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Meet Our Peer Supporters

*To receive peer support, please complete the intake form. 

Meet the heart and soul of our Physician Peer Support Program! Our dedicated team of physician peer supporters are here to listen, provide guidance, and give emotional support to physicians facing challenges of the medical profession.

All interactions with peer supporters are confidential and judgement-free.

Sidney Zisook, MD

Sidney Zisook, MD

Program Director
Distinguished Professor, Department of Psychiatry
Talk to me about: Late career development, transitions, grief, depression. Open to additional topics. 

Ami Doshi, MD

Ami Doshi, MD

Training Facilitator
Clinical Professor, Department of Pediatrics

Alana Iglewicz, MD

Alana Iglewicz, MD

Training Facilitator
Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry

Ron Barak, MD

Ron Barak, MD

Associate Physician Diplomate, Department of Anesthesiology
Talk to me about: professionalism incidents, challenging patient interactions/outcomes, medical errors, and acute clinical crisis and stressors. 

Jennifer Berumen, MD

Jennifer Berumen, MD

Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Surgery

Savita Bhakta, MD

Savita Bhakta, MD

Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry

Pratibha Binder, MD

Pratibha Binder, MD

Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences
Talk to me about: being a new attending, career uncertainty, caregiver burden, surgical morbidity/mortality events, interpersonal communication in the workplace, work-life balance, parenting young children.

Amruti Borad, DO

Amruti Borad, DO

Primary Care Physician, Concierge Medicine
Talk to me about: burnout, self-advocacy, career transitions, career fulfillment, first-time parenting

Edward Cachay, MD

Edward Cachay, MD

Clinical Professor, Department of Medicine

Lynette Cederquist, MD

Lynette Cederquist, MD

Clinical Professor, Department of Medicine
Talk to me about: hospice and palliative care, navigating work-life balance, parenting young children, personal loss/grief, experiences with cancer

Julie Çelebi, MD

Julie Çelebi, MD

Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Family Medicine
Talk to me about: caregiver burden, parenting young children, Neurodivergence, Work-life integration, boundary setting, leadership and self-advocacy, LGBTQ+ issues 

Ashley Clark, MD

Ashley Clark, MD

Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry
Talk to me about: work-life balance, parenting young children/twins, challenging patient interactions, and gender equality

Christanne Coffey, MD

Christanne Coffey, MD

Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine
Talk to me about: work-life integration, interpersonal communication in the workplace, parenting young children, self-advocacy.

Robert Deiss, MD

Robert Deiss, MD

Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease and Global Public Health
Talk to me about: interpersonal communication and conflict, challenging work environments, mental health and mid/late career transitions

Joe Diaz, MD

Joe Diaz, MD

Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Medicine

Ian Diaz, MD

Ian Diaz, MD

Family Medicine
CommUnity Care

Isabel Ribeiro Caldas Domingues, MD

Isabel Ribeiro Caldas Domingues, MD

Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry 

Elizabeth Dorwart, DO

Elizabeth Dorwart, DO

Associate Physician, Department of Pediatrics
Talk to me about: caregiving for elderly parents as a physician, transition to a new city and medical center, grief and loss of a parent, overcoming imposter syndrome, managing conflict in the workplace, growing in self compassion, overcoming perfectionism, dealing with medical error. 

Nancy Downs, MD

Nancy Downs, MD

Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry
Talk to me about: Learning from professional setbacks, developing self-awareness and compassion, community-building, multi-generational experiences, grief, the value of friendships in the workplace.

Daphna Finn, MD

Daphna Finn, MD

Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry 
Talk to me about: early career, parenting pre-teens and teenagers, work life integration, burnout, challenging patient interactions/outcomes (including with infants/children)

Kathryn Gold, MD

Kathryn Gold, MD

Clinical Professor, Department of Medicine

Kama Guluma, MD

Kama Guluma, MD

Associate Dean for Admissions and Student Affairs, School of Medicine
Clinical Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine

Michelle Johnson, MD

Michelle Johnson, MD

Vice Chair of Education, Department of Family Medicine
Clinical Professor, Department of Family Medicine 

Jessica Kingston, MD

Jessica Kingston, MD

Division Director of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Clinical Professor, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences
Talk to me about: work/life balance, raising children, professionalism issues, challenges in medical education, litigation and medical malpractice. 

Emily “Mimi” Lukacz, MD

Emily “Mimi” Lukacz, MD

Division and Fellowship Director of Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery
Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences
Talk to me about: major morbidity & mortality events, litigation, interpersonal communication in the workplace, work-life balance, career uncertainty.

Kathryn Macaulay, MD

Kathryn Macaulay, MD

Clinical Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences
Talk to me about: Changing career path, challenging patient interactions/outcomes, burnout, developing self-compassion.

Alvaro Macias, MD

Alvaro Macias, MD

Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Anesthesiology

Anthony Magit, MD, MPH

Anthony Magit, MD, MPH

Clinical Professor of Surgery, Department of Otolaryngology
Talk to me about: burnout, work-life balance, professionalism incidents, career development, and peer communication.

Jess Mandel, MD

Jess Mandel, MD

Division Chief of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine
Clinical Professor, Department of Medicine
Talk to me about: burnout and work-life balance, career development, advancement challenges, professionalism incidents. 

Brian Martis, MD

Brian Martis, MD

Clinical Professor, Chief of Psychiatry and Deputy Associate Chief of Staff, Mental Health Service, VASDHS

Frederick Millard, MD

Frederick Millard, MD

Clinical Professor, Department of Medicine

Lama Muhammad, MD

Lama Muhammad, MD

Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry
Talk to me about: occult racism's effect on wellness, ways to support your unique talents, expatriation's feelings, and dancing between cultures. 

Leslie Oyama, MD

Leslie Oyama, MD

Clinical Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine

Heather Pierce, MD

Heather Pierce, MD

Clinical Professor, Department of Pediatrics
Talk to me about: work-life balance, caregiver burden, parenting pre-teen/teenagers, Professionalism incidents, peer communications including interdisciplinary, self advocacy.

Maya Pring, MD

Maya Pring, MD

Clinical Professor, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery (Pediatrics)

Kimberly Robbins, MD

Kimberly Robbins, MD

Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Anesthesiology
Talk to me about: interpersonal communication, professionalism incidents, parenting young children, adverse events, self-compassion

Namita Sachdev, MD

Namita Sachdev, MD

Clinical Professor of Medicine - Internal Medicine 

Elaine Sapiro, MD, MPH

Elaine Sapiro, MD, MPH

Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine
Talk to me about: work life balance, challenging patient interactions and outcomes, personal grief/loss, MSP vs academic career navigation.

Thomas Savides, MD

Thomas Savides, MD

Chief Experience Officer, UCSD Health
Clinical Professor, Department of Medicine

Kristy Schwartz, MD, MPH

Kristy Schwartz, MD, MPH

Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine
Talk to me about: burnout and work-life balance, infertility and pregnancy loss, and navigating clinical work while being a patient yourself

Alan Shahtaji, DO

Alan Shahtaji, DO

Clinical Professor, Department of Family Medicine and Public Health
Talk to me about: wellness, exercise, work-life balance, stoicism, and financial literacy.

Desiree Shapiro, MD

Desiree Shapiro, MD

Director of the Healer Education Assessment & Referral (HEAR) Program
Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry
Talk to me about: stressors, work-life integration, parenting as a physician, self-criticism vs. self-compassion

Rachna Subramony, MD

Rachna Subramony, MD

Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine

Stacey Ulrich, MD

Stacey Ulrich, MD

Clinical Professor, Department of Pediatrics
Talk to me about: burnout, work-life balance, parenting, caregiver, and career evolution.

Tatyana Vayngortin, MD

Tatyana Vayngortin, MD

Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Pediatrics
Talk to me about: burnout, work-life balance, communication, parenting young children

Michelle Wu, MD

Michelle Wu, MD

Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry

Elise Zimmerman, MD, MS

Elise Zimmerman, MD, MS

Associate Clinical Professor, Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Pediatrics
Talk to me about: interpersonal communication in the workplace, boundary setting, challenging patient interactions and outcomes, burnout, and work-life balance.