Commencement 2011

The department held its annual family medicine resident and fellow commencement June 8, 2011, at McNamara Alumni Center on the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities campus.

55 residents graduated, along with 1 fellow in hospice and palliative medicine, 3 fellows in human sexuality, and 12 fellows in faculty development. A number of residents and faculty were also honored for excellence in research, service, and teaching. 

Excellence in Research Award The Excellence in Research Award recognizes residents who have excelled in research and scholarly activities during residency. 2011 award winners Smiley’s residents Sankari Kasi, MBBS, and Nadia Malik, MBBS, were honored for their project, “Improving development screening of Somali children.” Kasi and Malik studied the rate of concerns expressed by both Somali and English-speaking parents at their well-child visits and introduced a Somali language version of the Parents Evaluation of Development Status (PEDS) screening tool.
Faculty Awards Four faculty were recognized for excellence in education of residents, medical students, and other health professionals: Nicole Chaisson, MD, Smiley’s Kim Kruger, MD, Duluth Shailey Prasad, MD, MPH, North Memorial
Donald Pine, MD, Methodist Hospital

Leonard P. Burke Memorial Award

The Leonard P. Burke Memorial Award is given to a graduating resident whose family medicine training has resulted in a unique service contribution during residency training.

St. Joseph’s Hospital resident Stefan Pomrenke, MD, MPH, was chosen for his commitment to community service.

Throughout his three years of residency, Pomrenke has accomplished the following:

• lobbying for health care for the underserved
• promoting healthy choices and chronic disease management
• providing medical care to the people of Haiti
• organizing community events and building a rain garden in Mounds Park

Pomrenke will continue serving the underserved at the East Side Family Clinic in St. Paul.

STFM Resident Teacher Award

The Society of Teachers of Family Medicine Resident Teacher award is presented to the graduating resident from each program who best demonstrated interest, ability, and commitment to family medicine education.

The 2011 award winners follow:

Duluth Mankato Methodist Hospital North Memorial Smiley’s St. Cloud Hospital St. John’s Hospital St. Joseph’s Hospital

Devon Dannen, MD Jamie Johannes, DO David Delaney Elsner, DO Robert Levy, MD Parvathi Theerthakarai, MBBS Melissa Ensign, MD Nathan Brever, MD Mai See Moua, MD