I
was born in Nigeria to parents who were high school
teachers. I am the second of eight children. I graduated
from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria's premier medical
school. After five years of primary care medicine, I
decided to pursue further training in Orthopedic Surgery.
I was in residency training for five years at the Lagos
University Teaching Hospital and the National Orthopedic
Hospital, Lagos.
I
came to the United States as a permanent resident in 1997
after I won a diversity visa lottery to America - The land
of opportunity. I earned a Master of Science degree in
Biomedical Informatics from the University of Medicine and
Dentistry of New Jersey and completed two years of
postgraduate fellowship in Public Health Informatics at
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta,
Georgia. Since passing the USMLE I have undertaken
clinical assistantships in medical institutions in New
Jersey and Georgia leading me to choose Family Practice as
a career.
The
excellent facilities, faculty, and friendly residents were
my major attractions to this program. I thank God that I
matched to the Hennepin County Medical Center, Family
Practice Residency. I am grateful for the chance given me
to become an excellent family physician. I hope to work in
an individual or group practice in an urban underserved
community and maintain some interest in informatics.
I
have a wonderful wife and three lovely children (including
a set of twins). Apart from quality time spent with my
family, I enjoy listening to jazz music and watching a
documentary or a game of soccer.
NILIMA
DESAI
Hi
everyone, my name is Nilima Desai. I was born in Surat,
India and grew up in Baroda, India. I studied in Alembic
Vidyalaya in Baroda until 12th grade before starting my
medical education at the B. J. Medical College in
Ahmedabad the largest city of Gujarat state.
Gujarat is the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi and it
was also from here where he started many of his
non-violence themed independence campaigns against the
British government as well as preached the importance of
living a simple life and helping others.
I
am the only child of my parents and moved to California
after I got married in 2000. I love hiking, cooking,
watching movies, and shopping. I
also love painting and was awarded the Silver medal for
Vivid and Creative painting by the Korean government in
1980 and Bronze Medal from Science Talent Search program
in 1988.
Medical
seemed to be the obvious career choice for me since I
always wanted to help people in their times of need and as
a doctor I could easily
visualize myself helping ease the pain of those suffering.
Beyond practicing medicine, I volunteered at
Cardiac Rehabilitation Centers and for the Red Cross.
After graduating from the Ophthalmology program at N.H.L
Medical College in Ahmedabad, I worked as an Ophthalmology
surgeon at a charity hospital.
I
chose HCMC primarily because of the quality of the program
and its people. What impressed me the most was that HCMC
truly embodies the spirit of a close-knit supportive
family. I wish I could outline what the future holds for
me however, life is journey and that the journey is more
important than the destination; so I hope to enjoy the
journey. However, I do know that I will be practicing
medicine and alleviating ailments wherever I will be
because ultimately that is what drives me.
Rachael
Rapacz
Hi
folks! Glad
to meet you all, I'm sure.
Here's a little bit about my background etc. in
the hopes we can get to know each other better!
I'm
not really "from" anyplace, or maybe from
everyplace.I was born in Chicago, lived there a scant 6
weeks, then to Omaha, Nebraska for 2.5 years, then to
Rapid City, South Dakota, then Clarinda, Iowa, then to
Appleton, Wisconsin, then Burlington, Iowa, then Ixtepec,
Oaxaca, Mexico (SURPRISE) then Indianapolis, then Carleton
College in Northfield, Minnesota and now the great Twin
Cities! Up until college, my average stay had been 2.5 years per
place. I've
lived in small towns and big cities and everything in
between. If I
had to choose a place to live forever, it would probably
be a smaller town (read Northfield) where I would not have
to lock my doors and could participate in community
activities (Pie on the Square, etc.) but I could still
easily get to urban venues such as museums and theatres.
Wherever I end up, I want to know my neighbors and
participate in my community, I want my kids to grow up in
a diverse neighborhood, and I want to have easy access to
theatres and museums that make me think harder about my
world. Right
now, I'm doing just that, here in South Minneapolis.
My
pre-college education has been similarly varied.
I attend Carleton College in Northfield where I
mostly studied Latin American literature (especially
women's lit) and culture/history.
I also did tons of psych, lots of genetics, quite a
bit of singing and WAY too much theatre!
So if you are looking to costume a show with $60
and two weeks to prepare I'm your girl!
Eventually I gave in to destiny and went to medical
school at the U of MN.
I took the "mommy track" and six years later,
here I am!
I
have two great kids (Sophie age 3 and Sasha, age 8 months)
and a fabulous partner (Eddie).
They are my main focus in my off-time hours.
I LOVE being a mom!
I may as well tell you right now that I am one of
those wacky attachment parenting folks who believes in
baby-wearing, family co-sleeping, extended nursing, tandem
nursing and midwives and doulas as birth attendants.
Other than my family, in my copious free time I
enjoy music (listening, singing, playing), dancing (swing,
lindy hop, ballroom), sewing (especially costuming), and
cooking. I
also interpret Spanish.
Basically, I do WAY too much.
With
medicine my passions are midwifery model OB, breastfeeding
and attachment parenting, serving the Latino community,
learning lots of procedures, and learning to work with
other practitioners and within a community to promote
individual and family health.
I
hope to be a happy and health physician and mother in ten
years, working in a community clinic in the Twin Cities
with a primarily Latino population, doing some great OB
and useful procedures in addition to regular clinic stuff. I hope I'll know my neighbors as well as my patients.
I hope I can be a big part of my family's daily
life.
The
simple answer as to why I chose Family Medical Center is
because every time I'm there, I feel at home.
Every time I'm there, something wonderful
happens. Every
time I'm there I find people doing what I want to do,
believing in things I know to be true and loving it.
The other reason is because I feel valued here, as
a person, as a practitioner, and as a mother.
This is where I am supposed to be.
Brian
Schroeder
I
grew up in Bloomfield, Iowa with my parents and older
sister. I graduated from Davis County High School in 1993, and then
spent a year in Bourdeaux, France as a Rotary Exchange
Student. When
I returned to the U.S., I attended Carleton College in
Northfield, Minnesota where I received my B.A. in biology.
At Carleton, I was a member of the men's
volleyball team, as well as being a part of the Carleton
College Chamber Singers.
I then went to the University of Iowa College of
Medicine for medical school.
During medical school I coached high school club
volleyball, as well as playing in several leagues around
the state. After
graduation, I spent a year doing research at the
University of Iowa before moving to Denver, Colorado,
where I am currently doing a general surgery internship.
Away
from the hospital, I enjoy singing and exercising, as well
as playing and coaching volleyball.
And, although this bio is pretty dry, I am actually
fairly interesting. Really!
Kevin
Sirmons
My
brother and I grew up with my parents in west Houston,
Texas, attending The Kinkaid School until 1992.
Highlights of my time at Kinkaid included helping
to start the first Varsity lacrosse team in the State of
Texas. Upon
entering The University of Texas at Austin, my interest in
medicine grew, and while completing pre-med curricula I
received a BA in Biology, with minors in chemistry,
physics, math and Spanish.
Entering The University of Texas Medical School at
Houston in 1996, my interests were initially in Emergency
Medicine and General Surgery, and I began a residency in
surgery at UT-Houston in 2000.
Completing part of the residency and realizing that
the life of a surgeon was not the life that I wanted to
pursue, I took some time off away from surgery and pursued
other interests, including surgical assistance (had to pay
the bills!), some research in the prehospital setting,
general contracting (houses and businesses), and became a
member of the National Registry of EMTs as a Paramedic; I
also became licensed by the State of Texas as a Licensed
Paramedic. Most
recently I have also become a firefighter with a local
fire department in one of the communities surrounding
Houston. I am
also a member of the National Disaster Medical System, and
Texas-3 Disaster Medical Assistance Team.
All of these experiences have led me to a greater
knowledge and understanding of prehospital care, critical
incidents and disaster management of medical issues
surrounding disasters, and a greater appreciation for my
abilities and knowledge of many different areas.
My
future plans include starting a general family practice,
hopefully with a small group of physicians, as well as
being a medical director of a prehospital service for a
city, county or potentially state. My interests will eventually lead me to help educate
prehospital personnel as well as become involved on a
national level with the Federal Emergency Management
Agency, and be able to provide quality community health
care for those in need in times of emergency, or where the
community's healthcare system has been overloaded.
Hennepin
County was kind enough to offer me a position in the
Family Practice Residency Program during the scramble.
I have been in a very difficult position since
changing residencies, and feel extremely fortunate to be
joining this program in such a great location and
well-known medical center.
I look forward to meeting with all of my
colleagues, and feel that I can help make a difference
with the group and help bring everyone together.
Martin
Umeh
I
was born and raised in Nigeria, West Africa. I went to
medical school in Nigeria and upon graduation; I spent two
years working in the remotest part of the continent where
medical practice is still largely based on clinical
knowledge, skills and intuition, rather than technology.
I
understand what it means to be poor and underprivileged.
I have seen children die from malnutrition, and I
have seen pregnant mothers bleed to death due to lack of
proper care and supervision.
Coming
to America has been for me, a mind-blowing experience.
I have seen the very best, the good, the bad and
the ugliest of human existence, and I have come to realize
that even though tribes, tongue and culture may differ, we
still drink from the same common pool of humanity.
My three-year sojourn in America has transformed me
into a citizen of the world.
I
am proud to be part of this wonderful team at HCMC working
hard to uplift mankind, and delivering quality healthcare
to all irrespective of class, creed or race.
My
hobbies include reading, international politics, soccer
and basketball.
NATALYA
VERBINSKAYA
I
am living in Minnesota ten years now. When we immigrated
from Russia I started to learn English language from zero.
My son was born here. I stayed with him at home for a
couple years. After that I prepared for USMLE exams.
Before applying to the residency I volunteered one year as
a research assistant at the University of Minnesota
working with ataxia patients. I did my externship in
Pediatrics. Being without medical practice for several
years the pediatric externship helped me a lot to get some
clinical experience in the United States as well as gave
me a chance to improve my English language. All of these
years I worked part-time like a home health assistant.
Working with children in Russia, it was a dramatic change,
but I enjoyed helping elderly. The big part of my life was
in Russia including my education and I worked as a
pediatrician after I graduated from medical school. Four
years of my career I enjoyed working in a rural area in
Russia mostly helping underserved people who were some
kind of "the similar population" that we have at
HCMC. I wish that I could speak Spanish but I can be
helpful with Russian or Ukrainian patients. I love to
spend time with my son, enjoy cooking, gardening and love
to dance. I would like to have a clinical practice as well
as inpatient care.
Weimin
Xu
I
was born and grew up in Guangzhou, one of the biggest
cities in China. I learned the value of hard working
through my early years, since my parents always told me
that striving without cease was the only way to succeed.
In the same city, I completed my medical education in
Guangzhou Medical College (B.S. in 1982) and Sun Yat-Sen
University of Medical Sciences (M.D. in 1990), as well as
my residency training in Surgery and Orthopaedics.
Aspiring to the advanced biomedical science, I came to the
United States in 1995. I graduated form Long Island
University with a M.S. in Molecular Biology in 1997. Since
then I have been working as a Research Instructor in State
University of New York Downstate Medical Center.
Through
these years, 'Striving without cease' is still my creed;
it guided me through the USMLE steps and the ECFMG CSA. I
am so glad that I matched with our Family Practice
Residency Program at HCMC, the best residency program in
the field at one of the best hospitals in the US. The
strong academic education and excellent clinical training
provided by our program will establish a solid foundation
for me to become a successful family physician. For the
future career goal, my dream is to use the knowledge and
skills I am going to learn in the coming 3 years and on to
provide primary care for the medically underserved
population.
I
enjoy a happy family life with my wife, a kindergarten
teacher and our 7-year-old son. Beside medicine, I love to
travel, enjoy music, draw and paint, and play tennis,
badminton and ping-pong. I also enjoy 'do it yourself'
when I have time, such as home improvements, building a
model, and so on.
Wenying
Yan
I
was raised by a traditional Chinese family in Shanghai,
one of the biggest cities in China, one where ancient
customs exist side by side with more contemporary ones.
My sisters and I received strict family teaching
from our parents. The most important thing for us was to
learn respecting the value of honesty that motivated me to
become an honor student from elementary school through
medical school.
I
completely realize a doctor's duty and importance to
patients. To be capable of relieving patients from pain
and their family from worry became my career desire. After
the graduation from high school in Shanghai, I
unhesitatingly enrolled in undergraduate and medical
education at Shanghai Medical University.
After I completed the education of medical school
and residency training in General Medicine,
Gastroenterology, and Oncology, I dedicated myself to work
in one of the largest hospitals in China. My medical
experience developed proportionally with an overwhelming
workload during that period.
Meanwhile, mutual trust and understanding built up
between my patients and me. To give my patients the best
medical care and emotional comfort has always been my
goal, not only in the past, but also for present and will
be the goal for the future.
When
I was a young girl, I was able to visit my grandparents
and four uncles once a week in the Shanghai countryside. I
enjoyed their family performance in Beijing Opera in which
they took turns playing folk instruments and sing
traditional Chinese opera. And so my love of music and
dance was born. Therefore, I joined the training in
dancing and rhythmic gymnastics and was awarded four
continuous championships in the College tournaments.
In the spare time, I also play harmonica, Chinese
drums, and piano and enjoy the appreciation of music and
artwork. I hope to be immersed in music and dancing when I
someday retire.
