Current Residents
Classes of 2024-2026
Brandon Bradley, MD
PGY 3
Hometown: Amarillo, TX
Undergrad: Texas Tech University – Lubbock, TX
Medical School: Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center – Lubbock, TX
Hobbies/Interests: Hiking, fishing, camping, fitness, photography, woodworking and van builds
Life before medical school: I was born in Amarillo, TX but attended school in Bushland, TX. I had a strong interest in Agricultural Education and was very involved in the National FFA Organization. I have been a student of Texas Tech since 2010 when I started undergraduate work in Animal Science. Since that time, I have completed a Masters in Medical Sciences and Business Administration.
Why Lubbock: I am not originally from Lubbock, but this town has been instrumental in shaping who I am today. From my education to my friends and family, Lubbock has become my home over the years. I am so very happy to continue my training and education in the place I call home with the community I have spent so much time being a part of.
JD Escobedo, MD
PGY 3
Hometown: San Antonio, TX
Undergrad: Texas Tech University – Lubbock, TX
Medical School: Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center – Lubbock
Hobbies/Interests: Sand volleyball, buying books, ceramics, being a Josh Farkas fanboi, bringing home wood from the side of the road for “future projects”, podcasts, not getting around to enough future projects, mountain summits, looking for my keys/wallet, aspiring to become a zentensivist, and medical education
Life before medical school: I was born and raised in San Antonio, TX. I have unintentionally become Mr. Texas Tech as I have completed my undergraduate and graduate education at Texas Tech followed by a year of metabolomics research at Texas Tech’s Center for Biotechnology and Genomics.
Why Lubbock: Lubbock has become my home away from home. By cosmic, and sometimes comedic, design Lubbock has perpetually offered the opportunity to pursue my academic and professional interests. I have lived most of my adult life in Lubbock where I have witnessed and, at times, been able to take part in its growth. I look forward to another active 3 years of West Texas livin’.
Alec Espeland, DO
PGY 3
Hometown: Pierre, SD
Undergrad: North Dakota State University – Fargo, ND
Medical School: Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine – Parker, CO
Hobbies/Interests: Hunting, fishing, rodeo, woodworking and team sports
Life before medical school: I worked as an EMT for the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. I also worked in home construction.
Why Lubbock: The lifestyle, the people and the BBQ!!!
Andrea Fowle, MD
PGY 3
Hometown: Houston, TX
Undergrad: Midwestern State University – Wichita Falls, TX
Medical School: Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center – Lubbock, TX
Hobbies/Interests: Playing with my dogs, learning random things from YouTube, attempting to game the stock market, and traveling. My goal is to visit all 7 continents in my life; I’m over halfway!!
Life before medical school: I was born in Houston and lived in South Dakota, Atlanta and Corpus Christi before moving to Wichita Falls for undergrad. I studied Chemistry and Psychology with a minor in Biology at MSU while working as a bartender, church childcare worker, degree plan auditor for the university and scribing at the local hospital - somehow all at the same time!
Why Lubbock: I came to Lubbock from medical school initially because of the incredibly warm community and ultimately stayed for residency because of the wonderful faculty, staff and residents in the ER as well as its Level 1 Trauma Center status. I also appreciate the lack of traffic and low cost of living.
Dustin Hoang, MD
PGY 3
Hometown: Fort Worth, TX
Undergrad: University of Texas at Arlington – Arlington, TX
Medical School: Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center – Lubbock, TX
Hobbies/Interests: In my free time, I enjoy boxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, rock climbing, fishing, hiking, hunting and playing the guitar and drums.
Life before medical school: Couch surfed out of HS with no real direction or plans. I realized halfway through undergrad that medicine is something that I wanted to do. I became a scribe out of college to get some clinical experience and then attended TTUHSC GSBS Masters Program and was subsequently accepted to TTUHSC medical school.
Why Lubbock: It isn’t the location, but the people in Lubbock that make it such a wonderful town. Doing the master’s program and then medical school here has really allowed me to become integrated and really get to know the people and the culture of Lubbock. Also, the Tech football games and Broadway aren’t too bad either!
Caitlin Magargee, DO
PGY 3
Hometown: Cibolo, TX
Undergrad: Schreiner University – Kerrville, TX
Medical School: University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine – San Antonio, TX
Hobbies/Interests: I love traveling abroad and to national parks. I took up baking in high school when I interned as a pastry chef. Barre is my favorite form of exercise.
Life before medical school: I tutored in the math and sciences in undergrad. I was an active member of my sorority Delta Phi Epsilon. I took a gap year to receive my Masters in Biomedical Sciences before medical school.
Why Lubbock: UMC has a large catchment area, which leads to diverse pathology. It is the academic center that serves as the county hospital, which is exactly what I wanted. Lubbock is a huge university town, which is reflected in activities to do when not working.
Cam Meacham, DO
PGY 3
Hometown: Pleasant Grove, UT
Undergrad: Utah Valley University – Orem, UT
Medical School: Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine – Parker, CO
Hobbies/Interests: Triathlons, weightlifting, nutrition, hiking/trail running, hanging out with my wife and kids and MOVIES!!!
Life before medical school: It is so hard to remember...was there life before med school? I worked as a health and wellness coach during undergrad and really enjoyed the challenge of helping people hit their personal goals.
Why Lubbock: Texas Tech provided me and my family exactly what we were looking for; a great place to raise a family and an awesome spot to continue training. We found it really difficult to find a place with this level of acuity, complexity of patients and the variety of cases that is also incredibly family friendly. This program and area checked all the boxes for making it an easy decision to choose Lubbock!
Andrea Weitz, MD
PGY 3
Hometown: Tough question.. born in Seattle, childhood in Australia, then NYC my entire adult
life (minus the several year stints in Italy, Japan, Ireland and Salt Lake City.)
Undergrad: Baruch College – New York, NY
Medical School: Trinity College Dublin – Dublin, Ireland
Hobbies/Interests: Horses, aeronautics, animal rescue, traveling, reading, photography, painting, writing and yoga
Life before medical school: I was a fashion designer and lived in NYC.
Why Lubbock: Why not? Large open spaces, beautiful blue skies, friendly people, not to mention phenomenal dust storms, aka haboobs!
Cameron Arakaki, DO
PGY 2
Hometown: Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Undergrad: University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) – Los Angeles, CA
Medical School: University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine – San Antonio, TX
Hobbies/Interests: Hiking, fishing, swimming, volunteering and hanging out with family and friends
Life before medical school: I was born and raised in Southern California where I grew up swimming competitively
and spending time outdoors. After undergrad, I worked in a molecular biology research
lab at Loma Linda University prior to moving to Texas for medical school.
Why Lubbock: TTUHSC offers everything I was looking for in a program from a great group of people
to a location at an academic center that serves a large catchment area offering exposure
to a wide array of pathology along with a Level 1 Trauma Center status.
Neil Bishop, MD
PGY 2
Hometown: Colorado Springs, CO
Undergrad: Brigham Young University
Medical School: University of Colorado
Hobbies/Interests: Spending time with my wife and kids, playing and watching sports, traveling, enjoying
time with friends and eating ice cream
Why Lubbock: Lubbock provided the opportunity to be close to family while training in a very supportive
environment committed to and enthusiastic about having residents in the ED.
Kyle Conley, MD
PGY 2
Hometown: Richland, WA
Undergrad: University of Washington
Medical School: University of Washington
Hobbies/Interests: Time with kids and wife, exercise, foodie, history, geopolitics, psychology, study
design, medical evidence, global health, contrarianism and religion
Life before medical school: Minor league ballplayer in St. Louis Cardinals organization
Why Lubbock: Personable faculty, level I trauma, longitudinal Peds EM, tertiary care hospital,
family town, serves large catchment of rural counties.
Jonathan Kouts, DO
PGY 2
Hometown: Safford, Arizona
Undergrad: Brigham Young University – Hawaii
Medical School: New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM) at Arkansas
State University
Hobbies/Interests: Hunting, hiking, shooting, snowboarding (not the best snow in Hawaii, Arkansas or
Arizona I know), fitness, making memories with my wonderful wife, spoiling my two
fur babies and I aspire to learn to play the guitar!
Life before medical school: I grew up on a farm in a small town in Southern Arizona where I learned what it means
to work HARD. I served a mission in South America on behalf of my church where I
became fluent in Spanish and learned a ton from the diverse culture. I worked as a
fitness instructor and strength coach to put myself through college while living up
the Hawai’i lifestyle. I met and married my beautiful wife while we attended undergrad
in Hawai’i. After which, we moved to Lubbock where I worked as an Anesthesia Technician
for 3 years while my wife finished her bachelor’s degree at Texas Tech. I then moved
to Arkansas to attend Med School while my wife attended professional school in Arizona-
long distance sucks but we are stronger because of it!
Why Lubbock: After living in Lubbock for 3 years before med school, it just feels like home. The
people are great, the traffic is light, it has amenities of a big city with a small-town
feel, and the BBQ can’t be beat. Lubbock offers a great “catch-all” geographic location
to learn and practice Emergency Medicine being the only level 1 trauma center in the
area. The faculty are truly invested in the learning and growth of the residents,
and it shows from their involvement both inside and outside of the hospital.
Brenda Martinez, MD
PGY 2
Hometown: Denver City, TX
Undergrad: Texas Tech University – Lubbock, TX
Medical School: Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center – Lubbock, TX
Hobbies/Interests: gardening, caring for my family of four, volunteering at my children's school and
party-planning. We also have the tiniest backyard ranch that includes chickens, a
cow, and a steer. This, too, takes space in my hobby category and helps keep me busy.
Medically, I have a true love of the pediatric population. I have worked specifically
with them for the past few years, but I look forward to caring for our adult population
as well. I have a special interest in trauma, and I plan on pursuing ways to further
explore this area of emergency medicine.
Life before medical school: Busy! My husband and I were young parents, and we hit the ground running during my
undergraduate years. I had an assortment of jobs during this time. I was an insurance
agent, legal assistant, middle school substitute teacher, and volunteered at nursing
homes and my child's elementary school during my spare time.
Why Lubbock: We’ve chosen Lubbock to be our home because it is such a family-friendly place! We
have loved raising our children here and establishing good family relationships with
friends in our community. This city, a true medical center of West Texas and Eastern
New Mexico, provides a fulfilling place to continue my medical career, and we plan
on calling this region our home for many years to come.
Michael Mitchell, DO
PGY 2
Hometown: Corpus Christi, TX
Undergrad: University of Texas at Austin
Medical School: Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine
Hobbies/Interests: Outdoor activities, Running, Cycling, Swimming, Weight training, Football, Basketball
Life before medical school: I have lived in Texas almost my entire life and studied biology and business at UT
Austin before headed to medical school.
Why Lubbock: I was immediately drawn to the program because of the infrastructure that was in place.
As someone who enjoys teaching it seemed like a great opportunity to have both a medical
school and an undergraduate campus so close to the hospital, only a few programs could
offer that. I had wanted to stay in Texas and after having the opportunity to meet
some of the residents in the program I felt like the culture was incredible and I
would be very happy in Lubbock!
Bradley Mott, MD
PGY 2
Hometown: Tucson, AZ
Undergrad: University of Arizona
Medical School: University of Arizona – Tucson, AZ
Hobbies/Interests: Woodworking. playing piano and guitar, film of all sorts, especially classic film
noir, basketball and watch collecting.
Life before medical school: Studied English and music. Had various jobs including building telescope mirrors and
sterile processing.
Why Lubbock: I rotated here for an away rotation during fourth year and really enjoyed the residents
and faculty in the program as well as the city. However, I still do not own any cowboy
boots — some things take time.
Jamie Tran, DO
PGY 2
Hometown: Port Arthur, TX
Undergrad: Lamar University
Medical School: University of North Texas Health Sciences Center
Hobbies/Interests: cooking food, eating food, travel, basketball, video games, making music, listening
to music, and playing with my baby daughter
Life before medical school: Not much honestly, went straight from undergrad to medical school. Previously I worked
at HEB and love the company to death. Along the way I met my wife and we started our
family in Lubbock.
Why Lubbock: It’s a dusty town, but it definitely has its charm. The city itself is growing and
booming, and it’s a great place to build a family. The culture at Tech is also awesome,
and it’s something I’m happy to be a part of.
Juan Aragon, MD
PGY 1
Hometown: Crane, TX
Undergrad: Texas Tech University
Medical School: TTUHSC Paul L. Foster SOM
Hobbies/Interests: Spending time with friends and family, traveling, hiking/camping, exercising, trying new food and watching sports (Go Tech)!!
Life before medical school: I grew up in West Texas until high school when I moved to an international boarding school inside of a castle for 2 years. I then started my undergraduate studies at TTU followed by a Masters in Medical sciences before going to medical school
Why Lubbock: I have been fortunate to call Lubbock my second home since starting undergrad. Lubbock is where I met my wife, where we are raising our daughter and where I have created life-long friendships.
Clark Azubuike, MBBS
PGY 1
Hometown: Ibeme, Imo state, Nigeria
Medical School: Faculty of Medicine, University of Benin
Hobbies/Interests: I am an AVID sports fan. I enjoy mostly watching, but occasionally participating in, basketball, football(Association and American) boxing, tennis, 8-ball pool and golf. I also enjoy hiking, trail running and camping. I also like to stay informed about news, history and current events. I read a lot and listen to podcasts on those themes.
Life before medical school: What life?!? I pretty much went straight to medical school without a gap.
Why Lubbock: Super friendly people nestled within a blossoming city with a small town feel, fantastic and supportive program (from faculty to co-residents).
Amanda Garrity, DO
PGY 1
Hometown: Idaho Falls, ID
Undergrad: Brigham Young University- Provo, UT
Medical School: Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Hobbies/Interests: Party planning, traveling, special effects make-up, historical sewing, piano, home renovations YouTube videos, and true crime podcasts
Life before medical school: In college, I studied Chemistry and worked in an organic chemistry lab, as well as tutoring and freelance wedding makeup on the side. My favorite job, however, was working as a waitress at Olive Garden- though the breadsticks were unfortunately not a free perk!
Why Lubbock: The people! The large catchment area, diverse pathology and low cost of living were the initial draws, but the faculty and residents were what made Tech a clear choice. Everyone was so warm and it was obvious how much they all cared about the success of the program and the residents.
Chris Hidalgo, DO
PGY 1
Hometown: Glendale, AZ
Undergrad: Grand Canyon University
Medical School: Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine of Midwestern University
Hobbies/Interests: Spending time with my wife and kids. I also enjoy woodworking/carpentry, mountain biking and hiking/trail running.
Stephanie Perea-Neal, DO
PGY 1
Hometown: El Paso, TX
Undergrad: Our Lady of the Lake University- San Antonio, TX
Medical School: Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine- Las Cruces, NM
Hobbies/Interests: Volleyball, hiking, traveling, napping, watching Steelers football, reading, continually adding to my to-do list, attending live music shows, amateur drone flying and stopping to ask people if I can pet their dog.
Life before medical school: Volleyball was my life before medical school. I started playing before I could walk and continued playing through undergrad. When I couldn't play competitively anymore, I coached youth volleyball teams.
Why Lubbock: At first, I didn't know what to expect from Lubbock, however, after completing an audition rotation at Texas Tech, I was sold! This program provided all the opportunities that would help me achieve my goals. Other selling points are an incredible group of faculty, staff, and residents. The catchment area serves a large population which gives exposure to many different pathologies.
Josh Preator, DO
PGY 1
Hometown: McKinney, TX
Undergrad: Brigham Young University- Provo, UT
Medical School: Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine- Meridian, ID
Hobbies/Interests: Spending time with my wife and kids, golf, watching movies and TV shows, camping, reading. I am also a BIG Dallas Cowboys fan!
Life before medical school: I spent 2 years serving a mission for my church in Brazil where I learned to speak Portuguese. I worked several jobs during undergrad that included filling vending machines on campus, selling pest control door-to-door in the summer and helping my wife run a photography business.
Why Lubbock: I had the opportunity to do an away rotation in Lubbock and had an awesome experience. The residents and faculty were so friendly and willing to teach. I knew this residency program would be an amazing place to train. My wife and I felt that Lubbock would be a great city to raise our family with an affordable cost of living and many fun things to do. It was a no-brainer for us to want to come here!
Daniel Saeang, MD
PGY 1
Hometown: Long Beach, CA
Undergrad: University of California- Irvine
Medical School: Ross University SOM
Hobbies/Interests: Weightlifting, video games, spending time with family and friends, BBQing and football
Life before medical school: I grew up in sunny southern California and in my youth I enjoyed wrestling, jujitsu, MMA surfing and snowboarding. I was even a Buddhist monk for a short period in my life. I graduated with a degree in economics and worked in finance and IT for almost 10 years prior to deciding to go to medical school.
Why Lubbock: I was drawn to Lubbock because of the way people raved about this small college town. Everyone described Lubbock as a great place to live, learn, grown and start a family. I love the friendliness of the community and how it brings everyone together.
William Wanzor, MD
PGY 1
Hometown: Clovis, MN
Undergrad: Texas Tech University HSC
Medical School: American University of the Caribbean SOM
Hobbies/Interests: I really enjoy hanging out with my wife and kids, watching ball games, movies or trying new places to eat. I also enjoy woodworking, working on vehicles and fixing stuff up around the house.
Life before medical school: While always wanting to be a physician, I've lived a varied life. After high school, I served in the US Navy for 6 years. I then went into law enforcement for a few years before getting my nursing degree, I worked in the ER and MICU for 10 years before starting medical school. It's been a long adventure to reach my goal, but luckily I've had great support from my wife and kids to get me through it all.
Why Lubbock: I've lived in Lubbock for over a decade and really love the people. They are very nice and welcoming. Plus, we have a great variety of new restaurants/food trucks to try which is a big plus!