Class of 2028 – PGY1s
Anna Barent, MD
Emergency Medicine Resident
Hometown: Lincoln, NE
Undergrad: University of Nebraska- Lincoln
Medical School: University of Nebraska College of Medicine
Interests/Hobbies: I love doing anything outside, like hiking, running, paddle boarding, and camping! I also love to bake (cakes, sourdough, etc.), read, and go to concerts!!!
Why HCMC? HCMC stood out to me because of their commitment to serving their diverse patient population and unparalleled resident training and autonomy. I know I will be trained to be the best physician I can be and be prepared for the next steps in my career! I am also so excited to live in Minnesota and pick up a winter sport!
Rebecca Bernheimer, MD
Emergency Medicine Resident
Hometown: Vancouver, WA
Undergrad: Lawrence University
Medical School: University of Queensland School of Medicine
Interests/Hobbies: I like hiking, going to art museums and galleries, and baking cookies! I love soccer (both playing and watching). I also love traveling, exploring new places, and learning languages!
Why HCMC? One of the things I love about emergency medicine is that we have the responsibility and privilege of treating any patient who comes in. I appreciate that HCMC takes this responsibility seriously and is committed to serving the community and providing the best possible care to a diverse patient population. I’m excited for the opportunity to contribute to this mission while working with great people, and I know that after training at Hennepin, I will be as prepared as possible to work in any emergency medicine setting.
Molly Carroll, MD
Emergency Medicine Resident
Hometown: Chagrin Falls, OH
Undergrad: Miami University
Medical School: University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Interests/Hobbies: I love to stay active, especially outdoors. You can often catch me playing tennis, pickleball, or volleyball. I also enjoy traveling and hiking; some of my favorites include Havasu Falls (AZ), Beehive Trail (ME), and Mt. Storm King (WA). Additionally, as a gluten-free connoisseur, I enjoy exploring new places to grab a bite to eat or bonding over a home cooked meal.
Why HCMC? I found everything I was looking for in a residency program during my Away at Hennepin. Residents, faculty, and staff were all extremely supportive of each other, and also welcoming to a newcomer like me. The diverse patients and pathology served at HCMC is supported by the mission and values of the department that were evident during my time there. Plus, the clinical training is unmatched. With the acuity and volume, combined with the Pit Boss role, I am confident HCMC will prepare me for whatever comes next.
Rachel Conley, MD
Emergency Medicine Resident
Hometown: Eden Prairie, MN
Undergrad: St. Olaf College
Medical School: Albany Medical College
Interests/Hobbies: Running (both racing and for fun!), playing with my dog, hiking, camping, reading and being cozy.
Why HCMC? So many reasons! I grew up just outside of the Twin Cities and have spent a lot of time in Minneapolis and love the area. After rotating and during my interview, I was struck by not only the legacy of excellence in training and research, but also the kindness of the faculty and residents and knew I wanted to be a part of the Hennepin team. I also was particularly impressed by HCMC’s dedication to advocacy through its work in social EM and the JEDI Collaborative. It is something that I found was really unique about Hennepin and another major deciding factor in choosing it!
Jared Delaney, MD
Emergency Medicine Resident
Hometown: Klamath Falls and Chiloquin, OR
Undergrad: Southern Oregon University
Medical School: Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine
Interests/Hobbies: I love watching all sports, but my favorite by far is college football (I am huge Oregon Ducks fan). I also love WWE, beading, reading, video games, music and trying new restaurants. I also love hunting and fishing when I’m back home with my dad.
Why HCMC? The Native American representation among staff and patients made HCMC feel like home. This was in addition to the outstanding training and cutting-edge research residents partake in.
Jasmine Fernandez, MD
Emergency Medicine Resident
Hometown: Gilroy, CA
Undergrad: University of Portland
Medical School: Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine
Interests/Hobbies: I enjoy playing soccer, beading, reading, binging a good TV series, and trying out new restaurants as a casual Yelper. Being from the Bay Area, I’m a Warriors and Raiders fan. I recently became a novice snowboarder—any tips are welcome!
Why HCMC? For an overabundance of reasons. For starters, HCMC has an unmatched number of Native representation – amongst patients AND staff. The outstanding training is coupled with a strong commitment to underserved populations. I was blown away by the confidence and clinical excellence displayed by the pit bosses. They fired me up, and I knew I was in the right spot!
Anna Garvey, DO
Emergency Medicine Resident
Hometown: Green Bay, WI
Undergrad: Wisconsin Lutheran College
Medical School: Marian University Wood College of Osteopathic Medicine
Interests/Hobbies: I love international tv dramas, cozy video games, Doctor Who, anime, and Korean pop music – often learning the dance choreography to my favorite songs. When I venture outdoors, I enjoy hiking, downhill skiing, and kayaking. I also love traveling! I’ve been to 17 countries and just returned from Vietnam and Thailand. My next dream is to publish a novel, and I often pass time writing short stories!
Why HCMC? After my interview with HCMC, I called my mom to tell her this is where I wanted to end up. I was so impressed with its overwhelming culture of equity, commitment to service, and dedication to stepping first with humanism while serving a diverse and vulnerable patient population. HCMC exists within a medical system that supports these same values. These foundational principles paralleled with the supportive community of residents, faculty, and staff, made HCMC my #1 choice. I feel so privileged to be part of this program and am confident I will be proud of the physician I learn to be while here.
Nicole McCormick, DO
Emergency Medicine Resident
Hometown: Anchorage, AK
Undergrad: University of Oregon
Medical School: Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine of Midwestern University
Interests/Hobbies: I love being active and getting outside however I can – hiking, running, skiing. I also enjoy reading, trying new restaurants, traveling, and spending time with my friends and family.
Why HCMC? Hennepin had everything I was looking for in a residency program: a high-volume, high-acuity county setting, residents and faculty that are committed to providing excellent care to the entire community, and a legacy of training excellent physicians. During my rotation at Hennepin, I was struck by how supportive the residents and faculty were—and how much they genuinely enjoyed working together. I was deeply impressed by everyone I had the opportunity to work with and knew that this environment would offer the exceptional training I need to become the best physician I can be.
Chris Naas, MD
Emergency Medicine Resident
Chris Naas
Hometown: Cedarburg, WI
Undergrad: University of Minnesota
Medical School: Medical College of Wisconsin
Interests/Hobbies: I love backpacking, fishing, camping, and exploring national parks! I play in two Twin Cities-based bands: Adam Brandt and Bark Point, where I write and record songs and play guitar, keyboards, bass, and drums. We play shows around the Twin Cities and beyond. I am a former firefighter/EMT and have a passion for prehospital medicine.
Why HCMC? During my M4 away rotation at Hennepin, I quickly realized that Hennepin would provide unparalleled clinical training at the forefront of emergency medicine, surrounded by faculty who are leading experts in their areas of interest and supported by equally motivated and dedicated peers with a passion for caring for underserved populations. Given my career aspirations in academic EM and EMS medical direction, I knew I would be well-supported by the research infrastructure and close working relationships with Hennepin EMS that exist at HCMC.
Lexy Newberry, MD
Emergency Medicine Resident
Lexy Newberry
Hometown: Camarillo, CA (Portland, OR for the past 8 years, feels like home)
Undergrad: California Lutheran University, University of Botswana, UCLA EMT program
Medical School: Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine
Interests/Hobbies: I adore all of nature. I lived in Portland, OR for the past 8 years and have been blessed to share in the PNW beauty. I am an avid rock climber and mountaineer. I also love weight lifting (powerlifting) and paddle boarding. Recently, I have been training jiu jitsu as a mixed martial art, which has been extremely rewarding from a discipline and mental strength perspective. But also, who doesn’t love being a cozy slug on the couch with good movies and friends who are family.
Why HCMC? The more I learned about HCMC and the people here, the more I wanted to be part of this community. HCMC stands out to me not only for its long standing and top reputation in emergency medicine, but for the deeply ingrained sense of teamwork, purpose, and shared mission I’ve observed in every encounter I’ve had with the program since rotating here as an away student. Hennepin’s genuine commitment to serving minority and underserved communities is a huge reason I was drawn to this program. Training in a place where health equity is a priority and where cultural humility is part of the everyday practice of medicine, aligns perfectly with the kind of physician I strive to be today and throughout my career serving these communities. Another huge factor for me was the EM residents at HCMC. They are remarkably competent—confident in their clinical decision-making, adaptable in high-pressure scenarios, and deeply committed to the people they serve. The clinical training at HCMC is clearly at the top. What’s even more striking is how humble, collaborative, and team-focused they are. It’s the kind of environment where growth is rigorous but never isolating—where learning is driven by both challenge and support. It’s the kind of place where people work hard because they want to—not just for the patients, but for each other.
Gemma Porras Nielsen
Emergency Medicine Resident
Hometown: Roanoke, VA
Undergrad: Williams College
Medical School: Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine
Interests/Hobbies: I enjoy any outdoor activity, especially hiking, camping, caving, biking, floating, kayaking, and beaches. I also like going to trivia nights and doing game nights and dinners with friends, as well as trying new restaurants.
Why HCMC? I really enjoyed my interview day at HCMC. I was excited about the resident culture, which truly reflected a community I wanted to be a part of. The unique educational opportunities at Hennepin, such as the pit boss role and stellar faculty, left me confident that the program would provide exceptional training. Finally, I was drawn to Hennepin’s commitment to training residents who are equipped to serve and make a meaningful impact in their community.
Jacqui Theisen
Emergency Medicine Resident
Hometown: Maple Grove, MN
Undergrad: Boston University
Medical School: Boston University School of Medicine
Interests/Hobbies: Traveling, playing piano, musical theater, cooking/eating, spending time on the lake
Why HCMC? During my interview day, I was extremely impressed with HCMC’s commitment to health equity, diversity, and justice. I completed medical school at a safety-net institution and knew that I wanted to continue my training at a safety-net/county hospital. I grew up in a suburb of Minneapolis and knew HCMC’s reputation for providing stellar care to the most vulnerable populations in the Twin Cities. When I went to HCMC’s second look day, their commitment to justice was again demonstrated when they had a lecture about gender-affirming care and transgender health at their conference. I know I will become the physician I hope to be by learning from the faculty and patients at HCMC!
Anna Van Deelen
Emergency Medicine Resident
Anna Van Deelen
Hometown: Duluth, MN
Undergrad: Hope College in Holland, MI
Medical School: University of Minnesota Medical School
Interests/Hobbies: I like anything outdoors — running, hiking, canoeing, and biking especially. I also really like to read and spend time with family and friends.
Why HCMC? Being from Minnesota, I feel a strong connection to the Minneapolis community and the patient population at Hennepin County. I wanted to go to a program where I would receive excellent training, while maintaining a focus on delivering the best care possible to patients. When I rotated through HCMC, I was impressed with the culture of respect for patients and everyone in the department. I am excited to continue to learn and grow in a community I care about!
Mattie Watts
Emergency Medicine Resident
Hometown: New Orleans, LA
Undergrad: The University of Texas at Dallas
Medical School: Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine
Interests/Hobbies: Anime, manga, museums, theater plays, concerts, pretty much art in every form, horror movies, sci fi and fantasy books. Love, love, love football – favorite team is the New Orleans Saints, of course.
Why HCMC? I think the better question is: why not HCMC?! HCMC had everything I was looking for in a residency–and even things I didn’t realize I needed. A few key reasons why I chose HCMC was because it’s a safety net county hospital with diverse pathology and a strong commitment to serving underserved and minoritized communities. What really sealed the deal for me, though, were the residents – their confidence and clinical competence were exactly what I aspired to have. Further, I love the way HCMC empowers residents with autonomy and opportunities for leadership. And of course…how could I resist the Pit Boss role?!
