Meet Us

Hi everyone! I'm Shira. I was born in Seoul, South Korea and later immigrated to Southern California and haven't left since (can't escape this amazing weather). I completed undergrad at Occidental College in Los Angeles, CA and medical school at Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, CA. I completed my MS-3 Pediatric rotation at RUHS with some of our current Pediatric attendings and was blown away by their compassion and commitment for medical education and decided to rank Loma Linda once I entered the match process. After chief year, I hope to work as a hospitalist and stay involved in resident training. I enjoy traveling, discovering new coffee shops/restaurants, hiking, pottery, and anything crafty! I also recently became a parent and am happy to answer any questions about having children in residency/medical training. I wish you the best as you go through the interview process and hope to see you soon at Loma Linda!

Hi, I'm Kristine! I'm from Westminster OC, went to undergrad in LA (Go Bruins), and moved to Vegas for med school. Matching back in SoCal for residency was a must. I'm a fan of being pampered, coupon stacking, the color pink, Disneyland, and Beyoncé (dream job was to be her backup dancer). I'm a caffeine queen, boba connoisseur, and proud plant mom of twenty... so far. In my free time, you can catch me at the movies/performance theater, a winery, the newest brunch spot in town, and museums/zoos. I love making new friends so very excited to meet you all! I'm applying to PICU this cycle (fingers crossed) so we can chat about fellowship too.

Hello everyone! I'm Minh. I grew up in San Jose, CA so yes I put La Vic's orange sauce on everything and did my undergraduate years at University of San Francisco before taking a couple of gap years working as a DJ and part of it as an ALGO Newborn Hearing screener. Las Vegas did not want me for a music residency, but they did accept me for med school at Touro University Nevada so that was cool. I was so excited to come back to California for residency, and remain very happy to be at Loma Linda. Outside of the hospital, I enjoy music festivals (made it to Coachella for all 3 years of residency :D) as well as exploring local concert venues, working out, and watching basketball/Golden State Warriors and football. This residency will also get you into pickleball (shout out Peds & Pickle) and boba so hope to catch you guys around one of those spots soon!

Hi everyone! My name is Aimee and I am very excited to represent our residency as one of the Pediatric chiefs. I was born in Burma and immigrated here with my family when I was 9 years old to foggy San Francisco. I went to University of Santa Barbara for undergrad and then to Western University of Health Sciences for medical school. I was ecstatic when I found out I got into Loma Linda for residency because of the supportive faculty and the residents. My hobbies include traveling (both locally and internationally), exploring some of the hikes in SoCal, enjoying the diverse/delicious food scene in LA/greater SoCal area and of course, sleeping. :) I am so excited to meet you all!

Dr. Tsai was born and raised near Chicago, IL. She studied neurobiology and English literature at the University of Wisconsin - Madison, where she met many of her closest friends through Kappa Alpha Theta sorority and Greek InterVarsity. She completed medical school at New York Medical College, followed by pediatric residency and a chief resident year at Loma Linda. She married her med-peds classmate! She chose to stay at Loma Linda due to her passion for resident education, mentorship, wellness, global health, and advocating for women and minority leadership in medicine. She works as a pediatric hospitalist at Loma Linda University Children's Hospital and Riverside University Health Systems, while her husband alternates between Loma Linda internal medicine inpatient and Moreno Valley Med-Peds outpatient clinic. In their free time, they enjoy traveling, eating, cooking, baking, and spoiling their shiba inu!

Dr. Vercio moved from the Pacific Northwest to attend LLUSOM, and stayed for residency in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. Since completing residency, he has practiced at LLU at various locations including Beaumont clinic, Moreno Valley Med-Peds, Redlands, and was the medical director of the Pediatric Residency clinic as it transitioned from being a Children's Hospital-based clinic to SAC. Because he and his wife are committed to global service, they spent a year and a half in India in the small town of Ottapalam which gave him a new appreciation for practicing in a relatively rich resource setting.  He is interested in spiritual care, global health, clinical reasoning, teaching medical students and residents, and enjoys music, mountain biking, surfing, camping and hiking.

Dr. Pina was born and raised in Moreno Valley, CA. She studied Biology with a minor in Religion at Baylor University in Waco, TX. She completed medical school at Touro University Nevada College of Osteopathic Medicine in Henderson, Nevada, followed by pediatric residency and a chief year at Loma Linda. She then transitioned to a full-time attending role as core faculty for the primary care track, with leadership roles as director of advocacy and quality improvement. She is also the medical director of DIME: Diversify, Include, Mentor, and Educate for LLUCH and has a passion for learners, diversity, and inclusivity for all. She is currently the residency track director for the primary care residency track and an associate program director for the categorical pediatric residency program. She and her husband have a blended family, three children, and a ten-year-old Pitbull mix rescue. In her free time, she loves traveling, doing Tae Kwon DO with her two boys, and watching 90-day fiancé and all the spin-offs.

Dr. Loh was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii.  She attended Loma Linda University for both medical school and residency.  You can often overhear her say, “I have the best job ever! I get to have a blast interacting with babies, kiddos, and teens in my University private practice, and then have the privilege to work with residents in the Newborn Nursery and in their Continuity clinic.”  She feels truly blessed to be a part of the Loma Linda Pediatric Residency family. Her special passion is her work with the Professional Development Coaching program for residents. Outside of work, Dr. Loh hangs out with her husband and three sons playing sports, going to the beach, eating out, and traveling. 

Dr. Lima attended medical school at Western University/COMP and completed her Pediatric Residency at Loma Linda University.  After residency, she was honored to serve as a Pediatric Chief Resident for one year. After chief year, Katie stayed with the Loma Linda Pediatric faculty as part of the core Pediatric faculty at Riverside University Health Systems (RUHS).  At RUHS, she serves as Vice Chair of the Pediatric Department and Associate Program Director of the Primary Care Track of the Loma Linda Pediatric Residency. Katie's professional interests include resident education and improving pediatric care to the children of Riverside County.  She was born and raised in Southern California and married her high school sweetheart. They have 3 active children. If she is not on the soccer sidelines, she is likely baking a batch of cookies or planning her next Disney trip!

Dr. Tan grew up in Ontario, Canada but came to Loma Linda University for medical school.  She fell in love with Southern California and completed her pediatric residency at LLU. She spent her first post-graduate year doing locum tenens work in every corner of the country, but returned to Loma Linda to join the Pediatric Faculty Group.  In 2009, she began spending the majority of her clinical time at the SAC clinic and had the opportunity to be part of the tremendous growth of this organization leading to an intimate involvement with our LLU Pediatric program. The growth and education of the LLU Pediatric residents is now one of her passions. Joy outside of work includes snow-skiing, houseboating and traveling with my family.

Dr. De La Pena attended UC San Diego for undergraduate, and the University of Wisconsin, Madison for medical school. She did pediatric residency at Loma Linda. After completing pediatrics, she decided on a Pediatric Rheumatology fellowship, which she completed at CHLA. After completing fellowship, she returned to Loma Linda where she is currently an attending physician in Pediatric Rheumatology. She grew up dancing, and especially likes tap dancing. Her favorite hobby is reading. She is married and has two boys, Tyler and Aiden. 

Dr. Hamra was born and raised in Thailand. He moved to California during high school and attended Loma Linda University for both medical school and residency. After residency, he served as medical director for the craniofacial team before transitioning to a full-time hospitalist. In his spare time, Stephen loves to play a variety of different sports and travel the world. He has now been to more than 40 countries and all 7 continents.