Shariam Casiano Vega, MD
- Hometown: San Germán, Puerto Rico
- Medical School: University of Medicine and Health Sciences, St. Kitts
- Undergraduate: Universidad de Puerto Rico en Mayagüez
- Major: Microbiology
- Tell us about yourself:
I lived in Puerto Rico until I left to start med school and got to live and experience Maine during my school’s clinical semester in Portland, ME. I enjoyed my time there and experienced my first snowfall and now I’m into snowboarding and winter hikes. - Why did You Choose CMMC FMR
The resident’s culture and seeing opportunities to learn skills from the different specialty clinics, integrative medicine, WIMP, ORT, and others that I could use in my future practice. - What are your interests?
Get together with friends, boardgame nights, videogames, snowboarding, arts/crafting, Formula 1, cooking with my husband. In medicine: preventative health, outpatient procedures, integrative medicine.
Emily Hill, DO
- Hometown: Hermon, ME but coming from Brooklyn, NY
- Medical School: University of New England COM
- Undergraduate: Clark University, Worcester, MA
- Major: Economics, Politcal Science
- Tell us about yourself:
I live with my husband and two young kids in Portland, ME. Growing up in Maine I always knew I wanted to return, but needed to learn more about the world first. I lived in Germany for a year abroad in HS, and then moved to NYC after college. I initially intended to go to law school and work in global public health and policy, however I realized I wanted to spend more time with people rather than paper. I completed a post-bacc at Hunter College – CUNY, but wanted to come back to Maine to complete medical school while raising my kids. I feel incredibly privileged to be a physician — I take it very seriously the power we have to make change both personally in peoples’ lives but also on a greater system level. I feel lucky to be able to tangibly help people every single day. - Why did you choose CMMC FMR?
I chose CMMC because of the amazing 2×2 week block schedule, which allows me to enjoy my life at home, as well as the kind and passionate faculty, attendings, and residents. The patient population is incredibly varied, intensely sick and also forces us to grapple with both rural and urban health disparities on both macro and micro levels. It’s been an incredibly supportive, interesting place to complete my training. I intend to pursue a palliative care fellowship and work in in-patient palliative care. - What are your interests?
I enjoy having a very good work-life balance, biking around Portland, swimming in lakes and the ocean any chance I get, cooking at home, and traveling both up the coast of Maine and abroad with my family.
Saraja Pandit, MD
- Hometown: Bharatpur, Nepal; moving from Boston
- Medical School: Medical University of the Americas
- Undergraduate: University of Iowa
- Major: Human Physiology
- Tell us about yourself:
Growing up in Nepal, I have always loved being in nature. When I moved to Boston a year ago, I fell in love with the rich nature that New England had to offer. It didn’t take too long for me and my husband to desire to make New England our home. We both love being outdoors including hiking, trekking, and biking. When I first interviewed with CMMC, I remember feeling seen, respected and heard. The active effort to maintain and cultivate a positive environment was evident on my interview day. This residency is training me to be able to see from different perspectives in life as our patients come in from different walks of life. I feel very privileged and honored to be a physician providing care for our vulnerable and complex patients. - What are your interests?
Spending time with family, and exploring different landscapes (hiking, biking, kayaking). Road trips. Watching international tv shows to learn new languages and tv cultures.