Elsie Ennin, MD (she/her)

Hometown: Brooklyn, NY 
Undergraduate: Barnard College, Columbia University 
Medical School: New York Medical College 
Future Plans: Gastroenterology/Hepatology 
Hobbies: Wheel throwing, Exploring coffee shops, Brunch with friends 
 
Bio: Elsie was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, with parts of her childhood spent in Accra, Ghana, and Leicester, UK. She attended Barnard College of Columbia University, majoring in Neuroscience and Behavior. During her time there, Elsie was deeply involved in service and developed a strong interest in healthcare, particularly in understanding how biological, environmental, acquired, and socioeconomic factors influence patient outcomes. She pursued her medical degree at New York Medical College where she developed her passion for gastroenterology/hepatology before joining the Trojan family for her Internal Medicine Residency. Elsie has been honored to work alongside dedicated co-trainees, faculty, and staff who are passionate about learning and serving a large, diverse patient population. She is excited to share her experiences with future classes and serve as the Chief Resident of Recruitment.  

One Day in LA: Elsie would start her day by hiking one of the main trails in Griffith Park. From there, she would head to Republique for a delicious brunch with friends before heading east to Downtown Los Angeles for a wheel throwing class. She would then grab dinner at Holbox for fresh Yucatan-style seafood ceviche and tacos. To end the evening, she would head to any of the incredible concert venues in Los Angeles to see my favorite musicians or comedians.

Bijan Rizi, MD MPH (he/him) 

Hometown: Palos Verdes, CA 
Undergraduate: Tulane University 
Medical School: AUC 
Future Plans: Cardiology 
Hobbies: traveling, camping, hiking, beekeeping & pulling an exceptionally smooth shot of espresso. 

Bio: Bijan was born in Long Beach and raised in the South Bay area. He was always fascinated by medicine after seeing the sacred relationship his father had with his patients and the amount of trust they placed in his hands. Bijan developed an interest in public health and preventive medicine and thus got his MPH and plans to practice preventive cardiology. He feels extremely fortunate to be part of the Trojan family here in the Internal Medicine Residency Program and is honored to serve the people of Los Angeles. The pathology you will see here at LAG/USC is unparalleled and the program will ensure that you have a strong foundation in Internal Medicine. Bijan is excited to serve as your Scheduling Chief for the upcoming year. 
 
One Day in LA: Bijan can be found soaking up the LA sun in Manhattan Beach and enjoying one of LA’s numerous famous breakfast burritos. Later he’d play beach volleyball and go for a swim. No day in LA would be complete for him without stopping by any of the amazing taco stands LA has to offer or the many incredible hikes up in the LA mountains and Griffith Park.

Adam Kolawa, MD MS (he/him) 

Hometown: Monrovia, CA 
Undergraduate: University of Southern California 
Medical School: Keck School of Medicine of USC 
Future Plans: Hematology/Oncology  
Hobbies: Running, Reading, Watching LA sports, Making the perfect pierogi  

Bio: Adam was born in Sierra Madre and raised in Monrovia, CA. He has remained close to home, spending over ten years at the University of Southern California, where he attended undergraduate studies, medical school, and residency. The institution, the education, and the people he has met over the years have meant a great deal to him. The faculty and students come from incredibly diverse backgrounds, bringing a wealth of knowledge and perspectives to patient care. Such diversity is mirrored in the broad patient population served at LA General and Keck Medical Center, where people from all walks of life receive high-quality, compassionate medical care. USC Medicine is a special community, and Adam is honored to serve as the Educational Chief for the upcoming year. 

One Day in LA: A perfect start to Adam's day is a nice run around the Rose Bowl trails. From there, he would go straight to Lucky Boy to enjoy one of their world-famous breakfast burritos (with ranch). After a quick nap, he would head to one of the beautiful gardens or parks in Pasadena. To end the night, he would go to the Silverlake neighborhood to enjoy the eclectic cuisine at restaurants like Pine & Crane for Taiwanese fusion or The Window for a delicious burger.