2007-08 Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA Chief Resident General Surgery

2004-07 Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA General Surgery Categorical Resident

2001-03 Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA Pediatric Surgery Clinical Research Fellow

1999-01 Martin Luther King, Jr./Charles R. Drew Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA General Surgery Categorical Resident

1997-99 University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA M.D.

1986-91 University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA B.S., Kinesiology

Board Eligible General Surgery

California State Medical License

Director of the Office of Career and Professional Development, Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine, Pomona, CA, 2018-present

Duties: Provide board counseling for COMLEX Level 1 and 2 exams, USMLE Step 1 and 2 exams. Provide residency counseling for all specialties. Specialize in high risk students and students with multiple board failures.

Assistant Professor of Surgery, Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine, Pomona, CA, 2009-present

Assistant Professor of Anatomy, Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine, Pomona, CA, 2009-present

Dean’s Award for Faculty Excellence by Student Proclamation In Special Recognition for Extraordinary Service toward Student Achievement, 2019

Defense Health Agency Certificate of Appreciation, Description: For providing exceptional support to the Defense Medical Readiness Training Institute, Education and Training Directorate (J7), Defense Health Agency in the development and execution of a previously nonexistent training program. 2018

COMP Professionalism Award, 2017

COMP Unsung Hero Award, 2015

COMP Unsung Hero Award, 2014

COMP Class of 2014 Faculty Appreciation, 2014

COMP Respect for Human Dignity Award, 2013

COMP Unsung Hero Award, 2012

COMP Unsung Hero Award, 2011

American Association of Clinical Anatomists, 2012-present

Association of Women Surgeons, 2011-present

Association for Surgical Education, 2011-present

Society of Black Academic Surgeons, 2011-present

The Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons, 2006-present

American Medical Woman’s Association, 2006-present

American College of Surgeons, 2006-present

• LaPorta AJ, Ross K, Ross D, Riecken K, Ryznar R, Zapata I, Carter S, Berbel G, Safaoui M, Hoang T: Experiential Realistic Immersion Training Improves Standardized Step 2 Exmaination Scores. J Amer College of Surgeons (in press) 2021
• White A, Zapata I, Lenz A, Ryznar R, Nevins N, Hoang T, Franciose R, Safaoui M, Clegg D, LaPorta AJ: Medical Students Immersed in a Hyper-Realistic Surgical Training Environment Leads to Improved Measures of Emotional Resiliency by Both Hardiness and Emotional Intelligence Evaluation. Front Psychol. 2020 Nov 20;11:569035. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.569035. eCollection 2020.PMID: 33329208
• West E, Singer-Chang G, Ryznar R, Ross D, Czekajlo M, Hoang T, Alson R, Berbel G, Moloff A, Safaoui M, Nevins N, LaPorta AJ: The Effect of Hyper-Realistic Trauma Training on Emotional Intelligence in Second Year Military Medical Students. J Surg Educ. 2020 Nov-Dec;77(6):1422-1428. doi: 10.1016/j.jsurg.2020.04.020. Epub 2020 Jul 3. PMID: 32624450
• Szybist S, Rapada R, LaPorta AJ, Singer-Chang G, Czekajlo M, McDonald K, Alson R, Safaoui M, Nevins N, Darmani N: The Effect of Immersion Trauma Training on Resiliency and Hardiness in Military Medical Personnel. American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress. October 2019 Volume 229, Issue 4, Supplement 1, Page S293.
• Mitsouras K, Dong F, Safaoui MN, Helf SC: Student Academic Performance Factors Affecting Matching into First-Choice Residency and Competitive Specialties. BMC Med Educ. 2019 Jul 1’19(1):241. doi: 10.1186/s12909-019-1669-9.PMID: 31262294
• Safaoui MN, Aazami R, Hotz H, Wilson MT, Margulies DR: A Promising New Alternative for the Rapid Reversal of Coumadin Coagulopathy in Traumatic Intracranial Hemorrhage. Am J Surg. 2009 Jun;197(6):785-90. doi: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2008.04.003. Epub 2008 Aug 22.
• Velmahos GC, Safaoui M, Demetriades D: Management of shotgun wounds: do we need classification systems? Int Surg. 1999 Apr-Jun;84(2):99-104.