|
Home > Residency Programs > St. Joseph's Hospital Program > Residents
Residents
First-Year Residents
 Kashiff Khan, MD
Medical school: Medical University of the Americas, St. Kitts/Nevis
Medical interests: Emergency medicine, urgent care, hospital medicine
Personal interests: I love the outdoors and especially enjoy hiking and camping. Other interests include ice hockey and motor sports.
Why I chose St. Joe's: St. Joe's offered the unique feel of a community hospital affiliated with a prominent university. I found the faculty to be extremely knowledgeable and very supportive of all the residents. At the same time, the new direction St. Joe's is heading with its expansion is something I want to be a part of. |
| |
 Patrick Knoedler, MD
Medical school: University of Minnesota Medical School
Medical interests: Sports medicine, medical administration
Personal interests: Water skiing, arena football, surfing, home improvement projects
Why I chose St. Joe's: I had the pleasure of attending St. Joe's for my family medicine rotation as a medical student, getting to know and love the program along the way. St. Joe's had everything I was looking for in a residency: great staff, fun and energetic residents, located in beautiful downtown St. Paul, just three miles from my home for a quick commute, and five miles from downtown Minneapolis for a night out with my friends. |
| |
 Sarah Masrud, MD
Medical school: University of Minnesota Medical School
Medical interests: My medical interests include sports medicine, international medicine, and working with underserved populations.
Personal interests: Spending time with husband and family, camping, hiking, canoeing, cooking, gardening.
Why I chose St. Joe’s: On interview day I was extremely impressed by the residents’ caring attitude toward each other and the program, along with a very supportive faculty and staff who work together with the residents to continually make the program even better. Additionally, I was attracted by the diverse and challenging patient population. |
| |
 Mai See Moua, MD
Medical school: University of Minnesota Medical School
Medical interests: Women's health
Personal interests: Creative writing, travel, history
Why I chose St. Joe's: It is located in a vibrant, diverse, urban community, with a reflective staff and faculty. The program is associated with an academic center and is responsive to the needs of the residents. Family medicine is the hospital's only residency program |
| |
 Ganesh Pawar, MD
Medical school: Government Medical College, Miraj, India
Medical Interests: Sports medicine, emergency medicine
Personal interests: Gym workout, yoga, tai kwondo, cricket, cooking, hiking, jogging along a lake, and watching Bollywood and Hollywood movies
Why I chose St. Joe's: After interviewing at many places, I considered which hospital to rank on the top. I thought of a few things which would be very important for me during residency: pleasant working environment, experienced and easily approachable faculty, congenial residents, co-operative staff, and an excellent learning environment. After my interview at St. Joe's, it was clear that this was the program I was looking for. It is a great fit for me, and I am very glad that I matched here. |
| |
 Stefan Pomrenk, MD
Medical school: Virginia Commonwealth University
Medical interests: Preventive care, public health, international health, palliative care
Personal interests: Spending time with my wife, mission, hiking, church, attempting to be “green,” picking up a theology book here and there, antiquing, violin, and Tanzania.
Why I chose St. Joe's: I really enjoyed meeting the faculty, staff, and residents. They were very energetic and happy about their program. The program’s close proximity to under-served areas and the capitol building provide many opportunities for public health practice both in the treatment of patients as well as seeing the legislative process at work. There are also several connections here to one of my great interests, overseas mission work. After coming from Virginia, I have fallen in love with the Twin Cities. The park systems and progressive nature of the cities is fantastic. |
| |
 Dawn Scheifels, MD
Medical school: Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota
Medical interests: I am interested in women's health and reproduction. I have had special training in naprotechnology (natural procreative technology), allowing for wholistic approach to reproductive medicine. I also teach the Creighton Model System (NFP) in my free time.
Personal interests: I enjoy running, biking, golfing, and watching my husband play softball.
Why I chose St. Joe's: St. Joe's is a place where residents can pursue their personal academic and career goals. |
| |
 Tajinder Singh, MD
Medical school: Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, Dehradun, India
Medical interests: I have wide medical interests, which is why I chose family medicine. I am interested in women’s health, pediatrics, adult medicine, and urgent care.
Personal interests: Watching movies, listening to music, and playing volleyball. In my free time I like spending time with my family.
Why you chose St. Joe's: I chose St. Joe’s because family medicine is the hospital's only residency program. It has great faculty and a wonderful team of residents |
Second-Year Residents
 Shaun Kwosek, MD
Medical school: Loyola University Chicago - Stritch School of Medicine
Medical interests: I am considering further study in sports medicine as well as behavioral fields, all the while making sure to get as much procedural experience as possible.
Personal interests: In my free time I enjoy golfing, water sports and spending time in the Northwoods of Minnesota, as well as meeting friends in the city, preferably over a meal at a great restaurant or for a show.
Why I chose St. Joe’s: Finding the right residency boiled down to a few important items for me. I had a fun time with the residents I met on interview day. I found the patient population with which I wanted to workand it was in the perfect geographical locale. I was also impressed with the forward direction St. Joe’s is taking, especially through hospital expansion and cutting-edge procedures. |
| |
 Michael Lynch, MD
Medical school: University of Minnesota
Medical interests: I have a variety of medical interests; this is one of the reasons family medicine was appealing to me.
Personal interests: I am married and we are expecting our first child. I enjoy spending time with my wife and friends. I like to read and am interested in just about any sport.
Why I chose St. Joe's: I thought that the staff was excellent. I completed medical school at the University of Minnesota and had an opportunity to meet faculty members during med school. I was impressed by how friendly they were, and their dedication to teaching was evident. Also it seemed to me that the patients the residency program cared for are challenging, and I would prefer to be challenged in residency with back-up, rather than feel challenged and unprepared as a practicing physician. |
| |
 Kene Ogbogu, MD
Medical school: Nnamde Azikiwe University, Nigeria
Medical interests: My interests at this point include oncology and infectious diseases. Areas I'd like to be involved in are global health, healthcare access for underserved populations, and partnership between public health organizations and healthcare institutions.
Personal interests: I love swimming, soccer, watching movies, traveling, and hanging out with friends and family.
Why I chose St. Joe's: The reputation of the faculty for teaching attracted me to St. Joe's; the congeniality of the residents, faculty, and the staff as a whole fascinated me during my visits to St Joe's. It is really a home away from home. |
| |
 James Olson, DO
Medical school: Des Moines University – Osteopathic Medical Center
Medical interests: My medical interests include hospital medicine, emergency medicine, and cardiology.
Personal interests: I live in St. Paul with my wife and two dogs. I love golf and home improvement projects. I TiVo “This Old House.”
Why I chose St. Joe’s: First, the faculty are amazing. All of the programs in the Twin Cities are excellent, but I felt that at St. Joe's, the faculty's number one priority is making this the best experience possible for every resident. Second, the senior residents are very proactive in making this program a great one. The faculty have allowed the residents as a group to mold this program into one that is resident-friendly and still an excellent teaching institution. Third, the hospital: St. Joe's is a very busy place with a small-town hospital feel. The employees all know each other and accept the residents into this family with open arms. If you're going to spend eighty hours a week in one place, it helps if the people around you are happy and helpful. |
| |
 Lily Rodgers, MD
Medical school: Government Medical College, Amritsar Punjab, India
Medical interests: Primary and preventive care and women’s health.
Personal interests: Hiking, camping, cooking and trying different cuisines. I love spending time with my husband Ryan, and I look forward to one day having lots of pets.
Why I chose St. Joe’s: I interviewed at many programs, and St. Joe’s was my best interviewing experience. Family medicine is the hospital's only residency program. St. Joe's has a great team of faculty, residents, and staff, and it is the training program I was looking for. |
| |
 Kim Usher, MD
Medical school: University of the West Indies, Trinidad
Medical interests: Pediatrics, obstetrics, women's health, and working with underserved populations.
Personal interests: In my free time, I enjoy reading and watching movies. I love outdoor activities, like playing tennis and scuba diving. Every opportunity I have I try to travel.
Why I chose St. Joe's: During the interview process, I was attracted to the program by the faculty, staff, and residents. They are very pleasant, easy to work with, friendly, and supportive. I liked St. Joseph's because family medicine is the hospital's only residency program, and it serves a diverse patient population. |
| |
 Cherilyn Wicks, MD
Medical school: University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine
Medical interests: Pediatrics, OB, dermatology and procedures
Personal interests: Biking, reading, brewing beer, sports of all kinds, spending time with my husband and two cats.
Why I chose St. Joe’s: The approachable, caring faculty with diverse interests really set St. Joe’s apart for me. The diversity of cultures and training experiences of residents is also a unique advantage. St. Joe’s is an overall welcoming and supportive program that provides me the opportunity to meet all my academic needs and interests, while providing a close-knit professional community to be a part of. |
| |
 Alan Wong, MD
Medical School: Saba University, Netherlands Antilles
Medical interests: Sports medicine, emergency medicine, hyperbaric medicine
Personal interests: Badminton, squash, gold, traveling, photography
Why I chose St. Joe’s: I chose the St. Joe’s program because of the people here. All of the faculty, residents, as well as support staff are really friendly, helpful, and supportive. There is a great working environment here. |
Third-Year Residents
|
 Marc Baumgartner, MD
Medical school: University of North Dakota
Personal interests: Golf is my favorite hobby; I played professional golf while recently living in Arizona. I adore my nieces and nephews and value the relationships I have with my sister and three brothers. I enjoy exercise and a variety of sports.
Why I chose St. Joe's: It was an easy choice for me. I interviewed at many programs and found that St. Joe's had a special feel. I knew I would enjoy being part of the family here. The team atmosphere between faculty and residents provides an environment that promotes learning and an open forum for ideas. Faculty are excellent and have diverse backgrounds and specialties. There is an emphasis on teaching evidence-based medicine along with a focus on exceptional patient care.
|
| |
|
 Kimberly M. Bigelow, MD
Medical school: University of North Dakota
Medical interests: Preventive health care, especially diabetes, pediatrics, and women's health. Special interests in natural family planning and infertility issues.
Personal interests: Reading, outdoor activities, especially skiing (water, cross-country, and downhill), cooking, baking, sewing, spending quality time with family and friends, and involvement in faith/church community.
Why I chose St. Joe's: As the commercial says, "When you're here, you're family." Support staff are wonderful. Faculty clearly enjoy their work and residents have freedom and support to pursue individual career interests. But the main reason is—we have a softball team—go Martin's Monkeys!
|
| |
 Prili Gandhi, MD
Medical school: Bharati Vidyapeeth Medical College, India
Personal interests: I like to spend time with my family and friends. In the summer long walks are nice, and in the winter mall walking is fun. I also like to read non-fiction novels.
Why I chose St. Joe's: I saw a diversity of cultures not only in the patient population but also in the faculty and residents. During my interview process, the residents were very friendly and gladly answered all my questions. |
| |
|
 Kamal Preet Grewal, MD
Medical school: Sardar Patel Medical College, Bikaner
Personal interests: I enjoy watching movies, listening to music, skiing, and spending time with family and friends.
Why I chose St. Joe's: It offered me everything I was looking for. I enjoy the working atmosphere. Most of all, great faculty and friendly, helpful people.
|
| |
|
 Asma Siddiqi, MD
Medical school: Baqai Medical College
Personal interests: Spending time with family and friends, browsing old book stores, trying new restaurants, and watching independent movies.
Why I chose St. Joe's: The people at St. Joe's really set this program apart. The faculty are not only outstanding physicians, but also extremely friendly and easy to work with. Since I started some of the residents have become my closest friends. I was also impressed by the hospital's commitment to the underserved community.
|
| |
|
 Christa Lane Waymire, MD
Medical school: Medical College of Wisconsin
Medical interests: OB, peds, procedures.
Personal interests: Spending time with my husband and two kids, travel, softball, rollerblading.
Why I chose St. Joe's: The program's great reputation, the residents, and the faculty. I am from the Twin Cities (a great place to live) and spent time getting to know several of the family medicine programs. This was by far my favorite. St. Joe's is very supportive of having a family and life outside of residency—they are concerned about residents' happiness and well-being. The nurses and specialists at St. Joe's are friendly and enjoy teaching.
|
| |
 Dokka Williamson, MD
Medical school: Mayo Medical School, Rochester, Minnesota
Medical interests: General pediatrics, continuity clinic, and mental health.
Personal interests: My husband and I have two young daughters, and we enjoy spending time together as a family. We also enjoy traveling, watching movies, and getting together with good friends.
Why St. Joe’s: The faculty were enthusiastic, welcoming, and very positive about the program when I interviewed. They are also very receptive to my needs and supportive of my interests. They are a cohesive, dedicated, high-quality group of physicians, and they truly care about serving this patient population. |
| |
|
Feedback | Notice of Privacy Practices
|
|
|
Return to: Medical School : Academic Health Center : myU : U of M Home
