From the chief residents

Welcome to Mayo Clinic's Emergency Medicine Residency! As chief residents, we are excited to share why we love training in Rochester, Minnesota. At Mayo Clinic, the needs of the patient truly do come first, and a spirit of collegiality and camaraderie make coming to work every day a joy.

Our residents see and manage an incredibly wide breadth of patient pathology. As trainees, we are uniquely situated to see it all, from the “bread and butter of emergency medicine” to extremely complex patient issues. As Emergency Medicine physicians, we manage all airways in our ED and alternate leading trauma resuscitations with our surgical colleagues every other day. 

Our program provides support for nearly any activity that will help you reach your goals as an educator, community physician or researcher. Our residents hold national and regional leadership positions within ACEP, EMRA, and ABEM. Residents participate in three invaluable cadaver-based lab experiences yearly, focusing on airway management, critical procedures, and management of upper extremity injuries. Funding for research and travel to present at conferences is widely available through both departmental and institutional grants. Each year our interns go to a national conference as a group for learning and bonding experience. 

With four elective months within our three-year program, residents with specific interests have opportunities to tailor their educational experiences to nearly any career aspiration and interests. 

Last, and most important, our program is truly like a family. Our faculty and staff are leaders in Emergency Medicine; but more importantly, they know us as individuals, watch out for us, and are willing to customize our experiences to help us maximize our potential. Our program and institution value our wellness both within the hospital and at home with our families. We are fully supported to start or expand our families during training and the institution provides paid maternity and paternity leave as well as access to lactation rooms while on-shift.

Mayo Clinic's logo of three shields symbolizes the importance the institution places on patient care, education, and research. Each shield is of value to residents in training across the nation and most certainly encompasses what Mayo Clinic is all about. We are thrilled to be a part of this legacy and excited to meet and share this with all of you during the interview season!

Sasha Selby, B.M.B.S., Octavio Lazaro, M.D., and Haley Zigray, M.D.
2022-2023 Chief Residents 

Our residents

Our residents come from medical schools around the U.S. and outside the country. Learn more about them and what they have to say about our program.

Class of 2023

	Alexis Del Vecchio, M.D. Hometown: Montreal, Canada Medical school: University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Greenville Hobbies: Fitness, working out, TV, the great outdoors, traveling, playwriting, side businesses, and walking my dog Debbie in and around beautiful Rochester. Also, sleep! Professional interests: The research and teaching opportunities at Mayo Clinic are endless. My research focuses on improving patient-physician communication via acting and theater training for healthcare professionals (I was a professional actor before medical school). Allied interests include medical education, FOAMed, medical humanities, inter-professional collaboration, flipped classroom curricular creation, and patient experience optimization. I plan to pursue an academic emergency medicine career, hopefully at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville! Why Mayo: I fell in love. I was blown away on my interview day by the thoughtfulness of my interviewers, commitment to resident learning, and a mission to train us into outstanding clinicians and future emergency medicine leaders. I truly felt like a culture of excellence permeates Mayo Clinic, and it's proven true every day since. I loved the residents I met at the interview dinner; they were passionate, incredibly diverse, driven, yet laid-back, and super friendly. Mayo Clinic also really cares about resident wellbeing, which was important to me. Everyone supports one another, and the teaching (from consultants to the nurses, respiratory therapists to admitting services) is world-class. We live by the motto "The patient's needs first" but we might as well say "The learner's needs first". The diversity of pathology is unparalleled. I also love that we have a unique academic-community model, so we are exposed to the full spectrum of emergency medicine complaints, from the occasional "zebra" to challenging traumas to "bread and butter" very sick patients. I just love this place!
	Fredi Froke, D.O., M.P.H. Hometown: Tempe, AZ Medical school: A.T. Still University Hobbies: Running and reading Professional interests: Wellness, diversity Why Mayo: It’s a long story.
	Andrea Hlady, M.D., Ph.D. Hometown: Norton, KS Medical school: Yale School of Medicine Hobbies: Running (for my sanity!), hiking, biking (the trails in Rochester are the best!), cooking, reading, snorkeling/scuba diving (if there were good places close to me I would do this on the daily), binge-watching TV Professional interests: My professional interests include critical care and pediatrics. Why Mayo: There are so many factors that went into picking Mayo Clinic as my top choice. The fellowship opportunities, the strong off-service rotations, an educational focus for all types of learners, and the easygoing people I met on interview day. I also needed a city that I could live in without going insane. For me, that means not too big or crowded and safe.
	Kavita John-Pierce, M.D. Hometown: Bangalore, India and Washington, DC Medical school: Eastern Virginia Medical School Hobbies: Biking, tennis, hiking, cooking, playing Yahtzee Professional interests: Medical education, pediatrics, simulation, mentorship Why Mayo: During my away rotation here, I found Mayo Clinic to be the ideal fit for my learning style, professional goals, and personal values. The physicians here are intuitive teachers, kind-hearted and passionate clinicians. The culture here is extraordinarily respectful of the patient’s well-being at the center. In short, I chose this program because I felt it would make me the best physician I could be and a happy person, to boot.
	Octavio Lazaro Paulina, M.D. Hometown: Ottawa, Canada, and Cochabamba, Bolivia Medical school: Universidad Privada del Valle, Bolivia Hobbies: Spending time with family, traveling without an itinerary, and cooking for family and friends Professional interests: International emergency medicine and education, pediatric emergency medicine, and pre-hospital medicine. Why Mayo: Faculty at Mayo Clinic are committed to ensuring we as residents become well-rounded physicians. When I rotated here as a medical student, I saw firsthand how happy and competent the residents were and that left a lasting impression on me when I was looking for the right place to train.
	Thomas Lim, M.D. Hometown: Busan, South Korea and Irving, TX Medical school: Baylor College of Medicine Hobbies: Hiking with the dogs, camping, video games, board games, DIY, boxing, cooking Professional interests: Academia, teaching, M.Ed. (maybe), and critical care Why Mayo: I grew up in big metroplexes, went to county hospitals for my care, and trained at a county medical school, but there was something that Gracie (an amazing PGY-2) said to me on my interview day that struck me. She, who also had a similar background, said she came to Mayo Clinic to learn the best medicine the country had to offer. Emergency physicians are called upon to absorb a little bit of every field in medicine, so why not come to a place where some of the best minds in medicine practice? It struck a chord, so now I’m here.
	Sasha Selby, M.B.B.S. Hometown: Calgary, Canada Medical school: University of Limerick, Ireland Hobbies: Running, rock climbing, cycling, mountaineering, and traveling with friends Professional interests: Mountain medicine, international emergency medicine, prehospital care, pediatrics, and sports medicine (basically all emergency medicine) Why Mayo: I have always wanted to try living in the Midwest (just kidding). The people are why I’m here! I rotated here as a medical student and couldn’t believe how wonderful and caring everyone was to each other and work as a team, how much everyone cares for each other and works as a team and really values everyone’s learning experience as well as patient care. It has always been my dream to be an EM doc, and I never thought I’d be so lucky to train at Mayo Clinic with such awesome people.
	Haley Zigray, M.D. Hometown: Otis, CO Medical school: University of Washington School of Medicine Hobbies: Home DIY, baking, horse-playing with my 10-month-old boy Professional interests: Medical education, evidence-based medicine practices Why Mayo: Mayo Clinic is supportive of families' and residents’ quality of life. It is a special place where small-town kindness meets world-renown expertise.

Class of 2024

	Alex Buchholz, M.D. Hometown: Minot, ND Medical school: University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences Hobbies: Running, swimming, biking, boxing, tennis, road trips, video games, LoTR, Star Wars, MCU, hanging out with friends, and spending quality time with my wife and three cats Professional interests: Palliative Care, administration, and education Why Mayo: I knew I would be well cared for and be a part of the EM family from day one, as well as, the best place to foster my interest in palliative care.
	Matt Hamilton, M.D. Hometown: Delano, MN Medical school: University of Minnesota Medical School Hobbies: Forest and prairie restoration, being out in nature, amassing houseplants, traveling, local breweries, good horror films, podcasts, RuPaul's Drag Race, and spending time with the people I love Professional interests: Geriatric emergency medicine, palliative care, pain management, point of care ultrasound Why Mayo: There are so many reasons! What ultimately led me to choose Mayo was the ethos of placing the needs of the patient above all else (which I have seen embodied in the care of my own friends and family here), the opportunities that Mayo Clinic provides its trainees, and the supportive and collaborative culture found here.
	Daria Hunter, M.D. Hometown: Moscow, Russia Medical school: First Moscow State Medical University named after I.M. Sechenov Hobbies: Digital illustration, animation, piano Professional interests: Medical education and medical legislation in Eastern Europe Why Mayo: Mayo Clinic is the best place for residents with broad scope of professional and personal interests. Besides enormous support for our professional endeavors, Mayo Clinic keeps patient care as an absolute priority and teaches its residents to do the same. I am also fond of Rochester — it is a great place for families and reminds me of home.
	David Kerner, M.D. Hometown: Winston-Salem, NC Medical school: University of North Carolina School of Medicine Hobbies: Small-stream fly fishing, backpacking, disc golf, cooking, movies, traveling, hip hop music, home improvement Professional interests: Critical care, ultrasound Why Mayo: I know that Mayo Clinic is committed to exceptional patient care and continuous improvement, and I want to uphold that standard whether I stay in academic medicine or practice in the community. My mentors embody a unique combination of world-class leadership in their medical field, humility, and kindness toward patients and trainees.
	Rebecca Leff, M.D. Hometown: Jerusalem, Israel / Calabasas, CA Medical school: Ben Gurion University, Israel Hobbies: Rugby, travel, filmmaking, documentary film, writing, running, hiking Professional interests: Global health, pediatric emergency medicine, interventions for humanitarian emergencies, refugee health, disaster medicine Why Mayo: When I interviewed at Mayo Clinic, I immediately noticed how kind everyone was. Even though the interview was virtual I knew in moments that this was a community that would be supportive of my interests in Emergency Medicine and International EM in particular. Mayo Clinic has amazing mentors in Pediatric Emergency Medicine and I am so grateful to expand my PEM knowledge here.
	Adiba Matin, M.D. Hometown: Little Rock, AK Medical school: University of Missouri - Kansas City Hobbies: Traveling, learning about new cultures, HIIT, trying to cook like Ina Garten, interior design, spending time with my family and two cats, Olly and Jamo Professional interests: Bioethics, global emergency medicine, critical care, mental health in medicine Why Mayo: I wanted a program that prioritized patients and innovative care. The potential for mentorship here was unmatched.
	Douglas Moss, M.D. Hometown: Northbrook, IL Medical school: Chicago Medical School Hobbies: Rummikub, haunted ghost tours, comedy shows, and volleyball Professional interests: Administration, pediatrics, and critical care Why Mayo: Why not Mayo?! Training at Mayo Clinic prepares you to care for any patient, no matter the complexity, with the mentality that the patient always comes first. Also, Mayo Clinic is like the Disney World of hospitals, and who doesn't love Disney World?
	Michael Stephens, M.D. Hometown: Kansas City (Olathe, KS) Medical school: Medical College of Georgia Hobbies: Flying, photography, staying active, spending time with wife and children Professional interests: Aerospace medicine, pre-hospital care, austere medicine, human performance Why Mayo: Aside from the incredible resources and research opportunities, the general happiness of everyone during interview season was a deciding factor.
	Sara Sutherland, M.D. Hometown: Christmas, MI Medical school: Central Michigan University College of Medicine Hobbies: Hiking, mountain biking, paddle boarding, camping, snorkeling, cross country skiing, alpine skiing, agate hunting, anything outdoors Professional interests: Wilderness medicine, EMS, ultrasound Why Mayo: Being from a small, rural town in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, I grew up hearing my own community speak about how great Mayo Clinic is and that this place solved problems. When I was given the opportunity to interview here it was a dream come true and my interview day only verified the perspective I had. Even through zoom encounters, the warm and inviting environment shined through and I could tell that the faculty and residents genuinely cared for each other and were dedicated to providing outstanding patient care.

Class of 2025

	Ethan Bryce, M.D. Hometown: Thatcher, AZ Medical school: University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson Hobbies: Spending time with family, basketball, and fishing Professional interests: EMS, wilderness medicine, and rural medicine Why Mayo: This is the number one hospital in the world. On interview day, Mayo stood out in regard to job and fellowship placement. Finally, Rochester is an ideal place to raise a young family.
	Taylor Christian, M.D., M.S. Hometown: Columbus, MS Medical school: University of Mississippi School of Medicine Hobbies: Cooking, traveling, and spending time with family Professional interests: Social medicine, specifically health care disparities and trauma/critical care medicine Why Mayo: I chose Mayo Clinic because of its values and commitment to excellence in patient care. There is an abundance of mentors with interests within and outside of medicine. I was also sold on the family-friendliness and comradery among residents and faculty.
	Erin Eggum, D.O., M.H.A. Hometown: Austin, MN Medical school: Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine Hobbies: Spending quality time with my family and two black labs, Maddy and Josie, yoga, hiking, Reese Witherspoon's book club, board games, and quilting Professional interests: Community emergency medicine, emergency medicine leadership and administration, quality improvement, mentorship, women's health, and pain medicine Why Mayo: Mayo provided me the opportunity to learn from the best in the nation and provide care to my home community. The resources and networking available here allow for unparalleled opportunities to explore my interests with experts in the field. Additionally, it was evident from the first day of my rotation that this program is committed to the residents. The people here, both in emergency medicine and every other specialty, are fantastic, and I am happy to be in this program every single day.
	Daniel Fiterman-Molinari, M.D. Hometown: Porto Alegre, Brazil and Ashdod, Israel Medical school: Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil Hobbies: Surfing, soccer, and playing drums Professional interests: Point-of-care ultrasound, airway, and medical education Why Mayo: Mayo Clinic is an outstanding institution, with an amazing faculty, known for collaboration between doctors from different specialties with the goal to offer patients the highest level of care available in the world. It offers a unique opportunity to learn from emergency medicine specialists and other specialists as well.
	Hans Gao, M.D. Hometown: Philadelphia, PA Medical school: Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Hobbies: Cycling, swimming, skiing, hiking, literature, history, and exploring the outdoors Professional interests: Education, leadership and administration, research, global health, ultrasound, EMS, and disaster medicine Why Mayo: I was inspired by the stories of Dr. Charles Mayo and Dr. Henry Plummer. Their dedication and transformative vision of health care shaped Mayo Clinic into the collaborative and world-renowned institution it is today. Emulating these two heroes, I followed their path from Northwestern University to Mayo Clinic. The integrated healthcare networks here, when combined with the innovative culture and the "Mayo Magic," represent what exemplary, modern healthcare should be.
	Francisco Lazaro-Paulina, M.D. Hometown: Ottawa, Canada, and Cochabamba, Bolivia Medical school: Universidad Privada del Valle, Bolivia Hobbies: Rugby, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, backpacking/traveling, and intramural sports Professional interests: Critical care, prehospital medicine, and wilderness/austere medicine Why Mayo: It's a long story! There are incredible teaching, resources, and opportunities that are available here at Mayo Clinic. I'm happy to be here!
	Dylan Leonard, M.D. Hometown: Anoka, MN Medical school: Saint Louis University School of Medicine Hobbies: Weightlifting, golfing, and exploring restaurants Professional interests: Ultrasound, education, and healthcare disparities Why Mayo: The physicians that practice at Mayo provide a level of care that incorporates evidence-based medicine with the patient's goals and lifestyles to provide treatments that work. This care is provided through a team that is supportive of each other, those in other specialties, those in other health care roles, as well as the patient. I hope by learning in this culture that I can learn these values and incorporate them into my own practice of medicine after graduation.
	Steven Mahnke, M.D. Hometown: Kelso, WA Medical school: Washington State University Hobbies: Snowboarding, golfing, hiking, and sleeping Professional interests: Community medicine and wilderness medicine Why Mayo: It is the world-famous Mayo Clinic! They were very open, transparent, and welcoming on my interview trail. The faculty is absolutely incredible and my co-residents are amazing. Hard to beat that. Also, I like the condiment. So versatile! Wow!
	Jacob Morey, M.D., M.B.A. Hometown: Baxter, MN Medical school: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hobbies: Skiing, hiking, and sitting on pontoons Professional interests: Healthcare administration and operations, health economics and finance, and healthcare delivery models Why Mayo: Mayo Clinic is consistently rated as the best health system in the world. I wanted to train here to be at the forefront of medicine.

Class of 2026

	Nicole M. Entenmann, D.O. Hometown: Sartell, MN Medical school: A.T. Still University-Kirksville, MO Hobbies: Rollerblading, soccer, hiking, being active outdoors with my dog, Willow, working out, spending time with family and friends, gardening and canning, traveling, and finding the best breakfast food in town Why Mayo: When I started working as an EMT Paramedic at Gold Cross Ambulance, now Mayo Clinic Ambulance, I had a long-standing dream to come back to Mayo Clinic as a physician, full circle. I wanted the chance to grow, become the best physician I could be, and learn beside great EM leaders. In my fourth year of medical school, I rotated at Mayo Clinic and learned the physicians put patient care, shared decision-making, and empathy above all and teaches its residents and staff to do the same. I also love that the program offers a variety of electives and opportunities to help me explore my interests. I am happy to be back in Minnesota to finish out my training and spend time with my family and friends.
	Lemuel Gordon-Hackshaw, M.D. Hometown: Jamaica Queens, NY Medical school: University of Connecticut School of Medicine Hobbies: Doing anything at all with my wife, kicking back with friends and family, weightlifting, and Christmas Why Mayo: The people. I did my away rotation here and have never worked with a set of attendings who were so kind and so dedicated to education. Mayo also has a dedication to wellness, and it shows. I wanted a program that would not only challenge and train me well but would also give me unlimited professional and leadership opportunities, lifelong friends, and a good work-life balance. Mayo is that place for me, and it did not take long for Mayo to feel like home.
	Sarah Hopfer, M.D. Hometown: Family is in the Scranton area, PA Medical school: Indiana University School of Medicine Hobbies: Natural history, exploring the world around me, hiking, watching the weather, gymnastics, and philosophy Why Mayo: Mayo Clinic is built on the ideas of patient-centered medicine and radical curiosity, and it provides the opportunity for residents to learn the different aspects of their trade from experts in their fields.
	Carrie Johnson, M.D., Ph.D. Hometown: Montevideo, MN Medical school: Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine Graduate School: University of Michigan Hobbies: Tennis, hockey, basketball, softball, swimming, cycling, watching college football (Go Blue!), spending time at the lake, cooking, baking, eating, naps Professional interests: Critical care, sports medicine, rural medicine, medical education, healthcare advocacy policy and leadership Why Mayo: I never had the chance to rotate here, but I knew the reputation of Mayo Clinic. When I interviewed, it was clear the people were of excellent clinical knowledge and character. I wanted to be at a place that saw me as more than just labor but as a trainee and colleague worth investing in and educating. Mayo invests its resources in teaching and training us. The opportunity to have ample elective time in a three-year residency, and to do it anywhere in the country and the world, is an example of that. The first orientation month, with multiple robust hands-on training sessions, are further examples. The faculty and support staff care about our training and do so in a constructive manner. The opportunity to do rotations at the main campus in Rochester (with longitudinal pediatrics), at Mayo Clinic in Arizona and Jacksonville, and at rural community sites, offered the opportunity to get the breadth of EM training I was seeking to be able to robustly care for patients in all settings and with all types of pathology.
	Brian Obritsch, D.O. Hometown: Bismarck, ND Medical school: Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine Hobbies: Snowboarding, backcountry backpacking, big game hunting, mountain biking, playing guitar, reading, taking my golden retriever Kona for walks, woodworking, and traveling Why Mayo: There is a reason Mayo Clinic is consistently ranked as one of the best hospitals in the world as everything they do is focused on "putting the needs of the patient first." This culture of excellence really resonated with me and is something I strive to keep at the forefront of each patient encounter. I appreciate the ability to become well-rounded and train in both an academic ED setting with its resources, education, and availability of on-call consultants as well as the community ED setting practicing with limited amenities. This academic community model provides exposure to a full spectrum of cases from the occasional zebras, to challenging traumas to the sick bread-and-butter patients with everything in between. Overall, I believe this program would offer me the training to become the best EM doctor I can be!
	Tim Shen, M.D. Hometown: San Diego, CA Medical school: University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine Hobbies: Soccer, Basketball, pickleball, cooking, and dabbling in sewing Why Mayo: From a systems perspective, Mayo is the smoothest running hospital I have seen. Two things follow from this: the needs of the patient are truly prioritized, and residents are able to focus all their energy on learning excellent clinical medicine. As an emergency medicine resident, I also have the opportunity to learn from and work with some of the most knowledgeable individuals in the world from each specialty.
	Kate Skeens, M.D. Hometown: Owensboro, KY Medical school: University of Louisville School of Medicine Hobbies: Photography, walking my dog, and enjoying the beach Why Mayo: Mayo Clinic stood out as a program that prepared residents to enter clinical practice anywhere by offering multiple training sites and opportunities. I wanted a training program that emphasized the importance of patient care and valued the patient's experience.
	Olivia Stanier, M.D., M.S. Hometown: Toronto, Canada Medical school: Loma Linda University School of Medicine Hobbies: Exploring nature, weightlifting, hanging out with my cat, relaxing with friends, and playing piano Why Mayo: The residents and faculty have created a fantastic culture to help learners succeed. There are top-notch educational opportunities from consultants who are experts in their field and there is a diverse amount of pathology to learn from. Rochester itself is beautifully quaint; with lots of parks and a river passing through, there's always something to do outside.
	Austin Walker, M.D. Hometown: Pacifica, CA Medical school: University of California San Francisco Hobbies: Meditation, gaming, biking, drumming, and backpacking Why Mayo: Low-ego high-performance medicine. Down-to-earth people who foster a fantastic environment for training. Abundant support for any professional interests. Alumni have gone on to practice in almost every setting and unanimously endorse feeling well-equipped to do so.