Class of 2018
Juan Arhancet, DO - Resident Physician
2018 Graduation Class
Hometown: Montevideo, Uruguay
Medical School: Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Why did you select Kaweah Health’s residency program? I chose KD because it is a 3-year program in California, where I hope to work going forward. Another huge draw for me was that the EM residents are the only residents in the room for traumas. The residents also log a very high number of procedures and see a large volume of complex patients.
Why did you choose your specialty? I chose EM because it allows me to impact a large number of needy patients with often critical interventions. The specialty requires me to constantly learn and adapt to each new encounter. EM was by far the most fulfilling specialty for my personality.
What are your hobbies? Soccer, fly-fishing, surfing, backpacking, skiing and traveling.
Xi Damrell, MD, MS - Chief Resident Physician
2018 Graduation Class
Hometown: Shanghai, P.R.C.
Medical School: Ohio State University College of Medicine
Why did you select Kaweah Health’s residency program? The quality of the program and the people.
Why did you choose your specialty? To help people when they need it the most.
What are your hobbies? Travel, popular culture, cuisine, hiking.
Who will be moving to Visalia with you? My husband.
Renee DeNolf, MD - Chief Resident Physician
2018 Graduation Class
Hometown: Yucaipa, CA
Medical School: Western University of Health Sciences
Why did you select Kaweah Health’s residency program? I had two very good rotation experiences at Kaweah Health. Almost every attending physician, resident, and staff member I worked with was not only happy to teach, but excited to teach. I think this is the best type of environment to learn and foster growth in medicine.
Why did you choose your specialty? Emergency medicine is one of the few fields that allows you to dabble in almost every specialty. Every day, you can perform eye exams, orthopedic reductions, run codes, etc. I have never enjoyed going to work more than in EM.
What are your hobbies? Skiing, cycling, running, baking, gardening, and archery.
Who influenced you to become a physician and why? I have always known I wanted to become a doctor. Each day I am able to help at least one person, that dream is fulfilled.
What do you like about living in Tulare County? Visailia has the small-town vibe with access to mountain country, beach cruising, and big city fun.
What's the most important advice you have for patients? Be patient. We realize that there are times in which you must wait for what seems like hours on end before seeing a doctor. We are doing everything we can to resolve this discrepancy. However, there is a lot of work going on behind the curtain (paperwork, orders, critically ill patients, acute traumas) that take time to complete. Please, give us the benefit of the doubt, and this will allow us to care for you to the best of our abilities.
What's something about you most people don't know? Although I absolutely hate the gym, I love staying active. I enjoy bicycling (and just started mountain biking), running, hiking, gardening, and DIV house projects.
What advice do you have for a student who would like to become a physician one day? It is a demanding job. Although it has been said, "don't let work become your life," in medicine, there is no distinction. However, if all you dream of is to walk through those hospital doors day in and day out, helping others in ways that others cannot even begin to comprehend, this is the job for you. It is fulfilling in ways other jobs cannot compare. Perhaps, it's because this more than just a job; it's a lifestyle.
Brian Koch, MD - Resident Physician
2018 Graduation Class
Hometown: Martinez, CA
Medical School: Hofstra North Shore LIJ School of Medicine
Why did you select Kaweah Health’s residency program? I chose Kaweah Health because of the tremendous opportunity to train as an emergency physician. I look forward to learning from everyone at this new innovative program and I am eager to serve the surrounding community.
Why did you choose your specialty? I chose Emergency Medicine because of the unique opportunity it presents to treat people from all walks of life in their time of need.
What are your hobbies? I enjoy skiing, hiking, kayaking, collecting records, trying new foods, frisbee golf and traveling.
Who will be moving to Visalia with you? My lovely girlfriend, Victoria. She is an amazing woman from New York who is excited to come to California and explore its numerous wonders that I had the opportunity to experience in my youth.
David Kwon, MD - Resident Physician
2018 Graduation Class
Hometown: Wonju, South Korea
Medical School: Loma Linda University School of Medicine
Why did you select Kaweah Health’s residency program? Great case load and case mix, strong resident training opportunities and autonomy, open-minded leadership that values residents' input.
Why did you choose your specialty? Providing foremost medical treatment for critical patients. Many opportunities to use my dexterity on a variety of procedures. Adrenaline rush.
What are your hobbies? Futball, weight training, snowboarding.
Who will be moving to Visalia with you? My wife, Julie.
Stephen Wolfe, DO - Resident Physician
2018 Graduation Class
Hometown: Anchorage, AK
Medical School: Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine of Midwestern University
Why did you select Kaweah Health’s residency program? Kaweah Health has a rare combination of attributes. This starts with a superb training environment due to great patient volume, a wide variety of pathology, good acuity, and a relative lack of competition from competing residency programs. Although a newer program, Kaweah Health is rapidly gathering depth and acdemic strength in its well-regarded faculty and its association with UC Irvine. In addition, the cost of living, weather and nearby access to some lesser-advertised but remarkable wilderness/mountains, make the Visalia area stand out. We have an exceptional opportunity here to grow in EM knowledge and experience. I have also discovered a pleasant/affordable place to explore the outdoors and raise a family.
Why did you choose your specialty? I am most energized in medicine when I can use both my hands and technology to minimize pain, to treat an acutely ill patient, and see immediate outcomes. I enjoy the challenge of being the first to think through a differential, and to devise a diagnosis and management strategy. I like seeing and interpreting lab results immediately, then making treatment decisions in dynamic team environments. Emergency Medicine has a wide-ranging scope of practice and requires that its physicians are able to function knowledgeably with all aspects of medicine. I have found that EM consistently has the ability to, sometimes dramatically, affect outcomes. It is a privilege to treat patients in their hour of significant need.
What are your hobbies? Before medical school, I enjoyed many more outdoor opportunities than I have time for now, but I still dream of a great powder run on my tele-skis. I try to exercise reguarly with swimming, hiking and a crossfit-type regimen. Occasionally, I have been known to hunt and fish, but not necessarily bag or catch.
Who will be moving to Visalia with you? My wife and four aspiring princesses (ages 1-6 yrs) will accompany me, but we are molding the young ladies into rugged outdoors enthusiasts that will outdo and embarrass any future suitors.