Meet Our Residents

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Our residents and faculty foster a collegial environment and education-focused culture that provides an inclusive learning experience. Training can be challenging, but our program is close-knit and each resident brings a dedication to providing stellar patient care as well as a collaborative learning experience.

Family Medicine Residents stand by the new sign outside of the building at Mayo Clinic's campus in Mankato, Minnesota.

Resident testimonials

Watch our testimonial videos to learn more about what life is like as a resident in the Family Medicine Residency at Mayo Clinic in Mankato, Minnesota.

Class of 2024

	Abdifatah Ahmed, M.D. Medical school: Avalon University School of Medicine, Curacao Medical interests: Full-spectrum family medicine, rural medicine, underserved medicine, and global medicine Personal interests: I love to spend time with my family and friends. I enjoy playing soccer and traveling. Career goals: I would like to own a family practice clinic and serve the underserved community here in Minnesota. Why Mankato? The Family Medicine Residency at Mayo Clinic Health System — Mankato was my number one choice and, during my interview, I felt welcomed by the faculty and current residents. Also, the program offered everything I was looking for in residency training; for instance, a well-organized community-based program and diverse, comprehensive training. I am very excited to be part of this residency and I believe this program will give me the necessary training and skills to impact people's lives.
	Tristan Pennella, D.O. Medical school: Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Des Moines, IA Medical interests: Full-spectrum family medicine, addiction medicine, sports medicine, prenatal and obstetric care, and osteopathic manipulative medicine Personal interests: I enjoy spending time with friends and family, playing games, and grilling out. I also love boating, trying new restaurants, and family movie nights. Career goals: I am interested in full-spectrum family medicine. In addition, I hope to incorporate addiction medicine, OMM, and sports medicine into the forefront of my practice. Why Mankato? The Family Medicine Residency at Mayo Clinic Health System — Mankato simply has it all! I have broad and diverse interests in medicine, and the training I observed with the residents in Mankato proved that I can pursue my interests while having the well-rounded training I desire to enter practice. In addition, not only are the residents fantastic and supportive, but the same goes for the faculty who are very interested in each resident's personal goals and success.
	Austen Roselius, M.D., J.D. Medical school: University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN Medical interests: Rural family medicine, sports medicine, and geriatrics Personal interests: I like to golf whenever I get a chance. I also find a lot of enjoyment in cooking, but my wife thinks I use far too many dishes in the process. Lastly, I enjoy lawn work more than a person probably should. Career goals: My foremost career goal is to serve my community as a competent and compassionate family physician while using the skills and information I acquired in law school to advocate for my patients whenever necessary. Why Mankato? I decided to do one of my clinical rotations in Mankato during my last year of medical school. I'm thankful I made that choice because my experience during that rotation was exactly what I was looking for in a residency program. From the moment I stepped into the clinic, the residents, faculty, and staff were incredibly welcoming and helpful. I got to see how well-prepared and efficient the residents were in clinic, and I knew I wanted that same level of training. My wife and I were also looking to move to a place with more of a small-town feel, as compared to the Twin Cities, and Mankato was the perfect fit for us.
	Kaila Sullivan, D.O. Medical school: Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Erie, PA Medical interests: My main areas of interest are women's health, pediatrics, preventive medicine, behavioral/mental health, and osteopathic manipulation. Personal interests: My favorite thing to do is spend time with my family and friends! I love to be outside and my favorite summer activities are biking, hiking, kayaking, and boating. In the winter my family and I attempt to play pond hockey, but we're actually more competitive when we're playing Taboo or Catchphrase. Otherwise, I like playing cards, watching 80s movies, and reading. Career goals: I would love to practice in a small town, similar to where I grew up! Why Mankato? I chose the Family Medicine Residency at Mayo Clinic Health System — Mankato specifically because of the great rotation experiences I had as a third- and fourth-year medical student here. During my rotations, I was impressed by the faculty's excitement to teach, the resident's teamwork, and the clinical staff's support. I love the incorporation of osteopathic education in the curriculum because I hope to continue improving and expanding my manipulation skills. While working with current and graduated residents here, I admired their knowledge, patient interaction, osteopathic manipulation, and comprehensive patient care. Their skills as physicians speak loudly to the program where they trained, and I am so excited to train in this same program! As an added bonus, Mankato is a short drive away from my hometown and family in Mayer, Minnesota.
	Anna Viere, D.O. Medical school: Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Des Moines, IA Medical interests: Geriatric medicine, women's health, osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM), and working with underserved populations Personal interests: I love spending time with family and friends, whether it be enjoying the outdoors, games, or puzzles. I also enjoy reading, watching crime shows, and baking. Career goals: I would love to work in an outpatient setting with a focus on geriatrics and underserved populations. Why Mankato? I was fortunate to complete many of my third-year rotations in Mankato, during which I was instantly drawn to how warm and welcoming the residents and faculty were. Based on the residents' level of knowledge, dedication to patients, and genuine happiness, I knew this program would provide a strong education with a focus on patient care and a collaborative environment where residents are well supported. I also value the program's integrated behavioral health component, robust OMM curriculum, and ability to individualize my education based on my future practice goals.

Class of 2025

	Olive Lewinski Albanese, M.D. Medical school: Escuela Latinoamericana de Medicina, Cuba Medical interests: Street medicine, global health, complementary and alternative medicine, integrative medicine, OMM, rural medicine, addiction medicine, behavioral health, community medicine, medical group visits, public health, POC ultrasound, and geriatrics Personal interests: I enjoy reading, hiking, learning about interdependent ecological and social networks, altruism, community building, international friendships, and having conversations and collaborations to make the world a better, kinder place where our descendants may survive and thrive Why Mankato? The faculty and residents offered a wonderfully welcoming and kind atmosphere during the interview. I am excited to learn more about OMM, integrative medicine, emergent dental procedures, and POC ultrasound from the highly experienced faculty. And Minneaopa Falls are an added bonus!
	Marijo Botten, D.O. Medical school: Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Des Moines, IA Medical interests: Full-spectrum family medicine, women's health, procedures, sports medicine, osteopathic manual treatment (OMT), global health, underserved populations Personal interests: I love to travel internationally as well as discover new places around me in my free time! I also enjoy playing volleyball, going rock climbing, weight-lifting, and stand-up paddle boarding. I've only started cooking well recently, but now I enjoy finding new recipes, and I've always loved to bake. It's a tie for me between finding new shows on Netflix and reading good books. Career goals: I would love to work as a full-spectrum family medicine physician in Minnesota, seeing babies through geriatrics, doing procedures, and incorporating my special interests in women's health, OMT, and sports medicine. Why Mankato? I loved that the program has such a well-rounded curriculum! Because I want to practice full-spectrum family medicine, it's important that the program I chose could teach me anything and everything. Mayo also allows for each resident to tailor their education to accommodate their medical interests. The Family Medicine Residency at Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato, Minnesota, has osteopathic recognition and is known for sports medicine, two of my special interests. The faculty and residents were very kind and genuine when I met them, so I know I'll be supported as well as receive a great education during my training. I'm from a smaller town near the Twin Cities in Minnesota, so I'm also very happy to be training close to my friends and family.
	Nicholas DeVetter, D.O. Medical school: A.T. Still University of Health Sciences Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, Kirksville, MO Medical interests: Health equity, social determinants of health, mental health, LGBTQ+ health, hematology/oncology, osteopathic manipulative medicine, and procedures Personal interests: Family travel, being a dog dad (to Dennis the Doodle), puppeteering, close-up magic, youth coaching and leadership, soccer, chess, Formula One, attempting to cook (pretty well), attempting to garden (not so well), rewatching Bob's Burgers for the 200th time, and the history of medicine Why Mankato? I chose the Family Medicine Residency at Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato, Minnesota, because of the amazing support, excitement, and encouragement of the faculty, residents, and clinical staff I met while rotating here as a third and fourth-year medical student. The people and environment here are wonderful and welcoming and I can think of no better place to continue my medical training. I also chose to train in Mankato because of the well-rounding educational experiences coupled with the focus on education in community health, health equity, and social advocacy. I know that by continuing my medical education in Mankato I will continue to grow and learn not only as a physician but also as a person, and I will be well-positioned to serve my patients both at the bedside and in the community.
	Megan Kindom, M.D. Medical school: St. George's University School of Medicine, Grenada, Caribean Medical interests: Pediatrics, addiction medicine, and emergency medicine Personal interests: My personal hobbies and interests usually include the outdoors or my dog in one way or another. I love to take my dog for a hike or to the dog park. Also, spending time by the lake or any body of water with my husband seems to take up most of our summer free time! Finally, my favorite sports team is the MN Wild, but I do really enjoy the MN Twins as well. Why Mankato? Being originally from Minnesota, I wanted to be able to come back home to Minnesota and be closer to family. When I subsequently met the people and learned the goals of this residency program, I felt like everything fell into place. Everyone was so welcoming and willing to support my professional and personal growth. I am so excited to see where this amazing opportunity brings me!
	Kaleigh Longcrier, D.O. Medical school: University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine, San Antonio, TX Medical interests: Women's health, osteopathic manipulative medicine, and global health Personal interests: Spending time with people I love, any outdoor adventure, learning new things, and playing any sort of game or competition! Why Mankato? I am so excited to continue my education with the Mankato family! I was drawn to this program because of the unopposed setting, emphasis on full-spectrum family medicine, and opportunity to practice and learn more about osteopathic medicine. The residents and faculty I interacted with were so kind and thoughtful, I know it will be a great place to learn and grow into the physician I hope to be!

Class of 2026

	Abdirazak Ali, M.D. Medical school: Saratov State Medical University named after V. I. Razumovsky, Russian Federation Medical interests: Full-spectrum family medicine, women's health, procedures, sports medicine, and rural medicine Personal interests: I enjoy playing soccer, Swimming, watching and listening to science documentaries and podcasts, and learning about other cultures and languages. I love arts and cats. Career goals: To be a full-spectrum family practice physician in Minnesota, and to advocate for preventive medicine and champion women's health across the world. Why Mankato? I chose Family Medicine Residency at Mayo Clinic Health System - Mankato because I was impressed with the clinical training opportunities available and the supportive faculty and residents. During my in-person visit, I found the facility aesthetically pleasing and a well-rounded environment conducive to learning with proper access to resources. Mankato is near my home and has a diverse population with tasty cuisine and fun-filled outdoor activities.
	Abdi Jibril, M.D. Medical school: Windsor University School of Medicine, Saint Kitts and Nevis Medical interests: Full spectrum family medicine, health disparities, lifestyle medicine, and sports medicine Personal interests: I grew up in a communal environment where everyone supported and looked after each other despite having limited resources. I enjoy being of service to others in need in my community. Soccer is the sport I love playing and watching, and I enjoy swimming and high-intensity interval training or anything workout related. Why Mankato? During the interview, I felt a warm welcome from the residents, staff, and faculties. What drew me the most to the Mayo Clinic Health System - Mankato is the level of faculties devotion to teaching, the supportive environment for the residents, and collegiality among the residents. I am humbled to be a part of a program that offers exceptional clinical skills and participates in outstanding teaching opportunities from the faculties.
	Mikaela Lake, D.O. Medical school: Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Bradenton, FL Medical interests: Full spectrum family medicine, rural health, community health, women's health, addiction medicine, and OMT Personal interests: I love doing anything outdoors including hiking, biking, kayaking, snowboarding and ice skating. I also enjoy doing crafts, cooking, and weightlifting. Why Mankato? I applied to Mayo Clinic- Mankato because I was looking for a rural program that is unopposed with osteopathic recognition. The welcoming atmosphere I experienced during the interview process made calling Mankato home an obvious choice.
	Sarah Larson, M.D. Medical school: University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN Medical interests: Cancer screening and supporting patients through cancer treatment and survivorship, maternity care, and procedural medicine (including biopsies and minor procedures to remove "lumps and bumps"). As a former surgery resident, I also find it fulfilling to work with patients in the pre-operative planning phases as well as helping them through surgical recovery. It is a privilege to help patients of all ages and stages to set healthy goals and achieve them. Personal interests: I enjoy taking walks with friends and family, crocheting, playing board games, canoeing, and learning French. Why Mankato? As a fourth-year medical student rotating in Mankato, I was drawn to the warm and welcoming group of residents. The faculty seemed to love teaching residents and I admired their commitment to providing the best care to their patients. I knew that working with such great colleagues would help me to become a clinically excellent and kind physician, and a trustworthy partner in health for my patients. I am excited to get to know Mankato and to become a part of this community!
	Kalene Mach, D.O. Medical school: Lincoln Memorial University - DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine, Harrogate, TN Medical interests: Full-spectrum family medicine with special interests in women’s health, behavioral health, preventive care, LGBTQ+, and underserved/rural medicine Personal interests: I would consider traveling of any kind to be my favorite hobby. I love to explore new places and try new foods whenever possible. I also love to read, hike, camp, and do yoga. Why Mankato? The Family Medicine Residency at Mayo Clinic Health System - Mankato was my first choice. This became especially true after my month-long rotation working with the wonderful staff, residents, and faculty at this program. Everyone is so welcoming and approachable. With that, I felt that it provided the perfect environment to continue training to become the most competent and compassionate physician possible.