Get to know our residents

Our residents are a diverse group that come from a variety of backgrounds and have unique experiences and interests. We look forward to getting to know you as well!

Class of 2027

Lauren Blanck, MD
Lauren Blanck, MD

Hometown: Rochester, MI

Medical school: Michigan State University College of Human Medicine

Why did you choose Spectrum Health for your residency/fellowship? I have loved West Michigan since I first came here for undergrad at GVSU nearly 10 years ago. Since then I've developed an incredible community of friends and have had an amazing time exploring the breweries, trails, beaches and everything else this side of the state has to offer. Having also been with this health system as a volunteer, employee and student, staying to continue my training was an easy choice. The case volume and variety, the opportunities for research and the culture among residents here are all second to none.

What are your clinical interests? I'm interested in exploring all of the opportunities available in general surgery.

Hobbies: I love having a creative outlet in my free time, from painting and embroidery, to test driving new recipes on my friends, to returning to Grand Valley and playing trumpet in the Laker Alumni Marching Band. I also enjoy hanging out at the lake or hammocking at a park along the river whenever the weather is good.

Allison Hoppe, MD
Allison Hoppe, MD

Hometown: Unionville, MI

Medical school: Michigan State University College of Human Medicine

Why did you choose Spectrum Health for your residency/fellowship? I chose Spectrum Health because I knew the people here had my back and would support me through my residency training. As a medical student here, I could feel the strong team culture and wanted to be a part of that.

What are your clinical interests? At this time, I am most interested in surgical oncology. The hepatobiliary anatomy is fascinating.

Hobbies: I love to play sports (beach volleyball, slow pitch softball, etc.) as well as travel. I am a die-hard Detroit Lions fan and try to make as many home games as I can.

Alexandra Sasha Laykova, DO
Alexandra Sasha Laykova, DO

Hometown: Ternopil, Ukraine

Medical school: Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine

Why did you choose Spectrum Health for your residency/fellowship? I chose this program because of my co-residents and attendings! Everyone is kind and has a team comes first mindset which makes coming to work so much more enjoyable. I also chose this program because it offers all of the benefits of academic training while teaching you excellent operative skills that ensure you are capable of operating at the end of your training.

What are your clinical interests? I am currently interested in a wide variety of subspecialties including Surgical Critical Care, Surgical Oncology, Plastics and Colorectal.

Hobbies: My hobbies include spending as much time outside as possible and exploring Michigan whether it's hiking, running or skiing. I also enjoy playing volleyball, watching Great British Baking Show, spending time with my family and dog and Christmas decorating.

Gordon Liu, MD
Gordon Liu, MD

Hometown: Shanghai, China

Medical school: Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine

Why did you choose Spectrum Health for your residency/fellowship? I chose Spectrum Health because I felt like I fit in with the residents and the culture of the surgical program. I wanted to join a residency that would help me grow and improve in both technical and knowledge based aspects. The people are wonderful and truly invested in learning and teaching whenever possible.

What are your clinical interests? I am interested in multiple aspects of surgery, including minimally invasive surgery and trauma surgery, but I am open to other options.

Hobbies: I enjoy kayaking and camping when the whether is nice. Cooking and hosting friends and family is a passion. I also love traveling and playing arcade games with my significant other.

Victor Magana, MD
Victor Magana, MD

Hometown: Round Lake, IL

Medical school: Medical College of Wisconsin

Why did you choose Spectrum Health for your residency/fellowship? I choose Spectrum Health for a number of reasons. One of the biggest influences was the people. When interviewing I felt that I got along best with the residents here than at any other program and that was very important to me because residency is a big time commitment. Doing it with people you don't get along well with will only make that time more difficult than it needs to be. Further, I felt that the program itself offered the experience I was looking for in a residency when it come to clinical exposure, autonomy throughout residency and research opportunities, if that was something I was interested in.

What are your clinical interests? I am still exploring a lot of my interest within the general surgery field. I really like pediatric surgery currently, but also find plastic surgery to be very interesting. A bit up in the air still for what I think I will pursue at this time once I complete residency.

Hobbies: I am a competitive volleyball player and spend most of my free time trying to find places to play. I love playing any chance I get. I also like staying active in any way I can.

Sarah Plachinski, MD
Sarah Plachinski, MD

Hometown: Oak Creek, WI

Medical school: Medical College of Wisconsin

Why did you choose Spectrum Health for your residency/fellowship? What drew me to Spectrum was the unique hybrid design of the program, with excellent academic and community surgical experience.

What are your clinical interests? Breast surgery MIS/Bariatrics Trauma.

Hobbies: I have enjoyed exploring West Michigan with my amazing co-interns— especially in the forms of trivia and breweries.

Connor Smith, MD
Connor Smith, MD

Hometown: Louisville, KY

Medical school: University of Louisville

Why did you choose Spectrum Health for your residency/fellowship? I chose Spectrum Health because of great camaraderie of the residents and the early operative experience for interns.

What are your clinical interests? My clinical interests include bread and butter general surgery in addition to surgical critical care.

Hobbies: My hobbies include cycling, brewing beer and board games.

Class of 2026

Jason Aubrey
Jason Aubrey, MBBS

Hometown: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Medical school: University of Limerick

Why did you choose Spectrum Health for your residency/fellowship? My interactions with the residents and faculty during interview season were very positive and welcoming. It was evident the program had a supportive culture amongst the residents and everyone spoke highly of their training and opportunities. I also loved the idea of a hybrid program, giving the best of both community and academic general surgery in one place.

What are your clinical interests? At this time I am most interested in acute care surgery and surgical critical care, but I am open and excited to explore the various fields within general surgery.

Hobbies: I enjoy spending time reading, hiking, exercising, watching sports, playing board games/cards and relaxing with friends and family.

Alex Finn, MD
Alex Finn, MD

Hometown: Fond du Lac, WI

Medical school: University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

Why did you choose Spectrum Health for your residency/fellowship? Spectrum Health's general surgery program was appealing to me because it has the perfect mix of academic and community programs and has fantastic hospitals to train in. It will prepare me to go straight into practice out of residency while not restricting fellowship opportunities.

What are your clinical interests? I aspire to be a community general surgeon that can bring excellent and safe care to my parents.

Hobbies: I enjoy traveling to different state and national parks, hiking, camping and trying new food with my wife and two children.

Hannah Liefeld, MD
Hannah Liefeld, MD

Hometown: Williamsport, PA

Medical school: Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine

Why did you choose Spectrum Health for your residency/fellowship? The Spectrum Health faculty is top-notch, the subspecialty exposure is all-encompassing and I am confident I will receive diverse and plentiful operative experience; the supportive nature of my colleagues and co-residents is an added bonus! It sounds incredibly cliché, but my interactions with the faculty and residents on interview day ultimately sealed the deal for me!

What are your clinical interests? My clinical interests are broad, which is one of several reasons why I decided to pursue general surgery. I had wonderful experiences rotating in pediatric surgery, emergency general surgery and thoracic surgery while in medical school.

Hobbies: I enjoy playing sports and outdoor activities - hiking, biking, kayaking, skiing, etc! I also love baking, DIY projects and spending time with family and friends!

Alexandra Mouch
Alexandra Mouch, MD

Hometown: Toledo, OH

Medical school: Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine

Why did you choose Spectrum Health for your residency/fellowship? Spectrum Health provides a wide variety of both clinical and research opportunities while still allowing for a lot of operating time and hands-on experience. I enjoyed getting to know residents and faculty during my interviews and felt like they would be great people to work with. I was also really excited about moving to West Michigan.

What are your clinical interests? I am interested in general surgery as well as colorectal surgery and surgical oncology. I am looking forward to exploring my interests more throughout my residency.

Hobbies: I enjoy running, reading, swimming, being outdoors and tasting wines. I love spending time with my husband and our dog, Sadie, and being with family and friends.

Aryana Sharrak
Aryana Sharrak, MD

Hometown: West Bloomfield, MI

Medical school: Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine

Why did you choose Spectrum Health? I was born and raised in Michigan and I wanted to train as a surgeon in the community I'm from. I specifically chose Spectrum Health because I knew it provided a good balance as a hybrid program with research and high operative volume. The global health work in the surgery department was also something that attracted me to the program.

What are your clinical interests? At this time, I am excited to pursue the various subspecialties of surgery and see where my interests lie. Whichever subspecialty I choose, I plan to do global surgery work in the future.

Hobbies: I enjoy reading, Harry Potter, making jewelry, sewing, Peloton and traveling.

Douglas Snow
Douglas Snow, MD, MPH

Hometown: Alpena, MI

Medical school: Michigan State University College of Human Medicine

Why did you choose Spectrum Health for your residency/fellowship? During my sub-Internship, I was able to work with the faculty and residents. I always felt a great sense of family and hard work. They all showed a strong passion for their patients and learning.

What are your clinical interests? Coming from a small town I have become very passionate about rural surgery. Especially the role of rural access and rural recruitment.

Hobbies: Some of my hobbies are hockey, family, board games, craft beer and the great outdoors.

Dustin Tran, DO
Dustin Tran, DO

Hometown: Holland, MI

Medical school: Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine

Why did you choose Spectrum Health? I chose Spectrum Health because it is a great hybrid program with exposure to many surgical subspecialties all located in one city. As a West Michigan native, there is no place like home.

What are your clinical interests? My current clinical interest is general surgery.

Hobbies: My current hobbies are cooking, watching and playing sports such as soccer, golf and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Class of 2025

Allie Sandra Eickholtz
Allie Sandra Eickholtz, MD

Hometown: Sanford, MI

Medical School: Michigan State University College of Human Medicine

Why did you choose Spectrum Health? I chose Spectrum Health because of the people here. The attendings are invested in not just our education but also our professional development. The residents here are truly a family, they are always willing to help out.

What do you like most about your program? I'm most excited to work with my co-residents as a team. Senior residents really help foster a team environment while supporting the junior residents' education. Clinical Interests: I am interested in rural or small-town general surgery.

Living in West Michigan: I love the abundance of outdoor activities. Some favorite places include Yankee Springs State Park and Saugatuck Dunes State Park.

Hobbies: I enjoy sewing, running, hiking, and cross-country skiing.

Sophia Garfinkel
Sophia Garfinkel, MD

Hometown: West Bloomfield, MI

Medical School: Michigan State University College of Human Medicine

Why did you choose Spectrum Health? I chose Spectrum for residency because I loved everything about it on my interview day and the people that I met while on rotations. Everyone I worked was extremely knowledgeable and encouraging to me as a medical student, and someone was always there to lend a helping hand. I always felt comfortable here and I couldn't see myself training anywhere else.

What do you like most about your program? I am most looking forward to working with the residents and attending physicians. I loved the camaraderie of this program between all levels of training and the options to experience a variety of different areas of surgery . I am also looking forward to getting to know Grand Rapids and exploring West Michigan more.

Clinical Interests: I am currently interested in Acute Care Surgery but I hope to explore all different parts of surgery during my training.

Living in West Michigan: I love how beautiful it is on the West side of Michigan. I have previously lived in the Upper Peninsula and West Michigan definitely rivals the scenery and options for outdoor activities. There are also so many amazing restaurants that I cannot wait to visit.

Hobbies: When I am not working I love to work out at my favorite Crossfit gyms, watch classic movies, and enjoy time with family and friends. I am also currently trying teach myself how to cook and bake.

Ediana Hoxhallari
Ediana (Jona) Hoxhallari, MD

Hometown: New Port Richey, FL

Medical School: Michigan State University College of Human Medicine

Why did you choose Spectrum Health? As a CHM student, I did my SICU rotation at Spectrum and I absolutely loved it! I learned so much and it was clear that the residents and attendings enjoyed teaching. It was clear that the environment was caring and supportive.

What do you like most about your program? I am most excited to start doing procedures and expand my skill set. I am also looking forward to getting to know the amazing people in my program.

Clinical Interests: I am interested in specializing in trauma and critical care. I also hope to be involved in academics and teaching the next generation of physicians.

Living in West Michigan: I enjoy the diversity and liveliness of Grand Rapids, along with all the entertainment and restaurant options it offers.

Hobbies: I enjoy reading, traveling, painting, and spending time with family. One day I hope to be able to write "going to the gym" as one of my hobbies, but today is not that day.

Jesse Kelley
Jesse Kelley, MD

Hometown: Manistee, MI

Medical School: University of Michigan

Why did you choose Spectrum Health? I chose Spectrum Health because of the people. Everybody I have had the fortune of meeting has been so helpful and kind. It is clear that Spectrum Health, and its people, take pride in patient care, resident education, and serving the community.

What do you like most about your program? I am most looking forward to bonding with my co-interns during the Procedural Skills Training Sessions!

Clinical Interests: As of now, I am interested in general surgery, vascular surgery, trauma surgery, and minimally invasive surgery.

Living in West Michigan: I most enjoy the four seasons and the scenery that comes along with it!

Hobbies: I enjoy fishing, hiking, camping, canoeing/kayaking, exercising, and spending time with family and friends.

Jeremy Mormol
Jeremy Mormol, MD

Hometown: St. Louis, MO

Medical School: Rush Medical College

Why did you choose Spectrum Health? During my interview, I connected with all of the residents and faculty I interacted with and felt that I would be a good fit at this program.

What do you like most about your program? I am most looking forward to meeting my colleagues and training in a setting that will expose me to all aspects of general surgery.

Clinical Interests: I am unsure what my specific clinical interests are at the moment.

Living in West Michigan: There are lots of outdoor activities to do and interesting places to visit within a few hours drive.

Hobbies: My hobbies include exercising, cooking and playing/watching sports.

Emily Pardington-Madden
Emily Pardington-Madden, MD

Hometown: Canton, MI

Medical School: Michigan State University, College of Human Medicine

Why did you choose Spectrum Health? I chose Spectrum for residency for many reasons. I wanted a program that allowed for early operative exposure while providing opportunities for research. Location was a factor I considered, and Grand Rapids is a great city that has so much to offer, fulfilling both personal and professional needs. However, it was my surgical rotation at Spectrum that solidified this program as my number one choice for residency. The faculty and residents are incredible surgeons and phenomenal teachers, focusing not only on technical precision, but comprehensive patient care. They have cultivated an atmosphere that facilitates optimal learning without the slightest notion of malignancy. After my surgical rotation as a fourth year medical student, I knew without hesitation my number one choice for residency would be Spectrum Health.

What do you like most about your program? I look forward to the entire journey. I am entering residency ready to learn and grow, excited to accomplish professional goals, and discover new ones.

Clinical Interests: I am excited to explore the numerous surgical subspecialties throughout my five years at Spectrum and ultimately discover what my future in this profession will be.

Living in West Michigan: West Michigan is such a vibrant, beautiful part of the state. Grand Rapids has incredible restaurants and breweries, weekly music and theatre productions, a local ballet company that performs throughout the year, comedy shows, numerous festivals such as ArtPrize- I could go on and on.

Hobbies: I enjoy baking, traveling, reading, and yoga. The Grand Rapids Ballet Company has adult ballet classes that I attend when able and I love going to their performances throughout the season, The Nutcracker being a yearly staple. My fiancé and I love taking cooking classes at the Downtown Market and attempting to recreate these dishes at home. I also love movies and a good Netflix series!

Class of 2024

Douglas Beckman
Douglas Beckman, MD

Hometown: Marquette, MI

Medical School: Central Michigan University

Why did you choose Spectrum Health? The general surgery program at Spectrum Health offers not only an excellent training environment, but also a strong culture that promotes teamwork and inclusiveness. Residents from this program regularly match to desired fellowships / obtain desired jobs post-residency. In addition, the city of Grand Rapids is an excellent place to live for young professionals who are looking to start a family.

What do you like most about your program? My favorite thing about this program is the group of incredible people that it is composed of. From residents to attendings, everyone is very easy to talk to and get along with, in addition to being excellent within their profession. Having such a strong positive culture makes coming to work more enjoyable.

Clinical Interests: My clinical interests are broad at this point, but I do have some level of interest in cardiothoracic surgery.

Living in West Michigan: I enjoy that West Michigan offers ample opportunity to be outside and active - trails, lakes, beaches, dog parks, sporting arenas / fields. Another enjoyable feature of Grand Rapids specifically is the vast array of culturally diverse food and drink options.

Hobbies: My hobbies are mostly related to staying active and include running, road biking, pickup sports, playing with my dog, cooking, spending time with my wife, board / card games.

Mariam Tajalli Khan
Mariam Tajalli Khan, MD

Hometown: Saginaw, MI

Medical School: Michigan State College of Human Medicine

Why did you choose Spectrum Health? I chose Spectrum Health for my residency for a number of reasons. I had a great experience rotating with general surgery as a medical student. The residents are awesome - intelligent, hard-working, and a very fun group of people. Our attendings care a lot about our training and getting us in the OR early. Because we are a quaternary center, we have a high operative volume and get to see a lot of interesting things. I'm really glad to be here.

What do you like most about your program? I like the different types of training settings, the variety of pathology we see, and of course my co-residents!

Clinical Interests: My clinical interests surgical oncology, breast surgery, general surgery.

Living in West Michigan: There's so much to do here. I especially enjoy the music scene, indoor rock climbing, and spending time outdoors when it's not too cold.

Hobbies: My main hobbies are reading, baking, and doing yoga.

Evan Kowalski
Evan Kowalski, MD

Hometown: Commerce Township, MI

Medical School: Wayne State University School of Medicine

Why did you choose Spectrum Health? I choose Spectrum for my residency because it was the ideal mixture of community and academic General Surgery. I also love West Michigan and the city of Grand Rapids

What do you like most about your program? I really enjoy broad mixture of experiences in our program, It's rare to have a program where you can have a highly academic level 1 trauma center, an advanced MIS community hospital, and a low-income urban hospital all within a 15 minute drive. It exposes you to a variety of styles of practice and patient populations, which I find really valuable.

Clinical Interests: I am interested in Trauma and Critical Care and minimally invasive surgeries.

Living in West Michigan: I love the weather. Four beautiful seasons and Lake Michigan only a half hour drive away.

Hobbies: I enjoy reading, riding my bike, and spending time with my growing family.

Anna Levine
Anna Levine, DO

Hometown: Lansing, MI

Medical School: Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine

Why did you choose Spectrum Health? The teaching staff are engaged and eager to teach residents.

What do you like most about your program? This program builds a strong foundation involving caring for critically ill patients, research and surgical skills. The opportunities afforded to the residents are incredible.

Clinical Interests: My clinical interests are general surgery, critical care, minimally invasive.

Living in West Michigan: The outdoor recreational activities are great. We love to kayak and go for hikes. The food and drink scene is very good as well!

Hobbies: My hobbies are going kayaking, wood working and cooking.

Allison Zarnke
Allison Zarnke, MD

Hometown: Rockford, IL

Medical School: Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine

Why did you choose Spectrum Health? I chose Spectrum Health for residency because of the support available to residents and excellent operative experience.

What do you like most about your program? The kindness and support my co-residents show one another is second to none.

Clinical Interests: My clinical interests include Acute Care Surgery and Surgical Critical Care.

Living in West Michigan: Grand Rapids is an easy to navigate, affordable city with a great food scene and access to nature.

Hobbies: Outside of work I enjoy running, vacuuming my apartment, and I am strongly considering taking up golf.

Nathan Ziegler
Nathan Ziegler, MD

Hometown: Lombard, IL

Medical School: Wayne State University School of Medicine

Why did you choose Spectrum Health? It was very clear to me from my first exposure to the program that the residents here were very happy with the training they were receiving. I chose this program because of the unique intersection of being based in a system large enough to support high volume/diverse pathology, though small enough to allow for frequent opportunities for direct involvement with patient care and surgical intervention from early residency.

Clinical Interests: I am interested in working as a general surgeon after graduation.

Living in West Michigan: I love the proximity to the beach at Lake Michigan and the beauty of "Up North." I thoroughly enjoy the changing landscape of food and bars in the city, which is rapidly growing. Finally, I like the ability to live in a quiet suburb and have only a short 10 minute drive in to a moderate sized downtown area.

Hobbies: I love to camp and stay active. I play pickup basketball or volleyball whenever I get the chance, and I love to rock climb at one of the local climbing gyms.

Class of 2023

Gregory Dane Fritz
Gregory Dane Fritz, MD

Hometown: Indianapolis, IN

Medical School: Wright State University

Why did you choose Spectrum Health? I had positive interactions with every resident that I met at the interview dinner. Everyone was extremely warm and welcoming, and had nothing but positive things to say about the program. I felt confident I would receive excellent training after speaking with chief residents, who leave the program as confident, and competent surgeons.

What do you like most about your program? Everyone was extremely welcoming, and willing to help whenever needed. Our residents look out for one another, and I felt like I could reach out to any of my senior residents if I was struggling in any way.

Clinical Interests: I plan to pursue a fellowship in minimally invasive surgery.

Living in West Michigan: There is always something to do / always an event to attend. I like to stay active when I have time, and there are plenty of outdoor trails to explore as well as bike trails to ride. There are also tons of breweries here in "Beer City", as well as tons of local restaurants to check out, which I have found as a great way to connect with my co-residents. 

Hobbies: My wife and I love exploring new restaurants / nearby areas during our free time. We are less than an hour's drive away from the beach which is wonderful on post-call days. I enjoy hiking and exploring with my two dogs. I enjoy gaming, and attend cars and coffee events around town when I'm free.

Jenna Fussell
Jenna Fussell, MD

Hometown: Bettendorf, IA

Medical School: University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine

Why did you choose Spectrum Health? I could immediately tell during my interview that this program cared about their residents and was a place that would set me up to achieve whatever future I wanted within the surgical field. Grand Rapids is an amazing town with everything you could ever need to enjoy a post call day or weekend.

What do you like most about your program? My co-residents and attendings are what make this program unbeatable. The people here are truly amazing.

Clinical Interests: I really like robotic and minimally invasive surgery.

Living in West Michigan: here is so much to do in Grand Rapids. I love going to the lakes, playing beach volleyball, and having a nice patio beer somewhere downtown where I can do some people watching.

Hobbies: I play a lot of volleyball, both beach and indoor. I like to bake, go to coffee shops, and breweries.

Hatthew Haley
Matthew Haley, MD

Hometown: Flushing, MI

Medical School: Wayne State University School of Medicine

Why did you choose Spectrum Health? Exceptional people, surgical training, and community.

What do you like most about your program? The residents and attendings I'm around everyday - they're great people to work with.

Clinical Interests: My clinical interests community general surgery.

Living in West Michigan: There are countless things to do in and around Grand Rapids, and we're within arms reach of the lakeshore, Traverse City, Chicago and Detroit.

Hobbies: My hobbies include woodworking, going kayaking and fishing.

Maxwell Otto
Maxwell Otto, MD

Hometown: Park River, ND

Medical School: University of North Dakota

Why did you choose Spectrum Health? I rotated here as a visiting fourth year medical student and was impressed by how skilled the residents were at this program. The sense of trust and respect was clearly evident between the faculty and residents.

What do you like most about your program? I love the people I get to work alongside everyday. The faculty are incredible and push me to achieve my full potential and my co residents are an amazing group of individuals who are always ready to support each other whenever help is needed.

Clinical Interests: I plan to pursue a fellowship in Colorectal surgery at the end of my general surgery training.

Living in West Michigan: There is so much to do around the Grand Rapids area. I enjoy the diversity of "things to do" around this area.

Hobbies: I enjoy spending time in the outdoors doing activities such as bowhunting, fishing, and hiking. I also enjoy meeting up with friends for drinks/dinner at many of the area's restaurants.

Aamir Patel
Aamir Patel, MD

Hometown: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Medical School: University of Medicine and Health Sciences

Why did you choose Spectrum Health? Spectrum Health provided the opportunity to engage in a healthy mix of bread and butter surgical cases as well as high complexity cases due to the large catchment area which was exactly what I was looking for in a program. After arriving for my interview and meeting the residents, I immediately felt a sense of belonging and knew I could fit in with the family-like atmosphere created by program.

What do you like most about your program? The residents and faculty that you work with are phenomenal. Countless times I have heard from off-service residents and medical students about how pleasant it is working with our program.

Clinical Interests: I plan to end up in a city or town no bigger than Grand Rapids allowing myself the opportunity to practice a large breath of surgical procedures.

Living in West Michigan: Grand Rapids is a city with all the amenities of a metropolitan area but with the small town feel of community. The outdoor activities available including a number of beaches, hiking trails, ski hills (even if they can't compare to the Rockies) and multiple lakes within a short drive make the lifestyle in Grand Rapids a hidden gem.

Hobbies: I snowboard and skate in the winter time. I have recently picked up paddle boarding to go along with photography hikes. When I am at home I find myself playing video games or watching sports.

Nicole Urps
Nicole Urps, MD

Hometown: Damascus, MD

Medical School: George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences

Why did you choose Spectrum Health? I chose Spectrum Health for my residency because of its strong academics, exposure to various and numerous surgical cases and most importantly the people (attendings, staff and residents).

What do you like most about your program? I like most about my program are my co-residents! They make being at work fun and make it a safe learning environment to grow.

Clinical Interests: My clinical interests include acute care surgery, critical care, general surgery and minimally invasive surgery.

Living in West Michigan: I enjoy living in West Michigan because there is always something to do! I love how close it is to the lake for day trips and exploring nearby cities and towns. There are also a lot of outdoor activities to participate in.

Hobbies: My hobbies are running, hiking, painting, playing golf and participating in outdoor activities. I enjoy spending time with my co-residents and family when they visit!

Nathan Winkler
Nathan Winkler, MD

Hometown: Iron Mountain, MI

Medical School: Central Michigan University

Why did you choose Spectrum Health? I chose Spectrum because I saw the wonderful exposure to cases and confidence that the graduating residents had on my interviews. The attendings and peers are so welcoming and engaged in the teaching of the team as whole.

What do you like most about your program? I love the people I work with. When things get tough in residency, as they invariably do and will, I know that I will always enjoy the people I get to work with, including both my peers and my Attendings.

Clinical Interests: I would love to work as a true general surgeon in a rural environment.

Living in West Michigan: I love the proximity that west Michigan has to lake Michigan and all it has to offer. The life and activities of the city are an amazing perk as well.

Hobbies: In my spare time I like to go camping, hiking and play board games. And if there isn't enough time for that, I enjoy working on home improvement projects.