THIRD YEAR RESIDENTS - CLASS OF 2010

Chris Breuder, M.D., Boston University School of Medicine
Jessica Favero Butts, MD, George Washington University School of Medicine
Catherine S. Celler, MD, Tufts University School of Medicine
Marie T. Walsh Condon, MD Tufts University School of Medicine
Deborah R. Erlich, MD - Tufts University School of Medicine
Alicia D. Kithcart, MD, Harvard Medical School
Nicolas S. Nguyen, MD, Tufts University School of Medicine
Ann K. Rettig, MD, University of Virginia School of Medicine
Meghan L. Tramontozzi, MD, Tufts University School of Medicine

Chris Breuder, M.D. (Email me) - Chris grew up in a military family as the fifth of eventually nine children. Despite the frequent moves his family had strong ties to the New England region as many relatives live in and around Boston. After his father retired from the Air Force the family settled down in New Hampshire, where Chris attended the University of New Hampshire in Durham and received a BA in Political Science. After college he worked as a surgical and anesthesia assistant in an oral surgery office in New Hampshire before starting medical school. He attended Boston University School of Medicine on the Health Professions Scholarship Program through the United States Army and earned his MD in 2006. He subsequently entered into Active Duty with Army and began his post graduate training in Family Medicine at Tripler Army Medical Center. Early in his third year of residency Chris transferred his residency to Tufts due to the transfer of medical care of his infant daughter from Hawaii back to the mainland. Although he enjoyed his time in Hawaii and training at Tripler, he is thankful to be back in Boston for the continued medical care of his daughter, support of family and friends, and opportunity to complete his residency training in Family Medicine.

Jessica Favero Butts, MD (Email me) - was born in Glendale, California, but did most of her growing up in the quaint New England town of Wilton, Connecticut. Jessica has wanted to be a doctor her entire life, although she is the only doctor in her family. While in high school she became certified as an Emergency Medical Technician. Working on (and driving) the ambulance for 5 years only solidified her desire to work in a health care profession. In high school she earned varsity letters in three sports (Field Hockey, Basketball, Softball), was a "big sister" to at-risk youth, served as an elected officer in her high school student government, and played the flute. Jessica attended college at Brigham Young University where she majored in International Studies with an emphasis in International Development, while completing here pre-med courses "on the side". Throughout college she had the amazing opportunity to spend a semester abroad in London, volunteered at the Utah County Crisis/Suicide Line, helped create the first ever women's Field Hockey Club team at BYU, and learned that she liked snowboarding much more than skiing! Jessica was able to return to her East Coast "roots" when she went straight from college to medical school at The George Washington University School of Medicine. Jessica loved her time in D.C. where she was able to enjoy the sights and most importantly where she met her husband, Jared. While in medical school, Jessica served as a social chair, a mentor for a youth group for girls from the ages of 12-18 and as a community health educator instructing teens on HIV protection as well as counseling on abstinence, STD's and other important issues. Jessica is thrilled to be a member of the Tufts Family Medicine Residency Program. She is passionate about family medicine, sports medicine and especially continuity of care. When not in the hospital, Jessica enjoys spending time with her husband, Jared, cooking, exercise, reading, Red Sox, Patriots, and scrapbooking.

Catherine S. Celler, MD (Email me) - Cassy was born and grew up in New Jersey to an Australian mother and a Polish father. She spent the next 18 years dabbling in the arts like photography and pottery as well as traveling the world with her family. Cassy, as she is called by all, then ventured to Philadelphia to attend the University of Pennsylvania. She studied chemical engineering but furthered her interest in medicine as a child life counselor for children undergoing chemotherapy. Upon completing her degree, she moved to Washington D.C. to work for ExxonMobil Corp., doing computer analysis of crude oil. She realized then that she was more interested in people's wellbeing than in engineering and moved to Boston to study medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine. Cassy is thrilled to be part of the team at Cambridge Health Alliance and Tufts to continue her work to become a family physician. Outside of her academic pursuits Cassy is interested in travel, quilting, reading and spending time with friends and family.

Deborah R. Erlich, MD (Email me) - Deb has always lived in the Northeast, including several moves through New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Connecticut, and has lived in Cambridge and Boston for the last decade. She earned her bachelor's in psychology at Harvard and wrote a thesis on perceptions of race. After college, she worked with cancer patients at Mass General Hospital and then went to medical school at Tufts, when she embraced Family Medicine and medical education. Deb has worked at hospitals in San Francisco, Israel, and England, where she got along in Spanish, Hebrew, and "British." Her medical interests include child/adolescent medicine, women's health, skin care, and preventive medicine. On the opposite end of the medical spectrum is her husband, an anesthesiology resident with an interest in critical care. Outside of work they enjoy cooking, swimming, motorcycling, and snowboarding, but not all at the same time.

Alisha Dawn Kithcart, MD (Email me) - was born and reared in Houston, Texas. After graduating as Valedictorian in high school, she attended Washington University in Saint Louis, earning a major in Spanish and minor in biology. She was actively involved in Harambee Christian Ministries, Visions Gospel Choir, and volunteered at La Clínica, a local Latino health clinic. She also studied Spanish in Spain for a summer as well as a semester in Chile. Before entering medical school, she took a year reprieve in Houston to mentor high school youth, tutor Spanish and College Algebra, and serve as an interpreter of Spanish in missions to Mexico. Harvard Medical School also afforded her numerous opportunities: exploring the psycho-social issues of HIV/AIDS and substance abuse through the Prevention and Access to Care and Treatment (P.A.C.T.) at Brigham and Women's Hospital; traveling to Brazil to learn Portuguese and better understand diseases endemic to the Amazon region; and honing her skills in taking spiritual histories through the Whole Person Care Preceptorship summer program in Redlands, CA. In Brazil, she worked in an orphanage, several hospitals, and with a medical team traveling on the Amazon River providing health care. Residency also afforded her the opportunity to spend one month in Nairobi, Kenya where she learned operative deliveries, gynecologic care, and colposcopy. With an emphasis on women's health and maternity care, Alisha hopes to an obstetric fellowship and serve as a medical missionary in a destination yet to be determined. She enjoys involvement in her local church, singing, dancing, cooking, running, and traveling!

Marie T. Walsh Condon, MD (Email me) - Marie was born and raised in Arlington, Massachusetts, the youngest of seven children. She attended Syracuse University in snowy upstate New York and graduated with a BS in Biology. After returning to Massachusetts she began a career in public health working as a health inspector for the Town of Bedford while simultaneously earning a master's degree in Biology from UMASS Lowell. She was subsequently appointed Director of Public Health for the Town of Arlington, and as such was the youngest professional in Massachusetts to ever hold a leadership position in a municipal health department. During this time she was invited to participate in a fellowship in Community Oriented Primary Care. She brought the public health perspective to the program and in turn discovered her interest in family medicine.

Deciding to pursue a career in patient care, Marie entered Tufts University School of Medicine. There she began writing articles for the student newspaper, The Connective Issue, and soon became editor-in-chief. Because of her interest in community medicine and serving the underserved, Marie volunteered for the Boston Coalition for Adult Immunization and was elected Immunization Coordinator. She also served as treasurer of the Tufts chapter of the Massachusetts Medical Society. In addition, she continued her outside volunteer activities working with the EDCO collaborative, an organization that provides mentoring and guidance to special education students in state custody, and singing with The Selectones, a group who hosts sing-a-longs at elder housing units (thankfully a good voice is not a prerequisite for this group!).

Outside of work Marie enjoys spending time with her husband Matt, their children Seamus and Keira, their two dachshunds, Jake & Ellwood, and their 15 nieces and nephews.

Nicolas S. Nguyen, MD (Email me) - Nic was born and raised in Montreal, Canada. His family then moved to New Jersey when he was sixteen years old. Although changing high schools was a challenging experience, he realizes now that coming to the US opened his eyes to many awesome opportunities. Two years later, he attended Tufts University where he pursued a double degree in Biology and French Literature. There, he also played varsity tennis and discovered the incredible world of competitive ballroom and latin dancing. He loved Tufts so much that he decided to remain for medical school, as a "double jumbo." His interests include preventative outpatient care, hospitalist medicine, and patient education. That's why he is extremely excited to join the family medicine team at Tufts University/Cambridge Health Alliance, as a "triple jumbo"! In his free time, Nic still enjoys competitive dancing at the professional level, and continues to keep in touch with his family and friends spread out across the United-States and Canada.

Anne K. Rettig, MD (Email me) - Anne was born in Syracuse, NY, but didn't stay long in the cold as her family headed south to Virginia when she was just two years old. She spent her formative years in Crozet, VA, at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains where she learned to read, write, run, and country line dance at the local fire hall! Anne didn't venture too far for college, attending the University of Richmond, just over an hour from home. Here she studied Biology, doing genomic research on South American frogs, which eventually landed her a trip into the Amazon jungle! When she wasn't in the classroom Anne could be found on the trails, running cross country and track for the SpidURs. Following her undergrad years Anne came even closer to home to attend medical school at the University of Virginia, a mere 15 minute drive to Mom and Dad. She slogged through the first two years of classroom medicine saved only by the occasional home cooked meal, the reprieve she found in running and the added fun of flag football, wiffleball and innertube waterpolo. A 6-week summer preceptorship with a Family doc in Hawaii helped her mood a bit as well. In third and fourth year she rediscovered why she came to medical school, patient care. Her desire to practice preventive and comprehensive medical care, combined with a love of patients of all ages, made a Family Medicine residency the next logical step. When Anne got to Boston on the interview trail, she fell in love with the city and the Tufts FMR. She is excited to be joining a program with such high academic values and great community impact. She's also eager to venture out of Virginia and experience big city life for the next three years! She hopes to explore all the city has to offer and possibly continue her running career with that little race they like to run in Boston.

Meghan L. Tramontozzi, MD (Email me) - Meghan grew up in Suffern, NY where she spent most of her childhood swimming and listening to eighties music. She attended Duke University as an undergrad and majored in Psychology with a Neuroscience concentration. The highlights of Meghan's time in college include spending a semester studying abroad at the University of Queensland, Australia and meeting her husband, Lou. After college, Meghan went on to spend a year at the NIH studying mood and anxiety disorders. Meghan and her husband both attended Tufts University School of Medicine and after 4 years in Boston, decided they had to stay. Her professional interests include women's health, dermatology, mental health and medical education, making a career in family medicine ideal. Outside of the clinic, Meghan is a converted Red Sox fan and she enjoys running, snowshoeing, yoga, and going to the beach.