Vascular Surgery Residents

Sarah Pradka, MD
PGY3

Undergraduate Studies: Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut
Medical School: Duke University, Durham North Carolina
Email: Sarah.P.Pradka@medstar.net

I am a North Carolina native and enjoying every opportunity to explore Washington, D.C., since I moved here with my husband who is in the Navy. I am pursuing a career in vascular surgery.

• Why did you choose vascular surgery?
  • I chose vascular surgery because of the intensity and variety of the work. There is never a dull moment.
• Why the MedStar Washington Hospital Center?
  • Also, DC is #1 in the nation for diabetes and dialysis, so there is no better place to learn vascular surgery!
• If you happen to escape the hospital for a few hours what would we find you doing?
  • In my spare time, I enjoy being outdoors, reinventing clothes on my sewing machine, and attempting to window-box garden. I moved to DC with my husband, a Navy surgical resident. We love living here because there is always something fun to do (and usually free!).

Jamie Brooks, MD
PGY2

Undergraduate Studies: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Medical School: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine
Email: James.D.Brooks@medstar.net

In my free time, I enjoy biking, running, watching Carolina athletics, visiting museums, world travel and reading.

• What lessons have you learned during your residency?
  • I have found an incredible group of friends in not only my physician colleagues but the nursing staff and all of the ancillary staff at Washington Hospital Center. When people get along and work well together like this, patients only stand to benefit from the comprehensive care being provided to them.
• What are some of your greatest accomplishments during residency?
  • I have been able to get started on research projects that I know will impact my field and contribute to its body of knowledge in a significant way. I look forward to all of the possible publications and presentations that will come from these projects knowing how they may help shape the future of vascular surgery.
• What would you like to share with the younger generation?
  • Always place patients and their families first in whatever care you intend to provide. Talk to them; make sure they understand what you are saying to them and that they feel comfortable with you and your plan. Talk with them, figure out what it is their goals are with care and make sure that they completely understand the things you are saying to them. This means being ready and willing to listen at every juncture.

Zach Kostun, MD
PGY1

Undergraduate Studies: Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts
Medical School: University at Buffalo
Email: Zachary.W.Kostun@medstar.net

I am excited to be a part of the integrated vascular residency and in a dynamic field full of new developments and innovations. Advancements in endovascular procedures have expanded the care surgeons can provide their patients and have brought about a more comprehensive level of therapy and I look forward to learning and being a part of it all.