“Hello everyone! My name is Tushar Bajaj. I grew up in Southern California and currently I am a one-year Critical Care Fellow here at the University of Chicago. My medical training has taken me across the US including California, Miami, Manhattan, and now in Chicago! I completed an internal medicine residency at a UCLA-affiliated hospital and a Nephrology fellowship at the University of Chicago. I was attracted to the critical care program here due to the breadth of pathology and the diverse experience with the different specialized intensive care units. I am planning to incorporate intensive care and nephrology in my near future and hope to create a positive impact in the life of my patients.” 

“Hi I’m Dylan. I was born and raised in the Chicago northwest suburbs (Buffalo Grove) and haven’t ventured very far away from home. I attended medical school at Loyola Stritch School of Medicine and completed my residency training here at UChicago. I chose to continue my training at UChicago for many reasons, but mainly because of the current fellows/faculty as well as the patient population we work with. My current research interests are in the field of ILD and I hope to continue this throughout fellowship.

Outside of work you can find me with my golden retriever Theo. We take full advantage of the Chicago summer (short, but worth it!) by hanging out on the lakefront, which is only a 5-10 minute walk away from our apartment.”

“Hi, I’m Hanna! I grew up in Ames, Iowa – about 5 hours west of Chicago. I attended the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis for undergrad before attending medical school here at the Pritzker School of Medicine. I loved my four years at U of C and fell in love with the tight knit nature of the community and the patient population we serve. I took a brief hiatus away for internal medicine residency in Boston at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. It was there that I decided to pursue pulmonary/critical care. I found the complexity of medicine in the ICU fascinating, and was equally struck by the challenges and rewards of guiding patients & families through critical illness and complex goals of care discussions. When considering programs, I was drawn to the University of Chicago for many reasons —  the strong clinical training, emphasis on teaching, level of fellow autonomy, research excellence, and the patient population, among others. I’m so excited to be back here for my fellowship training! I’m still figuring out where exactly my career in PMCC will land me. Right now, I have strong interests in critical care and palliative care communication research in the ICU. Outside of the hospital, I love trying new restaurants and bars with my fiancé (the Chicago restaurant scene is hard to beat), hiking/spending time outdoors, and swimming in Lake Michigan in the summer.” 

Hi everyone, I’m Jack. I moved a lot but call Champaign, IL home. I completed my education at Yale before finishing residency here at the University of Chicago. I am fortunate to be able to continue my training as a Pulmonary Critical Care fellow. 

This is a great program! There is strong clinical training, fellow autonomy, and ample research opportunities all with a friendly Midwest feel. My current focus is in ICU outcomes but I look forward to exploring what fellowship has to offer –  from obstructive lung disease to interventional to transplant. 

I currently live downtown with my significant other and our Scottish Fold, Nora. We like to explore restaurants, see games and shows, and plan trips across the world. 

“Hi y’all! I’m Chris, originally born and raised between the southwest suburbs and south side of Chicago. I went to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where I studied chemistry, molecular and cellular biology, and math. From there I kept it in the academic family and went to medical school at University of Illinois in Chicago. Taking a break from the cold, I did internal medicine residency in Houston followed by a chief year in part dedicated to building a skill set in patient safety and quality improvement. Eventually I came to my senses and returned home!

“Hi! I am Kevin. I grew up Switzerland and attended medical school and worked for two years at the Imperial College School of Medicine in London. After a brief stint at the Mayo Clinic during a visiting student elective, I decided to pursue further training in the US and took advantage of the US passport I inherited through my American father. I moved to Vanderbilt for internal medicine residency where I discovered my passion for critical care medicine. 

“Hi, I’m Mark! I grew up in the Chicago suburbs and studied Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame before returning to Chicago for medical school and residency. I was drawn to Pulmonary and Critical Care by the challenging and subtle physiology, and I chose the University of Chicago for fellowship for both the rigor of the education and the balance between its clinical and research training. I am interested in the role of the microbiome in the development of pulmonary disease and am currently researching its relationship to bronchiectasis.

Outside of the hospital, I really enjoy cooking and trying new restaurants with my wife (and sometimes with our two kids). I also enjoy wine (without our kids), playing music, and watching Terrence Malick films.“

“Hi everyone! I grew up in a suburb of Dallas and attended undergrad and medical school at Texas Tech University, where I met my now-husband, Terrance. After spending over 15 years in the 100-degree Texas heat, it was time for a change, so we headed to the East Coast for Internal Medicine residency at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. It was there that I developed a clinical and research interest in interstitial lung disease, which I have actively pursued ever since. When it came time for Pulmonary and Critical Care fellowship, the support and mentorship offered by the UChicago ILD Group made my decision easy, and I have loved every second of my time spent with this amazing group of individuals. I am dedicated to preventing the development and progression of pulmonary fibrosis and have focused my efforts on studying interstitial lung abnormalities identified in our diverse patient population on the South Side of Chicago.