Our Residents

Prakhya Bhatnagar, MD

Medical school: American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine
Medical interests: Full spectrum family medicine, pediatrics, hospital medicine, integrative medicine and preventative medicine.
Personal interests: Reading, hiking, traveling, spending time with friends and family, and exploring new cuisines.
Why St. Cloud: During the interview process, I experienced the supportive culture of medicine within the program and was extremely touched by the collective spirit, camaraderie and shared dedication towards advancing quality health care access for all. I am excited to be a part of this diverse community of residents, faculty and other members of the healthcare team to deliver compassionate and sustainable medical care to all patients.

John D. Evenocheck, MD

Medical school: University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Medical interests: Full-spectrum family medicine, rural medicine.
Personal interests: Running, camping, play basically any sport, most things outdoors, cooking with my wife, and video games.
Why St. Cloud: I felt a warm welcome from the whole staff when I came for my interview. They have a fantastic program that prepares you for full spectrum care. They make sure you are well versed in all of family medicine care, along with letting you learn more in the areas you want. I knew I would get the best possible experience in learning ultrasound and behavioral health here. It's also close to both my wife’s and my family. St. Cloud is a lovely city and traffic is not a problem here.

Oluwatobi O. Falade, MBBS

Medical school: University of Lagos College of Medicine
Medical interests: Full spectrum family medicine.
Personal interests: Watching and playing soccer, cooking, meeting new people.
Why St. Cloud: I really wanted the University of Minnesota family medicine program for its reputation in the country - and St. Cloud Hospital felt perfect for being an unopposed program that offers full spectrum family medicine.

Gamaliel Jesse T. Ferrer, MD

Medical school: De La Salle Health Sciences Institute College of Medicine
Medical interests: Primary care, rural medicine, global medicine, hospital medicine, emergency medicine.
Personal interests: Spending time with friends and family, traveling, hiking, reading, photography, and badminton.  
Why St. Cloud: Definitely because of the quality of training and the people. I wanted to be part of a residency program that is unopposed, team-oriented, and patient centered. UMN/St.Cloud has all these qualities! In addition, I had an amazing interview experience with the program. The faculty, staff, and residents were very welcoming during my interview.

Anthony D. Hacker, MD

Medical school: University of Minnesota Medical School
Medical interests: Full spectrum family medicine including emergency medicine, palliative care, sports medicine, hospitalist, pediatrics, and preventative medicine.
Personal interests: I enjoy fishing, hunting, power-lifting, playing guitar, and spending time with my family. 
Why St. Cloud: I chose St. Cloud because of the focus on full-spectrum care along with a tremendous environment for learning. The faculty and residents are genuine and maintain great professional and personal relationships. St. Cloud offered a dynamic environment that I felt would support me and provide me with excellent training.

Christopher R. Mullet, DO

Medical school: Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Medical interests: Rural family medicine especially in under-served regions. Full-spectrum care including obstetrics. Hopefully, medical missions in the future.
Personal interests: Playing sports — especially hockey, grilling, spending time with my wife, fishing, archery, hunting.
Why St. Cloud: My wife and I were both originally from Minnesota, so it was an easy decision to move back to be closer to family. St. Cloud in particular has a large tertiary center that is unopposed from other residencies. This is a great place to be able to pursue your personal interests within family medicine. When I interviewed in St. Cloud, I immediately felt at home with the faculty and the current residents. Also, the location is great, with easy access to the Twin Cities.

John Anderson, DO - Co-Chief Resident

Medical school: Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Medical interests: Full spectrum family medicine, rural medicine.
Personal interests: Minnesota sports, playing and listening to music, trying new restaurants with my wife, cooking, playing board games, disc golf, and fishing.
Why St. Cloud: After spending time with the program as a medical student, I knew that St. Cloud would be a great fit for me personally and professionally. I was impressed by the passion and clinical experience of the faculty, and I felt welcomed by the residents and supported by the clinic and hospital staff. Being interested in full-spectrum rural medicine myself, I am excited to learn from faculty with a wide range of interests and experience and to have the opportunity to tailor my training to fit my future practice goals. I am happy to consider myself part of a team that is so passionate about teaching, learning, and providing excellent care to the community of St. Cloud.

Blake Chapman, DO

Medical school: Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Medical interests: Broad-spectrum family medicine, including: emergency medicine, any procedure I can get my hands on, hospitalist, OB, chronic pain management, and OMT.
Personal interests: Sports (Go Twins, Vikings, Wild, UMD Bulldogs), music, video games, anything outdoors or that I can do at my family cabin, running, animals (especially my two pups), board games, and skiing/snowboarding.
Why St. Cloud: I wanted to go somewhere that would train me to be a great broad-spectrum family medicine physician and also had a positive, non-toxic atmosphere. This fits the St. Cloud program to a T. You can adjust your training to fit your personal interests while still being well-rounded and ready for anything. The faculty, residents, nursing team, and staff are all amazing, and the facilities where we practice are state-of-the-art. It’s just an all-around great place to learn, and, as a native Minnesotan, it was great to get back. For me, it was an easy choice, and I honestly couldn’t be happier that I’m here.

Eric Christensen, MD

Medical school: University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Medical interests: Full spectrum family medicine, particularly rural medicine, pediatrics, geriatrics, and palliative care.
Personal interests: Spending time with my wife and two young boys, reading, and board games.
Why St. Cloud: The faculty and residents were very welcoming, genuine, and supportive during my interview. I knew it would be a place where I could grow and flourish as a family physician, and that has absolutely been the case. I couldn't be happier to be a part of our residency community. As far as living here goes, since I went to St. John's University near St. Cloud, I was already quite familiar with the area, and having my sister and brother-in-law and their kids in nearby St. Joseph has been the icing on the cake.

Tyler Lewandowski, MD

Medical school: University of Minnesota Medical School
Medical interests: Rural medicine.
Personal interests: Fishing, hunting, movies, sports, and fantasy sports.
Why St. Cloud: I am from the area originally so I knew that I loved the community. When I relocated here during medical school I was able to see how caring and supportive the faculty were, and that really sold it for me.

Michael Symanietz, MD

Medical school: University of Minnesota Medical School
Medical interests: Preventive medicine, pediatrics, cardiology, dermatology, and community medicine.
Personal interests: Swimming, hiking, reading, drawing, and spending time with friends and family.
Why St. Cloud: For me, the St. Cloud area is home. It’s an honor to practice medicine and serve the community where I grew up. The excellent faculty, staff, and residents paired with the unique curriculum also make St. Cloud a great place to live and learn.

Paola Terán, MD - Co-Chief Resident

Medical school: Ross University School of Medicine
Medical interests: Full spectrum family medicine, emergency medicine, disaster medicine, international medicine, and hospital medicine.
Personal interests: Sports, traveling, cycling, and camping/hiking.
Why St. Cloud: It’s an unopposed program at a large tertiary care center with staff and faculty dedicated to providing the best possible learning environment.

2020

Marlen Midthune, MD; Dan O’Connor, MD; Siri Shaqra, DO; Adei Shaqra, DO; Zareen Zaka, MBBS

 

 

 

2019

Brittany Kirkeby, DO; John Hokanson, MD; Sujitha Yadlapati, MBBS; Leesa Larson, MD; John Tronnes, MD

 

 

 

 

2018

Jamie Finke, MD; Olufunke Ajayi, MBBS; Esayas Okubamichael, MD; Elina Lipovskiy, DO; Jacelyn Davidson, MD

 

 

 

2017

Cody Wendlandt, MD; Steve Solum, MD; Noah Retka, MD; Amy Olmschenk, DO; Jason Huikko, MD