Third Year Fellows
Sam Fox
Residency: RUSH University Medical Center
About me: I chose RUSH for two main reasons. First of all, the people – it is clear that all the fellows and attendings enjoy coming to work together and there is a true camaraderie within the department. I also chose RUSH because it is a clinically oriented program where fellows get airway and ultrasound training.
Clinically, I am interested in end-of-life care in the ICU and interstitial lung disease.
Outside of work, I enjoy cooking, traveling, exploring Chicago’s restaurants and bars, and spending time with my wife and our 12-year-old Beagle.
Arushi Hukku
Residency: Loyola University Chicago
About me: I chose RUSH for my fellowship training because it’s a place that integrates high quality patient care and clinical excellence along with abundant research and educational opportunities, all in an extremely supportive and collegial environment. I am particularly interested in quality improvement in the ICU, ultrasound education, and sleep medicine. Outside of work I enjoy my dog, food, binge watching TV, game nights, and exploring Chicago!
Amanda Kamar
Residency: Lutheran General Hospital
About me: RUSH was always my top choice for fellowship because of its excellent reputation, particularly in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. RUSH swiftly became my only choice because of the very apparent warm and welcoming nature of the people and the program - and, yes, that was all virtual!
I am very passionate about quality improvement and patient safety, and I find pulmonary pathologies to be fascinating. My clinical interests include pulmonary hypertension, critical care medicine, and sleep medicine.
Outside of work, I am enamored with my Goldendoodle puppy, Theodore. I like to stay active by going on long walks, exploring the local restaurant scene, or working on my golf swing. I lived abroad for several years so I am very excited to resume travel across the pond!
Ami Modi
Residency: University of Chicago - NorthShore
About me: I am very excited to be training at RUSH! I am most attracted to the supportive and team-oriented culture here. I look forward to training at an institution that cares for such a large part of Chicagoland area.
My clinical interests are in ARDS and quality improvement projects in the ICU.
My personal interests including biking along the lakeshore, playing tennis and traveling to another country to try new food.
Second Year Fellows
Piotr Babinski, MD
Residency: Loyola University Chicago
About me: RUSH is an amazing institution to train at because of its clinical excellence and dedication to high quality care. But most importantly, I chose RUSH because of the community and camaraderie that is present within the department that makes it a fun and engaging place to train.
My clinical interests are pulmonary hypertension and critical care ultrasonography. Outside of work I love camping, hiking, and gardening!
Sarah Bjork, MD
Residency: New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital
About me: RUSH easily became my top choice for fellowship training due to its combination of high-quality research driven patient care and reputation for excellence in medicine. During my interview it became apparent that the program is supportive and encouraging of its fellows to become well-rounded Pulmonary Critical Care Physicians while exposing them to complex pathology and clinical scenarios in a large academic setting.
My clinical interests include interstitial lung diseases, cystic fibrosis and long-term effects of post-ICU syndrome.
Outside of work I spend most of my time trying out new recipes in the kitchen, going to yoga classes and exploring museums.
Deepanjali Jain, MD
Residency: Temple University
I chose Rush because of the camaraderie and diversity I witnessed during my interview day. Although it was over zoom, it was clear that everyone I met respected and enjoyed the company of their colleagues. Medicine, and especially PCCM, has been a taxing field over the last few years and I wanted to find a home somewhere where people still felt joy in their work.
My clinical interests are broad and I’m hoping to spend the next three years finding my niche!
Outside of work, I love hiking, kayaking and devouring the latest crime show, podcast or book. I’m so excited to explore Chicago’s vegetarian food scene.
William Thinnes, MD
Residency: RUSH University
About me: After spending three years at RUSH for my Internal Medicine Residency, I chose to stay at RUSH for fellowship because of the people. The welcoming nature of the Pulmonary and Critical Care department combined with their clinical expertise made RUSH the perfect place to train for fellowship.
My research interests include family communication in the ICU and medical education.
Outside of work, I love to spend time with my wife and our dog and play basketball and golf.
First Year Fellows
Uba Chinyere Udeh, MD
Residency: University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Harrisburg
I am excited about my upcoming training at Rush. I was drawn to Rush due to the exceptional support and collegial atmosphere I witnessed during my interview. The institution’s commitment to delivering excellent clinical training, along with numerous research and educational prospects, greatly appealed to me.
My primary interests include ILD and pulmonary hypertension, as well as quality improvement and medical education.
When I am not working, I thoroughly enjoy hiking, cooking, and shipping. I can’t waint to explore the vibrant city of Chicago during my time there.
Manuel Hache Marliere, MD
Residency: Albert Einstein College of Medicine
I chose Rush because of the complex care training that fellows receive and the opportunity to provide care to an underserved and diverse community. During my interviews, I was impressed by the positive attitude and camaraderie of the fellows, and I knew I wanted to be a part of a place where people were excited to come to work.
My clinical interests include mechanical ventilation, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and medical education. My research interests include ARDS, Obstructive disease, and end-of-life care.
Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my wife and our miniature schnauzer, Baguette. I also enjoy running and exploring new coffee shops.
Emmy Mai, MD
Residency: University of Cincinnati
Rush University is clearly a fantastic program that I am excited to train at. Their core values aligned with mine- training clinically strong fellows, high quality patient care, diversity in staff and pathologies. In addition, I felt that the faculty I met, even virtually, were welcoming, friendly, and intelligent. My interests in pulmonology include pulmonary hypertension and COPD/asthma, but I am open to exploring more niches! Outside of the hospital, I like running, hiking, reading, and binge-watching TV.
Guillermo Asmar Vargas, MD
Residency: TriHealth Good Samaritan Hospital
During my Internal Medicine Residency, I had the opportunity to do a 1-month rotation at RUSH University Medical Center. I experienced firsthand the broad exposure to both pulmonary medicine and critical care that the fellowship program offered. But more importantly, I enjoyed working with the fellows and attendings who welcomed me as one of their own, and I felt like an integral part of the team. Additionally, the family-oriented and camaraderie environment at RUSH played an essential role in my decision to train here. Because of these reasons, I chose RUSH as my top choice for fellowship training.
My clinical interest in Pulmonary & Critical Care includes pulmonary hypertension, interventional pulmonology, POCUS, and palliative care in the ICU.
Outside of medicine, I like spending time with my family exploring new places (especially new restaurants), traveling, and playing video games with my friends from the Dominican Republic.