UMN Medical Center Residents

Christy Atkinson, MD

Medical school: University of Minnesota Medical School
Medical interests: Comprehensive women’s health, LGBTQIA+ care including gender-affirming medicine, Health at Every Size®, addiction medicine, adolescent health, and palliative care.
Personal interests: Decolonizing yoga, hiking, travel, fiddling, rollerblading, and swimming in Minnesota’s many lakes and rivers.
Why the Twin Cities: The rich history of immigration making it an ever-evolving place, the copious verdant parks and hiking paths, and the FOOD!
Why UMN Medical Center: The wonderful people of Smiley’s clinic, the beautiful, diverse Minneapolis community, the program’s activism, inclusivity, opportunities for robust training in trans care, and comprehensive women’s health.
Career goals: I hope to provide inclusive primary care to rural Minnesota that is focused on comprehensive women’s health, gender-affirming care, LGBTQIA+ health, care of underserved minority populations, and is informed by principles of health equity and the Health at Every Size® movement.

Emily Feng, MD

Medical school: University of Kansas School of Medicine
Medical interests: Reproductive health, gender-affirming care, prenatal care, contraception, advocacy, continuity, and relationships.
Personal interests: In my free time, I like to bake (both savory and sweet), coo over pictures of dogs, and make papercrafts. I also love to travel and love to eat.
Why UMN Medical Center: When I was applying, I was drawn by the breadth of training opportunities UMMC offers. During my interview, I not only felt the warmth exuded by the people here (despite the cold) but also was so impressed by the dedication to resident education and wellness and by the consistent message of centering our patients both in the exam room and in the community.
Career goals: My career goals and professional interests include: providing patient-centered care in an outpatient setting that is inclusive of full-spectrum reproductive health, vasectomies, and gender-affirming care, working with academic medical centers on medical education curriculums, and spending time in the palliative realm.

Rita Ferri-Huerta, MD

Medical school: University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
Medical interests: Family planning and reproductive justice, behavioral health, perinatal care, gender care, lactation medicine, and preventative health.
Personal interests: Walking/hiking, gardening, cross-country skiing, rock climbing, video games, Dungeons & Dragons, and yoga.
Why UMN Medical Center: I first started looking into UMMC because it is a RHEDI program. It ended up being my top choice because of the incredibly thoughtful people I met during the interview process, the strong gender care integration in the clinic, and the family planning and perinatal training opportunities. 

Jessica Jordan, DO

Medical school: Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, Carolinas Campus 
Medical interests: Gender-affirming care, LGBTQIA+ care, hospice, HIV/AIDS, and family planning.
Personal interests: Reading, singing, yoga, kickboxing, hiking, overcommitting, and Dungeons & Dragons.
Why the Twin Cities: I've been away from city life for too long!
Why UMN Medical Center: I did a rotation in Minneapolis in my third year of medical school and spent some time at Smiley's and the Gender Services Clinic. After having spent time with several attendings, residents, and former residents, I had found my people. After a very short time, I knew that this was a place that would value my passions and uniqueness and would allow patients to be themselves.
Career goals: I want to do so much! I hope to be a smalltown full-spectrum family doctor in the Midwest who is a safe and welcoming provider to all sorts of patients. I also want to stay engaged in advocacy and social justice work throughout my career.

Deepti Shanbhag, MD

Medical school: Wayne State University School of Medicine
Medical interests: Women’s health, obstetrics, addiction medicine, and preventive medicine.
Personal interests: I love getting outdoors as much as possible, whether it’s hiking, biking, or camping trips with my husband and dog. I also enjoy my nights in, playing board games with friends and family, baking, and embroidering.
Why the Twin Cities: I love that I get to enjoy the food/culture scene of a big city while still having easy access to so many green spaces and parks. 
Why UMN Medical Center: I was initially drawn to the UMMC program because of its RHEDI status. As I explored the program further, I found that it aligned closely with my goals as a future family physician, with strong training across the spectrum of reproductive health, addiction medicine, and gender-affirming care. Ultimately, the faculty and residents I met during my interview day and social gatherings solidified my interest in the program. Everyone I met was incredibly warm, welcoming, and fun! I immediately felt at home and knew I would be well supported throughout my training.
Career goals: While my long-term goals are still a work in progress, I am currently interested in pursuing a career in academic family medicine that will allow me to combine my love for teaching with my passion for medicine. I am also interested in providing comprehensive maternal/reproductive care for women and medication-assisted treatment for opioid addiction as part of my future practice.

Gagandeep Singh, DO

Medical school: Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine 
Medical interests: Gender-affirming medicine, addictions care (not just medicine), primary care psychology and psychiatry, osteopathic practice, osteopathic manual medicine, adolescent medicine, preventative medicine, and HIV care.
Personal interests: Music/beat production, visual/graphic design, horror and sci-fi movies (particularly B-movies), reading psychology and osteopathic texts, cooking (cast iron pizza!), and defending cheesy 80s and 90s fashion.
Why the Twin Cities: The diversity of the community - from its people and its cultures. 
Why UMN Medical Center: I wanted to be part of a program that explored truly humanistic areas of medicine. Addiction, gender-affirming care, mental health, and preventative medicine require a desire to understand the patient, not just their chief complaint. The program at UMN Medical Center was pointed out early to me due to my interests. After spending time with the program at the virtual AAFP conference and during my interview, I recognized UMMC as one of the few that weaves and envelops these areas of medicine together in continuity, allowing its residents to engage in storytelling from the first day of their residency to their last.
Career goals: I would like to work in a community-focused health practice (not a clinic) and engage in outreach, education, and health, as well as partner closely with local community organizations (such as youth centers) and other professionals (such as psychologists and social workers) to envelop a focus of mind-body-spirit care around the patient and their community.