Residents

Class of 2023

Mustafa Arch, D.O.

Mustafa was born in Syria, moved to England at the age of 3, then to Anaheim Hills at the age of 10. He later attended UC San Diego with a major in Biochemistry and a minor in Business. He then packed his bags and moved to the desert to attend Midwestern University in Arizona for medical school. He initially pursued Anesthesia out of medical school, completing a preliminary year of Medicine in Long Beach and 1 year of Anesthesia in Arizona before deciding to change career paths to Family Medicine. In his free time, he likes to play competitive soccer as well as watch sports and play video games. He is a huge fan of Manchester United, England, and the LA Clippers (LAs true team). Although he's not very good at them, his favorite video games include FIFA, League of Legends, and Apex. He also enjoys traveling and has been to more than 20 countries.

Jaehee Choe, D.O.

Jae was born in South Korea, but grew up in New York and Connecticut. When he was 13 and just learning to talk to girls, his father thought it would be a wonderful idea to move the family back to rural South Korea so Jae could spend his teenage years in an all-boys school learning calculus. (Love you dad!) He went to undergrad at Sogang University in Seoul where he majored in political science and learned important life skills, such as deflection and procrastination. After his parents talked him out of becoming a professional martial artist, he moved to San Francisco and worked as an accountant before being accepted at Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine. He loves being back in California, living close to Koreatown and training alongside his fellow residents. In his free time, he enjoys chilling with his dog, dabbling in Olympic weightlifting, and eating. Sometimes, he does all three things at the same time.

Aris Melkonian, M.D.

Aris Melkonian is a third-generation Iraqi-Armenian who was born and raised in Iraq. He graduated from University of Baghdad College of Medicine and practiced medicine in his home country for six years. In 2016, Aris immigrated to the United States, where he immediately started working hard to complete his U.S. medical licensing qualifications. His goal for residency was to stay as close to the great community of Glendale as possible and, thankfully, he was able to achieve that by matching at his top-choice program: Adventist Health Glendale. Aris speaks fluent English, Armenian and Arabic. He enjoys volunteering at the Glendale Free Clinic in his spare time. He also spends his weekends exploring new restaurants and outdoor activities.

Andrew Nguyen, D.O.

Andrew was born and raised in San Jose, Calif. He completed his undergraduate degree in biological sciences at the University of California, Irvine. He then attended medical school at Touro University California in the Bay Area. He is excited to be back in SoCal to experience the weather and beaches (with social distancing of course). His hobbies include traveling, hiking, weight lifting and playing badminton.

Naira Sargsyan, D.O.

Naira was born in Armenia and raised in Glendale. She attended the University of California, Irvine for her undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences. She then went on to pursue a Master’s degree and ultimately her medical degree from the Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine where she also founded the university’s first arts and humanities journal, Thrive. Naira is happy to be back in Glendale, providing care for the city that helped shape her. She is especially interested in women’s health and pediatrics. She enjoys spending time with her family, binge-watching shows, and being outdoors.

Laura Spanko, D.O.

Laura was born and raised in San Jose, Calif. She earned her undergraduate degree in Biology at the University of Oregon where she also played club lacrosse. She moved to New York City after college to perform virology research at Mount Sinai before going to medical school at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine in Harlem. She is excited to be back in California and to have the opportunity to provide medical care and resources to the community of Glendale. Laura likes to spend her free time outdoors - hiking, biking, playing tennis and relaxing on the beach.

(Sophia) Yifei Sun, D.O.

Sophia was born in Beijing and raised in Chino Hills, Calif. She completed her undergrad at the University of California, San Diego, with a degree in Physiology & Neuroscience and worked for a couple of years prior to attending Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, Calif., for medical school. Her hobbies include: sleeping, eating good food (Korean BBQ), taking her two golden retrievers out to hike or a playdate, and driving to Mammoth Mountain for weekend snowboarding trips.

Class of 2024

Samuel Almasi, D.O.

Samuel has lived in Glendale all his life. He studied biochemistry at the University of Southern California and completed medical school at the Western University of Health Sciences. He feels very blessed that he can continue his training in Glendale, close to his family, community, and Church. Samuel became motivated to pursue a career in medicine after witnessing the powerful impact a medical mission group had in Armenia by sharing the Gospel and providing medical services to the villages in need. In his free time, he enjoys taking trips with his wife, spending time with family, and building websites. Above all, Samuel is saved and motivated by his faith in Jesus Christ.

Brian Le, D.O.

Brian was born and raised in the East Bay in Northern California. He became an Eagle Scout, which is where he developed his love for the outdoors. He went down south to the Inland Empire to earn his undergraduate degree in Biological Science at the University of California, Riverside. He returned home to Northern California to complete his Masters in Medical Health Sciences at Touro University California before heading to A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Arizona. He spent the last three years of medical school in beautiful Beaufort, South Carolina. He is very excited to be back in his home state of California for residency. His hobbies include going on outdoor adventures with his wife, rock climbing, listening to crime podcasts, playing guitar, bread baking, following other people's dogs on social media, and spending time with church friends.

Djordje Milivojevic, D.O.

Djordje was born in Serbia and grew up in San Diego. He attended college at UC San Diego, where he studied physiology and neuroscience, with a minor in psychology. His interest in neuroscience carried over to his research in neural mechanisms for motivation and depression. It was also during this time, while working as a teacher’s assistant and volunteering throughout San Diego and Tijuana, that he discovered his love for teaching. At Western U College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific, he pursued his interests in nutrition education and preventive health, and discovered that Family Medicine was the perfect field for him. In his spare time, Djordje enjoys reading novels (including his annual reread of The Count of Monte Cristo), playing with his little cat, and exercising with his partner.

Narek Asryan, M.D.

Hello everyone, my name is Narek! I was born in Armenia and spent the first few years of my life there before immigrating to Los Angeles. I spent the majority of my formative years growing up in the beautiful city of Glendale, where I now have the incredible luck to return to and serve as a resident. As an undergrad, I attended UC Santa Barbara, which is right up the coast here in Southern California. I then spent some time at Georgetown in Washington D.C., getting a Master's Degree. It was in D.C. where I realized that I couldn't live anywhere with snow, so I made my way back to California for medical school in Sacramento! It was an incredible experience to be a part of a relatively new school and to help it grow while I also grew in my beginning years of medical education. I decided to go into family medicine because I thoroughly enjoyed all the subjects I learned during the preclinical years and all my rotations during my third year. I wanted to ensure that I retained as much knowledge as possible and could convert it to practical use, so family medicine was the only logical selection. When I’m not in the hospital, I enjoy exercising and going to the beach with my fiancé or spending time in the beautiful City of Glendale with my family and childhood friends!

Azar Razikeen, M.D.

Azar was born on the teardrop island of Sri Lanka and was extremely fortunate to travel the world thanks to his father who was a ship Captain. Unfortunately, he has to live vicariously through the collage of photos his parents have kept through their travels because his was too young to remember them. His dad has said that he’s been all over the world, and California is the best place to live. Hence, Azar was spoiled by SoCal sunshine and never-ending things to see and do for most of his young life. Glendale became home through his middle school, high school, and up to graduating from UCLA with a B.S. on Biology. He parted ways from this great city for bit and graduated from Wayne State University School of Medicine in the quaint city of Detroit, Michigan. Hardened by the literal and figurative frosty Detroit climate (but in all honestly, he believes that he had a phenomenal learning experience there), he was unthawed by returning to his home and his family in sunny SoCal. He truly believes that it is a privilege to practice medicine and treat his patients and hopes and plans to never lose this passion.

Felicia Salanga, D.O.

Felicia was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley. She attended UCLA for college where she earned an undergraduate degree in Physiological Science. She then completed a master's degree in Physiology at Georgetown University. After graduate school, she returned to UCLA to work as a clinical research coordinator before attending medical school at Touro University California. During her free time, she enjoys exercising, doing yoga, cooking, reading, watching films and TV shows, and spending time with family and friends.

(Jack) Hapetnak Shaybekyan, M.D.

Dr. Shaybekyan was born and raised in Armenia. After graduating from Yerevan State Medical University in Armenia he moved to the United States to pursue his career here, and started his residency training in Family Medicine at Glendale Adventist Health Hospital. Dr. Shaybekyan is fluent in Armenian and Russian. In his free time, he likes to spend some valuable time with his wife and little son.

Vesta Yazdani, D.O.

Vesta is a first-generation immigrant who grew up in Texas. At 17 years old, She moved to Los Angeles and decided never to leave California! Inspired by her AP Biology and Psychology classes at Santa Monica High School, Vesta completed a Physiology & Neuroscience major with a minor in Psychology at UC San Diego. There, she had the opportunity to study at the University of Granada in Southern Spain on a scholarship. This experience, combined with her work at FQHC clinics, inspired her to pursue a career in medicine. She completed her medical degree at Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona. After that, she began her family medicine training at California Hospital Medical Center in Downtown Los Angeles and is now part of the Adventist Health Glendale family!

Her training philosophy is steeped in the family medicine tradition of giving back to the community. She partners with her patients by taking a collaborative approach to health and wellness. Ask her about plant-based foods, optimizing mental health, and increasing exercise!

In her free time, she discovers new cultures through food and cuisine and loves to explore new neighborhoods in Los Angeles.

Class of 2025

Athenia Barouni, D.O.

Athenia was born and raised in Glendale, California. She worked for three years as a clinical laboratory coordinator for a research company called PAREXEL, right by the ER on campus. She stayed in the southwest and went to Burrell COM for medical school in Las Cruces, NM. As an avid foodie, she started to perfect her cooking skills while living alone and loves making healthy, colorful dishes. She loves counseling patients on the importance of diet, exercise, and overall well-being. She loves to travel and is always planning her next adventure!

Tyler Dawson, D.O.

Tyler was born and raised in sunny San Diego. He stayed local to attend college at the University of California San Diego and studied biochemistry. During his time at UCSD, Tyler and his family discovered their love for pickleball. Following graduation, he competed in tournaments all across the US. Tyler teamed up with his brother to take home the California State Pickleball Championships back-to-back years. During this time, he was also an EMT and completed Fire Academy. The experience ultimately led him to pursue medicine and gave him the desire to connect with patients. He attended medical school at Touro University Nevada and then was blessed to match at Adventist Health Glendale for further training. In his free time, he enjoys surfing with his wife, taking his pup Luna to the dog park, and playing pickleball with his family.

Arusyak Harutyunyan, M.D.

Arusyak was born, raised, and trained in Armenia. She earned her MD from Yerevan State Medical University and practiced medicine in her home country for over ten years. In addition to her commitment to individual health, she is very passionate about the population's health. This interest inspired her to obtain her Master of Public Health from the American University of Armenia. Arusyak has led multiple international research studies focusing on Maternal and Child Health, Tobacco Control, and Tuberculosis Control. She published in peer-reviewed journals and extensively presented her work at numerous international scientific conferences. Arusyak is incredibly excited to join the Adventist Health Glendale Family Medicine Residency and deliver well-rounded quality healthcare to our multi-ethnic community of Glendale. Her clinical interests include women's health, maternal care, pediatrics, and adolescent medicine. She speaks fluent English, Armenian and Russian. Outside of day-to-day work, she enjoys traveling worldwide, exercising, exploring different beauty hacks for skin care, and spending time with family and friends.

Alexander Jensen, D.O.

Alex was born in Los Angeles, California, and spent his youth in the San Fernando Valley. He received his undergraduate degree in Biochemistry from the University of California, Los Angeles. Before attending medical school, he worked as a physical therapy aide and volunteered as a wrestling coach, where he developed an interest in sports medicine. Alex traveled north to the bay area to study medicine at Touro University, California, and is very glad to be back in Southern California, close to his family and friends. In his free time, he likes to listen to music, travel, exercise, and play with his adorable nephews.

Fay Kamsut, D.O.

Fay was born and raised in Bangkok, Thailand. She studied Psychobiology at UCLA and completed medical school at Loma Linda University. Fay likes baking cakes, making pasta, exploring national parks, traveling, and watching F1 in her free time.

Talin Nazarian, D.O.

Talin Nazarian was born and raised in beautiful Glendale, California. She completed her undergraduate degree in Anthropology at the University of California, Los Angeles. She then moved to the desert to Henderson, Nevada, to receive her M.S in Medical Health Sciences and attend Touro University Nevada College of Osteopathic Medicine for medical school. She is thrilled to be back home, serving the community members that influenced her to begin a journey in medicine. Her hobbies include landscape photography, outdoor adventures, and enjoying family time with her niece and nephew!

Lara Parsekhian, D.O.

Lara was born at this very hospital and raised in Glendale, California. Growing up, she aspired to pursue her love for art, follow in the footsteps of the most remarkable educator she knows, her amazing mother, and become a ceramics teacher. Although Lara still makes pottery to this day, she ultimately decided to go down the path of most resistance and became a physician instead. Lara earned her Cellular and Molecular Biology undergraduate degree at California State University, Northridge. During her undergraduate education, she volunteered in a patient-centered position at Adventist Health Glendale, where her love for this hospital and its people blossomed. She then went to medical school at Western University of Health Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific in Pomona, California. She is so thankful to have the opportunity to stay in Glendale for residency and serve the community that raised her. During basketball and football season, Lara can be found glued to the TV during her free time. Her sports allegiances mainly lie in the bay area, and she is a life-long Golden State Warriors fan (go dubs!). The only exception, which confuses most people, is that she is also a huge Minnesota Vikings fan (SKOL!). After work and on the weekends during the rest of the year, you can find Lara at the gym, hanging out with her friends, and attending comedy shows.

Christine Sayegh, D.O.

Christine was born and raised in Los Angeles. She attended UCLA as an undergrad and then worked in clinical research in the ED. Following her time in California, Christine moved to Arizona for medical school at Midwestern-AZCOM and had a blast. She then matched to residency in Emergency Medicine in Miami, where she met lifelong friends amongst her class and faculty. After completing one year of EM residency in the land of Mr. Worldwide, Christine transferred to Adventist Health Glendale's Family Medicine program and returned to the City of Angels. Her first job was as a scribe in the ER right here at AHGL many years ago, and she is happy to have come full circle and looks forward to making new memories! She is a fan of standup comedy, The Office, Kygo, piano, memes, long walks on the beach with her Maine Coon, and traveling worldwide.