{"id":8055,"date":"2021-06-22T11:05:12","date_gmt":"2021-06-22T15:05:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/emergmed\/?page_id=8055"},"modified":"2025-07-11T14:42:49","modified_gmt":"2025-07-11T18:42:49","slug":"class-of-2024","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/emergmed\/education\/residency\/meet-the-residents\/class-of-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Class of 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"

Steven App<\/h2>\n
\n
\nHometown<\/strong>: Louisville, KY
\nUndergrad<\/strong>: Indiana University, Bloomington
\nMed School<\/strong>: University of Kentucky College of Medicine
\nAreas of Interest<\/strong>: Ultrasound, Disaster Medicine, Critical Care
\nHobbies<\/strong>: Weightlifting, Wakeboarding, Snowboarding, Big Green Egg
\nWhy I chose<\/strong>: Apart from the awesome people, one of the main attractions to UNC for me was the breadth of training experience. UNC provides longitudinal exposure to academic and <\/em>community EM \u2013 a rare find on the interview trail. Couple that with the supportive family culture\/outstanding location, and it is easy to see why UNC emphatically provided that \u201cgut feeling.\u201d
\nEmail<\/strong>: Steven.App@unchealth.unc.edu<\/a><\/div>\n
\n\"Steven<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Alex Fenn<\/h2>\n
\n
\nHometown<\/strong>: Fort Collins, Colorado
\nUndergrad (and post-baccalaureate program)<\/strong>: University of Colorado Boulder
\nMed School<\/strong>: Duke University School of Medicine
\nAreas of Interest<\/strong>: Medical Education\/Teaching\/Curriculum Design, Social EM, Wilderness\/Austere Medicine
\nHobbies<\/strong>: Running long distances, experimenting with food (currently: homemade ice cream and pizza) and fermentation (sourdough, kombucha, kimchi), gardening, all home improvement projects I can get my hands on, anything that gets me outside, listening to podcasts at 2x
\nWhy I chose<\/strong>: It was clear to me from my (virtual) interview day that UNC checked all the boxes (and then some) for what I was looking for in a residency! UNC offers unparalleled clinical training at multiple, varied sites, and the opportunity to learn from world-class faculty. Though it probably seems clich\u00e9, it was readily apparent that the residents at UNC are a giant family and truly happy, and that the program leadership has created a warm and welcoming environment, something that was extremely important to me as I thought about where I wanted to do my residency.<\/p>\n

Additionally, having lived in the Triangle for medical school, I find this area of the country immensely livable. There are ample opportunities to explore the outdoors just minutes from my backyard, and a thriving restaurant\/drink scene, all of which is very affordable on a resident’s salary. Though I am perpetually adjusting to the humidity, there’s no place I’d rather be!
\nEmail<\/strong>: Alexander.Fenn@unchealth.unc.edu<\/a><\/div>\n

\n\"\"<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Naira Goukasian<\/h2>\n
\n
\nHometown<\/strong>: Los Angeles, California (Born in Armenia)
\nUndergrad<\/strong>: University of California, Los Angeles
\nMed School<\/strong>: University of Vermont – Larner College of Medicine
\nAreas of Interest<\/strong>: Medical Education, Ultrasound, Critical Care
\nHobbies<\/strong>: Basketball, cooking for people, hiking,\u00a0singing the wrong lyrics in the shower,\u00a0spinning, creating cheese boards, and playing video games.
\nWhy I chose<\/strong>: One of the things I love about the program is that you get to spend 8 months of the year in the Emergency Department as an intern. There is nothing better than learning through experience in the department itself. There is also a lot of value in the multiple sites that this program offers. As someone who has been in the academic setting for many years, I wanted exposure to community and county settings as well.\u00a0The thing that tipped the scale the most for me though was the people. No matter who I spoke with, whether it was during my interview or the virtual socials, I was able to talk about everything freely from work to personal matters. This connection is truly the most valuable.
\nEmail<\/strong>: Naira.Goukasian@unchealth.unc.edu<\/a><\/div>\n
\n\"Naira<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Joaquin Peralta<\/h2>\n
\n
\nHometown:<\/strong> Cordoba, Argentina\/Salem, Oregon
\nUndergrad:<\/strong> University of Oregon
\nMed School:<\/strong> Western Michigan University Homer Stryker MD SOM
\nAreas of Interest<\/strong>: Sports Medicine, Global Health, Medical Education
\nHobbies:<\/strong> Tennis, BBQ, learning the guitar during quarantine.
\nWhy I chose:<\/strong> Even through Zoom, I could tell that the faculty and residents were people who could teach me to be a great emergency while supporting me along the way. UNC offers a mix of training environments with options to explore whatever niche sparks my interest. Coming from places with cold and rainy winters, I am very excited to spend my time outdoors either on a tennis court, a hiking trail or on the grill.
\nEmail<\/strong>: Joaquin.Peralta@unchealth.unc.edu<\/a><\/div>\n
\n\"Joaquin<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Will Salaun<\/h2>\n
\n
\nHometown<\/strong>: Covington, LA
\nUndergrad<\/strong>: University Mississippi
\nMed School<\/strong>: University of Mississippi Medical Center
\nAreas of Interest<\/strong>: Wilderness Medicine, EMS
\nHobbies<\/strong>: Mountain biking, backpacking, whitewater kayaking, fly fishing, woodworking, sailing, homebrewing, tinkering in the garage
\nWhy I chose<\/strong>: I was drawn to UNC for the community\/academic exposure, location, and the people. The exposure between UNC and Wake Med allows for a broad-based and comprehensive learning environment which will allow me to become a very well-rounded emergency physician. The location between the mountains and the beach is hard to beat. During interview day, the program had a large family feel which I really appreciated
\nEmail<\/strong>: William.Salaunjr@unchealth.unc.edu<\/a><\/div>\n
\n\"Will<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

James W. Slauson<\/h2>\n
\n
\nHometown<\/strong>: San Antonio, TX
\nUndergrad<\/strong>: Luther College
\nMed School<\/strong>: The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
\nAreas of Interest<\/strong>: Administration, Simulation, Education
\nHobbies<\/strong>: Playing soccer, saying \u201cI can\u2019t believe I used to be able to run this much\u201d after playing soccer, playing with my dog named Toast, weightlifting, trying to beat my wife at card games, running, snowboarding, eating good food.
\nWhy I chose<\/strong>: There are so many reasons! I think if I listed them all nobody would ever read them. Every single interaction I had with a resident or faculty member from UNC was incredibly positive. They all seemed so happy and proud to be part of this program. I definitely got those \u201cwarm and fuzzies feels\u201d from UNC. I also loved the idea of getting experience at both an excellent academic center and a community hospital and I knew my EM training would be absolutely top notch.\u00a0 But it didn\u2019t stop there, as someone who is undifferentiated in terms of fellowship \/ career trajectory I knew that UNC would provide excellent opportunity to pursue my aforementioned interests and probably introduce me to interests I never knew I had. All of this being smack dab in the middle of beautiful North Carolina made my decision pretty easy.
\nEmail<\/strong>: James.Slausonjr@unchealth.unc.edu<\/a><\/div>\n
\n\"JW<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Blake Stacey<\/h2>\n
\n
\nHometown<\/strong>: Deland, FL
\nUndergrad<\/strong>: University of Florida
\nMed School<\/strong>: University of Florida College of Medicine
\nAreas of Interest<\/strong>: Ultrasound, Medical Education, Psychiatric Emergencies
\nHobbies<\/strong>: golf, cooking, weekend trips, home improvement projects, Gator football, concerts, podcasts
\nWhy I chose<\/strong>: There are plenty of programs across the country that offer world-class training, plenty of programs that have wonderful people, and plenty of programs that advertise a fantastic location. Not many programs have the bona fides to boast all three, but UNC really does have the trifecta. I was hoping to find a program that could give me the educational and clinical resources of a large academic center but also provide a robust community experience, and I knew I would get both of those between UNC and WakeMed. The faculty here is chock full of renowned and accomplished educators who are not only dedicated to training great emergency physicians but genuinely care about each resident\u2019s personal growth and wellbeing. The Triangle area is both rich in history and quickly-evolving with something to do for everyone, both in and outdoors. I know I will leave this program a better person for having trained here and a well-equipped, confident emergency physician. Go Heels!
\nEmail<\/strong>: Blake.Stacey@unchealth.unc.edu<\/a><\/div>\n
\n\"\"<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Carla Tayes<\/h2>\n
\n
\nUndergrad<\/strong>: University of Texas at San Antonio
\nMed School<\/strong>: Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine
\nAreas of Interest<\/strong>: EMS, Tactical EMS, Ultrasound
\nHobbies<\/strong>: Reading, Running, Rithmetic
\nWhy I chose<\/strong>: I really wanted to be a part of a program that provided a strong academic foundation with a solid community feel so that when I finish residency I have the tools I need to be successful in a rural environment. Being a part of the UNC is literally a dream come true (I applied for undergrad over 20 years ago and didn’t make it in) and I am truly humbled to be in a place surrounded by great physicians. Even in a virtual world I was overwhelmed by the compassion and genuine feel of the faculty and residents during my interview. Every EM residency will adequately train you but I wanted something more, and UNC is the place that will push me to be the future physician I hope to me.
\nEmail<\/strong>: Carla.Tayes@unchealth.unc.edu<\/a><\/div>\n
\n\"Carla\"<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Ruben Torrez<\/h2>\n
\n
\nHometown<\/strong>: Watsonville, CA
\nUndergrad<\/strong>: University of Kansas
\nMed School<\/strong>: University of Kansas School of Medicine
\nAreas of Interest<\/strong>: Medical education, tactical medicine, medical toxicology
\nHobbies<\/strong: Painting, cooking, fingernail art, fishing, hiking, anything outdoors
\nWhy I chose<\/strong>: One thing that stood out to me about UNC was how incredibly nice and supportive everybody was. They made me feel like they weren\u2019t trying to just sell the program, they truly wanted me to find the right fit for myself, wherever that might be. I also wanted a comprehensive training experience with high volume and high-quality clinical exposure. With UNC\u2019s EM program being so well-regarded I knew the training would be top notch. The other obvious draw is the region itself. Mountains a few hours to the West, the ocean a few hours to the East, tons of outdoor activities just minutes away \u2013 the Triangle really is an ideal location for any outdoorsman. This felt like my kind of place and my kind of people, I couldn\u2019t be more stoked to be here!
\nEmail<\/strong>: Ruben.Torrez@unchealth.unc.edu<\/a><\/div>\n
\n\"\"<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Steven App Alex Fenn Naira Goukasian Joaquin Peralta Will Salaun James W. 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