This year, 33 new learners—22 residents and 11 fellows—embarked on their training with the University of Wisconsin Department of Family Medicine and Community Health. Just six months in, they’re bringing fresh energy, ideas, and lived experiences to our programs. We’re excited to introduce them.
New Baraboo and Madison residents. Front row, from left: Jenny Rose Park, MD, MCR, Olivia Kavanaugh-Garcia, DO, Samantha Barbour, MD, DPT. Second row, from left: Bich-Nhi Pham, MD, Mary Zeitler, MD, Samantha Busch, MD; Kathryn Breslin, MD, Shreya Sarmah, MD. Back row, from left: Marcie Bulla, MD, Laura Aravena, MD, Trina Pal, MD, Eric Reetz, MD; Shweta Bhatnagar, DO, MPH, Shanaya Hebgen, MD; Sarah Zelazoski, MD, Catherine Cogley, DO, MA, Sheida Pourdashti, MD. Not pictured: Molly Wecker, MD, MPH, MS.
Baraboo 1–2 Rural Training Track (RTT) Family Medicine Residency Program
- Jenny Rose Park was raised in a low-income immigrant family and is dedicated to addressing health disparities and advocating for underserved communities. She has published nationally recognized work on physician language and racial disparities and is passionate about mental health and culturally responsive care.
- Molly Wecker grew up in Wisconsin, and her path to medicine included work at Planned Parenthood in Texas and service abroad in Nicaragua and Ecuador. She brings a strong foundation in public health, advocacy, and reproductive justice, with a focus on serving underserved and Spanish-speaking communities.
Madison Residency Program
The new residents are deeply committed to advocacy, education, and community health, with shared interests in women’s health, LGBTQIA+ care, rural medicine, and public health.
- Several created or led educational programs, including a medical improv workshop; a cultural competency lecture series; a palliative care simulation and residency interview workshop; an after-school health curriculum; and quality improvement initiatives to expand mental health screenings and mentor first-year students.
- Eight volunteered at or helped run free clinics.
- Five have strong ties to global health, including leading global health brigades, conducting global health research, and drawing inspiration from community health in Vietnam and India.
- Multiple residents focused on vulnerable populations through work in domestic violence, LGBTQIA+ youth, Medicaid outreach, reproductive justice, postpartum health, and addiction medicine.
- Several served as leaders and mentors in programs such as Healer’s Art, Path of Distinction in Medical Education, the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), and Pisacano Scholars.
- Two highlighted unique advocacy areas: firearm injury prevention and environmental health, inspired by ecology studies.
Monroe Residency Program
New Monroe residents, from left: Shane Tendick, MD, Gabby Diebold, MBBS, Jefferson Driscoll, MD, and Nate Hill, DO.
- All four Monroe residents value long-term relationships and personalized care.
- They also share a dedication to rural health care needs and desire improve access to care.
- From global study to NIH research to teaching, their varied backgrounds converge in family medicine.
Fellowship Programs
Top row, from left: Max Butler, MD, River Cornelius, MD, Katherine Cornwall, PhD, Maggie Gray, MD, Allie Hecht, DO, Michael Jaeb, PhD, RN, Kim Krawzak, MD. Bottom row, from left: Melissa Neal, PhD, MPH, Kyle Sherwin, DO, Matthew Waldrop, MD, Seth Barudin, MD
The new fellows are continuing their education in a variety of fields:
- Primary Care Research: Katherine Cornwall, PhD, MS, Michael Jaeb, PhD, RN, Melissa Neal, PhD, MPH
- Academic Medicine: Kim Krawzak, MD
- Academic Integrative Health: Seth Barudin, MD, Allie Hecht, DO, Kyle Sherwin, DO
- Addiction Medicine: Max Butler, MD, Maggie Gray, MD
- Primary Care Sports Medicine: Matthew Waldrop, MD
- Rural Family Medicine Obstetrics Fellowship: River Cornelius, MD
Published: December 2025