Meet our 5 new first-year residents

Mariam Alam, MD

Undergraduate School: Bates College

Undergraduate Major: Interdisciplinary Studies: Health and Society

Medical School: Tufts University School of Medicine

Additional Training: Internal Medicine Residency, University of Washington

Academic and career interests: My interests include complex medical-dermatology, inpatient consultative dermatology and skin of color. I hope to build my career in an academic setting with plenty of opportunities to teach.  

Hometown: Greenwich, Connecticut 

What excites you most about starting Dermatology training? 

After a few years of clinical practice as a hospitalist, I am most excited to delve back into learning, find my clinical niche, and build relationships with my patients in my continuity clinic. 

Continuity Clinic: SCH in AY22, then VA in AY23 and AY24

Brian Connor, MD

Undergraduate School: University of Tennessee

Undergraduate Major: Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology

Graduate School: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Research in Translational Medicine

Medical School: Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine

Internship: University of Washington, Internal Medicine

Career interests: My clinical interests include general medical dermatology, cosmetic dermatology, and LGBTQ+ health. Additionally, I am interested in health systems/outcomes-based research as well as healthcare policy and leadership.

Hometown: Memphis, TN

Hailing from Internal Medicine residency, I am excited to finally start focusing and cultivating my clinical and academic interests within the field of dermatology. (Not to mention brush up on some less-frequently utilized procedural skills over the past couple years.) Also, I cannot wait to meet my co-residents

Continuity Clinic: Roosevelt

Amoreth Gozo, MD

Undergraduate School: Georgia Institute of Technology

Undergraduate Major: Biomedical Engineering

Medical School: Morehouse School of Medicine

Internship: Walter Reed National Military Medical Center

Academic and Career Interests: health education, skin of color, telederm, working with medically underserved communities, procedural dermatology; Personal interests: traveling, hiking, crafting, eating at new restaurants, going to Disneyland/Disney World, spending time with family and fiance 

Home Town: Atlanta, GA

What most excites you about starting Dermatology training?

I am most excited about meeting and learning from experts in the field, and being able to perform dermatologic procedures. 

Continuity Clinic: Harborview

Sidney Hoskins, MD

Undergraduate School: Idaho State University

Undergraduate Major: Biology

Medical School: University of Washington School of Medicine

Internship: Virginia Mason Medical Center

Academic and Career Interests

Academic and career interests include rural general dermatology, pediatric dermatology, teledermatology and procedural dermatology.

Other interests include enjoying the outdoors via mountain biking, snowboarding, backcountry split boarding, backpacking and hiking. When not outside with my partner, the rest of my time is spent reading and spoiling our dogs, Easton and Nelson.  

Hometown: Blackfoot, Idaho

What most excites you about Dermatology residency?

I am most excited to learn from and collaborate with the faculty and residents at UW Dermatology. The opportunity to train in different environments through the UW system is incredible and I look forward to developing the critical thinking and procedural skills needed to serve patients from all over the Northwest.  

Continuity Clinic: Harborview

Laura Valaas, MD

Undergraduate School: Whitman College

Undergraduate Major: Applied Mathematics

Graduate School: University of Washington, Master of Health Informatics

Medical School: University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

Internship: Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center

 Academic and Career Interests

Dr. Valaas's career interests include general dermatology and dermatologic surgery as well as exploring how to be an effective leader in the healthcare setting and navigate change management.

Home Town: Wenatchee, WA

What most excites you about starting Dermatology training?

She is most excited about being surrounded by her inspiring co-residents and faculty, having new experiences, and learning from her patients throughout her Dermatology training.

Continuity Clinic: Roosevelt