Residents, Department of Family Medicine in the Medical School at the University of Minnesota

Nathan Brever, MD breve008@umn.edu
I grew up in Northeast Minneapolis and St. Anthony Village. I am an aspiring do-it-yourselfer, and am partial to soaking up a day on the lake fishing. I take a good deal of interest in athletics and coaching Special Olympics, chasing my dog around(schnauzer), and enjoy settling down to a good book once in a while.
Undergraduate education: St. John's University
Medical school: University of Minnesota
Medical interests: Pediatric, sports and rehabilitation medicine, emergency medicine.
What drew me to the St. John's program: The consistent and comprehensive adult medicine team with two full-time hospitalist preceptors gives St. John's the best hospital medicine teaching service-hands down. Phalen Village Clinic is developing into a real community asset with our expanding capabilities; the award winning staff gives our program an unrivaled advantage. And perhaps most importantly, it's a tremendous group of residents and staff- hardworking, curious, and intelligent- with similar interests and optimistic worldviews.
Unique features of the program: The call responsibilities for interns gives exposure to true full-spectrum primary care: cesarean and traditional births, hospital house calls, hospital admissions-this is truly unique and exceptional. The program makes for a good balance of challenging learning experiences with ample personal and social opportunities. St John's is large enough to have a diverse patient population and pathologies, but small enough where you'll get to know your hospital staff by name. All in all, the St. John's program will give you the support you need to train as a physician, the autonomy to mature as a physician, and the confidence to excel as a physician.

Preston Hatlestad, MD phatlestad@medicine.nodak.edu
I grew up near Horace, North Dakota. In my spare time I like to work on my family's farm back home. I really enjoy travel and seeing new places as well as working on equipment and cars and long drives.
Undergraduate education: Concordia College
Medical school: University of North Dakota
Medical interests: Geriatrics, preventive health care, continuity care in clinical medicine, health policy and politics.
What drew me to the St. John's program: It is a small program in a community hospital with ties to a university with a strong family and community medicine department. We are the only residency program in the hospital and get a lot of hands on experience as well as incredible teaching from both primary care and specialists. The environment is very supportive and the people are competent and caring.
Unique features of the program: Experiences in all aspects of primary care are strong. The inpatient adult medicine service has dedicated staff including an internist (Dr. Cermak) who is a wealth of information. Having back-up in the hospital on call is very beneficial.

Abigail Miller, MD

Amaris Moore, MD

Brett Salek, MD sale0045@umn.edu
I grew up in Plainview, Minnesota. My hobbies and interests include anything and everything that involves Minnesota professional or college sports, working on various projects around my home, golfing, running, and spending time with my wonderful wife.
Undergraduate education: University of Minnesota
Medical school: University of Minnesota
Medical interests: Sports medicine, dermatology, pediatrics, medical education, and procedural medicine.
What drew me to the St. John's program: St. John's Hospital is a small suburban hospital that serves a vibrant and rapidly-growing area. The hospital offers all the experiences needed to be a successful full-spectrum primary care physician. Phalen Village Clinic nicely complements the hospital with a challenging, rewarding, and very diverse inner city outpatient experience. All the residents and faculty are wonderful people and physicians. Everyone genuinely likes one another.
Unique features of the program: We have two full-time inpatient staff on our medicine service instead of weekly rounders. Our program director is a former president of the American College of Sports Medicine. We have lots of opportunities to pursue unique electives and away rotations.

Libby Wagner, MD

Christine Athmann, MD athm0009@umn.edu
I grew up in Mahnomen, Minnesota. My hobbies and interests include water skiing, cross country skiing, running, and going up north to visit family.
Undergraduate education: University of Minnesota, Morris
Medical school: University of Minnesota
Medical interests: Native American health care, health care policy.
What drew me to the St. John's program: The greatest draw for me was the people. Not only does this program have fantastic teaching and faculty, but the people I work with every day including residents, staff, and specialists make this training that much more fun!
Unique features of the program: Our call schedule is unique and very manageable. We both work and play hard. Our program is one of the few programs with a full-time teaching inpatient internal medicine doctor. The teaching is fantastic!

Kevin Best, MD kevinbest19@yahoo.com
I grew up in Rolette, North Dakota. My hobbies and interests include hunting (deer and pheasant), sports (both playing and as a fan of the Twins and Vikings), playing with my two Labrador retrievers, and occasionally teaching them a new trick. I also enjoy camping, ice fishing, and aviation.
Undergraduate education: North Dakota State University
Medical school: University of Minnesota
Medical interests: Sports medicine, administration/practice management.
What drew me to the St. John's program: The small suburban hospital that has an unopposed residency. I felt like residency here would be similar to what my future practice would be.
Unique features of the program: High quality teaching on the medicine rotation with a high degree of autonomy, while always having backup if needed. Having a second- or third-year resident in-house at all times is key.

Heather Hamernick, MD hame0051@umn.edu
I grew up in Fridley, Minnesota. My hobbies and interests include traveling, singing, reading (especially sci-fi), movies, playing with my dog, motorcycling, scrap-booking, golf, and theology.
Undergraduate education: University of Minnesota
Medical school: University of Minnesota
Medical interests: Global medicine, OB/gynecology, psychiatry, and pediatrics.
What drew me to the St. John's program: The residents—cream of the crop and they like to have fun!
Unique features of the program: Call covers the entire hospital, so you can deliver babies, first assist in surgeries, admit medicine and ICU patients, run codes, and manage house calls, all on the same night. There are almost 300 baby deliveries a month here, and on your OB rotations and call nights you can get involved in as many of them as you want. OB staff are also willing to teach C-sections. Dr. Cermak (internist with fellowship in cardiology) runs the medicine service—he is an awesome teacher, and you get plenty of one-on-one learning time with him.

Jared Reese, MD rees0059@d.umn.edu
I grew up in Brainerd, Minnesota. My hobbies and interests include anything outdoors in the north woods of Minnesota. I especially enjoy boating, water sports, fishing, hunting, and golf. I also enjoy working out and cooking with my wife.
Undergraduate education: University of Minnesota Duluth
Medical school: University of Minnesota
Medical interests: Adult medicine, emergency medicine, geriatrics.
What drew me to the St. John's program: The program is an unopposed, well-balanced family medicine program that has outstanding faculty and very competent and friendly residents. The atmosphere is very collegial, and everyone supports one another. Also, St. John's is a wonderful hospital with great support staff and friendly specialists. As a bonus, it's on the northeast outer edge of the Twin Cities Metro area so traffic is never a problem, and you are just a quick drive to some beautiful country scenery.
Unique features of the program: The call system is nice. Just like "real world" family practice, we are always on-call for admissions, house calls, and OB through all three years.

Chris Thompson, MD thom1714@umn.edu
I grew up in Moorhead, Minnesota. My hobbies and interests include playing with my sons, hiking and camping, Ultimate Frisbee, motorcycles, reading, swimming, woodworking, and music.
Undergraduate education: St. John's University
Medical school: University of Minnesota
Medical interests: Sports medicine, wilderness medicine, geriatrics, sleep medicine.
What drew me to the St. John's program: Great faculty including two full-time faculty on the inpatient service. Small, primary-care based community hospital with lots of opportunities and experiences. Senior resident back-up in the hospital when on call.
Unique features of the program: Call coverage in the hospital is like real-life call—it includes OB, codes, admits, house call. Full-time faculty on the inpatient medicine service. A diverse clinic population and experience with cross-cultural medicine. The physicians and specialists at the hospital are excited to teach and appreciate the services the residency provides. A program that leaves you prepared to practice any type of family medicine, anywhere.

Angie Voight, MD voig0054@umn.edu
I grew up in Neenah, Wisconsin. My hobbies and interests include running marathons, playing sports, camping, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.
Undergraduate education: Bethel College
Medical school: University of Minnesota
Medical interests: Sports medicine, adolescent medicine, preventive care.
What drew me to the St. John's program: I wanted to work with Dr. Roberts, a very well known sports medicine physician. He is also a great program director and enjoys working with residents. When I interviewed at St. John's, I could tell that the residents were happy with the program and that they enjoyed working at St. John's.
Unique features of the program: St John's is an unopposed family medicine program that is very supportive of family medicine residents. There is always a senior resident on call with the first-year resident, which is especially helpful in the first few months. The entire hospital staff is friendly, and they enjoy getting to know the residents. There is also a lot of support among residents—we make time to get together socially and discuss how the residency is going.

Harvey Anderson, MD ande3256@umn.edu
I grew up in the eastern suburbs of the Twin Cities and spend a lot of time with my wife and twin daughters (born in May 2006). I also enjoy sand volleyball, hiking, fishing, and football.
Undergraduate education: University of Wisconsin-River Falls
Medical school: University of Minnesota
Medical interests: Sports medicine
What drew me to the St. John's program: Faculty have a genuine interest in your experience here and are dedicated to teaching; the inpatient medicine service is a great learning experience. The support staff, from the nurses to the medical assistants, are respectful, helpful, and fun to work with. Also, you are able to follow your patients into the ICU, where you can choose to manage them yourself or ask for assistance from an intensivist.
Unique features of the program: St. John's Hospital is small enough that you get to know everyone by name. Yet, it is big enough to have plenty of OB, ICU, orthopedics, and cardiology—everything you will see as a family physician. The specialists work as a team with us. Dr. Roberts is a world-renowned sports medicine physician who provides vital teaching in musculoskeletal medicine. Sports medicine is becoming a predominant feature—we staff a training room at nearby Johnson High School and will be covering whatever sports interest us.

Thomas Gustafson, MD gust0208@umn.edu
I grew up in Circle Pines, Minnesota. My outside interests include computers, hiking, and traveling to exotic locales.
Undergraduate education: University of Minnesota
Medical school: University of Minnesota
Medical interests: Sleep medicine, psychiatry.
What drew me to the St. John's program: The amount of experience and training in the first year.
Unique features of the program: ICU experience, very strong internal medicine.

William Nicholson, MD wnichols@umn.edu
I grew up in White Bear Lake (five miles from St. John's Hospital) and enjoy journalism, creative writing, cross-country ski racing and coaching, water skiing, surfing, triathlon, and white-water kayaking.
Undergraduate education: University of Minnesota Duluth
Medical school: University of Minnesota
Medical interests: Health care policy and politics, public health, sports medicine, and research.
What drew me to the St. John's program: The residents and faculty at St. John's had a great working/recreating relationship. The daily noon conferences were fantastic. The clinic medical assistants, lab techs, and administration were friendly and fun to work with. The St. John's graduates working in my community were extremely positive about the program (a few even joined the faculty). My University of Minnesota advisors had the highest regard for the St. John's program.
Unique features of the program: St. John's is a family-medicine-oriented hospital, and our residents are valued and welcomed by all specialists. Phalen Village Clinic has a diverse patient population with many first generation immigrants who are both challenging and rewarding to work with. We have the past president of the American College of Sports Medicine on faculty, and sometimes he goes skiing at Phalen Park over lunch. The hospital is only five minutes from my grandma's house!

Jeremy Peterson, MD jpeters3@umn.edu
I grew up in Lindstrom, Minnesota. My personal interests include road and mountain cycling, in-line skating, golf, travel, following the Twins, and cheering on my wife as she coaches high school softball and volleyball.
Undergraduate education: University of Minnesota- Duluth
Medical school: University of Minnesota
Medical interests: OB, sports medicine, and primary care.
What drew me to the St. John's program: The inpatient teaching service is solid. We are able to see both common medical problems mixed in with some very interesting cases. Noon conferences offer a variety of topics and specialists that enjoy teaching. The residents and faculty are extremely friendly and eager to answer questions and provide guidance.
Unique features of the program: In addition to being an unopposed program, we have two dedicated hospitalist attendings for the inpatient medicine service. The hospital is also family medicine friendly. Our residents are welcome in all areas of the hospital. If you have a particular medical interest, you will be able to find someone willing to teach it.

Kompal Piplani, MD pipl0001@umn.edu
I grew up in Patiala (Punjab). My hobbies include traveling, meeting new people, and learning about other traditions and cultures. I enjoy yoga, basketball, hiking, and cooking for and spending quality time with my family and friends.
Undergraduate education: M. M. Modi College, India
Medical school: Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education
Medical interests: Adult medicine
What drew me to the St. John's program: While working as an extern in the Hematology, Oncology, and Organ Transplantation division of the Department of Medicine at the University of Minnesota, I found St. John's Residency Program to be highly competitive with an excellent faculty, intensive teaching curriculum, and a close group of residents and staff.
Unique features of the program: Autonomy and independence in patient care under the guidance of the finest and an extensive learning experience both in outpatient and inpatient services in all the elements of medicine (adult and pediatric medicine, NICU, OB-Gyn, medicine sub-specialties such as cardiology, neurology, ICU, and ER). Another attractive feature is the opportunity for an international rotation in second and third year.

Allison Wong, MD opay0001@umn.edu
I grew up in Monticello, Minnesota. My hobbies include working out, traveling, quilting, and playing board games.
Undergraduate education: Gustavus Adolphus College
Medical school: Tulane University
Medical interests: Geriatrics, women's health, and complementary and alternative medicine.
What drew me to the St. John's program: Everyone was friendly, and there are nice facilities, a solid curriculum, and an opportunity to spend a month in Hawaii during the third year.
Unique features of the program: Having Dr. Cermak, an internist, on the inpatient medicine service, doing OB while on call throughout the year, and spending a week at Hazelden.