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Meet Our Residents

The Internal Medicine Preliminary Residency at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, draws trainees from across the U.S. and around the world. While all our trainees have a love of learning and a compassionate approach to patient care, they come from diverse backgrounds, family status, and professional and personal interests.

Meet our preliminary class representatives and learn more about why some of them chose to train at Mayo Clinic for their preliminary year. 

Benjamin Gorman, M.D.

Benjamin Gorman, M.D.

Anesthesiology

Why did you choose Mayo Clinic for your preliminary year?
I am originally from Boston, Massachusetts, but came out to Mayo for medical school and chose to stay for my residency in anesthesiology. My interests are in critical care and perioperative care for the complex sick and injured patient, and I felt that to be a good anesthesiologist intensivist I had to learn first to be a good generalist. Mayo has taken such incredible care of me as a learner, I was thrilled to be able to complete my intern year here. Nowhere else are faculty as excited and ready to teach, and I have been made to feel that my education and well-being is the highest priority. In addition, I’ve had the opportunity to learn from world experts in broad areas of medicine including cardiology, transfusion and hematology, head and neck surgery, neurology, and medical and surgical critical care.

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Juan Garcia-Mendez, M.D

Juan Garcia-Mendez, M.D

Anesthesiology

Why did you choose Mayo Clinic for your preliminary year?
I am originally from Colombia, and I am currently an intern at the Mayo Anesthesiology program. One of the things that I enjoy the most about doing my internship with the internal medicine group has been the opportunity to work with interns from different programs and backgrounds, and the vast number of educational opportunities found in the services, and in the daily noon conferences offered by the IM residency.

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Rishi Sharma, M.D.

Rishi Sharma, M.D.

Neurology

Why did you choose Mayo Clinic for your preliminary year?
I am so stoked to be at Mayo Clinic for my internal medicine intern year and for three years of neurology residency! I originally grew up in Rochester so it's great to be back close to family. I left for eight years for undergraduate and medical school in the Twin Cities at UMN. I chose to return to Mayo because of all the positive experiences I had interacting with mentors and peers through a few prior research experiences, shadowing, and especially because of my positive interactions as a patient here! The people all genuinely put the needs of the patient first, and are pretty cool friends to have too!

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Hunter Soleymani, M.D.

Hunter Soleymani, M.D.

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Why did you choose Mayo Clinic for your preliminary year?
My name is Hunter Soleymani, and I am one of the preliminary interns who is staying here to begin PM&R residency next year. I decided to choose Mayo based on my previous experience on a visiting rotation during medical school. During that rotation I was blown away with how warm, welcoming, and engaging each person I worked with was. Additionally, I learned more in 1 month than I ever thought imaginable. Each day across multiple settings, upper-level residents and consultants actively were engaged in teaching and would go out of their way to ensure my educational needs were met. Now, during residency I have continued to have a similar experience and could not be more thankful to train with the best colleagues in the world and learn from the world's experts. If I had to choose again, I would choose Mayo 100/100 times!

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Ia Ong Vang, M.D.

Ia Ong Vang, M.D.

Ophthalmology

Why did you choose Mayo Clinic for your preliminary year?
I'm originally from Montana and attended the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee for medical school. Ophthalmology residencies are integrated but nonetheless, the prelim year here at Mayo has been a wonderful experience. The people here are truly so kind and supportive. The faculty here are encouraging and have a passion for teaching. My co-interns (internal medicine and other prelims) are fun and great people to work with and be around! It has been a joy to be part of the Mayo family!

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Lindsey Wanberg, M.D.

Lindsey Wanberg, M.D.

Dermatology

Why did you choose Mayo Clinic for your preliminary year?
I am from Apple Valley, Minnesota and did my medical school at University of Minnesota Medical School. I am interested in complex-medical dermatology and thus I wanted to get the best internal medicine training I could before starting my dermatology residency. I knew that doing my preliminary year at Mayo would expose me to an incredible breadth of medical pathology (from medical mysteries and rare diseases to bread-and-butter cases) while simultaneously allowing me to learn from some of the most renowned physicians in their fields in the world. I have absolutely loved my experience so far. Everyone I have worked with is extraordinarily approachable, willing to teach, and fantastic role models. On top of that, the educational and research resources for residents here are truly unmatched. I am so grateful to be here!

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Anesthesia preliminary class representatives

Johana Klasova, M.D.

Johana Klasova, M.D.

I’m originally from Prague, Czech Republic, and have spent the past three years conducting research here at Mayo Clinic. I chose to stay for the Anesthesiology Residency because of the exceptional educational opportunities, outstanding mentorship, and collaborative culture. It was clear to me that there was no better place to continue my training.

 

The preliminary internal medicine year at Mayo Clinic was thoughtfully designed to build a strong foundation for anesthesiology, with each rotation directly connected to my future career. Faculty consistently invest in residents’ growth by explaining the reasoning behind clinical decisions, connecting concepts to anesthesiology practice and supporting our well-being. Their dedication has far exceeded my expectations.

 

Beyond excellent patient care, Mayo Clinic’s core values include teamwork and respect, and I have felt welcomed and encouraged from the very beginning. Faculty have supported me as a learner, and my co-residents have treated me as a valued colleague, making me feel part of the team and helping me maximize every learning opportunity.

 

Finally, one of the most rewarding aspects of this year has been the chance to work alongside interns from diverse specialties and backgrounds, sharing our experiences and building lasting professional relationships. And now, midway through my intern year, I still cannot imagine a better place for my training,

Adam Brockway, M.D.

Adam Brockway, M.D.

I am originally from the small town of Ixonia, Wisconsin, where I grew up with six siblings. Then, I moved to South Carolina to attend the University of South Carolina - Columbia. I attended the University of South Carolina School of Medicine - Greenville for medical school. When deciding where I wanted to go for residency, I knew I wanted to be at an institution that would offer exceptional training and access to many resources that would allow me to become an excellent anesthesiologist.

 

I came to Mayo for a visiting rotation during my fourth year of medical school and was thoroughly impressed by all Mayo has to offer. I was even more impressed by the culture of the program and have enjoyed working with everyone here. I also find Rochester to be a nice and easy city to live in. Overall, Mayo was the perfect fit for me.

 

In my free time, I enjoy home improvement and woodworking projects. I also enjoy getting outdoors to hike, fish, or hunt. I’m a sports fan and, as a true Wisconsinite, cheer for the Packers and Brewers. I also enjoy listening to many genres of music and have started collecting vinyl records.

Dermatology preliminary class representative

Renae Tessem, M.D.

Renae Tessem, M.D.

 

Katie Lovell, M.D.

Katie Lovell, M.D.

I'm thrilled to be spending the next four years training at Mayo Clinic! During my interviews, it was clear that this is a place of excellence in education, research, and patient care. The available resources are truly unparalleled, but what stood out even more was the friendliness and culture of the people here.

 

Everyone is genuinely invested in teaching and ensuring we have the support we need to provide excellent patient care. So far, my experience has exceeded every expectation, and I’m excited to rotate through a variety of subspecialties during my intern year. It’s inspiring to train alongside renowned experts and future leaders in medicine. I feel incredibly fortunate to be part of this community!

Neurology preliminary class representative

Isabel Friedenberg, M.D.

Isabel Friedenberg, M.D.

After attending medical school at a patient-driven institution, I found myself wanting a similar residency experience. Mayo's dedication to the patient stood out among others as a place where the mission statement is more than just words. Moving from Philadelphia to Rochester, I was nervous to leave many of my friends and family behind. But the people I met at Mayo made the move well worth it!

Ophthalmology preliminary class representative (integrated program)

Shreya Swaminathan, M.D.

Shreya Swaminathan, M.D.

I grew up in California before moving to Pennsylvania for college and medical school. I was drawn to Mayo Clinic for its innovative approaches to enhancing healthcare delivery and its integrated health network. Its welcoming culture, world-class facilities, and renowned faculty make it a great place to train!

 

In my free time, I love spending time outdoors, whether hiking, playing tennis, or just enjoying some fresh air. I’m a big fan of live performances such as musicals and concerts! I've been vegan for over four years and love cooking and baking with friends and family.

Physical medicine and rehabilitation preliminary class representative

Christian Sangio, M.D.

Christian Sangio, M.D.

I am beyond excited to be doing my preliminary intern year at Mayo Clinic and to join the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Preliminary Residency Program. I’m originally from North Carolina and attended Wake Forest for medical school. Living in the Midwest had never crossed my mind until I did a visiting rotation last year and was blown away by the top-tier quality of education and the true family atmosphere at Mayo Clinic.

 

By the end of that one month rotation, it felt like I was leaving a new family to head back to North Carolina. The absolute passion for teaching and patient care I witnessed in the consultants at Mayo Clinic was unlike any other experience. Both residents and consultants ensured I felt comfortable in my learning, yet academically challenged to grow. Now, as a resident, I get to work with incredible peers who share the same immovable drive to help patients and to grow academically!

Radiation oncology preliminary class representative

Lindsay Howlett, M.D.

Lindsay Howlett, M.D.

I’m originally from Massachusetts. I went to college in Washington, D.C., and then made my way to the Midwest for medical school at Mayo. I chose to stay for the Radiation Oncology Residency because of the excellent mentorship and educational opportunities. Also, the culture Mayo fosters collaborative, multidisciplinary care for patients. As a medical student, I experienced the welcoming learning atmosphere and community of the internal medicine program. I knew completing my preliminary year here would be a great opportunity to build a strong foundation of clinical knowledge prior to my Radiation Oncology Residency.