Kevin Brandt

Pharmacy School: California Northstate University, College of Pharmacy

Hometown: Fresno, CA

Why I chose Community Regional Medical Center: My interest to join Community Medical Centers began during childhood. As a Fresno native born at Community Regional, I used Community healthcare throughout my childhood while learning about the diverse Fresno population firsthand from my mother, who was an RN in the ICU at Clovis Community Medical Center. 

In pharmacy school I developed interests in critical care, emergency medicine and infectious diseases, and Community Regional best aligned with my career goals. I was drawn to the unique opportunity to serve alongside medical residents at an academic Level I Trauma Center and gain experience in trauma, burn and extensive emergency departments. The teaching environment at Community Regional allows me to feel supported by other like-minded learners to treat complex patient cases, while also being able to have mentorship opportunities for students.

While applying to Community I felt very welcomed by the staff and current residents at CSHP seminar and the interview process! I am excited and honored to be a part of the Community family and am very confident this residency program will provide me the tools to grow clinically, professionally and as a leader.

Professional Interests: Critical Care, Emergency Medicine

Hobbies: Basketball, snowboarding, hiking, traveling, weightlifting, and playing with my cat

Veerpal Sandhu

Pharmacy School: West Coast University 

Hometown: Riverside, CA

Why I chose Community Regional Medical Center: After speaking to the previous residents and preceptors at CSHP seminar and the open house, I recognized that this program offered me the perfect opportunity to achieve my goals. This program offers a diverse set of rotations as well as leadership development and precepting opportunities. Additionally, every interaction I’ve had with Community Regional pharmacy staff has been genuinely welcoming. 

Being at a Level 1 Trauma Center, I know I’ll be constantly challenged and exposed to complicated disease states. The various critical care rotations that are offered are exactly what I was looking for in a residency. These experiences will allow me to grow a lot as a pharmacist.  

The Central Valley has a very diverse population that is largely a Medi-Cal population. Having worked with an underserved population during pharmacy school, I feel that Community Regional's values and commitment to its community aligns with mine. 

Professional Interests: Critical Care

Hobbies: Golf, playing with my dog, watching TV

Ninno Villareal 

Pharmacy School: Chapman University School of Pharmacy

Hometown: La Habra, CA

Why I chose Community Regional Medical Center: After doing an APPE rotation that heavily focused on emergency medicine, my interest in that field — along with trauma and critical care — was sparked. After doing research about residency programs in California that could provide all the experiences I was looking for, Community Regional stood out as my top choice. 

As the only Level I Trauma Center serving the area between Sacramento and Los Angeles, and with one of the busiest emergency departments in the state, the experiences in those fields seemed astounding. The program is also a multi-site program, with two amazing hospitals residents have the opportunity to rotate at, and the exposure to potential differences in patient population is something I was eager to experience. Teaching hospitals are also able to provide such a rich and diverse learning environment, and Community Regional is a teaching hospital affiliated with UCSF Fresno. 

Professional Interests: Emergency Medicine, Critical Care 

Hobbies: Video games, basketball, outdoor activities, watching TV

Mariam Boyajian

Pharmacy School: University of Southern California, School of Pharmacy

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

Why I chose Clovis Community Medical Center: I chose Clovis Community Medical Center to further develop my clinical skills in the inpatient setting to build my skills for both the inpatient and outpatient to become a successful pharmacist. During the CSHP seminar showcase, I met the residents and other representatives from Clovis Community and they were all welcoming, so I had the opportunity to learn a lot about the program and opportunities provided, such as various ICU rotations and oncology rotations.

Clovis Community  provides a variety of rotation opportunities, teaching, leadership, and research experience, and a challenging environment where I can advance my skills as a clinical pharmacist. My current area of interest is oncology and Clovis Community provides opportunities in both inpatient and outpatient oncology settings.

Professional Interests: Oncology, Internal Medicine

Hobbies: Baking, traveling and playing tennis