Duluth Residents
Josie Gable, MD
Medical school: University of Minnesota Medical School
Medical interests: Name a topic in medicine, and it will likely spark some curiosity in me. Mostly I enjoy seeing a variety of people throughout my day! I particularly enjoy community medicine, procedures, acute care, prenatal care, well child visits, and regular adult check-ups where I can spend some time getting to know my patients better.
Personal interests: The outdoors are my happy place! I personally love exploring ridges, forests, trails, and wetlands and seeing what types of animals and plants that I can find and identify. I am particularly interested in bird watching, finding orchids, and searching for morel mushrooms with my husband and dog in the springtime. I also enjoy some indoor activities including oil painting, making homemade pizza, and baking.
Why Duluth: I love Duluth Family Medicine Residency for their mission of training broad-spectrum family medicine physicians with a strong emphasis on community medicine, acute care, and inpatient training. I have had my eye on this residency since starting medical school in Duluth long ago! I am confident that I will receive an education that will prepare me for serving rural, northern Minnesota and that I will build numerous connections with other physicians in the area that will also be a resource for me and my future patients. Plus, I will love waking up to Lake Superior every day!
Elena Jaffer, MD
Medical school: University of Washington School of Medicine
Medical interests: Full-spectrum family medicine, rural health, inpatient medicine, public, and preventative health.
Personal interests: I enjoy anything outside, especially in new places, camping, backpacking, canoeing, skiing, soccer, softball, etc.! I just ran my first marathon last spring, and I've been swimming longer than that. I enjoy reading historical fiction books and watching goofy movies.
Why Duluth: I have always wanted to be a full-spectrum family medicine physician in a rural area. I have long been aware of the University of Minnesota's strong foundations in public health and family medicine. Duluth's unopposed curriculum with its integrated longitudinal component will prepare me well. I went to college in Iowa and always hoped I would have the opportunity to return to the Midwest. I am so excited to continue my training in a friendly city with easy outdoor access!
Sarah Kinsey, MD
Medical school: University of Utah School of Medicine
Medical interests: Full-spectrum rural family medicine, with a particular interest in obstetrics, underserved medicine, LGBTQIA+ medicine, and addiction medicine.
Personal interests: I really enjoy being outside - hiking, biking, backpacking, skiing, and paddle boarding. I also love cooking and trying new recipes while listening to podcasts and stand up comedy.
Why Duluth: After residency I plan to practice full-spectrum family medicine in a rural community. I felt that Duluth had the best of both worlds: a rigorous family medicine curriculum in association with a reputable major academic medical center, plus a strong rural training thanks to the large rural Minnesota population that they serve. Of course, you can’t beat Lake Superior!
Austin Pickup, MD
Medical school: University of Minnesota Medical School
Medical interests: Full-spectrum family medicine, obstetrics, preventative care, and mental health.
Personal interests: I love hiking, biking, snowboarding, video games, and playing with my new puppy, Jenga.
Why Duluth: Duluth has a reputation for being a well-rounded and challenging residency. I knew I wanted to learn how to do everything I could in these short years, and Duluth stood out to me. It also helps that the gorgeous city offers plenty of outdoor access, and it is one of the closest programs to my family in the Twin Cities.
Megan Sandberg, MD
Medical school: Western Michigan University School of Medicine
Medical interests: I am interested in full-spectrum and rural family medicine, women’s health, preventative care, and procedures.
Personal interests: I love anything to do with water including sailing, paddle boarding, scuba diving, walking on the beach with my dog, and swimming. I also love to bake desserts and bread, read a good book, paint, and try new restaurants and breweries with friends and family.
Why Duluth: Duluth provides an excellent education in the areas that I am most interested in: rural medicine, women’s health and obstetrics, procedures, and medical education. Not only will I gain the training that I need, but the views of Lake Superior and the supportive and welcoming resident community are unbeatable.
Rachel Seiler, MD
Medical school: Medical College of Wisconsin
Medical interests: Full-spectrum family practice, rural health, obstetrics, and women's care, in-office procedures, dermatology, allergy, and adolescent medicine.
Personal interests: Running, houseplants, alpine and Nordic skiing, camping, hiking and backpacking, swimming in lakes, stand-up paddling, baking sourdough bread, and coffee-making.
Why Duluth: This program has a longstanding history of training full-spectrum family physicians with strengths in rural medicine and obstetrics. I knew that this program would provide me with the experience and training necessary to feel confident treating patients of all ages and to do obstetrics in more rural settings. The residents and faculty are passionate people excited about family medicine and caring for this community. It certainly helps that the North Shore is a beautiful area with access to the outdoors year-round!
Molly Vail, MD
Medical school: University of Minnesota Medical School
Medical interests: I am interested in full-spectrum family medicine including caring for those of all ages. I really enjoy women’s health, addiction medicine, chronic disease management, and preventative medicine.
Personal interests: I enjoy spending time at my family cabin where I like to go pontooning and enjoy reading a good book with a cup of coffee overlooking the lake. I also enjoy taking my two dogs, Drake and Louie, for walks, cooking, trying new restaurants, playing board games, and spending time with friends and family.
Why Duluth: I chose the Duluth Family Medicine Residency for many reasons. First, I lived in Duluth for the first two years of medical school and I loved the idea of returning. My fiancé also lives and works only one hour from Duluth, so the location was ideal for us to be as close as possible during these three years of residency. In addition to the location, I also chose Duluth for the full-spectrum training opportunities and the down-to-earth and welcoming faculty and residents. I was lucky enough to complete a rotation with the Duluth residency during medical school and following that, I knew it was the place where I wanted to be. Duluth felt like home, and I am very excited and feel very lucky to have the opportunity to complete residency with the Duluth program.
Jacob Wilcox, MD
Medical school: Medical College of Wisconsin
Medical interests: Full-spectrum family practice, obesity medicine, lifestyle medicine, sports medicine, and wilderness medicine.
Personal interests: Running, lifting, camping, hiking, downhill skiing, Nordic skiing, dogs, and woodworking.
Why Duluth: Duluth has an excellent training program for family practice. It offers extensive learning opportunities mixed with a welcoming community of doctors and residents. In addition, Duluth and the North Shore is a truly amazing place to live. Duluth has been a part of my life since I was little. I love the area, and I love the people that call this place home.
Kyle Bakken, MD
Medical school: Medical College of Wisconsin
Medical interests: Full-spectrum and rural family medicine with obstetrics, wilderness medicine, and hospice and palliative care.
Personal interests: The outdoors. Fishing, boating, kayaking/canoeing, scuba diving, camping, cross-country skiing, snowboarding, curling, photography. I also enjoy reading historical non-fiction books and classic novels.
Why Duluth: I was drawn to the Duluth program for its strong training in traditional full-spectrum family medicine with a well-known emphasis on obstetrics and women's health. I am also happy to be part of a residency with such an active role in community mental health and psychiatric care. During my interview, the authenticity and thoughtfulness of the residents, faculty, and staff made it easy to imagine Duluth as a future training location. The city has easy access to outdoor destinations and is on the doorstep of an abundance of incredibly beautiful natural areas in the Upper Midwest. Overall, I chose Duluth because I felt I would be fully prepared for the wide scope of a physician practicing in any rural or resource-limited environment.
Ethan Burlingame, DO
Medical school: A.T. Still University Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine
Medical interests: Rural family medicine and sports medicine.
Personal interests: Outdoor activities such as running, fishing, hunting, ice hockey, softball, golf, disc golf, forestry, table tennis, kayaking, gardening, and snowmobiling. I also enjoy playing fantasy football with friends, watching movies, and rooting for the Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Wild.
Why Duluth: Duluth has an excellent reputation for training family medicine physicians who want to work in rural areas. As a physician, I hope to treat a wide variety of patients and do as many hands-on procedures as possible. I know Duluth's curriculum will prepare me with the skills needed to provide excellent care for my patients. Being from Minnesota, I could not think of a more beautiful place to live than Duluth. My significant other and I both love outdoor activities, and Duluth offers a limitless amount of opportunities.
Emily Edwards, DO
Medical school: Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, Auburn Campus
Medical interests: Obstetrics, addiction medicine, and wilderness medicine.
Personal interests: Circus arts and learning to ski.
Why Duluth: I intentionally sought out Duluth for its robust obstetrics program. This program also has a fellowship attached; Duluth can prepare me for a strong career in family medicine with obstetrics. I spoke with alumni who shared how well prepared they felt for full-spectrum practice after graduating, which inspired me even more to come here. The program's mission aligns well with my own professional goals.
Bailey Kaira, DO
Medical school: Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Medical interests: I am interested in full-spectrum family practice with an emphasis on rural and addiction medicine.
Personal interests: I love to mountain bike, canoe, hike, and do anything outside with my dog Lana! I also like to read and bake sourdough bread with my fiancé.
Why Duluth: I chose Duluth as it offers well-rounded, full-spectrum training in a place that I love. I also appreciated the welcoming and supportive attitude of the staff and other residents.
Bisola Omoba, MD
Medical school: Medical College of Wisconsin
Medical interests: I am interested in community medicine, underserved medicine, broad-spectrum rural family medicine, and procedures.
Personal interests: I love painting canvas with acrylics and cooking. I love to eat! During the pandemic, I enjoyed remixing EDM music on GarageBand.
Why Duluth: I could not have chosen a better or stronger program to train at. Duluth is known for its strong reputation for exceptional training in family medicine. Whether you are interested in academia, private practice, or rural medicine, this program will prepare you for anything your future holds. What really set this program apart was the faculty. You can tell that the love that the program director and the associate program director put into this program is genuine, and the faculty will do everything in their power to get you the training you deserve.
Payton Schultz, MD
Medical school: University of Minnesota Medical School
Medical interests: I am interested in practicing full-spectrum rural family medicine with particular interests in obstetrics and sports medicine.
Personal interests: I enjoy doing anything outdoors, including running, hiking, biking, kayaking, and cross country skiing. I'm also always up for a good Hallmark movie!
Why Duluth: I hope to practice full-spectrum family medicine in a rural community, and I know that Duluth's rigorous curriculum and strong OB training will equip me well to do just that. As a medical student in Duluth, I was always impressed by the residency's rich involvement in the community, and I am excited to be able to give back. In addition, the views of Lake Superior while driving to work can't be beaten, and the many outdoor opportunities throughout the city are unmatched!
Marissa Wheeler, MD
Medical school: University of Minnesota Medical School
Medical interests: Full-spectrum rural family medicine, women's health, preventative care, procedures, and addiction medicine.
Personal interests: Spending time with friends and family, watching my dog, camping, fishing, kayaking, hiking, and traveling to new places.
Why Duluth: I am looking to practice as a rural physician after residency, and Duluth's strong reputation for providing outstanding broad-spectrum family medicine training made it seem like the perfect fit to match my needs. I completed a sub-internship with the program during my fourth year of medical school and during that time all of the staff, faculty, and residents were so kind and welcoming. In addition, Duluth is a fantastic place to live, and I am looking forward to participating in many of the outdoor activities that the area has to offer.
Courtney Donahoe, DO
Medical school: Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Medical interests: Full-spectrum rural family medicine, sports medicine, women's health, and emergency medicine.
Personal interests: I enjoy water skiing, cross country skiing, mountain biking, running, and spending time outdoors with my husband, family, and friends. I also play acoustic guitar, and I like to cook.
Why Duluth: Duluth has a strong reputation for its exceptional training in full-spectrum family medicine. I plan to practice in a rural setting, so this type of broad training is essential. One thing that sets Duluth apart is its culture. On my interview day, the residents seemed happy, and they were excited to talk about their passions. I'm excited to be part of such a hardworking, motivated, and friendly community. Location was another reason I chose Duluth. When we visited Duluth, my husband and I instantly fell in love with the area. We are thrilled to call Duluth home for the next three years!
Joshua Godding, MD
Medical school: University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine
Medical interests: Full-spectrum family medicine, preventive medicine, emergency medicine, procedures, improving access, and utilization of health care resources for underserved populations.
Personal interests: Exploring outdoors, relaxing with a good book and a cup of tea, spending time with family and friends, cooking, trying new restaurants, and traveling abroad.
Why Duluth: I chose Duluth for residency because it is an academically affiliated program with an exceptional reputation for training strong, full-spectrum family medicine physicians.
Residency is the time to dive into medicine and build your foundation for a great future career, and Duluth offers all the tools to do that. The residents, faculty, and staff are so friendly, and that camaraderie and positive learning environment were important to me as well. It also helps that the program is nestled in one of my favorite places in Minnesota!
Jamie Hammer, MD
Medical school: University of Minnesota Medical School
Medical interests: Geriatric medicine and addiction medicine.
Personal interests: Spending time with my husband and newborn daughter, running, home brewing, collecting sea glass, hiking, and camping.
Why Duluth: I moved to Duluth as an undergraduate and haven't wanted to leave! I love the residency's commitment to the community, particularly its connection with the Center for Alcohol and Drug Treatment. The easy access to hiking trails and the Lake Superior beaches are an added bonus.
Lucas Henningsen, MD
Medical school: University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
Medical interests: Full-spectrum family medicine, rural medicine, OB, pediatrics, and hospital medicine.
Personal interests: I love being outdoors, whether it's on the slopes, in the woods, or on the lake. A few favorites include backpacking, skiing, hunting, and canoeing. When I'm indoors, you can usually find me reading, playing guitar, curling, watching hockey, or curled up on the couch with my wife and dog watching "The Office."
Why Duluth: My interest in rural, broad-spectrum family medicine meant that I was looking for a program with the breadth and depth of training to adequately prepare me for the wide scope of patients and situations that I plan to see in practice. This program offers exactly that. The strength of the OB and inpatient experiences, the focus on rural medicine, and my great impression of the faculty and residents made Duluth a natural fit, and it's tough to imagine a more beautiful setting in which to be training.
Jordan Lindholm, MD
Medical school: University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Medical interests: Full-spectrum family medicine, rural medicine, clinical procedures, sports medicine, and pediatrics.
Personal interests: I enjoy outdoor activities such as biking, running, hiking, and fishing. I love watching and participating in all sports activities, especially basketball and tennis. I also like spending time with family and friends, whether it be inside playing board games, making puzzles, or sitting around the campfire making s'mores at the cabin.
Why Duluth: My desire to practice as a rural physician after training made me want to find a residency with a strong reputation in providing broad-spectrum family medicine training. Duluth definitely matches that category with its well-rounded curriculum designed to train a future small-town family physician. I also am very familiar with Duluth since it is near my hometown of Mt. Iron, Minnesota, and I was in the area as an undergrad, so I had ample opportunities to explore the beautiful city on the big lake. I also got the opportunity to complete a few rotations in the Duluth area, and the faculty, staff, and residents were not only very welcoming and kind but also expressed how much they enjoyed working at Duluth Family Medicine Residency. These reasons confirmed to me that Duluth is the place I want my residency training to take place.
Nicholas Loken, DO
Medical school: Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Medical interests: Rural medicine, preventative care, nutrition, and wilderness medicine.
Personal interests: Fishing, hunting, mountain biking, hiking, boating, and making breakfast.
Why Duluth: All the residents, facility, and staff seemed happy and were very enthusiastic about the program on my interview day, and I felt at home the entire time. The focus on rural training was something I desired in addition to being an unopposed program. Also, Duluth has amazing outdoor activities, and I've wanted to live here for many years.
Staci Loken, DO
Medical school: Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Medical interests: Broad-spectrum family medicine, rural medicine, women's health, and geriatrics.
Personal interests: Spending time with family and friends, cooking and baking, all things outdoors with my husband, and traveling.
Why Duluth: From the outstanding full-spectrum training to the collaborative environment between the residents and attendings, I love every aspect of the Duluth program, and my interview day solidified the fact that I wanted to pursue my residency training here. I am also very much looking forward to exploring more of the beautiful North Shore.
Owen Tierney, DO
Medical school: Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Medical interests: From the outstanding full-spectrum training to the collaborative environment between the residents and attendings, I love every aspect of the Duluth program, and my interview day solidified the fact that I wanted to pursue my residency training here. I am also very much looking forward to exploring more of the beautiful North Shore.
Personal interests: Reading, writing, running, swimming, spending time with my family, and appreciating just about anything related to Minnesota. Also, I may be the only person I know who still collects DVDs for some reason.
Why Duluth: My goal in residency is to learn as much as possible so that when I begin my future practice I'll be ready to take on whatever challenges walk through the door. In addition to knowing the Duluth program will provide me with the ability to achieve that goal, it was clear even before my interview that the residency takes an active and central role in the Duluth medical community. If that isn't enough, the view over the lake on a sunny day is the finishing touch!
Erin Traxler, DO
Medical school: Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Medical interests: I am interested in community health, preventative medicine, women's health, and procedures.
Personal interests: I enjoy spending time with my husband and our dog, visiting friends and family, being outdoors, reading, cooking, and crafting.
Why Duluth: The Duluth Family Medicine Residency program appealed to me because it is a community-oriented program with rigorous inpatient and outpatient training experience. Duluth itself is uniquely situated as a regional hub, meaning there's a wide variety of patients and pathology. I know that my training here will equip me to practice confidently in a community of any size after graduation. Additionally, Duluth is a beautiful place, and I couldn't resist the chance to live by Lake Superior.
Below are our graduates of the last few years, including their current practice site.
2022 Graduates
Fairview Range, Hibbing, MN
Essentia Health-St. Mary's Detroit Lakes Clinic
Riverwood Healthcare Center Aitkin and McGregor clinics
Fairview Range, Hibbing, MN
Essentia Health-St. Mary's Detroit Lakes Clinic
Essentia Health-St. Mary's Medical Center (Duluth)
Lakewood Health System, Staples, MN
Essentia Health-West Duluth Clinic
2021
|
 Maren Anderson |
 Whitney Bertram-Reents |
Katie Bressler |
|
 Hannah Elsenpeter |
 C.W. Hall |
 Kristina Lindholm |
|
 Kelly McKinnon |
 Sidney Sisson |
 Jake Traxler |
2020
Luke Albares |
 Mark Bostrom |
 Benjamin Dummer |
 James Erickson |
 Allison Juba |
 Mindi Kvaal Anderson |
|
 Alison Liewen |
 Charles Tabor |
2019
 Becky Davies, MD |
Elizabeth Feist, MD |
Caryn Gerber, MBChB |
|
 Eric Hanhan, MD |
 Joshua Kropko, DO |
 Jessica Olen, MD |
|
 Steven Schumacher, MD |
 Jessica Stay, MD |
 Jesse Susa, MD |