Chief Residents

Internal Medicine Residency Program
Chief Residents 2023-2024

University Hospital

Brooke Baker, MD, MS

Chief Resident, University Hospital

Brooke was raised outside of Boston, then went on to Wesleyan University in Connecticut where she majored in Chemistry. After college, she worked for a few years in New York City as an elementary school science teacher, sailing instructor and emergency medicine research coordinator while earning her master's degree in nutrition from Columbia University. She then attended Rush Medical College in Chicago, IL where she decided serving the medically underserved was extremely important to her for her career and further training.

She chose NJMS for the patient population, involved leadership, and its proximity to New York City. While not at work she enjoys trying out new restaurants in Jersey City, skiing the icy slopes of the northeast in the winter, and attending sporting events in the area (though she remains outnumbered as a New England sports fan). Brooke plans to pursue a career in gastroenterology after residency.

Saahil Jumkhawala, MD, MBA

Chief Resident, University Hospital

Saahil is a native of Central Jersey (which exists), having grown up in Edison. His academic journey began at New York University where he majored in economics and developed a strong passion for both healthcare and the social sciences. Saahil then completed the joint MD/MBA program at Tufts University School of Medicine, where he discovered his interests at the intersection of clinical medicine and healthcare management. He returned to his home state to train at Rutgers NJMS given the program spanning three very diverse hospitals and its commitment to training culturally and clinically competent physicians.

As a Chief at UH, Saahil’s responsibilities include augmenting quality improvement initiatives at both the institutional and system levels and implementing a novel evidence-based medicine curriculum. After residency, Saahil intends to meld this skillset within his intended career as an academic cardiologist. When not in the hospital, you can find Saahil counting down to NYC’s Restaurant Week or looking up the cheapest plane tickets to a country with fresh ceviche.

Veterans Affairs

Nikolina Markovic, MD

Chief Resident, East Orange VA Medical Center

Born in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Nikolina moved to Serbia at a young age. She finished medical school at the University of Belgrade, Serbia, and pursued a research career focusing on women’s health. As someone who is not known to settle down and is always on the quest to learn and improve her knowledge, she embarked on an adventure at Rutgers NJMS starting her residency in Newark, which has been challenging and phenomenal at the same time.

In her free time, she enjoys waking up very early and drinking her coffee in silence (while her husband often likes to break this rule). She is always hunting for new hiking trails, new lakes, or national parks since she hates being stuck indoors. Cooking and reading are her guilty pleasures during lousy rainy weather (which can happen in New Jersey). The next chapter after the chief year will hopefully be an Endocrinology fellowship.

Anmol Mittal, MD, MBA

Chief Resident, East Orange VA Medical Center

Anmol was born in India, and soon after immigrated to the United States where he spent the first eleven years of his life on the sunny beaches of California. He decided to jump across the United States with his family as he moved to New Jersey, where he has been ever since! Anmol has developed a strong affinity for the city of Newark as he has completed his undergraduate, graduate, and master's degrees all within the same couple of square miles.

He was drawn to stay at NJMS for his Internal Medicine residency give the strong clinical education he received as a student. Anmol hopes to continue his passion for health disparities and medical education in his intended practice as a gastroenterologist. Anmol can be found learning about new technology, exploring watch mechanisms, or listening to audiobooks. His co-chiefs are kept on their toes guessing which airport lounge Anmol is exploring or unique experience in a foreign city he is enjoying!

Benjamin Simmons, MD

Chief Resident, East Orange VA Medical Center

Ben Simmons grew up in the vibrant borough of Queens, New York. After high school, he left the big city for College Park, MD for his undergraduate studies. Following the completion of his bachelor's degree, he worked for the Department of Treasury, though his passion for medicine remained a daily thought. After 3 years, he returned to academia, embarking on a path of medical education at the Georgetown University School of Medicine. Outside of medicine Ben has always been a supporter of the New York sports teams, even when their tribulations outnumber their triumphs. Personal fitness and healthy diet have been lifelong priorities, and he enjoys using social media as a platform to share his knowledge and inspire others to adopt healthier lifestyles. At the core of Ben's beliefs is the conviction that every individual, regardless of their background or circumstances, should be treated with equity and compassion, tenets he has been able to practically apply in his training at Rutgers NJMS across three disparate patient populations. He firmly believes in meeting people where they are in their life journey. Peering into the future, Ben envisions a career integrating his passions for addiction medicine and cardiovascular health. His aspiration is to contribute meaningfully to the well-being of others.

Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center

Lawrence Benedict, MD

Chief Resident, Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center

Larry grew up in Southern New Jersey. He pursued Engineering at Drexel University and worked for 6 years in industry before pivoting to medicine, returning to Drexel University’s College of Medicine. Larry chose to train at Rutgers NJMS because of the opportunities to work with underserved patients, and the program’s emphasis on clinic medicine. During residency he has participated in Quality improvement and Quality assurance projects, as well as Code Committees at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, where he is completing his chief year. Outside of medicine, Larry loves outdoor activities including cycling and hiking. He also enjoys playing guitar and brewing beer in his free time.

Suilon Ng, MD

Chief Resident, Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center

Suilon grew up in the Dominican Republic and is a fervent sports lover and a Yankees fan (yes, even now). He completed medical school at Instituto Tecnologico de Santo Domingo (INTEC) in his hometown of Santo Domingo. Expanding his horizons, he chose Rutgers New Jersey Medical School for his residency training for the unmatched patient diversity and the excellent quality of its faculty. He is passionate about quality improvement, the ICU, and improving patient education. Outside of the hospital, you can find him playing sports, watching Netflix, trying out new foods, and spending time with family, friends and his two cats, Barnes & Noble. In the future, Suilon plans to pursue a fellowship in pulmonary and critical care medicine.