Welcome to the Grant Family Medicine Residency Class of 2020!

Alexandra (Alex) Blood grew up in Southwestern Ohio. She attended the University of Cincinnati where she earned her BA in Spanish in 2011. For medical school she attended Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine in Athens, Ohio. In her free time Alex enjoys traveling, exercising, spending time with family and friends, working on her golf swing and exploring Columbus. Alex chose family medicine for a number of reasons including the focus on continuity of care which enables her to treat a patient from birth through their entire life. She also enjoys the variety of patient experiences ranging from pediatric and obstetric visits to preventative medicine and geriatric care. After residency, Alex would like to join a practice providing care for the urban underserved populations of Columbus. Alex chose Grant because of the full spectrum training and dedication to serving those in need. During her Sub-Internship she realized that the Grant faculty and residents felt just like family. 

Juliana (Julie) is originally from Union, New Jersey. She attended Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ where she majored in Exercise Sciences and Sports Management. Julie then went on to the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. During her undergraduate and medical school career, Julie served on her church’s regional medical staff, providing primary care to those in the church. Her love for family medicine stems from her experiences working with her church, clinical experiences and the diversity that family medicine provides. Julie’s interests include OB/women’s health, global health/immigrant health, OMT, inpatient and outpatient procedures. She plans on practicing full-spectrum medicine in underserved areas as well as internationally.

She was drawn to Grant due to the full spectrum training and the conducive learning environment it provides. What she loves most about Grant is the faculty, staff, and residents, who welcomed her and took her in as their own during her Sub-I. Julie is confident that when she leaves Grant, she will be more than capable to handle any situation she may be in.

In her free time, Julie loves spending time outdoors, traveling, baking, spending time with friends and family, and performing. Julie also loves watching football. She is  an avid New England Patriots fan and a Rutgers Scarlet Knight! RU Rah Rah! 

Spencer Conte grew up in Gahanna, Ohio. He attended East Carolina University, where he double majored in Biology and Mathematics. During his undergraduate training, he went through a primary care program which sparked his interest in family medicine. Working previously in the Grant ICU, Spencer was able to see how well prepared the residents were in any area of medicine, which led to him choosing to do his residency here. He went on to medical school at LECOM in Bradenton, Florida. Having grown up in Columbus, Spencer enjoys following the Crew, the Blue Jackets, and the Buckeyes. He hopes to continue his love for sports by pursuing a career in sports medicine. In his spare time, Spencer enjoys playing soccer, running, and spending time with his wife (Lauren), his daughter (Alexandra), and their puppy (Raleigh).

Jennifer Ledonne was born and raised in Cincinnati, OH. She attended Xavier University where she received her B.S. in Biology. She then went on to pursue her medical training at Lincoln Memorial University-DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine. In medical school, Jennifer realized that she truly enjoyed every aspect and field of medicine, soon realizing that she was meant to be a Family Physician. She loves the opportunity to care for persons of all ages, from the great-grandchildren to the great-grandparents, enjoys getting to know people, and values the continuity of care that Family Medicine provides.

Jennifer fell in love with Grant quickly. She immediately felt welcomed and enjoyed getting to know the residents and faculty at Grant. She felt that the door was open and it was simply her home for residency. Her special interests include, but are not limited, to geriatrics & hospice care.

Outside of the hospital, she enjoys spending time with her husband, friends, and family. She enjoys spoiling her nieces and nephew with gifts that her brothers love, such as drum sets and whistles. She enjoys trying new things, especially when it comes to food! She also enjoys hiking, yoga, reading, piano & tennis. 

Divya is from Gahanna, Ohio. She attended the Ohio State University for undergrad, receiving a BS in Biology, and then went to the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee for medical school. She is interested in Family Medicine because of the multitude of opportunities available in the specialty and the ability to do a little bit of everything. 
In the future, Divya would like to practice full-spectrum Family Medicine in an underserved area, working closely with refugee and immigrant populations, as well as working abroad on global health experiences. She chose the Grant Family Medicine Program because of the program’s great training environment, the emphasis on full-spectrum Family Medicine, the opportunities for international medicine experiences, and the friendly and welcoming residents and faculty at Grant. 
In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family, playing tennis, playing the piano, reading (mystery books), and traveling.

Elizabeth (Lizzy) Wei McIntosh was born in Cincinnati, OH and graduated from Sycamore High School. She studied nuclear engineering at MIT and then attended SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, NY, where she was involved with the Rural Medicine and Public Health programs. Lizzy and her husband, Chad, live northeast of Columbus on a wooded 22-acre property. They have two alligator snapping turtles named Necessity and Possibility, a box turtle named Dex, and two cats named Dixie and Moneypenny, but no farm animals yet. They are also expecting a baby girl in October 2018!

Lizzy fell in love with Family Medicine because of the emphasis on a holistic, biopsychosocial approach to health and the ability to care for all ages. Her interests include rural medicine, public health, and advocacy. She also believes that Family Physicians are uniquely suited to be leaders in healthcare reform and transformation. She chose Grant because of the opportunity to learn full-scope medicine and for its dedication to service and compassion, not only within the residency program but throughout the entire hospital. After residency, she plans to practice full-time outpatient family medicine in central Ohio. 

Kelsey is originally from Berea, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. She attended Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA where she majored in Biological Sciences and Psychology. Before starting medical school, she worked at a health center in Pittsburgh through AmeriCorps. Then she attended The Ohio State University College of Medicine and was in the dual MD/Masters of Health Administration program. Kelsey is passionate about primary care, underserved populations, and health care transformation. She loves full spectrum family medicine including women’s health (including OB) and mental health. In her free time, Kelsey enjoys Zumba, swing dancing, board games, baking, and reading. She is also active in her church and in her state and national family medicine academy.

Kelsey chose Grant because she loved the people she rotated at Grant. She was encouraged that Grant also provides well-rounded full spectrum care yet with good life balance and with a great organization. After residency, she is considering a women’s health/OB fellowship but would eventually like to be a full spectrum family doctor and be involved in administration in a primary care clinic. 

Emily is a second year resident and is a graduate of Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine. While she hails from Dayton, Columbus has been her home for the past three years and she absolutely loves it here. Not only is it home to her favorite team (GO BUCKS!!), it is where she met her husband Keith and where she is surrounded by her amazing family and friends. Family is the center of her world and a huge reason she chose to pursue a career in primary care. It is the diversity of Family Medicine that drew her to the field and the ability of Grant to prepare her for any career she could want. While there may be a subspecialty in her future, for now the world is completely open to her.  

Outside of work Emily enjoys working out and being outdoors, hiking, camping with Keith and their very active pooch Duke. She also loves cooking and eating almost anywhere and any thing. During intern year she has got married in August and now she and Keith are buying their first house! It’s been a great year both in and outside of work!

Kelly Thibert was born in raised in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She attended the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida where she majored in Molecular and Microbiology and minored in Women’s Studies. She attended Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine in South Florida where she earned her Doctorate in Osteopathic Medicine and Master of Public Health degrees. Before applying to residency Kelly served as the National President for the American Medical Student Association (AMSA), improving her health policy skills which she believes are vital to being an advocate and change agent for her patients and the communities in which they live. Kelly is passionate about comprehensive reproductive health, health policy and social activism. She was drawn to Grant because of the opportunities to truly learn how to treat patients in a variety of settings from teachers who sincerely cared and were invested in the program and residents. Aside from that, she recognized that Grant focuses on community health, service to the community and advocacy – all things she believes are vital to being the best physician one can be for the communities they serve. In her spare time Kelly likes to spend time with her fiancé, Asia and their pup, Luna.  You can often find her checking out local breweries,  coffee shops, craft food kitchens and attending various community events she finds through local news sources!

Paul Tobias has taken the scenic route to becoming a physician, but he couldn’t be happier now that he is starting training at Grant. He studied Integrative Biology and Rhetoric at the University of California at Berkeley, earned his law degree at the University of California’s Hastings College of the Law, and worked as an attorney in San Francisco for several years. He then completed his medical and business training at The Ohio State University. Paul chose Family Medicine because he loves to listen to people and work with them to resolve problems. He chose Grant because he loved the camaraderie and interactions between the residents and the attendings. When Paul had free time before having kids, his favorite activities included hiking, horseback riding, skiing, SCUBA diving, and playing soccer. His wife and three children are excited that he “won doctor school” and gets to care for patients!

Vern grew up in the small town of Plain City, OH. She fell in love with medicine while working as a Veterinary Technician, then realized it was the interactions with the pet’s humans that truly fed her soul. She received her B.S. in Biology at Ohio Dominican University, then completed medical school at Wright State University in Dayton, OH.  She feels incredibly grateful to be going through residency at Grant! The attendings, community preceptors, fellow residents, & interdisciplinary team members here at Grant are everything she hoped for and more! She feels Grant has a lot of “Heart & Soul” and loves how committed everyone is to providing the best patient care.

Vern is interested in outpatient medicine, and loves the continuity that is the hallmark of Family Medicine!  Her particular areas of interest are Geriatrics, Hospice, and Palliative care.  The older population has always warmed her heart, and she loves the stories this generation has to share.

When time permits, there are many other hobbies she enjoys. These include taking the “fur babies” for walks, finding & making new recipes on Yummly, listening to soundtracks of all the classic musicals, & frequenting coffee shops in town.

Jess completed her medical training in Athens, Ohio and fell in love with family medicine after realizing how diverse the opportunities are for scope of practice, advocacy, and community involvement. She loves obstetrics and women’s health, hospice/palliative care, intensive care, inpatient medicine and (most) procedures. She most looks forward to practicing broad-spectrum family medicine in a rural underserved area and developing continuity with her patients.

Jess chose Grant for the training and the people—she says they’re both the best! During her clinical years she completed a few rotations @ GMC and was impressed with the clinical acumen and procedural skills of the residents that she shadowed. They were always eager to teach and welcoming of new learners. The faculty are exceptional clinicians as well as nurturing, effective educators. The very best part, though, are her classmates-- incredible, compassionate, supportive and skilled. 

In her free time, Jess loves to be outdoors hiking, kayaking, paddle boarding, swimming, and biking with her family. She self identifies as a “foodie” and enjoys traveling. 

Samantha Wu was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and grew up in a large family of over thirty aunties and uncles and more than thirty cousins.  She attended Cornell University where she studied Urban & Regional Planning with a minor in Law & Society, and Asian Studies with a minor in Asian American Studies and Southeast Asian Studies.  She then completed a pre-health post-baccalaureate program before going to Michigan State University College of Human Medicine for medical school.  Sam went into Family Medicine because she has a passion for helping those in need and hopes to build long-lasting relationships with those in her community.  She chose Grant because she wanted an unopposed program that would provide a well-rounded education, but more importantly Sam was drawn to Grant's dedication to helping underserved populations.  When she is not at the hospital, Sam enjoys being outdoors, skiing and snowboarding, going to the beach, singing karaoke, and watching the Spartans, San Jose Sharks, Golden State Warriors and the San Francisco 49ers.