Woodwinds Hospital Family Medicine Residents

First Year: Class of 2026

Andrew Lyman-Buttler, MD, MEd

Medical school: University of Minnesota Medical School

Medical interests: Addiction medicine, reproductive health, nutrition, sleep, military medicine.

Personal interests: Wilderness backpacking, bike touring, tabletop games, home automation.

Career goals: full spectrum urban primary care and Army Reserve medicine.

Why Woodwinds: I taught high school chemistry and biology before medical school, and one of the most rewarding aspects was working with immigrant and refugee students, so the Woodwinds/Bethesda refugee health program was a big draw. Meeting current residents at recruiting and interview events convinced me that I'd be at home here. Also, I got my undergrad, teaching, and medical degrees from the University of Minnesota and I couldn't pass up the chance to be a 4x Gopher!

Elisabeth Oeverli, MD

Medical school: Medical College of Wisconsin

Medical interests: Preventative medicine, community health, addiction medicine, LGBTQIA+ care, and gender-affirming care.

Personal interests: Art, traveling, making cheese, hiking and camping, video games, board games, and trying new food/drinks!

Career goals: I hope to practice in an outpatient clinic and help teach medical students and residents.

Why Woodwinds: I honestly chose Woodwinds for my residency because it just felt right! All the people I met during my interview day were incredibly welcoming and down-to-earth. The residents and faculty all seemed so supportive, and it seemed like a great learning environment. Having unopposed training and the opportunity to be involved in medical student education was something I was looking for and found at Woodwinds.

Alexandra Ostfeld, MD

Medical school: University of Minnesota Medical School

Medical interests: Addiction medicine, global health, preventative medicine, and urban underserved primary care.

Personal interests: I enjoy biking, traveling, board games, college basketball (Go Badgers!), and trying new restaurants/breweries.

Career goals: I hope to practice family medicine in an urban setting with additional emphases on addiction medicine and global health.

Why Woodwinds: I chose Woodwinds after immediately feeling at home during my interview. During my interview, I felt a strong sense of community and dedication to teaching residents while providing high quality patient care. In addition, Woodwinds is an excellent fit for my career goals and I am excited to continue my training here in the Twin Cities.

Vincent Renta, MD

Medical school: Medical College of Wisconsin

Medical interests: Inpatient and outpatient medicine, obstetrics, sports medicine, rural medicine, addiction medicine, procedures, working with underserved populations, social determinants of health, health equity, point of care ultrasound, lifestyle medicine, advocacy, and research.

Personal interests: Anything outdoors such as camping, fishing, hunting, etc., running, motorcycle riding, skateboarding, gardening, playing the guitar, exploring the local food scene, traveling, mixed martial arts, and cooking!

Career goals: I hope to practice full spectrum family med with OB in a rural setting treating patients of all ages and developing many strong, trusting relationships with patients and families over time. I also plan to practice sports medicine with local or college teams, providing care to advanced athletes in collaboration with other medical professionals. I also look forward to working with students and taking on leadership roles within my community.

Why Woodwinds: Woodwinds was an easy choice for me because I was able to feel the strong sense of community despite interviewing virtually and the people gave me the impression that they cared about us not just as potential employees but as people. My interview indicated to me that it is a strong program with great training in a diverse area with diverse patient populations and offers many opportunities to explore whichever avenue of family medicine piques my interest.

Jacob Roskam, DO

Medical school: Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine of Midwestern University

Medical interests: Global health, full-spectrum family medicine, procedures, and teaching.

Personal interests: Travel, cooking, board games, music, DJing, and, of course, spending time with friends and family.

Career goals: Help educate both patients and future generations of physicians while providing comprehensive care to underserved communities at home and internationally.

Why Woodwinds: I chose Woodwinds because I felt that learning environment, support, and community were the right fit for me. I also wanted an unopposed program that served a diverse patient population. Having spent several years in the Twin Cities area I am excited to come back as I know I have a wonderful support network already in place.

Michael A. Schroeder-Toya, MD, JD

Medical school: University of Minnesota Medical School

Medical interests: Broad interests that include adolescent medicine; addiction/behavioral health medicine, particularly the management of pediatric ADHD; Native American & Alaska Native health; among many other interests. Strong commitment and desire to provide inclusive and robust healthcare to families and children, particularly individuals with limited resources.

Personal interests: Health care law and policy, mentoring high school and college students interested in health sciences careers, vacationing with my family, and goofing around with my kids.

Career goals: My immediate career goals involve serving a Native American community as an Indian Health Service physician. I hope to remain in Minnesota or return to the Southwest from where I originated. As for long-term goals, anything is possible, but I hope to remain involved in healthcare law and policy that affect families and children who have limited access to resources and require support from their community.

Why Woodwinds: The draw to Woodwinds centered on their healthcare legal partnership, community engagement, diverse patient population, collegial work environment, and faculty and colleagues committed to my professional development and training.

Aaron Schumacher, MD

Medical school: University of Minnesota Medical School

Medical interests: Primary care, hospital medicine, LGBT Care, refugee health, addiction medicine.

Personal interests: I enjoy recording music and playing piano. Growing up, I spent many hours going through my parents' and grandparents' music collections through which I found the works of Sinatra, Elton John, Billy Joel and Tower of Power to name a few. I run the Medicine and Machine Learning (MaML) podcast which explores the intersection of medicine and artificial intelligence. I am also drawn to the study of history and philosophy. Wrestling with the ideas of Seneca, Marcus Aurelius and religious thinkers such as Thich Nhat Hanh has given me a sense of peace and a challenge to lead the life that I would be proud of. Lastly, I have a profound love of cooking. I have found that I prefer to explore different cultures through food. Taking the time to scour the Twin Cities for authentic ingredients and learning the techniques to prepare specific dishes provides me a window into other ways of life.

Career goals: I hope to become the type of physician that can meet any patient from any walk of life and approach them with compassion and care. I am passionate about primary care and hospital medicine. I hope to explore different models of care delivery and I am considering spending some time at either the VA or the IHS.

Why Woodwinds: I have developed quite a few connections to the Hmong and other South-East Asian communities in my personal life. The closeness of these communities reminds me of my upbringing in rural Minnesota. Knowing this, I completed my Sub-Internship Rotation at Woodwinds Hospital and found the type of doctors that I want to be. The faculty are all incredibly compassionate and care a lot about their resident physicians.

Kong Vang (Koob Vaj), MD, MPH

Medical School: Univ of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

Medical interests: Community medicine and public health, caring for underserved and underrepresented populations, academic medicine, pathway programming and mentoring students underrepresented in medicine, refugee health & global medicine.

Personal interests: Coaching Hmong flag football, videography and photography, traveling, spending time with family and friends, indie music and films.

Career goals: My goal is to work in a community setting where I can practice full spectrum family medicine using integrative and innovative techniques to improve health outcomes.

Why Woodwinds: I chose Woodwinds for its diverse patient population and strong sense of community. Having grown up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, I was drawn to the Twin Cities for its similar demographics and the opportunity to practice medicine in a place where my Hmong identity would be appreciated. I am confident that Woodwinds will fulfill my desire for a supportive community and provide me with high-quality training.

Second Year: Class of 2025

Taylor Atkinson, DO, MBA

Medical school: Kansas City University of Medicine & Biosciences College of Osteopathic Medicine

Medical interests: Reproductive health, health equity and advocacy, high-value cost-conscious care, addiction medicine, LQBTIA+ care, and preventative health.

Personal interests: Reading, embroidery, cooking, event and travel planning, KU basketball (rock chalk!), puzzles, and listening to podcasts.

Career goals: To practice full-spectrum family medicine with OB, potentially in an academic setting or with leadership responsibilities, and to provide my patients with the evidence-based knowledge and support to make well-informed decisions regarding their own healthcare.

Why Woodwinds: I was drawn to this program because of its focus on health equity barriers and its resources to address these challenges, including patient advocacy training, a diverse population of patients, and legal and social work services available on-site. As a bonus, I was able to move back home to Minnesota!

Megan He, MD

Medical school: University of Minnesota Medical School

Medical interests: Preventive medicine, teaching, mental health, nutrition, geriatrics, hospice and palliative medicine, procedures, and working with communities that are diverse or underserved by health care.

Personal interests: All things food, mentoring college students at my church, playing piano and singing, swimming, calligraphy and hand lettering, being out in nature, and spending time with friends and family.

Career goals: I plan to be a primary care physician in the community and help teach medical students and residents.

Why Woodwinds: I chose Woodwinds because I spent three months there as part of UCAM, a longitudinal family medicine clerkship at UMN Medical School. I had heard really positive comments from former students who had rotated through Woodwinds, and after fully immersing myself in the program, I knew my experience lived up to what I'd heard and that it was the program for me. The communities that we care for that are diverse and/or underserved, the depth and breadth of faculty experience, the feeling that everyone is like family (from interpreters to residents to administrative staff), and the many opportunities to do community outreach and shape your career to your interests (with plenty of faculty support and responsiveness) are all part of why I love Woodwinds.

Jacob Lentner, DO

Medical school: A.T. Still University Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine

Medical interests: Family medicine and sports medicine.

Personal interests: Watching and following all sports, playing my six guitars, binging TV shows, and watching movies with my wife.

Career goals: I hope to enter a sports medicine fellowship and become a team doctor for any local Minnesota sports team.

Why Woodwinds: I am originally from Minnesota, so the opportunity to train in my home state was very appealing. Also, during my interview, I got the impression that the faculty truly care about their residents and that I would receive exceptional experience caring for patients, which would adequately prepare me for practicing on my own.

Aisha Mohamed, MD

Medical school: Cooper Medical School of Rowan University

Medical interests: Integrative and preventative medicine, global health, OB, women's health, medical procedures, and diabetes.

Personal interests: Traveling, spending time with family and friends, and cooking.

Career goals: I hope to practice full-spectrum family medicine in an urban or suburban setting with global health.

Why Woodwinds: I choose Woodwinds because of the sense of community that I observed during interview day and the program's dedication to resident education and serving the underserved populations. I also liked that I would have the opportunity to pursue my interests in various medical procedures, maternal/women's health, and global health.

Sarah Sneltjes, MD

Medical school: University of Minnesota Medical School

Medical interests: Preventive medicine, chronic disease management, geriatrics, palliative care, mental health, and behavioral health.

Personal interests: Spending quality time with family and friends, being involved in my local church community, playing tennis and leisure biking with my husband, baking, cooking, and thrift store or garage sale shopping.

Career goals: I hope to practice outpatient family medicine in my local community and develop many strong, trusting relationships with patients and families over time.

Why Woodwinds: Woodwinds is committed to quality, patient-centered care with the resources and experience to serve patients well and train skilled physicians. I chose Woodwinds because this valuable training occurs in the setting of a very supportive and positive learning environment for trainees. I also was drawn to the opportunity to care for diverse patient populations with clinical rotations at both an urban clinic and a suburban hospital.

Victoria St. Martin, DO

Medical school: Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine

Medical interests: Full-spectrum family medicine, addiction medicine, and women's health.

Personal interests: Traveling, hiking, biking, cross-country skiing, playing soccer, spending time with family and friends.

Career goals: I am excited to one day practice full-spectrum family medicine. I am also looking forward to being involved in my community through volunteering, education, and outreach opportunities.

Why Woodwinds: The people were super nice and welcoming during my interview day! l also really liked the longitudinal learning opportunities and how accommodating the program was towards each resident's specific interests.

Nickolas Steer, DO

Medical school: Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine

Medical interests: Preventative medicine, community health, healthcare policy, sexual and reproductive health, and procedures.

Personal interests: Cooking, traveling, woodworking, attending concerts, spending time with family and friends, and trying new restaurants and craft breweries.

Career goals: I would like to practice in a community-based clinic setting where I can develop strong relationships with patients over time and address their comprehensive healthcare needs. Other goals include offering a wide range of procedures and continuing my work in healthcare policy and advocacy.

Why Woodwinds: I chose Woodwinds for their robust full-spectrum family medicine training. During my interview, I was extremely impressed with the sense of community and camaraderie among residents, faculty, and staff. The program is down-to-earth and genuinely dedicated to improving the community it serves.

Daniel Zaiss, DO

Medical school: Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine

Medical interests: Full-spectrum family medicine with all age groups, underserved and refugee medicine, behavioral health, sports medicine, procedures, and community outreach.

Personal interests: I enjoy disc golf, back-country camping, hiking, fishing, snowboarding, and video games, and I am an avid motorcyclist.

Career goals: I look forward to practicing full-spectrum family medicine with pediatric, adult, and geriatric populations. I also want to make the pathway to a medical career more accessible for those that are interested, or for those that come from a refugee or immigrant background like myself.

Why Woodwinds: I knew immediately after my interview day that Woodwinds was where I wanted to be. Both the residents and faculty were kind and truly cared about me as an applicant. I knew that the full-spectrum training provided here would allow me to become the best physician I can be. Everyone was very approachable and open about the educational opportunities and personal support this program provides its residents, and it was clear they were all happy to be here.

Third Year: Class of 2024

Collin Beyer, DO

Medical school: Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine

Medical interests: Medical education, health policy, preventative medicine, and community health.

Personal interests: Dogs, outdoor activities, football, soccer, basketball, and board games.

Career goals: I want to serve in medical education to further train and improve our future physicians.

Why Woodwinds: The family feel of the residency as well as support from faculty and staff. It has a great clinic location to serve diverse populations in a large city, plus a community hospital. St. Paul also offers ample opportunity to be involved in state and local health policy to help serve our patients.

Carter Duncan, MD

Medical school: University of Minnesota Medical School

Medical interests: Full-spectrum family medicine with OB, rural medicine, sports medicine, procedures, and addiction medicine.

Personal interests: Baking, disc golf, yoyo-ing, weightlifting, gardening, board games, brewing, and drinking craft beer.

Career goals: My goals are to practice full-scope family medicine in the rural midwest. I would love to be C-section-certified, deliver babies, offer a wide array of procedures, and care for those suffering from addiction.

Why Woodwinds: I got to know many of the residents and faculty throughout my medical school career, and everyone I talked to was happy and enthusiastic about where they worked. There was a strong emphasis on community and the wellbeing of the residents. The faculty are passionate about what they do and love being medical educators.

Kathryn George, MD

Medical school: Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science

Medical interests: Full-spectrum family medicine with OB, geriatrics, underserved community medicine, rural medicine, and palliative care/hospice.

Personal interests: Spending time with my family and friends, hiking, camping, canoeing, traveling, and going for walks with our dog.

Career goals: In the future, I hope to practice full-spectrum family medicine with OB in a small town or suburb. I want to provide excellent care to my patients and continue to learn and grow as a physician throughout my career. I also hope to pursue some form of teaching, either medical students or residents.

Why Woodwinds: I chose Woodwinds because of my interview day. Everyone I met was very friendly, relaxed, and welcoming. All the residents and faculty that I met seemed to enjoy working together and were very dedicated to serving their patients. Woodwinds also has a strong reputation for training very skilled family medicine physicians, and I knew I would get the training and experience necessary to practice anywhere in the future. Being from the Twin Cities area, I was also thrilled at the chance to return home!

Sam Lore, MD

Medical school: University of Minnesota Medical School

Medical interests: Preventative and integrative medicine, mental health, pediatrics, LGBTQIA+ care, addiction medicine, and community health and social justice.

Personal interests: Trying various art projects, cooking new recipes with my partner, playing ukulele outdoors, learning about plants, bonfires with family and friends, listening to podcasts on my runs or hikes, and talking with my cats.

Career goals: My career goals are especially around supporting peoples' voices and agency in their own health and wellness through integrative medicine and community work.

Why Woodwinds: It was clear the program would provide excellent training in full-spectrum family medicine with interesting electives, but what stood out most was the kind and welcoming team. Right away, it seemed like a genuinely fun and supportive environment as well as one that would challenge me to grow. The opportunities to serve the community and the opportunities around social justice and community work were also very important to me.

Najaha Musse, DO

Medical school: Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, Virginia Campus

Medical interests: Full-spectrum family medicine with OB, behavioral health, osteopathic manipulation, chronic disease management, health equity and advocacy, global health, and lifestyle medicine.

Personal interests: Travel, cooking, gardening, and keeping active.

Career goals: I plan to practice full-spectrum family medicine with OB in Minnesota. In my free time, I hope to volunteer for medical relief agencies such as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).

Why Woodwinds: I was very impressed with the program's commitment to patient advocacy and community health. On my virtual interview day and resident-hosted meetings, everyone seemed very happy, approachable, and genuinely took time to listen. As a St. Paul resident, the clinic location was also very convenient.

Rachel Paull, MD

Medical school: University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Science

Medical interests: Full-spectrum rural medicine including OB, women's health, medical procedures, community health, and sports medicine.

Personal interests: I enjoy distance running, playing all sorts of sports, playing the piano, gardening, sewing, craft projects, and spending time with family and friends.

Career goals: Return to a rural/underserved community in the Midwest and educate upcoming physicians.

Why Woodwinds: This program offers everything I need to become the physician I want to be and is close to family. They have strong OB training, and the residents/faculty members were genuine and fun to spend time with!

Allison Venzon, MD

Medical school: Creighton University School of Medicine

Medical interests: Mental health and women's health.

Personal interests: Baking, alpine skiing, hiking, swing dancing, creative writing, Jesuit spirituality, Dungeons and Dragons, video games, and anime.

Career goals: I plan to perform full-spectrum care in a community setting working for either urban or rural underserved communities. In addition, I plan to be active in community health initiatives like teaching sexual education at high schools or offering discussions about depression and anxiety to decrease social stigma.

Why Woodwinds: Woodwinds has absolutely everything I could have wanted in a family medicine residency. I knew that I wanted a supportive, healthy learning environment that is also tailored to my interests in mental healthcare and women's health. This program allowed me to immerse myself in these interests while giving me a strong background in full-spectrum patient care. In addition to my personal interests, Woodwinds made me feel at home right away. I knew that I would love to work with these wonderful doctors at 3 a.m. and 3 p.m. alike! Finally, Woodwinds's commitment to caring for the underserved and finding ways to address social determinants of health spoke to me. Being a Jesuit-educated physician, I needed a program that valued caring for patients' physical illness as well as advocating for their wellness beyond the clinic or hospital. I'm beyond thrilled to be working and training here for the next three years!

Kaitlan Vossen, MD

Medical school: Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine

Medical interests: Addiction medicine, global health, preventative medicine, and pediatrics.

Personal interests: Soccer, hiking, traveling, rollerblading, cooking, and spending time with family and friends.

Career goals: To practice full-spectrum family medicine while also pursuing global health trips.

Why Woodwinds: I chose Woodwinds because it stood out to me as having the most supportive learning environment. Even with virtual interviews, I could tell that everyone was very kind and down-to-earth. Just like the Twin Cities, the Bethesda Clinic population is very diverse, and I was impressed with their care for communities that are underserved with limited access to health care.

Graduates

Below are our graduates of the last few years, including their current practice site.