FIRST YEAR RESIDENTS - CLASS OF 2012

Aryan A. Aghevli, MD, Medical College of Virginia
Lisa M. Ceplikas, MD, Loyola University Chicago's Stritch School of Medicine
Miguel A. Concepcion, MD, UMass Medical School
Christine A. Mulligan, MD, Tufts University School of Medicine
Kristyn M. Newhall, MD, UMass Medical School
Jeffrey W. Phillips, MD, UMass Medical School
Amy M. Smith, MD, George Washington University School of Medicine
Kristen B. Xeller, MD, Loyola University Chicago's Stritch School of Medicine

Aryan A. Aghevli, MD (Email me) - Aryan was born in Paris - the city of love. At only a few months of age her family moved to Geneva, Switzerland, where she lived until the age of five. When she and her parents moved to the United States (northern Virginia to be exact), her brother remained in Geneva to pursue his medical education. Over the years, her brother would visit for several months at a time and taught Aryan the inner workings of the body, telling her stories to explain various processes and diseases, instilling a deep fascination for medicine within her. Her interest in medicine continued to grow through the years, during which time she was also immersed in music (playing piano and clarinet) and tennis. Although she did not know much about family medicine at the time, she knew that she wanted to become a doctor that would form lasting relationships with her patients. She was constantly listening to the problems of people around her and counseling them, and wanted that to be an integral part of her future. Although she was convinced she wanted to leave Virginia for college, she ultimately remained and attended the College of William and Mary where she majored in Biology and developed a deep love of Victorian literature. After college she went to medical school at the Medical College of Virginia, where her goal was to lead a balanced and healthy life. In addition to her studies, she continued to pursue her music by teaching herself guitar and singing as well as continuing to play the piano. She also spent time volunteering with the pediatrics interest group, planning events for the children on the pediatric floor. There she realized how much she loved working with children. During her time at MCV she was also secretary of AMSA, planning community outreach programs and lectures to increase student awareness of important topics in medicine. Aryan is extremely excited to finally venture out of her home state of Virginia to experience Boston and to be a part of the Tufts Family Medicine Residency program.

Lisa M. Ceplikas, MD (Email me) - Lisa grew up in the ocean-side community of Beverly, Massachusetts. She completed her undergraduate education in economics at Wellesley College. The highlights of Lisa's college experience include playing varsity soccer and lacrosse, spending a semester studying abroad in Valencia Spain, and meeting her husband Ethan. Following graduation, Lisa worked for two years as a Research Coordinator in the cardiovascular department at Brigham & Women's Hospital in Boston. Lisa and her husband then decided to explore the Midwest while attending Loyola University Chicago School of Medicine and School of Law respectively. While at Loyola, Lisa realized the importance of listening to a patient's story and was drawn to family medicine because of the emphasis placed on valuing patient relationships just as much as treating illness. She also enjoyed mentoring young girls at urban Chicago high schools, leading activities with the American Medical Women's Association, and playing in powder-puff football games. Despite the amazing food and friendly people in Chicago, Lisa is thrilled to be heading back home to Boston and very excited to be part of the Tufts University Family Medicine Residency Program. Outside of medicine, Lisa enjoys spending time with her family, exercising, and cooking her favorite meal: eggplant parmesan.

Miguel A. Concepcion, MD (Email me) - Miguel Concepcion was born in Lowell, MA but was raised in Fall River, MA. He was raised in an underserved community and was the youngest of 8 in a Puerto Rican household. He attended Worcester Polytechnic Institute and majored in Biotechnology. He was a 4 year letter winner in varsity football and Track & Field. He received various awards including All-American honors in football and was the captain of the track team.

While in medical school he participated in multiple community outreach programs. He was a student leader of Marrow for Tomorrow, a group which focused on the recruitment of underrepresented donors into the national bone marrow registry. He was a mentor in the Center for Healthy Kids as well as the Big Brother program. His passion for family medicine was confirmed after working with a family medicine physician in Puerto Rico during the summer after first year of medical school.

Outside of medicine, he is an enthusiastic Boston sports fan. He has a keen interest in fitness, evidenced by his status as a certified personal trainer. He was also fortunate enough to go back to his alma mater WPI and become an assistant track and field coach for a year. His medical interest includes working with the underserved and Latino community. He also has an interest in Sports Medicine, as if that wasn't too obvious. He is very excited about joining the Tufts family medicine program

Christine A. Mulligan, MD (Email me) - Christine is a lifelong Massachusetts resident. Born in Lowell, MA Christine grew up in a close-knit family where she was taught the importance of service. She graduated from Lowell High School as salutatorian and with 4 years of perfect attendance. Although only 45 minutes from Boston, she had little experience in the city until college. While attending Boston College, Christine fell in love with Boston. During these years, Christine participated in research involving the curvature of DNA and spent her time spreading awareness on campus regarding health and social topics. She graduated from Boston College with a degree in Biochemistry. Christine was happy to stay in Boston for medical school and attended Tufts School of Medicine. It was here that she discovered her passion for family medicine. Christine became involved in Sharewood, a free clinic run by Tufts Medical students and "Walk with the Doc," a community walking program. Luckily for her these programs were affiliated with the Tufts University Family Medicine Residency and she was able to witness first hand the type of training she wanted. Christine is excited to continue her training at Tufts and to continue living in the wonderful city of Boston. In her free time Christine enjoys reading, photography, and spending time with family, friends and her boyfriend, Jonathan.

Kristyn M. Newhall, MD (Email me) - Kristyn grew up in Winchester, Massachusetts and most of her family still lives in the Boston area. She went to Union College in Schenectady, New York, earning a B.S. in Biology. Following graduation, Kristyn worked as a clinical research coordinator of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) drug trials at Massachusetts General Hospital and led a support group for patients with ALS and their families. Kristyn attended medical school at the University of Massachusetts in Worcester, Massachusetts, where her pursuits reflected her interest in community health. She coordinated community hypertension, dementia and depression screens through the Geriatrics Interest Group and led an outreach elective on Teenage Pregnancy. Kristyn served as a coordinator for a free medical clinic and organized monthly dinners at a local soup kitchen. She is very excited to be joining the Cambridge Health Alliance and Tufts Family Medicine team. Her interests in medicine span all ages including maternal/child health, adolescent medicine and geriatrics. Outside of medicine, Kristyn enjoys spend time with her friends and family, cooking and eating good food and getting outdoors! She and her husband, an internal medicine resident in Boston, have hiked, camped and canoed their way through many of the national parks in the United States and Canada.

Jeffrey W. Phillips, MD (Email me) - Jeff grew up in Halifax, a small town in Southeastern MA known for its cranberry bogs and wide-open spaces. He realized early in high school that he wanted to be a doctor. His father was (and is) a 7th grade science teacher, who was always bringing home crazy science projects that instilled in Jeff a curiosity for the natural world. His mother taught him many of the values he has today, and is responsible for any "emotional IQ" that he might possess. After high school, Jeff went to Boston University for College where he majored in Biology and graduated with honors. Deciding that he couldn't leave the city after college, Jeff got himself a job at MGH, working in a neurology lab studying Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS - commonly known as Lou Gehrig's Disease), where he remained for over two years before entering medical school. Jeff was lucky enough to be accepted to UMass Medical School, where he developed an interest in health policy, health information technology (including EMR), and international work. He completed an extra year in medical school to do research and spend time working internationally. During this time, Jeff spent several months in Costa Rica, where he worked to provide care for the indigenous Indian population, while studying Spanish. He also spent time working in the Dominican Republic and Panama. Aside from health policy and international health, Jeff is also interested in adolescent medicine, preventative medicine, and healthcare reform. Jeff and his beautiful fiancé, Angela, couldn't possibly be more excited about moving back to Boston after 5 years in Worcester! When not working, he enjoys doing just about everything - softball, baseball, tennis, running, biking, listening to music, singing, photography, reading, and most importantly- spending time with friends and family.

Amy M. Smith, MD (Email me) - Amy Smith moved to Honduras with her family when she was nine months old. After 5 years of living as diplomats in the capital, Tegucigalpa, her family, inspired by their Baha'i ideals, moved to a rural community on the Miskito Coast of Honduras to work with underserved populations. They founded a small hospital and piloted a secondary education program with a focus on social and economic development. The village had no running water or electricity, so a system of solar panels, batteries and a generator was set up to run the hospital. Growing up Amy spent most of her afternoons volunteering in the hospital from wrapping instruments for the sterilization machine to being first assistant in emergencies. It was here that her love of clinical medicine and public health was born. After completing high school at an international boarding school in B.C., Canada, she took two years off to do volunteer work. One year was spent in Ecuador where she served in various capacities (tutoring adult literacy classes, teacher in the local school, nurse assistant, etc.) and another in Haifa, Israel. She then moved to the U.S. ready to start the long trek towards becoming a doctor. With the help of a scholarship from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, she completed her B.S. in Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University, her M.D. from George Washington University, and an M.P.H. from Harvard University and is now excited to be at Tufts/CHA for her family medicine residency! Amy enjoys spending time with her beloved husband, family, and friends, cooking, biking (but has a no-big-hills policy), traveling, and serving.

Kristen B. Xeller, MD (Email me) - Kristen spent most of her childhood in Northeastern Connecticut, an area 45 minutes from anything and 45 minutes from everything. After high school in a town with more cows than people, she opted for the big city of Boston for college, and spent 4 glorious years as a Boston College Eagle. As a member of the Honors Program at BC, Kristen was educated in the classics as well as the modern sciences, and she graduated with a BS in Biology. Ready to tackle a new city, she attended medical school at Loyola University Chicago's Stritch School of Medicine and discovered the beauty of Chicago's architecture and straight, grid-like streets. Throughout both her undergraduate and graduate work, Kristen has volunteered her time for the underserved, working in homeless shelters, afterschool programs and, most recently, free healthcare clinics. Though she did grow to love Chicago, she is thrilled to be back in her favorite city and closer to friends and family. Outside of medicine, she loves to go for walks, play tennis and do crosswords with her husband, John.