EM/IM PGY 1-5 Classes
Mackenzie Herzig, DO
EM/IM Resident – Class of 2027
Hometown: Hermantown, MN
Undergrad: University of Minnesota
Medical School: Lincoln Memorial University DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine
Interests/Hobbies: I enjoy being active and spending time outdoors. I’ve been hunting with my dad since I was 12 and always make a trip back north for deer hunting. Other than that, I enjoy spending time watching HGTV shows with my husband and dog and playing board games.
Why HCMC? As a premed I was involved in the research associate program in the ED at HCMC. I loved my time spent here and it is what introduced me to combined EM/IM Residencies. I was able to do an audition at HCMC during my 4th year. During my month here, everyone was so welcoming and well trained demonstrating how well-rounded of a program it is. We also have friends and family in the Twin Cities making it an ideal location!
Emily Syverud, MD
EM/IM Resident – Class of 2027
Hometown: Saint Paul, MN
Undergrad: Gustavus Adolphus College
Medical School: University of Minnesota Medical School
Interests/Hobbies: Spending time outside! In the summer I love to hike and camp in the state parks, in the winter I love to downhill ski. If I’m inside you can find me snuggled up with my two cats reading a book.
Why HCMC? I spent my third year of medical school at HCMC as part of the HeLIX program and quickly fell in love with this community. HCMC has everything that I was looking for in a residency program – a mission-driven institution that cares for a diverse group of patients, an excellent training environment, and amazing people to work with!
Ali Raffman, MD
EM/IM Resident – Class of 2026
Hometown: Reston, Virginia
Undergrad: The College of William and Mary
Medical School: University of Maryland School of Medicine
Interests/Hobbies: In my free time I generally enjoy cooking/baking, running, hiking, yoga, kickboxing, watching hockey (go Caps!), and hanging out with friends and family. In non-COVID times I love to travel, especially to places where I’ve got the opportunity to try something new!
Why HCMC? On my interview day, I was extremely impressed by the Hennepin EM/IM program and felt that it had pretty much everything that I was looking for in a residency program. I appreciated the program’s commitment to serving a diverse, underserved community, as well as the emphasis on resident autonomy balanced with strong resident support. I am particularly interested in critical care, and was excited by the program’s strong critical care curriculum and research opportunities that suited my particular interests. Overall, I felt that the program offered exceptional training and opportunities that would help best prepare me for whatever I might see in my future career!
Kristin Rouse, MD
EM/IM Resident – Class of 2026
Hometown: Saint Paul, MN
Undergrad: University of Minnesota
Medical School: University of Minnesota Medical School
Interests/Hobbies: When I am not busy with medicine or kids’ activities, I enjoy spending time in northern Minnesota at my family’s cabin, traveling, attempting to be artistic, or going to the theater. Musicals are my favorite!
Why HCMC? Having worked at HCMC prior to medical school, I experienced first hand the amazing collaboration among the staff to care for the phenomenal, diverse patient population. I have always pictured advancing my medical training among these colleagues and patients.
Gretta Kreider-Carlson
EM/IM Resident – Class of 2025
Hometown: Saint Paul, MN
Undergrad: Lewis and Clark College, Portland, OR
Medical School: University of Denver
Interests/Hobbies: I like climbing, mountain biking, trail running, skiing, sitting around fires with friends… all the outdoor things. When I’m not outside, I love reading, knitting, cooking, exploring new restaurants, and silversmithing jewelry
Why HCMC? When I rotated at HCMC, I was super impressed by the depth of knowledge of the residents, as well as the level of autonomy and responsibility they were trusted with. HCMC serves a diverse patient population, which was a non-negotiable for me, and is as high-volume and high-acuity as I could ask for. What really made the final decision for me was the pit boss role: I was looking for a culture of mentorship among the residents, and I know that this role will prepare me for anything as an attending!
Amelia Krug
EM/IM Resident – Class of 2025
Hometown: Minneapolis, MN
Undergrad: University of Wisconsin – Madison
Medical School: University of Minnesota
Interests/Hobbies: Getting outside in any capacity (hiking, backpacking, biking, running), cooking, botanizing, music, spending time with family & friends
Why HCMC? HCMC has amazing faculty, residents, and staff that all share the common goal of improving health care for the underserved. It’s an outstanding education in my favorite city caring for the community in which I grew up.
Michelle Nguyen
EM/IM Resident – Class of 2024
Hometown: Westminster, CA
Undergrad: University of California, San Diego
Medical School: UC Davis School of Medicine
Interests/Hobbies: weight lifting, bouldering, backpacking, globetrotting, quality time with family & friends
Why HCMC? As someone who’s only lived in California, I wanted to venture out of the West Coast and experience medicine in a new environment. I was looking for a program with cultural and socioeconomic diversity coupled with a strong learning environment. HCMC checked those boxes and more. It’s clear that there is a supportive environment and camaraderie among the residents.
Zach Davidson
EM/IM Resident – Class of 2024
Hometown: Cleveland, OH
Undergrad: The Ohio State University, Biology, Public Health Minor
Medical School: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Interests/Hobbies: Learning guitar, running, listening to new podcasts, and bragging about the Midwest to my East Coast friends.
Why HCMC? I was impressed with the warmth of the faculty, residents, and staff on my interview day and their genuine investment in the community and their commitment to medical education. I had a terrific ‘gut feeling’ about Hennepin and it was great knowing I’d be joining my sister who works at Land o’ Lakes as a food scientist, i.e. ‘Butter Engineer’.
Liz McHale
EM/IM Resident – Class of 2023
Hometown: Hibbing, MN
Undergrad: University of St. Thomas
Medical School: University of Minnesota Medical School
Interests/Hobbies: Spending time with family and friends, listening to musicals, eating good food, being outdoors in all seasons, podcasts, and cross country skiing.
Why HCMC? After rotating here as a med student, it was obvious to me that HCMC is a stellar place! The faculty genuinely enjoy teaching, and the residents are all awesome. HCMC provides truly excellent training in an exciting, challenging and fulfilling environment, and that was exactly what I was looking for in a residency program!
Dan Bernstein
EM/IM Resident – Class of 2023
Hometown: San Francisco, CA
Undergrad: Reed College
Medical School: University of Minnesota Medical School
Interests/Hobbies: I enjoy brewing beer, (bar) trivia, exercising and outdoor recreation, traveling, reading science fiction/fantasy, watching action movies, and spending time with my wife, pets, and friends.
Why HCMC? I choose HCMC because of the people with whom I would work, both the staff and the patients. I rotated at HCMC multiple times as a medical student from the University of Minnesota, and everyone I met was kind, intelligent, and genuinely interested in helping me become the best physician I can be; who wouldn’t want to train in a place like that? I am also drawn to HCMC for its mission of serving the underserved, and I look forward to being able to give back to my community through my work at HCMC.
