Internal Medicine Residents - R1

Jennie Ahn, MD

Hometown: Concord, California
Undergraduate Education: UC Davis
Graduate School: UC Davis
Interests: Dachshunds, plants, running, food, Tetris, dry humor
Why did you pick Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital for your Residency?: I've wanted to live in Santa Barbara since my undergrad days. It is a beautiful, diverse, and robust town full of culture!

Amanda Atanasson, DO

Hometown: Owings Mills, MD
Undergraduate Education: UC Santa Barbara
Graduate School: Georgetown University/ Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Interests: Tennis, yoga, hiking, painting, spending time with family and friends, cooking
Why did you pick Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital for your Residency?: People and location! It’s my home away from home!

Anthony Balolong-Reyes, MD

Hometown: Ventura, California
Undergraduate Education: UC San Diego
Graduate School: Drexel University College of Medicine
Interests: Gym, basketball, running, swimming, surfing, hiking, reading at cafés, history, guitar, sneakers
Why did you pick Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital for your Residency?: I chose Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital because everyone on my interview day was so kind and genuinely cared about my story. The strong clinical training, mentorship, and focus on growth and wellness—along with being close to my family—made it the perfect fit for me.

Abaigeal (“Abbey”) Blake, MD

Hometown: Seal Beach, California
Undergraduate Education: Princeton University
Graduate School: St. George’s University School of Medicine
Interests: Water polo, swimming, cooking, trying new restaurants, traveling, spending time with my pet tortoise Salmonella (“Sal”)
Why did you pick Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital for your Residency?: I chose Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital for its outstanding clinical training and strong sense of community. Being from Southern California, being close to home is an added bonus!

Kevin Brar, MD

Hometown: Fresno, California
Undergraduate Education: Pepperdine University
Graduate School: Chapman University School of Law
Interests: Food, hiking and going to the beach with my doxiepoo Kobe, tennis, basketball, ping-pong, TV shows, concerts, traveling (37 countries and counting), watching every Lakers game
Why did you pick Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital for your Residency?: Cottage has always been my dream for residency, and I’ve always wanted to live in Santa Barbara. You can’t beat the location, and the faculty truly care about your success and invest in you as a person. The program’s forward-thinking use of AI in the hospital further strengthened my interest.

Agyanta (“Angy”) Dhal, MBBS

Hometown: Sambalpur, India
Education: Sriram Chandra Bhanja Medical College, Cuttack, India
Interests: Traveling, hiking, food enthusiast, pickleball, swimming, philately
Why did you pick Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital for your Residency?: I chose Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital because it just feels right—strong training, supportive people, and a great vibe. You can’t beat the ocean views, mountain sunsets, and amazing restaurants. Having my husband here makes it feel even more like home.

Sukhmani Kaur Batra, DO

Hometown: Union City, California
Education: San Jose State University
Interests: Gardening, caring for fruit trees, traveling, exploring new places
Why did you pick Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital for your Residency?: I had a wonderful rotation and enjoyed every aspect of the program. The residents are incredible and have built a supportive community. It is an excellent educational environment with outstanding faculty and many opportunities to grow. I am excited to continue my journey at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.

Paola F. Frausto Lerma,MD

Hometown: Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
Education: Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Facultad de Medicina
Interests: Exploring new places and restaurants, hiking, playing and watching tennis
Why did you pick Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital for your Residency?: I chose Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital because of its welcoming, supportive, and growth-oriented culture. My interview and tour confirmed that this program offers a safe place to learn and grow while valuing who you are as a person. I’m passionate about caring for diverse patient populations and am grateful for the opportunity to serve this community.

Alan Hsieh,DO

Hometown: Cupertino, California
Education: University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign
Interests: Hiking, exploring national parks, video games, working on cars
Why did you pick Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital for your Residency?: I chose Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital because I had such a great experience here during medical school. The residents and faculty were incredibly supportive, and I loved the program’s culture. Santa Barbara is a beautiful city, and I’m excited to be part of the team!

Michelle, Janossy-Taylor, MD

Hometown: Santa Clarita, California
Undergraduate Education: UC San Diego
Graduate School: University of Queensland – Ochsner Clinical School
Interests: Running, hiking, yoga, knitting/embroidery, cooking/baking, exploring new restaurants
Why did you pick Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital for your Residency?: I chose Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital because it aligned with my values in healthcare and my ideal training environment, while also allowing me to be close to home. The program values resident feedback serves a diverse patient population and emphasizes humanism in medicine. Combined with its beautiful location, it was the perfect choice for me.

Jacob Peters, DO

Hometown: Antioch, California
Undergraduate Education: Texas A&M
Graduate School: KCU
Interests: Golf, weightlifting, skiing, national parks
Why did you pick Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital for your Residency?: I chose this program because of the positive and welcoming energy during my interview. Being near my family, the beach, and 300+ days of sun a year is the cherry on top!

Marquis Winston, MD

Hometown: Killeen, Texas
Education: Texas State University
Interests: Movies, gym, running, surfing (when in SB)
Why did you pick Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital for your Residency?: Santa Barbara Cottage is the perfect fit for me. I went into medicine wanting not only to heal but also to educate and engage in community outreach, and this program does that and more. The residents are friendly and brilliant, and you gain autonomy early while still having the support of attendings. And of course—what’s not to love about Santa Barbara?