Class of 2003: Profiles

MARGARET BIALAS
Margaret Bialas was born in Tarnow, Poland and immigrated to the U.S. at 14 years of age. Margaret attended Benedictine University, graduated with a Molecular Biology degree, and started an intercollegiate soccer team, functioning as Team Captain. Margaret graduated from Loyola Stritch School of Medicine, where she was also on the soccer team and received several merit scholarships. Dr. Bialas started her EM Residency at University of Illinois in Peoria but transferred to Christ‚s program in January 2002 to be near her husband‚s place of employment. Margaret is fluent in English, Polish, and Spanish. She is married and lives with her husband, Mark, in Oak Lawn where she grew up as a teenager. Remarkably, she volunteered in the then Christ Hospital‚s ED while a high school student! Margaret enjoys gardening, painting flowers in her native Zalipi‚n style, Indian cooking, skiing, and traveling with her husband to interesting places.

KRISTEN HAYES
Kristen’s home town is Winnetka, Illinois. After graduating from high school, she spent time in Ecuador as a health educator, then attended both American University and the University of Virginia, where she earned her BA degree in English. After college, Kristen participated in the U.S. Peace Corps for 2 years in Benin, West Africa, mostly working on health education in rural communities. Kristen graduated from University of Illinois School of Medicine where she ranked in the top 1/6 of her class, was elected AOA, and received honors in all but 1 of her clinical rotations. Kristen is fluent in French and speaks Spanish and Fon. She enjoys travel, running, tennis, and film.

JOHN KIM
John was born in Korea and was raised in Los Angeles. John received his undergraduate degree from the University of California at Berkeley, studying genetics and computer science. He graduated from the Medical College of Wisconsin, where he ranked at the top of his class and was elected AOA. His test taking abilities (USMLE) put him in the top 2% of the country. While in medical school, John was co-president of the Emergency Medicine Interest Group and established its web site. Based on this work, the Emergency Medicine Residents Association asked John to supervise their web site and chair the EMRA’s web site committee (previously no medical student had ever been a chairman of an EMRA committee). John enjoys bass fishing, wind surfing, snow boarding, and golfing.

JOE MASLAR
Joe was born in Maryland and raised in Ohio. He received his bachelor’s degree from Ohio State University where he was vice president of the crew team and a member of the fencing club. After college, Joe spent over a year traveling Europe and Asia by back pack and visited nearly 20 countries. Upon returning to the US, he joined the Ohio Air National Guard and has distinguished himself as an F-16 jet fighter pilot. Joe graduated from Ohio State University where he was an independent study pathway student and was elected AOA. His test taking abilities (USMLE) put him in the top 7% of the country. During his first few years of medical school, he was away for over 10 months of fighter pilot duty, including operations Provide Comfort and Northern Watch in Northern Iraq. Joe logged over 500 hours of flight time, including 40 hours in combat. Joe enjoys foreign language (French, Spanish, German, Italian and Russian), horseback riding, scuba diving, sky diving, and playing the guitar.

JESSICA MATTHEWS
Jessica is from Prescot, Arizona, and graduated with honors from the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana, where she participated in fetal alcohol syndrome research which led to a 1997 publication. Jessica graduated from Loyola University Medical School, where she was in the top 15% of her class and received honors in over half her clinical rotations. Her test taking (USMLE) abilities put her in the top 4% of the country. Jessica worked her way through medical school and was involved in numerous extracurricular activities including volunteer time spent in Appalachia and St. Lucia. Jessica enjoys travel (speaks conversational Russian), downhill skiing, running and hiking.

ROBIN MRAZ
Robin is from Roselle, Illinois. After college, Robin performed basic science research which resulted in 3 presentations and a 1996 publication in Biophysics Journal. Robin graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago where she was an outstanding student, earned 10 merit scholarships, and received honors grades in 90% of her clinical rotations. While in medical school, Robin was involved in numerous extracurricular activities, leadership positions, and volunteer organizations. She was a member of the Native American Student Association, represented her class on the Student Advancement Committee, and was Vice President of the American Medical Student Association. Robin and her husband enjoy basketball, volleyball, and golf. They also enjoy traveling to New Zealand, where Robin’s paternal family is from.

ANDY PRECHTEL
Andy is from the Chicagoland area and received his undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana. While in college he was a James Scholar all four years, an EMT, and vice president of the Premedical Honor Society. Andy graduated from Rush Medical College where he received “highest recommendation” (top 1/3 of class) and took part in the alternative curriculum (receiving honors in over 1/2 of the courses). His test taking (USMLE) ability placed him in the top 4% in the country. While in medical school, Andy volunteered 4 years at the Initiatives Programs Community Health Clinic. Andy was married in 1999 and enjoys tennis, science fiction, and computers.

MATTHEW SCHULTZ
Although born in Nebraska, Matthew grew up in Huntington Beach, California. In 1991, he and his sister co-founded Universal Laser, Inc., which has been featured in Entrepreneur Magazine. Matt received his undergraduate degree in 3 years from the University of Nebraska and will be graduating from the University of Nebraska Medical School this spring. Based on his academic achievements, he received a Regent’s scholarship and finished in the top 25% of his class. His test taking (USMLE) ability puts him in the top 9% in the country. During college and medical school, Matt continued to consult for Universal Lasers, found time to speak on behalf of Tar War’s Anti-Smoking Campaign, and volunteered at the Open Door Mission Free Health Clinic. Matt enjoys hunting, fishing, biking and running.

MARTHA VILLALBA
Martha is from the Chicagoland area and received her undergraduate degree in political science at Carlton College in Northfield, Minnesota, where she was a member of the track team and a current affairs reporter for the college news radio show. After college, she worked as a research assistant in the department of rheumatology at Rush Medical Center. This spring, Martha will graduate from the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford. In medical school, she received honors in over half of her clinical rotations, researched a series of pediatric patients with benign enlargement of the mandibulofacial lymph nodes (which has been accepted for publication in the journal Pediatrics) and played on the medical school intramural tennis team. Martha enjoys travel (she’s fluent in Spanish), music (piano, violin), athletics (running, triathlons, tennis) and Latin cuisine cooking.