Claire Gibson MD, Chief

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Pathway/track: Categorical

Hometown: Fresno, CA

Undergrad: Stanford University

Medical School: UCSF

I currently live in: Mission Bay

My favorite neighborhood spot is: Walkway along Mission Creek

Interests: Running, hiking/backpacking, swimming, baking & reading recipe books, coloring, traveling, and house plants.

My favorite activity outside of work is: Running

I chose UCSF for residency because: So many reasons! I went to medical school at UCSF, so I was already in on the secret of how great this place is. My husband is a year ahead of me doing neurology residency at UCSF, so that was a pretty good reason to stick around as well (!). I love that UCSF consistently excels in both research and primary care, that we see diverse patients from all over California, that the institution is made up of bright and motivated people who care about social justice. A place with those qualities attracts great co-residents which is one of the best parts of being here.

Plans after residency: Chief year (doing it!), then general pediatric possibly with a newborn focus

Ask me about: My favorite SF running routes, having a partner who is also a resident, exploring career options via a track (e.g. primary care track), keeping up a weekly baking habit during residency

Zarah Iqbal MD MPH, Chief

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Pathway/track: PLUS

Hometown: Gladwyne, Pennsylvania

Undergrad: Columbia

Medical School: Stanford

I currently live in: The Mission,Mission Bay

My favorite neighborhood spot is: Dolores Park, Spark Social

Interests: advocacy, cooking, baking, gardening

My favorite activity outside of work is: cooking while listening to Harry Potter audiobooks

I chose UCSF for residency because: It's commitment to advocacy and social justice

Plans after residency: Primary care

Ask me about: advocacy, PLUS, organized medicine, cooking, quarantine baking, having a partner outside of medicine

Taylor LaFlam MD, Chief

Pronouns: he/him/his

Pathway/track: Physician Scientist

Hometown: Bothell, WA

Undergrad: Yale

Medical School: UCSF

I currently live in: Inner Richmond

My favorite neighborhood spot is:

Interests: Reading, movies, running, walks in the city; academically, immunology/rheumatology

My favorite activity outside of work is:

I chose UCSF for residency because: Intrinsic to the program: I felt like I got along well with the residents who were already here and that they were happy with the program; diversity of clinical training opportunities; good track record of training future physician-scientists; strong fellowship training programs. Extrinsic: my wife, who is not in medicine, had a good job here that she preferred to not give up (or have us be long distance); San Francisco is a great city to live in.

Plans after residency: Rheumatology fellowship

Ask me about: Living in San Francisco (I've been here for more than 10 years), staying at the same institution you attended for med school, the Molecular Medicine Pathway (and related topics), and navigating residency with a partner who is not in medicine.

Jennifer Menjivar-Lopez MD, Chief

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Pathway/track: PLUS

Hometown: Daly City, CA

Undergrad: San Francisco State University

Medical School: David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA (PRIME-LA)

I currently live in: Bernal Heights

My favorite neighborhood spot is: Hike Bernal Heights! Night life at the Academy of Sciences

Interests: Primary care, social justice and advocacy, DEI, immigrant health, Knitting, Music and film festivals, horror movies, Collecting passport stamps, spending time with my husband, Co-chiefs and little doggie.

My favorite activity outside of work is: Spending time with my husband and dog, exploring SF, hiking, camping

I chose UCSF for residency because: I chose UCSF because of PLUS! It's an phenomenal program that helps build leadership skills and fosters a safe environment for personal growth. Through PLUS, we have the opportunity to collaborate with community partners to develop an intervention that targets the underserved. My co-residents are some of the most amazing people I have ever met and cannot imagine going through residency without them!

Plans after residency: Primary Care

Ask me about: Long distance relationships, having a spouse outside of medicine, PLUS, knitting patterns, having a doggie in residency