About Our Faculty
Department of Medicine | Resources for Current Faculty | Faculty Research Projects As an Internal Medicine resident, you will interact with University of Minnesota faculty who are all here for one reason—they love to teach. Whether it’s precepting in continuity clinic, attending on the general medicine wards, or staffing consults, the faculty here are dedicated to teaching and learning and truly enjoy the academic environment of a University training program. Our faculty members strive to achieve a balance of autonomy and supervision; they are here to act as a “consultant”, helping you explore diagnostic and therapeutic options, rather than simply dictating a plan for patient care. Most have developed lectures and workshops as well as “10 Minute Talks” for teaching on the fly. All of our faculty are extremely approachable and welcome your questions or concerns with a listening ear. Many of them have received special recognition in the form of teaching awards, leadership positions and the like. Below is just a small sampling of educators from all three sites who have achieved this special recognition. As you can see from reading their biographies, they are not only outstanding teachers, but also well rounded individuals who achieve work life balance through activities and hobbies that promote well being. University of Minnesota Medical School Faculty |  Dr. Michael Aylward attended undergrad at Boston College, medical school at NYU, and completed his Med-Peds residency here at the U of MN with a Chief year at the VA. His focus is on health informatics and practical applications for physicians and patients, and he serves as Chair of Physician Informatics committee at UMMC. Dr. Aylward is a preceptor for Med-Peds resident’s clinic and attends on the wards. He received the Educational Excellence award in the fall of 2007. His enjoys writing and being a dad to two beautiful daughters.
|  Dr. Karyn Baum is an Associate Professor of General Medicine. She attends on the inpatient general medicine service at UMMC and has a special interest in education, which includes developing a teaching course for faculty and curriculum for the second year of medical school. She received her bachelor’s degree from MIT, MD from the University of Michigan and completed residency here at the University of Minnesota,where she also served as Chief Resident at the VA. She went on to complete a Masters in Medical Education through the University of Southern California. She was voted Teacher of the Year in 2004-2005. She enjoys spending time at her cabin in Wisconsin and is the proud owner of two Jack Russell Terriers. |  Dr. Lisa Fox joined the faculty in August of 2011. She completed her undergraduate degree in Natural Science at the College of Saint Benedict. She graduated from Tulane University School of Medicine in 2008, then went on to complete Internal Medicine Residency at the University of Minnesota. She is currently a Core Faculty Member as a hospitalist and has an interest in medical education and promoting faculty and resident teaching skills. Lisa lives in Northeast Minneapolis and enjoys travel, cooking, and spending time with friends and family.
|  Dr. Briar Duffy earned her medical degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin, and went on to complete residency training at the University of Wisconsin and later a fellowship in Medical Education and Women's Health at the University of Pittsburgh, where she earned a Master's in Medical Education. She is currently involved in the residency program as a core faculty member as well as a continuity clinic preceptor, and attends frequently on the general medicine ward teaching service. She is also clerkship director for the Internal Medicine (Med I) clerkship for the University of Minnesota medical students. Dr. Duffy is particularly interested in helping our residents become better teachers. Her outside interests include choral music, cooking, travel and crafts. |  Dr. James Nixon attended the University of Oklahoma for both undergrad and medical school and then completed his training in our Med-Peds residency program. Vice Chair of Education and is currently the Clerkship Director for the student Internal Medicine rotation. He also developed an Advanced Physical Diagnosis course for the Medical School and helps residents hone their physical exam skills via program workshops. He attends on the wards for both Peds and Medicine and also serves as preceptor for Med Peds Continuity Clinic. He enjoys biking and spending time with his two boys.
|  Dr. Daniel Schnobrich joined the faculty at UMMC in August of 2011. He completed his undergraduate degree in Biochemistry at Iowa State University in Ames, IA, and graduated from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. He went on to complete residency training in Med/Peds at the University of Minnesota. He is currently a Core Faculty member who practices as a hospitalist. His special interests include bedside ultrasound assessment and he will be teaching the ultrasound course to our residents and faculty periodically throughout the year. His hobbies include fitness, particularly triathlons and cross country skiing, as well as travel and music. | Regions Hospital Faculty |  Dr. Rick Hilger has been a Hospitalist in practice at Regions since 2001 and was selected as a Core Faculty member in 2010. He graduated from Creighton University School of Medicine in 1996 and completed Med/Peds residency training at the University of Minnesota in 2000. He attends frequently on the teaching services and is actively involved in medical education of students and residents rotating at Regions. In addition Dr. Hilger has been instrumental in developing the Hospital Medicine Pathway, including the creation of the Hospitalist Elective at Regions, and participates in the Health Partners Physician Leaders program. He won the Health Partners Excellence in Education Awards in 2008. |  Dr. Miguel Ruiz is an internal medicine hospitalist and member of the Palliative Care Team at Regions Hospital in St Paul (board certified by ABIM and ABHPM). He is director of the HIV Primary Care Program at the West Side Community Health Services (WSCHS, “La Clinica”) in St. Paul (specialist by AAHIVM). Dr. Ruiz is a graduate of the University of Madrid, Spain and pursued post-graduate training at Manchester University (UK) and an Internal Medicine Residency at the University of Minnesota. He was chief resident at Regions Hospital. He is a Univ of MN assistant professor in the Dept of Medicine and continues to be very involved in the education of medical student and Internal Medicine residents at Regions Hospital. His main clinical interest is in International Medicine and health issues in Latinos. He served as the physician champion for the Medtronic Fellowship program in cultural competence at Regions in 2003-04 and currently is the lead physician for the Robert Wood Johnson grant “Speaking Together” directed to improve the care for LEP (Limited English Proficiency Patients) at Regions Hospital. |  Dr. Paula Skarda is a general internist who teaches ambulatory medicine in both the AHCC block and in continuity clinic. She also directs the Quality Improvement Project led by the AHCC group of residents on a quarterly basis. Dr. Skarda was voted Teacher of the Year in 2006 and was selected as Core Faculty in 2010.”She was voted Teacher of the Year in 2005-2006. |  Dr. Thomas Yacovella is a hospitalist at Regions. He completed his Internal Medicine Residency training here at the University of Minnesota and served as Chief Resident at Regions. He has been voted Teacher of the Year several times and was recently awarded the Society of Hospital Medicine Excellence in Teaching Award. | VA Medical Center Faculty |  Dr. Craig Roth , General Internal Medicine, has a special interest in developing communication skills to facilitate the doctor-patient relationship. He implemented an outstanding workshop for incoming interns (CASE—Communication Assessment and Skills Exercise) to help them address issues such as discussing code status and breaking bad news. He also facilitates a lecture series for VA Faculty on improving their teaching skills. Dr. Roth attends on the wards and precepts Continuity Clinic.
|  Dr. Amy Candy Heinlein is a general internal medicine physician at the VA Medical Center. She completed medical school and residency at the University of Minnesota. She served as Chief Resident at the VAMC in 2007-2008 prior to staying on as faculty. She has clinics in primary care, women’s clinic and pre-operative medicine. She is active in medical resident education through attending on inpatient wards and in the continuity clinic. She also involved in medical student education by giving lectures for the medical students on their internal medicine rotations and being involved with the second year medical school course Physician and Patient III. Dr Candy enjoys spending time with her husband and 2 sons, Henry and Charlie.Dr. Amy Candy Heinlein is a general internal medicine physician at the VA Medical Center. She completed medical school and residency at the University of Minnesota. She served as Chief Resident at the VAMC in 2007-2008 prior to staying on as faculty. She has clinics in primary care, women’s clinic and pre-operative medicine. She is active in medical resident education through attending on inpatient wards and in the continuity clinic. She also involved in medical student education by giving lectures for the medical students on their internal medicine rotations and being involved with the second year medical school course Physician and Patient III. Dr Candy enjoys spending time with her husband and 2 sons, Henry and Charlie. |  Peter F. Weissmann is Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School. He completed his MD degree at the University of Minnesota and residency in internal medicine at the University of Rochester, Rochester, NY. After joining the faculty at the University of Minnesota, he completed a fellowship at Michigan State University in medical curriculum development. He recently serves the American Academy on Communication in Healthcare as a national faculty member and recent Vice President, and he participates in Academy activities by co-facilitating training workshops locally and nationally for medical faculty who wish to improve their clinical teaching skills, particularly in the area of patient-physician communication.
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