2017 Resident and Fellow Commencement

University of Minnesota Family Medicine and Community Health held its annual resident and fellow commencement on Tuesday, June 6, 2017 at the McNamara Alumni Center on the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities campus.




McNamara Alumni Center

This year’s graduating class included:

• 55 family medicine residents from our eight programs

• 1 primary care behavioral health fellow

• 4 hospice and palliative medicine fellows

• 2 human sexuality fellows

• 2 sports medicine fellows

• 15 faculty and fellows who completed Teaching, Evaluation, and Curriculum for Healthcare Professionals, also known as TEACH

• 8 faculty who completed the Collaboration and Scholarship Intensive for Family Medicine (CSI-FM) program

Read tweets from the ceremony using the hashtag #umnfamilymedgrad on Twitter and view photos of all of our graduates on our Facebook.

Resident and Faculty Awards

A number of family medicine graduates and faculty were honored for excellence in teaching, research, and service.



Excellence in Research Award


The Excellence in Research Award was presented to Mankato’s graduating resident M. Aly Terra, DO, for approaching the crucial topic of symptom control for patients with terminal illness non-pharmacologically and non-invasively.


Mankato residency graduate M. Aly Terra, DO

“Completing a research project during residency training is challenging. Completing a research project that is a treatment study is even more difficult. Dr. Terra had the foresight to schedule elective time devoted to research. In doing so, she had a personally rewarding experience that positively impacted the quality of life for the patients she encountered.” – award nominator 

Community Service Award

The Leonard P. Burke, MD, Memorial Award is given to a graduating resident whose family medicine training has resulted in a unique service contribution. This year, the award was given to graduating Methodist resident Alice MacDonald, MBChB, for developing a new way to screen patients for food insecurity and a program that offers cooking classes to eligible patients.

Methodist residency graduate Alice Macdonald, MBChB

“Prior to this, there was no awareness of what food insecurity was, let alone how many of the clinic’s regular, long-term patients were food insecure and how it might be affecting their health and medical care. Beginning in 2015 residents began learning to recognize that bias, and acquiring the tools to screen and address patients’ food insecurity.

Dr. MacDonald’s enthusiasm for addressing this social determinant has been infectious and has continued to help us recruit residents to carry on the quality improvement work associated with it.” – award nominator  

Faculty Awards

This year’s Affiliate Faculty Teacher of the Year, went to, not one affiliated faculty, but a whole group – the University of Minnesota Health Women’s Health Specialists Midwifery group.

The University of Minnesota Health Certified Nurse Midwives

“We have appreciated our partnership with the whole OB/CNM team at Women's Health Specialists, but I am particularly grateful for the resident teaching and patient-care partnership that the midwives have embraced for the past six years.” – award nominator 

This year, department faculty Christopher Reif, MD, MPH, was recognized for his excellence in educating residents, medical students, and other health professionals.

Christopher Reif, MD, MPH, director of clinical services
 of the Community-University Health Care Center

Dr. Reif serves as director of clinical services of the Community-University Health Care Center and is involved in medical student education, co-directing the Urban Community Ambulatory Medicine (UCAM) clerkship and precepting for the Family Medicine Clerkship.

STFM Resident Teacher Award

Nine residents from our eight residency programs received the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM) Resident Teacher Award for demonstrated interest, ability, and commitment to family medicine. Awardees include Duluth residency graduate Megan San Giacomo, MD; Mankato residency graduate M. Aly Terra, DO; Methodist resideny graduate Jared Mell, DO; North Memorial residency graduates Erica Gathje, MD, and Meredith Bourne, MD; St. Cloud residency graduate Jason Huikko, MD; St. John’s residency graduate Anne Kennan, MD; St. Joseph’s residency graduate Charles Vang, MD; and University of Minnesota Medical Center residency graduate Arlene Rillo, MD, RN.

Below are recipients of the Leonard P. Burke, MD, Memorial Award, Excellence in Research Award, and Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM) Awards. STFM awardees are holding the large, framed certificates.

Front row, left to right: Methodist graduate Jared Mell, DO; University of Minnesota Medical Center graduate Arlene Rillo, MD, RN; Leonard P. Burke awardee Alice Macdonald, MBChB, from Methodist; St. John's graduate Anne Keenan, MD; and St. Joseph's graduate Charles Vang, MD.

Back row, left to right: North Memorial graduate Meredith Bourne, MD; Duluth graduate Megan San Giacomo, MD; North Memorial graduate Erica Gathje, MD; Mankato graduate and Excellence in Research awardee M. Aly Terra, DO; and St. Cloud graduate Jason D. Huikko, MD.

Congratulations to all graduates and award recipients!

University of Minnesota Family Medicine Match Results 2017

Students discovering match results at the Match Day ceremony

On Friday, March 17, graduating University of Minnesota medical students gathered with family and friends at McNamara Alumni Center to find out where they will begin their residency.

Match Day is an important date shared by medical students across the country. Students receive an official letter from the National Residency Match Program (NRMP), letting them know which residency, and in what city, they will start their medical training.

We are proud to say that this year was a success for all U of M family medicine residency programs.

MATCH DAY HIGHLIGHTS

• All eight U of M Family Medicine residency programs filled. 
• Interest in family medicine continued its upward trend for the eighth consecutive year.
• The total number of medical students choosing family medicine was 3,237, up 132 from the 3,105 last year. (source: AAFP)

Below is a complete list of names of our new family medicine residents.

U of M FAMILY MEDICINE, CLASS OF 2020

DULUTH (9)

• Luke Albares - Albany Medical College

• Mark Bostrom - University of Minnesota Medical School
• Benjamin Dummer - University of Minnesota Medical School

• James Erickson - West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine
• 
Allison Juba - Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine 
• Mindi Kvaal Anderson - University of Minnesota Medical School
• Alison Liewen - Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania 
• Charles Tabor - University of Minnesota Medical School

• Jessica Taylor - University of Minnesota Medical School 

MANKATO (6)

• Jeremiah Fairbanks - Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Daniel Olson - University of Minnesota Medical School
• Joshua Ostrue - A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona
• Benjamin Paul - A.T. Still University of Health Sciences‐Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine
• 
Jordan Schild - University of South Dakota, Sanford School of Medicine
• Eric Valder - Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine

METHODIST (6)

• Katherine Baillon - Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine of Midwestern University
• Amanda Honsvall - University of Minnesota Medical School
• Tyler Lacey - University of Minnesota Medical School
• Laura Murphy - University of Minnesota Medical School
• 
Emma Sieling - University of Minnesota Medical School
• Rebecca Siffring - University of Minnesota Medical School 

NORTH MEMORIAL (8)

• Lucas Boyle - University of Minnesota Medical School
• Nailah Cash‐O'Bannon - University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
• Anne Doering - University of Minnesota Medical School
• Lee Haggenjos - Northwestern University The Feinberg School of Medicine
• 
Jennifer Lee - University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine
• Ebiere Okah - Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
• Laura Robitschek - Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine of Midwestern University 
• Katherine Swanson - Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine

ST. CLOUD (5)

• Marlen Henning - Universität Hamburg Medizinische Fakultät
• Daniel O'Connor - St. George's University School of Medicine
• Adei Shaqra - Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Siri Shaqra - Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine
• 
Zareen Zaka - Army Medical College

ST. JOHN'S (6)

• Cameron Blegen - University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
• Kayla Lange - Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Luke Leblanc - University of Minnesota Medical School
• Justin Meyers - University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
• Benjamin Rosenstein - University of Minnesota Medical School
• Haley Stewart - Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences

ST. JOSEPH'S (8)

• Abbie Bruning - A.T. Still University of Health Sciences‐Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Christopher Culhane - University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
• Dennis Ea - University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
• Thomas Krumme - University of Minnesota Medical School
• 
Nadjeschda Nordquist - Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Betlehem Semahge - University of Minnesota Medical School
• Stephanie Vilendrer - University of Minnesota Medical School
• Christina Werman - A.T. Still University of Health Sciences‐Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA MEDICAL CENTER (6)

• Julie Amaon - American University of Antigua College of Medicine
• Kelsey Finn - Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Alysse Victoria Cruz - Ohio State University College of Medicine
• Joseph MacDonald - University of Minnesota Medical School
• Justin Penny - Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences
• Elizabeth Rowe - Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences

Congratulations to all. We cannot wait to see what the future holds for our incoming family medicine residents!

Family Medicine Midwest 2016

The following blog post was written by U of M Department of Family Medicine faculty Andrew Slattengren, DO, chair of the Family Medicine Midwest Foundation and presenter at this year's conference.

Indianapolis, IN

On October 7-9, 387 physicians, residents, and medical students gathered at the JW Marriott Hotel in Indianapolis, IN for the annual Family Medicine Midwest Conference. The event combined scholarly work and research presentations, community-based practice and best practice sharing, and promoted cooperative and collaborative health care innovation. There was also a residency and fellowship fair, “speed date our specialty” session, poster presentations, and pre-conference sessions.

The University of Minnesota Department of Family Medicine and Community Health and other individuals contributed to provide scholarships for medical students. Because of these efforts, 11 medical students from Minnesota were able to attend the conference.

“I'm one of the recipients of the FMM scholarship that allowed my colleagues and me to attend the Family Medicine Midwest Conference and I just wanted to sincerely thank you for your contribution that made this possible. The conference was both informative and educational, and it provided me with an opportunity to learn more about family medicine--the challenges and means to overcome those challenges. I was also able to network with family physicians, residents, my fellow students, and other professionals from all around Midwest. Again, thank you very much.” 

- Jafary Fafara, University of Minnesota third-year medical student

In addition to medical students, 10 other University of Minnesota resident physicians, family physicians, and other medical professionals attended. A total of nine U of M Department of Family Medicine faculty and U of M medical students presented educational sessions and/or posters during the conference. This conference is an excellent venue to demonstrate the amazing works of family physicians in Minnesota. See photos from the conference.

UMN Presentations at FMM 2016

Educational Sessions

• Developing Resilience to Create Lifelong Physicians for the Underserved - North Memorial faculty Laura Miller, MD, and Tanner Nissly, DO 

• Increasing Rural Family Physicians’ and Vietnam War Veterans’ Understanding of Agent Orange Exposure and Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 - Adjunct faculty Linda Olson Bergum, MD, and U of M third-year medical student Kirsten Larson

• Opioids for Chronic Pain, CDC Guidelines and Family Medicine - North Memorial faculty Andrew Slattengren, DO, and Tanner Nissly, DO

• A model for Interprofessional Team-based Post-hospital Care in the Academic Family Medicine Clinic - North Memorial faculty Andrew Slattengren, DO, and Jerica Berge, PhD, MPH, LMFT

• Looking Back at a Community Family Medicine Resident Research Project: What Worked?- Methodist faculty Lynn Manning, MD

Posters

• Leaf Libraries: Promoting Childhood Literacy in Community Waiting Spaces - U of M fourth-year medical student Lucas Boyle 

• Increasing Rural Family Physicians’ and Vietnam War Veterans’ Understanding of Agent Orange Exposure and Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 - Adjunct faculty Linda Olson Bergum, MD, and U of M third-year medical students Kirsten Larson and Kayla Schenheit

About Family Medicine Midwest

The Family Medicine Midwest (FMM) Foundation launched in 2012 with a core mission of identifying and supporting students interested in Family Medicine. It is committed to communicating the value of family medicine to practicing colleagues, future colleagues, and the public. Andrew Slattengren, DO, University of Minnesota North Memorial Family Medicine Residency faculty, is chair of the FMM Foundation.

Next year's conference will take place in Rosemont, Illinois on October 6-8.

Minnesota Monthly Presents "Best Doctors" 2016

Minnesota Monthly has released its “Best Doctors” 2016 list comprised of 877 physicians in 51 categories. They asked 10,000 licensed Minnesota doctors who they would recommend if they or a loved one needed care. Their most frequent answers represent the list.

AAFP National Conference 2016 Recap

This year’s American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) National Conference of Family Medicine Residents and Medical Students was held on July 28 through July 30 in Kansas City, Missouri. The conference gives medical students an opportunity to attend workshops, network, and gain insights into family medicine.


Our faculty, residents, and staff went as exhibitors to promote our residency programs. We also sponsored scholarships for medical students to attend and learn more about family medicine.

This year’s conference drew a record number of attendees with 1,210 residents and 1,349 medical students from across the nation. From the University of Minnesota, 46 medical students attended the conference. Below is a list of all U of M family medicine residency program representatives.

Duluth

Mankato third-year resident Jared Colvert, DO and program director John McCabe, MD

• Kristin Comstock, MD, second-year resident
• Charles Hackett, MD, second-year resident
• E. Tolga Hanhan, MD, first-year resident
• John Wood, MD, associate program director

Mankato

• Jared Colvert, DO, third-year resident
• John McCabe, MD, program director

Methodist

• Jesse Klingelhoets, MD, second-year resident
• Josh Scheck, MD, second-year resident
• Stephen Schwartz, MD, second-year resident



Left to right: North Memorial faculty Laura Miller, MD, second-year resident
 Lauren Williams, MD, first-year resident Nat Fondell, MD, faculty Renee Crichlow, MD,
 and third-year resident Meredith Bourne, MD

• Jeremy Springer, MD, program director

North Memorial

• Meredith Bourne, MD, third-year resident
• Reneé Crichlow, MD, faculty 
• Nat Fondell, MD, first-year resident
• Laura Miller, MD, faculty
• Lauren Williams, MD, second-year resident (MAFP-sponsored)

St. Cloud

• Dennis Peterson, MD, faculty
• 
Noah Retka, MD, third-year resident

St. John’s

St. Cloud faculty Dennis Peterson, MD, and third-year resident Noah Retka, MD

• Bobby Kagigebi, MD, third-year resident

• Kaitlyn Schoeck, MD, third-year resident

• Angela Smithson, MD, MPH, program director
• 
Jennifer Svendsen, MD, second-year resident

St. Joseph’s

• Robert Hlavacek, DO, third-year resident

• Manuel Idrogo, MD, faculty

• Michael Nasenbeny, MD, third-year resident

• Margaret Perko, MD, third-year resident

University of Minnesota Medical Center


• Andrea Larson, DO, second-year resident

• Carrie Link, MD, faculty
• Raquel Van Norman, administrator

Department Staff

• Tanner Nissly, DO, faculty advisor for the Family Medicine Interest Group (FMIG) on the Twin Cities campus and North Memorial faculty

• Laura Pham, residency programs coordinator

• Nkauj Shoua Vang, communications specialist

Social Media

The traveling Loon trophy

For the third year in a row, we held a friendly social media challenge between our eight residency programs. For the challenge, we specifically tracked Twitter usage using #aafpnc. The residency program and individual who tweeted the most using #aafpnc received prizes. 


This year’s winning team was our Methodist program, with a grand total of 359 tweets. They will receive the traveling Loon trophy (our version of the Twitter bird.) This year's individual winner was second-year Methodist resident Jesse Klingelhoets, MD, with a total of 189 tweets. He wins a $30.00 gift card to the University of Minnesota Bookstore.

Methodist program director Jeremy Springer, MD, with second-year residents Jesse Klingelhoets, MD, Josh Scheck, MD, and Steve Schwartz, MD.

Past winners:
2015: Program winner: North Memorial; Individual winner: Carrie link, MD, University of Minnesota Medical Center
2014: Program winner: North Memorial; Individual winner: Reneé Crichlow, MD, North Memorial

In addition to sponsoring a social media challenge on Twitter, we used the new Facebook Live feature to introduce our programs and encourage attendees to stop by program booths. Click here to see the videos. If you were unable to attend this year’s conference, you can view photos from our exhibit here.

We look forward to next year’s conference, which will be held on July 27 through July 29, 2017.

Medical students visiting with our program representatives

Mpls. St.Paul Magazine 2016 Top Doctors

Mpls. St. Paul Magazine released its 20th annual list of Top Doctors in the Twin Cities this month. We are proud to announce that a number of University of Minnesota Family Medicine and Community Health faculty were named in the specialties of family medicine, geriatrics, and sports medicine.

Metro area physicians and registered nurses were asked to nominate one or more doctors whom they would choose if they or a loved one were seeking medical care. Candidates who made the final list were grouped into 42 specialties and evaluated on a variety of factors, such as peer recognition, professional achievement, and disciplinary history. The highest scoring doctors were then invited to serve on a blue-ribbon panel and asked to evaluate candidates in their practice area. Physicians who acquired the highest total points from the survey, research, and blue-ribbon panel review were named to the Mpls. St.Paul Magazine 2016 Top Doctors list.

Congratulations to the following faculty who were named 2016 Top Doctors:

July cover of Mpls. St.Paul Magazine

Family Medicine

Patricia Adam, MD, MSPH
Sharon Allen, MD, PhD
Nancy Baker, MD
Nicole Chaisson, MD, MPH
Jon Hallberg, MD
Kara Pacala, MD
Shailey Prasad, MD, MPH
Christopher Reif, MD, MPH
Jamie Santilli, MD
Jeremy Springer, MD
Carolyn Torkelson, MD, MS
Mary Wagner, MD

Geriatrics 

Michael Dunkinfield, MD
Teresa McCarthy, MD, MS
James Pacala, MD, MS

Sports Medicine

Robert Johnson, MD
David Olson, MD
Steven Stovitz, MD, MS

Click here to view
the complete list of Top Doctors.

2016 Resident and Fellow Commencement

MAFP Spring Refresher 2016 Recap

On April 14-15, the University of Minnesota Department of Family Medicine and Community Health attended the 2016 Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians (MAFP) Spring Refresher at The Depot Hotel in downtown Minneapolis.



The MAFP Spring Refresher is an annual family medicine conference for family physicians, family medicine residents, medical students, and allied health professionals. The conference covers updates in medical knowledge, skills workshops, clinical practice improvements and innovations, and more. It's also a great opportunity for Minnesota-based family physicians to connect with colleagues from across the state.



A number of our residents and faculty were in attendance at this year's conference. Several gave presentations, including Reneé Crichlow, MD, on burnout prevention and mindful meditation; Barbara Elliot, PhD, MDiv, on end-of-life decision making; Nancy Baker, MD, on the use of mobile devices in medicine; Mary Wagner, MD, on clinician resilience.

Also among presenters was Kim Nagel, an undergraduate research assistant working with research faculty Alicia Allen, PhD. She presented on recruiting and retaining smokers in research studies.

View their presentations here.

What drives you to practice or teach family medicine?

Department faculty Reneé Crichlow, MD

We had a great time in the Exhibit Hall visiting with current and former faculty and residents, community physicians, and University of Minnesota medical students. 

We asked attendees to answer the following question--“What drives you to practice or teach family medicine?” This question corresponds to this year’s University of Minnesota marketing campaign, “We are the Driven.”

We took photos of our visitors with their answers on a chalkboard and posted the photos to our social media channels. See photos here.

MAFP Honors and Awards

Several department faculty and residents were also honored at the conference for contributions to family medicine education and research.


2016 MAFP Teacher of the Year 
Carrie Link, MD, University of Minnesota Medical Center faculty

Carrie Link, MD

2016 Resident of the Year
Elizabeth Lownik, MD, MPH, U of M North Memorial Family Medicine Residency Program

Elizabeth Lownik, MD, MPH




Also among awardees was fourth-year University of Minnesota medical student Mark Nelson, who won the Medical Student Award for Contributions to Family Medicine.

Fourth-year U of M medical student Mark Nelson

In addition to being a medical student, Mark is a Julliard alumnus who has been performing with Hippocrates Cafe, since its first show. Mark will continue his career in medicine with the University of Minnesota North Memorial Family Medicine Residency Program.

Last, but not least, department head Macaran Baird, MD, MS, won the “Most School Spirit” award and faculty David Power, MD, MPH, won the "Most Shocking" award for participating in MAFP’s Sunglasses Selfies Contest.

Department head Macaran, Baird, MD, MS

Department faculty David Power, MD, MPH

Congratulations to all who received an award!

Looking Ahead

The MAFP Spring Refresher is an annual event that happens in the spring for Minnesota family physicians. For more information and next year's schedule, visit the MAFP website.