: Foster School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, El Paso, Texas
Favorite thing about El Paso: Outdoor recreation.
Hobbies/Interests: Wakeboarding, sports, reading, exercising, golf, spending time with wife.

 

PGY2

Christopher Bacak, M.D.
Christopher Bacak, M.D.

Hometown: Austin, Texas
Undergrad: The University of Texas at Austin
Medical School: The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Long School of Medicine
Favorite thing about El Paso: The Franklin Mountains and opportunities to hike. Everyone in the city is so incredibly friendly and welcoming.
Hobbies/Interests: I'm a proud dog owner, enjoy hiking, traveling and exploring local restaurants.

Josh Hansen, M.D.
Josh Hansen, M.D.

Hometown:Pocatello, Idaho
Undergrad: Utah State University
Medical School: Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences
Favorite thing about El Paso: The sense of community.
Hobbies/Interests: I love to spend time with my kids and dog. Our favorite things to do are to go to the gym, spend time outdoors, and watch movies.

Marc Nicholes, M.D.
Marc Nicholes, D.O.

Hometown: Medford, Oregon
Undergrad: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – Prescott Campus
Medical School: University of Incarnate Word School of Medicine
Favorite thing about El Paso: The 300+ sunny days every year. The food and scenery of the Southwest.
Hobbies/Interests: Taking my wife and kids exploring and hunting in the mountains of Texas and Southern New Mexico. Jiu jitsu, any sport with a ball, and working on my cabin.

Alexis Sandler, M.D.
Alexis Sandler, M.D.

Hometown: Iowa City, Iowa
Undergrad: George Washington University
Medical School: George Washington University School of Medicine
Favorite thing about El Paso: The mountains and desert.
Hobbies/Interests: Weightlifting/CrossFit, trail running, nonfiction, smoking fish.

Annette Yoon, M.D.
Annette Yoon, M.D.

Hometown: Huntington Beach, California
Undergrad: United States Military Academy
Medical School: Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences
Favorite thing about El Paso: The land of trauma, tacos, and tequila. What’s not to love.
Hobbies/Interests: Lifting, concerts, wakeboarding, breweries/wineries.

 

PGY1

David Fogg, M.D.
David Fogg, M.D.

Hometown: Edina, Minnesota.
Undergrad: Georgia Tech.
Medical School: University of Pittsburgh.
Favorite thing about El Paso: Hiking.
Hobbies/Interests: Running.

John McNamara, M.D.
John McNamara, M.D.

Hometown: Morristown, New Jersey.
Undergrad: Boston College.
Medical School: Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
Favorite thing about El Paso: The food. 
Hobbies/Interests: Working out, recreational softball, traveling, and the New York Giants

Mohamad “Max” Pourghaed, M.D.
Mohamad “Max” Pourghaed, M.D.

Hometown: Houston, Texas.
Undergrad: The University of Texas at Austin.
Medical School: Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Lubbock.
Favorite thing about El Paso: Franklin Mountains, abuelitas' tacos al pastor, and the warm culture.
Hobbies/Interests: Houston and Longhorn sports, weight lifting, stock market investing, Catan/poker/chess, cooking, and spending time with friends and family.

Natasha Simske, M.D.
Natasha Simske, M.D.

Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio.
Undergrad: University of Wisconsin - Madison.
Medical School: Medical College of Wisconsin.
Favorite thing about El Paso: The mountains!  
Hobbies/Interests: Running, hiking, oil painting, piano, harassing my cat Toby, and not weightlifting.

Amy Thompson, M.D.
Amy Thompson, M.D.

Hometown: Macungie, Pennsylvania.
Undergrad:  United States Military Academy.
Medical School:  Penn State College of Medicine.
Favorite thing about El Paso: Mountains and sun.
Hobbies/Interests: Rock climbing and baking sourdough bread.