Congratulations, Class of 2023, General Surgery Residents!

It was a time for reflection and gratitude towards mentors, colleagues, and family members who supported the graduates throughout their journey.

As the graduates prepare to move forward with their training and careers, the ceremony marked the poignant conclusion of residency training at the University of Minnesota. 

On behalf of all of us at the Department of Surgery, we wish our graduates success and happiness in their future endeavors and thank you for choosing the University of Minnesota for your residency training. 

Congratulations to you all! 

2023 Fellowship and Residency Graduates 

Abdominal Transplant Fellowship

Adam Cerise, MD

Phuoc "Toby" Le Nguyen, MD

Colon and Rectal Surgery Fellowship

Jill Dworsky, MD

Susanna Hill, MD

Ajaratu Keshinro, MD

Anthony Squillaro, MD, MPH

Katherine Watson, MD

Plastic Surgery Residencies

Nicholas Garcia, MD

Heidi Johng, MD

Surgical Critical Care Fellowship

Mohannad Al-Tarakji, MD

Umakanth Avula, MD

Brandon Lyle, MD

Riann Robbins, MD

Sophia Toraby, MD

Thoracic Surgery Fellowship

Ranjan Gupta, MD

Vascular Surgery Fellowship

Camille Graham, MD

Kaustav Majumder, MBBS

2023 Chief Resident Graduates

Marisa Christinia, DO, a Texas A&M alumna from San Antonio, left a career with the Air Force Center for Engineering & Environment to study medicine at the University of North Texas HSC- College of Osteopathic Medicine. She came to the University of Minnesota as an Internal Medicine resident before transitioning pathways to pursue Rural General Surgery. During her residency, she contributed to research on traumatic brain injury outcomes in a rural trauma center and served on Lake Superior College’s surgical technology Program Advisory Committee. Dr. Christinia was recognized by the Office of Graduate Medical Education for her work in diversity, equity and inclusion where she received the VIP Partnership award. She served on a national panel for SNMA’s Sewing Seeds in Surgery campaign to support underrepresented minorities in medicine, and continues to serve as a mentor to traditionally underrepresented students studying medicine. Dr. Christinia will be entering private practice at Lake Region Healthcare Center in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, where she plans to continue making a positive impact on the community. Her dedication to rural healthcare and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in medicine highlight her passion for making a difference.

Daniel Kaufman, MD, Ph.D., received his undergraduate degree from UCSD. He received his M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from Washington University.  After graduation he will be starting an abdominal transplant surgery fellowship at the University of Washington.

Kendall McEachron, MD, grew up in the Twin Cities and completed her undergraduate degree in Los Angeles, California. She came back to attend the University of Minnesota for medical school prior to surgical residency. She spent two years in the lab as a T32 research fellow where she published over ten papers and obtained her Master's degree, then spent an additional year of academic development time completing her surgical critical care fellowship. Her research interests include clinical and translational research in trauma and critical care. From a personal perspective, she is the mother of two kids, Lewis and Bridget. 

Mackenzie M. Moore, MD, was born and raised in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She received her undergraduate degree from Wartburg College in Waverly, IA where she studied Biology and Psychology. She received her medical degree from the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. During her residency, she obtained a Master’s Degree of Science in Surgery and completed a research fellowship in pancreatology. Following graduation, Mackenzie will practice acute care surgery at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, MN.

Harika Nalluri-Butz, MD, received her undergraduate and medical degree at the University of Missouri-Kansas City in Missouri. During medical school, she was a member of the AOA and Gold Humanism honor societies. In residency, she participated in the Department of Surgery Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion council and the Global Surgery and Disparities program. She was the recipient of the 2020 Justin W Goodhue humanitarian award for outstanding dedication to humanitarian efforts. She also studied perioperative shifts in gut microbiota in patients undergoing colorectal surgery and created a surgical mouse model to explore the influence of patient-derived gut microbiota on colon anastomotic healing. After graduation, she will begin a Colon and Rectal Surgery Fellowship at Washington University in St Louis Missouri.

Julia Lynn Nugent, MD, was raised in North Carolina. She received her undergraduate degree in Chemistry from the University of North Carolina. She performed research for three years at Duke University prior to matriculating into medical school, again at the University of North Carolina. While in medical school, she was a peer advisor in formal colleges within the school, and during her fourth year went to Honduras for a month to provide cancer screening and contraceptive care. In residency, she was able to return to Honduras to perform surgery and education about breast cancer. Dr. Nugent spent two years in the Minnesota PreClinical Research Center studying polarization of immunocytes in adipose tissue after sleeve gastrectomy. She performed a longitudinal QI project to improve the quality of core didactics for junior residents, and served as an Administrative Chief Resident during her final year of residency. She was the recipient of the 2022 Earl Young Award for Exemplary Performance as a Surgical Resident. Following graduation, Dr. Nugent will be pursuing a fellowship in Colon & Rectal Surgery at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

Steven S. Qi, MD, received his undergraduate degree from Cornell University and his medical degree from Tufts University School of Medicine. During residency he was involved in cardiothoracic surgery research as well as surgical education, helping design courses at the medical school and the core surgical clerkship. He was the recipient of the Best Paper Award at the Minnesota Surgical Society Meeting, the 2022 Henry Buchwald Award for excellence in academic surgery, and the Arnold P. Gold Humanism and Excellence in Teaching Award. Following graduation, Dr. Qi will continue on to Cardiothoracic Surgery Fellowship at the University of Chicago.

Alexa Robbins, MD, completed her undergraduate degree at Boston University and medical school at Georgetown University. During her academic development years in residency she completed a Masters in Healthcare Administration, and a fellowship in Hospice and Palliative medicine. She has published multiple manuscripts and book chapters covering a wide range of research, including in surgical palliative care. During her chief year, she served as an Administrative Chief Resident and was awarded the Gold Humanism and Excellence in Teaching award. She is most proud to be the Mom of her two young kids Teddy & Audry with her wonderful husband George. Next year, she and her family will be moving to Colorado for a pediatric surgery fellowship. She hopes to continue to pursue research integrating pediatric surgery and palliative care. Specifically, in how we can better support patients and their families as they are faced with difficult medical decisions.