Residents

Psychiatry Residency

Benjamin Babchick D.O.

PRG 4 Resident
Medical School: Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Bradenton
I was born and raised in south Florida, went to undergrad at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, then went to Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine on the west coast of Florida. I instantly connected with the field of psychiatry because of my eager curiosity to understand why people do what they do. I knew this was the career for me since my first psychiatry rotation as a medical student . Psychiatry is the only specialty where you get to spend an abundance of time speaking with your patients, and in turn it's the only specialty where you as a physician are speaking directly with the disease that you are treating. This still fascinates everyday!

Shelby Goicochea M.D.

PRG 4 Resident
Medical School: University of Florida College of Medicine
I was born in Florida but raised in Peru for 6 years before returning to the sunshine state. I went to the University of Florida for undergrad and medical school, so I'm proud to be a triple Gator with residency. I did research on burnout in medical students, Parkinson's disease connectomes and MRI research at the McKnight Brain Institute, and beta cyclodextrins for treatment of macular degeneration at Weill Cornell Medical College. I'm interested in community psychiatry, child & adolescent psychiatry, young adults and mental health outreach, LGBTQ+ and psychotherapy.

Christian King M.D.

PRG 4 Resident
Medical School: Saint Louis University School of Medicine
I completed my undergraduate education at the University of Georgia and went to Saint Louis University School of Medicine for medical school. I've done some work with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease and am interested in geriatric psychiatry especially in long term care facilities. My hobby is having hobbies, so you can usually find me obsessing over and learning something new.

Abirami Krishna M.D.

PRG 4 Resident
Medical School: University of Louisville School of Medicine
I was born in Ohio, but lived in India for the first 5 years of my life, then lived in Chicago for a few years, but mostly grew up in Louisville, Kentucky. I went to the University of Kentucky for undergrad, then went to the University of Louisville for medical school. In highschool, undergrad and medical school, I primarily researched breast cancer tumorigenesis. I also studied Ocular morphogenesis in zebrafish for a year in undergrad. I am currently working on a joint study on post stroke depression with another psychiatry resident and two other neurology residents. Psychiatry interest: child psychiatry, specifically adolescents/young adults, neuropsychiatry, LGBTQ+ health.

Amal Bhullar M.D.

PRG 3 Resident
Medical School: FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine
I was born and raised in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and went to undergrad at Nova Southeastern University, with a major in biology and minor in anthropology. I went to medical school at Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine and pursued research in the importance of exposing an interdisciplinary approach in the undergraduate medical curriculum. My interests currently are a little bit of everything, particularly adolescent psychiatry and integrative psychiatry. Some of my hobbies include hanging out with my awesome co-residents, heading to the beach with my significant other who is an ER resident here as well, and going back home to visit my family and my adorable shih tzus!

Sophia Lincoln M.D.

PRG 3 Resident
Medical School: University of Florida College of Medicine
I was born and raised in Jacksonville, FL and am so excited to be able to return home to complete residency. I moved away for college and completed medical school at the University of Florida. I matched into the combined general psychiatry residency and child & adolescent fellowship. I am very interested to pursue a career helping adolescents and young adults that struggle with LGBTQ+ issues, as well as the possible mental health issues that may arise as a result of struggling with one’s gender identity or sexual orientation.

Micah Turpeau M.D.

PRG 3 Resident
Medical School: Meharry Medical College School of Medicine
Hometown: Atlanta, GA
Undergrad: Davidson College, Class of 2016, BS in Psychology
Interests in Psychiatry: Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

Robert Valentin M.D.

PRG 3 Resident
Medical School: Loma Linda University School of Medicine
I went to Loma Linda University for medical school. I’m originally from Florida, so I’m super glad to be back! I love spending time with family and friends

Kamyl Bogan M.D.

PRG 2 Resident
Medical School: Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University
I have aspired to serve as a psychiatrist since my introduction to the field as a high school student. My goal is to provide personalized, compassionate and thoughtful care in the context of community psychiatry. I intend to also provide services for those experiencing homelessness, those with addictions and adolescents who are transitioning into adulthood. I am also interested in working to bridge the mental health and spiritual frameworks in efforts to further destigmatize seeking psychiatric care. I was born and raised in Memphis, TN and received an honors Psychology degree with a music minor from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. Moving further east across the state, I attended Quillen College of Medicine in Johnson City, TN. In my free time, I enjoy singing opera, writing songs and poetry, traveling to visit my family and watching Marvel movies/TV shows with my husband, who is stationed at Naval Station Mayport as a Surface Warfare Officer. I am so blessed to be a part of this amazing program!

Monica Kumar M.D.

PRG 2 Resident
Medical School: FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine

Jessica Marz M.D.

PRG 2 Resident
Medical School: Florida State University College of Medicine
I grew up in Ormond Beach, Florida and went to the University of Florida for undergrad before attending Florida State University for medical school (but really Go Gators!). I matched into the child & adolescent track and am looking forward to making Jacksonville my new home.

Michael McLawhorn D.O.

PRG 2 Resident
Medical School: Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, Carolinas Campus
I was born in Hampton, Virginia and spent five years enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Infantry after high school. Shortly after returning from a deployment to Afghanistan, I was honorably discharged and began my undergraduate studies at Mars Hill University. During medical school, I found that my most rewarding experiences were those spent in psychiatry. I am most interested in Child and Adolescent psychiatry. When I am not at the hospital, you can be sure to find me and my family at the beach! My wife and I have two beautiful daughters who love playing in the sand and splashing in the waves. We also love live music, ice hockey, NASCAR and our Jaguars!

Kristen Santarone D.O.

PRG 2 Resident
Medical School: Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine
I am so excited to be returning to my hometown of Jacksonville to complete residency! I attended college at the University of Florida and medical school at Nova Southeastern University, and I matched into the child and adolescent track. My bachelor’s and master’s degrees are in nutrition, so I am particularly interested in the relationship between what we eat and how we feel. I have a research background in trauma surgery, so I am looking forward to working with patients in acute mental health crises as well. Outside of work I love doing anything outdoors, reading and hanging out with my two Siamese cats.

Paul Chakkaphak D.O.

PRG 1 Resident
Medical School: Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine
I am a Jacksonville native and am ecstatic to return home and serve the community through my psychiatric training. I first developed an interest in psychiatry as an undergraduate student at Vanderbilt University, where I majored in neuroscience, and then saw that interest grow into a passion while in medical school at the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine. As a medical student, I was inducted into the Sigma Sigma Phi Osteopathic Honors Fraternity and was awarded my College's 2022 Behavioral Medicine Award. I look forward to carrying my passion for general psychiatry throughout residency as I explore the many facets of this wonderful field. Outside of work, I enjoy collecting records, going to concerts, relaxing at home with my partner and our fat cat Julius, and crossing my fingers that the Jaguars will one day stop losing so much.

Zachary Cooley M.D.

PRG 1 Resident
Medical School: Florida State University College of Medicine
I grew up in Bonifay, Florida before heading over to Florida State University for undergraduate, graduate, and medical school. Areas of interest include child and adolescent psychiatry, community psychiatry, collaborative care and psychotherapy. In my free time, I like to play disc golf and cornhole, cook, and make music.

Scott Johnson D.O.

PRG 1 Resident
Medical School: A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona (SOMA)
I was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. I loved growing up running in the desert and all things sun. I spent my first year of medical school in Arizona and then my next three in Portland, Oregon, which quickly introduced me to the concept of rain. Despite the weather, I loved my time there and it’s where I discovered my fascination of psychiatry. I was drawn to psychiatry because it allows me to merge my appreciation of medicine with my foundation in public health as an undergraduate. UF Jacksonville gave me the opportunity to continue investing in others with a diverse program that includes community psychiatry and a child fellowship, which I am on track for. I couldn’t be happier to be back in the sun and training with such kind and genuine people!

Massiel Montes De Oca M.D.

PRG 1 Resident
Medical School: University of Florida College of Medicine
I grew up in Orlando, Florida but had wonderful opportunities to move around throughout my studies. For undergrad I went to Brown University where I majored in community health and then pursued a Master’s in Public Health at Columbia University in New York City. While passionate about public health, my desire to study medicine remained and I then pursued a Master’s in Medical Sciences at the University of South Florida to better prepare for the rigors of medical school. Later, the University of Florida College of Medicine welcomed me into their training program. During my clinical rotations, I discovered I greatly enjoyed psychiatry and all the nuances that accompany what appears to be the last frontier of medicine. I am fascinated by the roles of psychopharmacology and psychotherapy in helping patients achieve stability in their lives. I have interests in community psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, and forensic psychiatry. In my free time, you can find me traveling and exploring Jacksonville with my husband and baby boy.

Irina Tardif M.D.

PRG 1 Resident
Medical School: University of Central Florida College of Medicine
I completed my undergraduate and medical school education at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. As a medical student, I was drawn to psychiatry during my psychiatry clerkship when I realized how much I valued interpersonal aspects of patient care and clinical medicine. During my time in medical school, I received Academic Excellence Award and the Outstanding Senior in Psychiatry Award for demonstrating academic, patient care and professional achievements. My current interests in psychiatry are broad and include addiction and neuromodulation. I am hoping to work on an inpatient psychiatry unit as well as community, and private practice. In my free time, I enjoy being outdoors, exploring new places, and spending time at the beach with family and friends.