Today is Match Day! The day when the National Resident Matching Program releases results to applicants seeking residency and fellowship training positions in the United States. This was another momentous recruitment season as all trainee programs operated through 100 percent virtual recruitment. We thank the faculty and trainees who participated in recruitment activities this year. 

Committed to training the next generation of academic surgeons, our residencies provide rigorous training in the research laboratory so that future surgeon-scientists are prepared to deliver cutting-edge, compassionate care to patients and their families. As a land-grant University, rural track residents elevate our mission by training with experienced physicians of diverse backgrounds and interests - dedicated to serving all Minnesotans.

Let's welcome our new residents as they celebrate Match Day and look to the future with the Department of Surgery! 

As always, it is an honor to serve you. 

Sincerely,

Sayeed Ikramuddin, MD, MHA Chair, Department of Surgery | Jay Phillips Professor

Melissa Brunsvold, MD FACS FCCM Professor of Surgery | Vice Chair for Education, Surgery | Program Director, General Surgery Residency | M Health System Medical Director, ECMO

General Surgery Residency Program

We received more than 1,500 total applicants applying for seven categorical and one categorical rural position. We conducted 150 interviews this past fall. We are pleased to report we have attracted top candidates to our program, and we look forward to welcoming them to the Department in June.

The Surgery Education Office, under the direction of Program Director and Vice-Chair of Education, Melissa Brunsvold, MD, FACS FCCM and supported by Surgery Education Manager, Jessica Andersen, MBA, C-TAGME, and Program Administrator, Sarah Erickson, JD, as well as all the faculty and residents who participated in the recruitment process, are to be congratulated for their incredible work recruiting this outstanding group of incoming residents.

PGY-1 General Surgery Categorical and Rural Residents 2023-2024 Academic Year:

Maria Balajadia, DO - Rural Track
A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona
- Mariah Balajadia is from Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.  She studied Microbiology at the University of Washington for her undergraduate education ahead of attending A.T. Still University of Health Sciences School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona. Being the Program’s rural track designated resident, one of her goals after completing the residency program is to start her own practice in a rural setting.

Serra Crawford, MD
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
- Serra Crawford is originally from Madison, Wisconsin. She studied International Studies, Global Health, and Premedical Students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison as well as completed her MBA at the University of Arizona Eller College of Management.  She is currently completing her last year of medical school at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. Serra is an AOA member and has professional interests in medical device entrepreneurship, health systems leadership, and peer mentorship.

Jonathan Jenkins, MD
University of Oklahoma College of Medicine at Tulsa
- Jonathan Jenkins hometown is Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. He completed his undergraduate degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Hendrix College and currently is completing his medical education at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine at Tulsa. Having a strong research background, his ultimate goal is becoming an academic surgeon after completing his residency.

Marah Kays, DO
Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine
- Marah Kays is originally from Eau Claire, Wisconsin. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, studying Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development. Marah is currently completing her medical education at the Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine, participating in the global health honors track based on her academic excellence and application for didactic training. She would like to continue research in gender equity and partner with the UMN Department of Surgery’s Global Surgery and Disparities Program to continue her advocacy efforts in global health equity.

Isabela Lorenzo, MD
Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine
- Isabela Lorenzo considers Los Angeles and Sacramento, CA as well as Seattle, WA her home. During her undergraduate years, she majored in Biological Sciences with an emphasis in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior at University of California, Davis. Isabela also completed her MS in Medical Physiology at Loyola University, Chicago. She is currently completing her medical degree at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. After completing her residency, Isabela hopes to use her surgical skills to improve lives in underserved communities, domestically and internationally.

Ross Rybakowicz, MD
Medical College of Wisconsin
- Ross Rybakowicz is originally from Greenfield, Wisconsin. He completed his undergraduate degree in Biology at Miami University. He is currently completing his medical degree at the Medical School of Wisconsin. He is a Gold Humanism Honor Society Member. He is interested in Surgical Oncology.

Swati Sonal, MBBS
 All India Institute of Medical Sciences New Delhi
- Swati Sonal is originally from Jharkhand, India, completing her medical education at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. After completing her residency, she aspires to be a surgeon-scientist and a global leader in academic surgery. She hopes to translate cutting-edge, evidence-based surgical care available in the US to underserved communities across the globe.

Abraham Williams, MD
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
- Abraham Williams considers both Chicago, IL and San Antonia, TX his home. He completed his undergraduate degree in Biochemistry at the University of the Incarnate Word. He also completed his medical education at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. After completing his residency, he aims for a career in academic surgery, optimizing pipelines and mentorship opportunities to improve access to medical education for those with less resources.  

PGY-1 General Surgery Preliminary Residents 2023-2024 Academic Year:

Isaac Crum, MD
Creighton University School of Medicine

Michael McKernan, MD
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

Michael Schmitz, MD
University of Minnesota Medical School

Johnny Suzuki, DO
Lincoln Memorial University DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine

Yagiz Yolcu, MD (NeuroSurgery/General Surgery Track)
Acibadem Universitesi Tip Fakultesi

Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Integrated Residency

The Plastic Surgery faculty completed holistic reviews of over 275 applications to our program. Our faculty and residents interviewed a total of 40 applicants over the course of four half-day interview sessions to successfully match our two PGY-1 categorical positions.

We are very grateful for our dedicated faculty members who participated in application review and/or interviews this year (Drs. Jo Barta, Marie Claire Buckley, Cenk Cayci, Umar Choudry, Chris Hillard, Cherrie Heinrich, George Landis, Paul Lim, Scott Loewenstein, Ashish Mahajan, Hector Marcano, Doan Nguyen, Stepanie Peng, Warren Schubert, Tom Suszynski), our Program Administrator, Kimberly Moorehead, and to all of our current residents, who played a vital role in showcasing our program during virtual "meet & greets" and interviews!

Neej Patel, MD
Michigan State University, College of Human Medicine
- Neej is originally from Northville, MI. He completed his undergraduate B.S. degree in Public Health and Sociology at St. Louis University. He is currently completing his medical degree at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine-Flint. Neej is passionate about serving the underserved communities and minority populations. In his free time, Neej enjoys international travel and painting.

Victoria Zeyl, MD
The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
- Victoria is originally from Wakefield, RI. She completed her undergraduate B.A. degree in Spanish at the University of Rhode Island. She is currently completing  her medical degree at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. It is a goal of Victoria’s to return to Central or South America to actively address healthcare inequalities as a Plastic Surgeon one day. In her free time, Victoria enjoys cooking new and old recipes and drawing.

Vascular Surgery Integrated Residency

With 112 applicants applying for one position, the Vascular Surgery Integrated Residency Program interviewed 27 applicants this past fall. We look forward to welcoming a fourth resident to our growing program in June.

The Division of Vascular Surgery and the Surgical Education Office, under the direction of Program Director, R. James Valentine, MD, and Associate Program Director, Derrick Green, MD, MBA, are to be congratulated for their remarkable work recruiting an excellent incoming resident. We want to thank all the faculty, fellows, and residents who participated in recruitment activities this year.

John French, MD
University of Missouri - Columbia School of Medicine  
- John French was born in Pasadena, California, and raised in Meridian, Idaho. He completed undergraduate degrees in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics at The College of Idaho before attending The University of Missouri for medical school. In his free time, John enjoys brewing beer, extracting essential oils, and traveling.