Residents
Truc Ta, M.D.
PGY 5
Hometown: San Diego
Undergraduate: UCLA
Medical School: Albany Medical College
Interests / Hobbies: lifting weights, hiking, taking pictures, fast cars, art
Favorite places in Maine: Planet Fitness and World Gym
Medical interests: Vascular Surgery
Favorite weekend destination: Boston or NYC
Favorite Maine activity: exploring nature and going on long hikes
What did you do before medical school: EMS
Personal goals: Spend more time with family, read every night, maintain semi-active lifestyle, eat healthy, stay natural
Craziest / Best / Worst Job: Residency
Why Maine Medical Center: I remember the first time I talk to my program director and vascular attendings like it was yesterday. It was love at first sight. For the first time I realized life has a purpose and felt a sense of belonging. Everyone was kind, respectful, and courteous. I was truly honored to have the opportunity to talk to such amazingly talented individuals.
Celebrity I most resemble: Lee Byung-hun
If I wasn’t a doctor, I would be a... fire fighter, swat police officer, navy seal
Favorite restaurant in Portland: too many
Michael Bianco
PGY 3
Hometown: Hollis, New Hampshire
Undergraduate: Hamilton College
Medical School: Temple University School of Medicine
Interests / Hobbies: Skiing, running, beach days, watching movies and any episode of The Big Bang Theory, following the Boston Celtics, and going to concerts
Favorite places in Maine: Ogunquit Beach
Medical interests: Minimally invasive carotid interventions, endovascular and open aortic aneurysm repair, endoleak prevention and treatment, peripheral vascular disease, creation and care of AV fistulas, management of aortic dissection
Favorite weekend destination: Boston or NYC
Favorite Maine activity: Skiing
Why Maine Medical Center: Wonderful faculty and residents; A long history of excellent surgical training; The warm, friendly atmosphere found inside and outside the hospital; Great location in a fun city with plenty of outdoor activities and terrific food
Celebrity I most resemble: Andrew Luck (especially with a beard)
Farooq Usmani
PGY 4
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Undergraduate: Fordham University, New York, NY; University of Cambridge, UK
Medical School: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
Interests / Hobbies: Board Games, Boxing, Running, Cycling, Music
Medical interests: Vascular Surgery, endovascular interventions, new surgical technology
Favorite weekend destination: New York, NY
What did you do before medical school: Management Consulting for the pharmaceutical industry
Personal goals: Expand my professional network within and outside of medicine, Develop meaningful relationships with co-residents, faculty, and patients, Add to my collection of half marathon medals during residency
Craziest / Best / Worst Job: Management Consulting—learnt an incredible amount about all the stakeholders in the health care industry
Why Maine Medical Center: Focus on resident growth, a faculty that is invested in educating exceptional surgeons and physicians, and a supportive group of residents
If I wasn’t a doctor, I would be a... an engineer
Personal quote: Do something today that your future self will thank you for.
Aarathi Minisandram
PGY 3
Hometown: San Jose, California
Undergraduate: California Institute of Technology
Medical School: Tufts University School of Medicine
Favorite places in Maine: Back Cove, Eastern Promenade, and Coffee by Design (couldn't choose just one)
Medical interests: Carotid surgery, PVD, aortic surgery, medical devices, medical education
Favorite Maine Activity: Running by the water
What did you do before medical school: Teach for America and worked in Biotech.
Why Maine Medical Center: The people. Every single person I interacted with during my rotation was not only incredibly talented but also extremely welcoming and interested in teaching. The training is well-rounded and the case load is unparalleled. Portland is also a fantastic city with tons to do.
If I wasn’t a doctor, I would be a... an engineer
Donald McGuirl
PGY 2
Hometown: Warwick, Rhode Island
Undergraduate: St. Michael’s College
Medical School: Tufts University School of Medicine
Interests / Hobbies: Recreational sports (washed up college athlete), Jiujitsu, hiking, breweries, kayaking, traveling.
Favorite place in Maine: Acadia national park
Medical interests: Medical education, Endovascular device technology, vascular disease in developing countries.
Favorite weekend destination: Back home in RI to see the family
Favorite Maine activity: Floating down the Saco river
What did you do before medical school: Clinical research at Rhode Island Hospital
Why Maine Medical Center: The people. I was fortunate enough to rotate on this service and saw firsthand how passionate the attendings are to both vascular surgery and the education of their residents. Any surgical residency will be undoubtedly challenging, and it was important to me to spend my time with people who love their job and are excited to be teaching.
If I wasn’t a doctor, I would be a… Marine Biologist.
Personal quote: It wouldn’t be any fun if it was easy.
Colby Cayton
PGY 1
Hometown: Stratford, CT
Undergraduate: University of Vermont
Medical School: University of Massachusetts Medical School
Interests / Hobbies: Yoga, running, cooking, trying out new ice cream places, tennis, skiing, spending time with my family and partner
Favorite place in Maine: All the beaches are beautiful, but Willard beach is my favorite
Medical interests: Limb salvage, healthcare disparities, medical education, gender inequality in surgical subspecialties
Favorite weekend destination: Nantucket
Favorite Maine activity: Hard to choose just one! The food in Portland is amazing and I love trying out new restaurants. So many great running trails. One of my favorite things to do is watch the sunset from the Eastern Promenade (and see all the cute pups)!
What did you do before medical school: I was a Teach for America corps member and taught 8th and 9th grade science and health in Bridgeport, CT.
Craziest / Best / Worst Job: Being a teacher was definitely the best and worst job at times!
Why Maine Medical Center: In addition to being an amazing academic program, MMC provides a unique sense of community, comprised of mentors and peers that are truly passionate about their patients and creating a supportive work environment.
If I wasn’t a doctor, I would be… a teacher.
Favorite restaurant in Portland: Duckfat.
Personal quote: “People will forget what you said, forget what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel.”- Maya Angelou