PGY-1
Alaq Haddad, MD
Pronunciation: AH-lik Ha-DAD
Pronouns: She/ her/hers
Hometown: Baghdad/ Iraq
Medical School: Hashemite University Faculty of Medicine, Jordan
Favorite Activity: Traveling, cooking/baking, organizing & interior design, learning new languages, spending time with my husband and our little son exploring new places wherever we travel.
What drew me to this program: The ECU Med-Peds program created a learning environment that fosters camaraderie, resident support, and strong/well-structured educational plans with clear goals and objectives. The program has several unique features that makes it stand-out including a dedicated med-peds clinic, hands-on workshops with full curriculum for POCUS that’s run by the residents for the residents. ECU is the flagship/tertiary hospital that cares for more than 1.4 million people across 29 counties in Eastern North Carolina, that exposes the residents to grow seeing patients from different backgrounds, with varying complexity of care, from the bread and butter to the high complexity cases.
Also, East Carolina became our home 3 years ago, me and my small family became part of the fabric of the community, and we feel we need to give back. Proud to call ECU Med-Peds residents and faculty family and to call East Carolina home.
Jaekeun Jung, MD
Pronunciation: JAY-ghun Juhng
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Hometown: Seoul, South Korea
Medical School: Eastern Virginia Medical School
Favorite Activity: Basketball, soccer, volleyball, tennis, pickleball, Ping-Pong, golf, surfing, video games, collecting character figures, playing drums, and taking naps
What drew me to this program: When I initially reached out to ECU Med-Peds during my second year of medical school, the program leaders and residents were extremely helpful and supportive of my pursuit of Med-Peds. Years later, when I actually had the opportunity to meet with the ECU Med-Peds family, my enthusiasm for ECU Med-Peds only grew larger. They were the most welcoming, friendly, funny, diverse, and cool people I have ever met, really making me want to join them.
I was also attracted to the wide range of experiences I would get as an ECU Med-Peds resident, including exposure to a diverse patient population all across eastern North Carolina, the combined Med-Peds clinic, global health, teaching opportunities, and most importantly, a lot of fun over the next four years!
Sydni Kowalczyk, DO
Pronunciation: Sid-nee Kuh-wall-zick
Pronouns: she/her
Hometown: Kankakee, IL
Medical School: Lincoln Memorial University Debusk College of Osteopathic Medicine
Favorite Activity: Spending time outside with my husband, Erik, and our son, Benny, exploring new parks, playing board games, and finding the best sour candy anywhere I go.
What drew me to this program: I was drawn to ECU Med-Peds because of the people, the strong sense of community, and the opportunity to care for both children and adults in a region where that work really matters. Through my clinical experiences and my own family’s journey navigating medical care, I became especially passionate about medically complex patients, transitions of care, and rural/underserved medicine. From the beginning, everyone here made me feel genuinely welcomed and like this was a place where I could grow.
Arin Murray
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Hometown: St. Augustine, FL
Medical School: Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine
Favorite Activity: running, reading, fostering dogs
What drew me to this program: After attending medical school in NC, I was eager to stay in this beautiful state with an incredible patient population. ECU Med-Peds stood out because of the supportive program leadership and resident team, combined Med-Peds clinic, and global health opportunities
Yaqot Nasser, MD
Pronunciation: Ya-koot, Nah-sir
Pronouns: She/her/hers
Hometown: Greenville, NC
Medical School: Brody School of Medicine at ECU!
Favorite Activities: I love reading fiction, shopping, baking, going on walks, going to the beach and spending time with family and friends
What drew me to the program: Having spent my clinical years at BSOM, I had the privilege of experiencing firsthand the qualities that make this program so special. From my first day rotating in the Med Peds clinic, I was drawn to the collaborative relationships among residents and faculty, the emphasis on thoughtful, patient-centered care, and the supportive learning environment for residents. I’m excited to train at a program with such a strong sense of community and a clear dedication to caring for the diverse and underserved patient population of our region.