Residents

Christine Athmann, MD athm0009@umn.edu
I grew up in Mahnomen, Minnesota. My hobbies and interests include water skiing, cross country skiing, running, and going up north to visit family.
Undergraduate education: University of Minnesota, Morris
Medical school: University of Minnesota
Medical interests: Native American health care, health care policy
What drew me to the St. John's program: The greatest draw for me was the people. Not only does this program have fantastic teaching and faculty, but the people I work with every day including residents, staff, and specialists make this training that much more fun!
Unique features of the program: Our call schedule is unique and very manageable. We both work and play hard. Our program is one of the few programs with a full-time teaching inpatient internal medicine doctor. The teaching is fantastic!

Kevin Best, MD kevinbest19@yahoo.com
I grew up in Rolette, North Dakota. My hobbies and interests include hunting (deer and pheasant), sports (both playing and as a fan of the Twins and Vikings), playing with my two Labrador retrievers, and occasionally teaching them a new trick. I also enjoy camping, ice fishing, and aviation.
Undergraduate education: North Dakota State University
Medical school: University of Minnesota
Medical interests: Sports medicine, administration/practice management
What drew me to the St. John's program: The small suburban hospital that has an unopposed residency. I felt like residency here would be similar to what my future practice would be.
Unique features of the program: High quality teaching on the medicine rotation with a high degree of autonomy, while always having backup if needed. Having a second- or third-year resident in-house at all times is key.

Heather Hamernick, MD hame0051@umn.edu
I grew up in Fridley, Minnesota. My hobbies and interests include traveling, singing, reading (especially sci-fi), movies, playing with my dog, motorcycling, scrap-booking, golf, and theology.
Undergraduate education: University of Minnesota
Medical school: University of Minnesota
Medical interests: Global medicine, OB/gynecology, psychiatry, and pediatrics
What drew me to the St. John's program: The residents—cream of the crop and they like to have fun!
Unique features of the program: Call covers the entire hospital, so you can deliver babies, first assist in surgeries, admit medicine and ICU patients, run codes, and manage house calls, all on the same night. There are almost 300 baby deliveries a month here, and on your OB rotations and call nights you can get involved in as many of them as you want. OB staff are also willing to teach C-sections. Dr. Cermak (internist with fellowship in cardiology) runs the medicine service—he is an awesome teacher, and you get plenty of one-on-one learning time with him.

Jared Reese, MD rees0059@d.umn.edu
I grew up in Brainerd, Minnesota. My hobbies and interests include anything outdoors in the north woods of Minnesota. I especially enjoy boating, water sports, fishing, hunting, and golf. I also enjoy working out and cooking with my wife.
Undergraduate education: University of Minnesota Duluth
Medical school: University of Minnesota
Medical interests: Adult medicine, emergency medicine, geriatrics
What drew me to the St. John's program: The program is an unopposed, well-balanced family medicine program that has outstanding faculty and very competent and friendly residents. The atmosphere is very collegial, and everyone supports one another. Also, St. John's is a wonderful hospital with great support staff and friendly specialists. As a bonus, it's on the northeast outer edge of the Twin Cities Metro area so traffic is never a problem, and you are just a quick drive to some beautiful country scenery.
Unique features of the program: The call system is nice. Just like "real world" family practice, we are always on-call for admissions, house calls, and OB through all three years.

Chris Thompson, MD thom1714@umn.edu
I grew up in Moorhead, Minnesota. My hobbies and interests include playing with my son, hiking and camping, Ultimate Frisbee, motorcycles, reading, swimming, woodworking, and music.
Undergraduate education: St. John's University
Medical school: University of Minnesota
Medical interests: Sports medicine, wilderness medicine, geriatrics, sleep medicine
What drew me to the St. John's program: Great faculty including two full-time faculty on the inpatient service. Small, primary-care based community hospital with lots of opportunities and experiences. Senior resident back-up in the hospital when on call.
Unique features of the program: Call coverage in the hospital is like real-life call—it includes OB, codes, admits, house call. Full-time faculty on the inpatient medicine service. A diverse clinic population and experience with cross-cultural medicine. The physicians and specialists at the hospital are excited to teach and appreciate the services the residency provides. A program that leaves you prepared to practice any type of family medicine, anywhere.

Angie Voight, MD voig0054@umn.edu
I grew up in Neenah, Wisconsin. My hobbies and interests include running marathons, playing sports, camping, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.
Undergraduate education: Bethel College
Medical school: University of Minnesota
Medical interests: Sports medicine, adolescent medicine, preventive care
What drew me to the St. John's program: I wanted to work with Dr. Roberts, a very well known sports medicine physician. He is also a great program director and enjoys working with residents. When I interviewed at St. John's, I could tell that the residents were happy with the program and that they enjoyed working at St. John's.
Unique features of the program: St John's is an unopposed family medicine program that is very supportive of family medicine residents. There is always a senior resident on call with the first-year resident, which is especially helpful in the first few months. The entire hospital staff is friendly, and they enjoy getting to know the residents. There is also a lot of support among residents—we make time to get together socially and discuss how the residency is going.

Harvey Anderson, MD ande3256@umn.edu
I grew up in the eastern suburbs of the Twin Cities and spend a lot of time with my wife and twin daughters (born in May 2006). I also enjoy sand volleyball, hiking, fishing, and football.
Undergraduate education: University of Wisconsin-River Falls
Medical school: University of Minnesota
Medical interests: Sports medicine
What drew me to the St. John's program: Faculty have a genuine interest in your experience here and are dedicated to teaching; the inpatient medicine service is a great learning experience. The support staff, from the nurses to the medical assistants, are respectful, helpful, and fun to work with. Also, you are able to follow your patients into the ICU, where you can choose to manage them yourself or ask for assistance from an intensivist.
Unique features of the program: St. John's Hospital is small enough that you get to know everyone by name. Yet, it is big enough to have plenty of OB, ICU, orthopedics, and cardiology—everything you will see as a family physician. The specialists work as a team with us. Dr. Roberts is a world-renowned sports medicine physician who provides vital teaching in musculoskeletal medicine. Sports medicine is becoming a predominant feature—we staff a training room at nearby Johnson High School and will be covering whatever sports interest us.

Thomas Gustafson, MD gust0208@umn.edu
I grew up in Circle Pines, Minnesota. My outside interests include computers, hiking, and traveling to exotic locales.
Undergraduate education: University of Minnesota
Medical school: University of Minnesota
Medical interests: Sleep medicine, psychiatry.
What drew me to the St. John's program: The amount of experience and training in the first year.
Unique features of the program: ICU experience, very strong internal medicine, and a one-month elective rotation in Hawaii.

William Nicholson, MD wnichols@umn.edu
I grew up in White Bear Lake (five miles from St. John's Hospital) and enjoy journalism, creative writing, cross-country ski racing and coaching, water skiing, surfing, triathlon, and white-water kayaking.
Undergraduate education: University of Minnesota Duluth
Medical school: University of Minnesota
Medical interests: Health care policy and politics, public health, sports medicine, and research.
What drew me to the St. John's program: The residents and faculty at St. John's had a great working/recreating relationship. The daily noon conferences were fantastic. The clinic medical assistants, lab techs, and administration were friendly and fun to work with. The St. John's graduates working in my community were extremely positive about the program (a few even joined the faculty). My University of Minnesota advisors had the highest regard for St. John's.
Unique features of the program: St. John's is a family-medicine-oriented hospital, and our residents are valued and welcomed by all specialists. Phalen Village Clinic has a diverse patient population with many first generation immigrants who are both challenging and rewarding to work with. We have the past president of the American College of Sports Medicine on faculty, and sometimes he goes skiing at Phalen Park over lunch. Rotation in Hawaii! The hospital is only five minutes from my grandma's house!

Jeremy Peterson, MD jpeters3@umn.edu
I grew up in Lindstrom, Minnesota. My personal interests include road and mountain cycling, in-line skating, golf, travel, following the Twins, and cheering on my wife as she coaches high school softball and volleyball.
Undergraduate education: University of Minnesota- Duluth
Medical school: University of Minnesota
Medical interests: OB, sports medicine, and primary care.
What drew me to the St. John's program: The inpatient teaching service is solid. We are able to see both common medical problems mixed in with some very interesting cases. Noon conferences offer a variety of topics and specialists that enjoy teaching. The residents and faculty are extremely friendly and eager to answer questions and provide guidance.
Unique features of the program: In addition to being an unopposed program, we have two dedicated hospitalist attendings for the inpatient medicine service. The hospital is also family medicine friendly. Our residents are welcome in all areas of the hospital. If you have a particular medical interest, you will be able to find someone willing to teach it.

Kompal Piplani, MD marw0011@umn.edu

Allison Wong, MD opay0001@umn.edu
I grew up in Monticello, Minnesota. My hobbies include working out, traveling, quilting, and playing board games.
Undergraduate education: Gustavus Adolphus College
Medical school: Tulane University
Medical interests: Geriatrics, women's health, and complementary and alternative medicine.
What drew me to the St. John's program: Everyone was friendly, and there are nice facilities, a solid curriculum, and an opportunity to spend a month in Hawaii during the third year.
Unique features of the program: Having Dr. Cermak, an internist, on the inpatient medicine service, doing OB while on call throughout the year, and spending a week at Hazelden.

Third Year - Class of 2008

Lucas Hintermeister, MD lhinterm@umn.edu
I grew up in Crosby, Minnesota. My interests include basketball, golf, pottery, and gardening.
Undergraduate education: University of Minnesota Duluth
Medical school: University of Minnesota
Medical interests: Urgent care, emergency medicine, and clinic
What drew me to the St. John's program: Flexibility to pursue distinct medical interests. Residents have fun. Preceptors provide expert niches.
Unique features of the program: Consistent preceptors in hospital and clinic. As house officers, we provide emergency services in the hospital. Same day/urgent care in the clinic.

Matthew Logan, MD loga0052@umn.edu
I grew up in the Twin Cities area and enjoy spending time entertaining my crazy Sheltie, participating in outdoor activities, going to the lake, hiking, and camping.
Undergraduate education: St. Olaf Collage
Medical school: University of Minnesota
Medical interests: Geriatrics, community health resources, and adolescent health.
What drew me to the St. John's program: The residents were happy and fun, and the faculty was approachable.
Unique features of the program: Having a senior resident on call with you as an intern. Having dedicated medicine hospitalists while on medicine service results in great teaching.

Theresa Person, MD pers0004@umn.edu
I grew up in Mitchell, South Dakota. My hobbies used to include sketching, reading, and biking, but now they are sleeping and playing with my two kids.
Undergraduate education: University of Minnesota
Medical school: University of Minnesota
Medical interests: Adolescent medicine
What drew me to the St. John's program: Very strong internal medicine, working directly with staff physicians in all specialties, and the mix of urban and suburban demographics.
Unique features of the program: Unopposed residency, same attendings every day and every week, and lots of OB experience.

Daniel Soular, MD soul0029@umn.edu
I grew up on the Iron Range in Minnesota. I spend my free time with my wife and cat (Sammy Cougar Mellencat), running, and in-line skating in marathons. I also enjoy playing and watching sports, specifically football, baseball, high school and Gopher hockey.
Undergraduate education: Hamline University
Medical school: University of Minnesota
Medical interests: Sports medicine and adolescent medicine
What drew me to the St. John's program: Great faculty, exciting atmosphere, very supportive, excellent residents.
Unique features of the program: Full-time staff at the hospital, great balance in schedules.

Amanda Tembreull, MD spielman@umn.edu
I grew up in Mahtomedi, Minnesota and like to fish, garden, work on scrapbooks, and chase after my two-year-old daughter.
Undergraduate education: University of Minnesota Morris
Medical school: University of Minnesota
Medical interests: Women's health, obstetrics.
What drew me to the St. John's program: I did two rotations through the residency program during medical school and was impressed by the interactions among residents, among residents and specialists, and among residents and faculty. The residency program and its residents are well-respected, and family medicine is highly valued at St. John's Hospital.
Unique features of the program: We have two full-time faculty members who teach exclusively on our inpatient medicine service and provide consistently high quality education. The work day ends at 5 pm. If you're not on call on the weekend, you get the whole weekend off.

Yer Xiong, MD moua0009@umn.edu
I grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and St. Paul, Minnesota. My hobbies include watching "Days of Our Lives," scrapbooking, watercoloring, and when I have time in the future, singing.
Undergraduate education: College of St. Catherine
Medical school: University of Minnesota
Medical interests: Women's health.
What drew me to the St. John's program: Unopposed program where residents are an integral part of hospital function.
Unique features of the program: Medicine service is second to none.