2025 Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education Awards

Dr. Balasubramanian completed his internal medicine training at Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh, typically ranked as one of the top medical schools in India. Fueled by a deep passion for medical advancements, he made the challenging decision to move to the United States, knowing it meant repeating his residency training. Thereafter, he moved to New York City where he redid his internal medicine residency at Jacobi Medical Center – Albert Einstein College of Medicine. His path to Mayo Clinic was paved by the overwhelming support of his program director and department chair. 

Dr. Balasubramanian’s clinical performance has been outstanding and aspirational. His demeanor is best described as humbly confident. His “listen first” approach has made him a favorite amongst his patients as well as colleagues. He exudes compassion and respect for all parties. He has been the recipient of innumerable letters written by patients regarding their satisfaction with care provided, with the following summarizing much of the sentiment: “Dr. Prasanth has been so personal, available, responsive, knowledgeable, thorough and proactive with us and has gained our utmost confidence and appreciation. We wanted you to know just how impressed we both have been with Mayo Clinic in general and Dr. Prasanth in particular.” His bedside manner and clinical skills place him in a category above his peers. His In-Service and USMLE scores match this excellence. Dr. Balasubramanian’s dedication to self-excellence and his drive to change the status quo position him to be a potential disrupter in his field. Given his current focus in the fields of lung transplantation and regenerative medicine for advanced lung diseases, his clinical interests match his drive for innovation. His passion and performance have resulted in his final year focus on further experience in lung transplantation, with plans for him to join as a staff member following his graduation in 2025. Despite the burden of achieving these lofty goals, he continues to find time to give back to the community, regularly volunteering at a local health clinic. 

It became noticeably clear early on that Dr. Balasubramanian had a strong drive toward excellence in the education arena. Within his first six months, he was awarded a grant from the Mayo Clinic Global Health Program to procure an ultrasound machine and provide training for point-of-care ultrasound to 50 providers in India, including postgraduate trainees in internal medicine and general surgery. This started with him taking personal time to travel to India to deliver the machine and provide initial instruction, with subsequent training provided in virtual format. This was not his first humanitarian effort. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, while he was a resident, he founded a free teleconsultation program to assist with care of COVID-19 patients in India, which provided over 1,000 consults. In addition, he started a YouTube channel “Medicine Made Easy,” providing animation videos for medical education. As a trainee at Mayo Clinic, he has organized and led hands-on workshops in biostatistics attended by fellows, research trainees and staff consultants. In addition, he has been a faculty member at an annual critical care boot camp, as well as continuing medical education events on ECMO and point-of-care ultrasound. Residents who work with him consistently praise his education style, and his peers in the fellowship recognized his excellence by voting him chief fellow of the training program. 

In addition to advancing the science through medical literature, Dr. Balasubramanian is quietly becoming a national figure with presentations at international conferences including CHEST, ATS, ISHLT and AABIP. His command of and interest in biostatistics is also noteworthy and best exemplified by a recently published meta-analysis which included 363 studies, the largest meta-analysis to date in the field of interventional pulmonology. He has been awarded a grant looking into the ability of artificial intelligence to analyze CT images and body composition to predict frailty and outcomes in patients undergoing lung transplant. He and the Critical Care Research Subcommittee have received funding to evaluate the value of low-dose tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) infusion for submassive pulmonary embolism. 

“Dr. Balasubramanian’s selfless drive to advance medical science, promote medical education to his immediate surroundings as well as those far away, and provide exemplary care to his patients is truly awe-inspiring. Prasanth’s core values closely align with those of the founding physicians of Mayo Clinic, and I expect him to be a standout as a future addition to our institution.” Neal Patel, M.D.

Dr. Findlay is a PGY-6 completing a Trauma and Genitourinary Reconstruction Fellowship at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. She received her medical degree from Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and completed her urology residency training at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. 

Dr. Findlay is a natural leader, likely stemming from her years playing collegiate soccer where she earned multiple awards for her academics, leadership and character, and subsequent tutoring of medical students. She has served on her department’s Marketing Committee and was selected to lead the Resident Interview Committee for incoming residency applicants. She delivers lectures to medical students, and on a more intimate level teaches junior residents and students within the department in small group settings. She is well-respected by her trainee colleagues and has mentored several junior residents both clinically as well as in their research projects. Women make up just under 11% of the urology workforce; her work studying gender disparity in surgical specialties has led and inspired others across the field to further evaluate this and enact advocacy and action. Thus, her impact is considerably magnified and will be for generations to come. 

Dr. Findlay quickly demonstrated her ability to learn, adapt and apply knowledge and surgical prowess throughout her years of training. Evaluations consistently describe her outstanding clinical and surgical skills, efficiency, teamwork and tireless work ethic. Themes throughout her evaluations state she is a “Superstar!” “Staff material,” and “One of the best residents I have ever trained.” 

Dr. Findlay enjoys the academic environment and is committed to education. She did an outstanding job serving as chief resident associate during her final year of urology residency training. Working in a surgical specialty that encompasses many procedures, each with their unique skill sets, she has seamlessly ascended from resident to clinical teaching fellow to pass on her knowledge. Junior residents continue to express sincere gratitude for her patience, effective teaching, and ability to deliver feedback to advance their skills and increase their confidence. She was selected to participate in the Clinician Educator Pathway Program at Mayo Clinic, a year-long didactic and small group program for development of future clinician-educators. 

Despite not having a dedicated research rotation, Dr. Findlay has been extremely productive in her research endeavors. She has contributed to 29 peer-reviewed, original articles, including 15 as first author. She also produced four video abstracts, 10 editorial commentaries, and two articles in a national association newsletter. She has given podium presentations at the regional, national and international level to multiple urologic specialty societies. She has a strong, confident presence in delivering presentations on these stages, with many attendees applauding her exceptional delivery and outstanding work. 

“Dr. Findlay embodies all facets of a three-shield surgeon. She continually displays the highest integrity, treats everyone with respect, and is a true servant-leader. Her talent and potential have been recognized in that our colleagues in Arizona have hired her as a Mayo Clinic Scholar, and she will join their team next summer as their first genitourinary and reconstructive urology surgeon. I have no doubt she will continue to have a significant and positive impact on our field throughout her career.” 

Boyd Viers, M.D. 

Dr. Gile is a PGY-6 in the Hematology/ Oncology Fellowship. She graduated at the top of her class from the University of Colorado School of Medicine with Alpha Omega Alpha designation, demonstrating academic excellence from the outset of her career. Mayo Clinic was fortunate to recruit Dr. Gile for her internal medicine residency, where she continued to set the bar for excellence: Dr. Gile earned multiple awards for both her clinical acumen and research, including the Outstanding Research Achievement Award in 2022. Dr. Gile continued her training at Mayo Clinic in the Hematology/ Oncology Fellowship in 2022. 

Throughout her training, Dr. Gile has demonstrated an outstanding clinical acumen and commitment to providing the highest quality patient care. Her clinical performance has been recognized by patients, peers and faculty alike, as demonstrated by multiple awards and recognitions during her training. Her patient satisfaction scores during fellowship have been exemplary, with every patient survey resulting in top ratings. She also garnered many accolades through Mayo Clinic’s patient experience office, highlighting her dedication to patient-centered care. Most recently, she was honored with the prestigious Top Performing Provider Award in Hematology (the only Hematology fellow to receive it this year), underscoring her unwavering commitment to excellence in clinical practice. 

Dr. Gile’s patient care is distinguished by an unwavering commitment to individualized treatment and holistic care, often going above and beyond expectations. A prime example of this is her compassionate and innovative care for a young woman with refractory and rapidly progressive head and neck cancer. Dr. Gile obtained next-generation sequencing of the tumor and found an HRAS mutation. Although FDA-approved treatments do not yet exist for an HRAS mutation, she searched the literature and found a drug currently in early-phase clinical trials. Without skipping a beat, Dr. Gile created a single patient investigational new drug application for compassionate use of this medication and received approval for it in an expedited fashion. Most importantly, Dr. Gile’s behind-the-scenes efforts were paramount to this patient’s care, who is now in complete remission, working full time, and spending time with her husband and teenage children. This case exemplifies Dr. Gile’s dedication to cutting-edge and patient-centered care, in alignment with Mayo Clinic values of putting the needs of the patients first. 

In the scholarly realm, Dr. Gile has embraced the third shield of Mayo Clinic and is an accomplished researcher. Dr. Gile’s accomplishments in hematology research as a fellow began during her internal medicine residency and provided a foundation for her to transform her translational research endeavors into patient care and a clinical trial. Under ongoing mentorship from Mayo Clinic hematologist Thomas Witzig, M.D., Dr. Gile’s productivity as a trainee at Mayo Clinic is outstanding. She has published more than 20 peer-reviewed articles in high-impact journals, including a first-author publication in Blood, the most prestigious hematology journal with an impact factor over 20. Dr. Gile presented this work, amongst others, at multiple national and international conferences. Dr. Gile was selected for the Minority Resident Hematology Award Program from the American Society of Hematology (ASH) and showcased her research as an oral presentation at the 2022 ASH Annual Meeting, a distinguished recognition of her research work. 

Dr. Gile is also consistently engaged in teaching activities for the Internal Medicine Residency. She frequently delivers excellent morning conferences, chalk talks and education during service rounds. During fellowship, Dr. Gile has received excellent feedback from residents rotating through various hematology and oncology services. 

Dr. Gile’s humanitarian efforts are equally noteworthy. As a first-generation college student and physician, she is acutely aware of the challenges faced by underrepresented groups and has made it her mission to help others achieve their goals. She was awarded the prestigious Gates Millennium Scholarship during her senior year in high school, which enabled her to pursue a college degree. She serves as a mentor within the Gates Millennium Scholars Program, supporting college students in their academic journeys. Dr. Gile also works with Scholarship Junkies, an organization that assists high school students in navigating the college and scholarship application process. 

“Dr. Jennifer Gile exemplifies the qualities this award seeks to honor. Her clinical excellence, compassionate and humble nature, prolific and productive research, passion for education, and commitment to humanitarianism set her apart as a leader at Mayo Clinic and in the broader field of hematology/oncology. We are confident Dr. Gile will continue to make significant contributions to the Mayo Clinic community and the medical profession.” 

Timothy Hobday, M.D.

Dr. Lu graduated from Yale University with a Bachelor of Science in psychology in 2015. She attended Washington University School of Medicine, where she was inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society, and Arizona State University, where she earned her master’s in healthcare delivery. She joined Mayo Clinic in 2019, starting off strong as the Intern of the Year. She is set to graduate this June. She has achieved Silver Certification as a Mayo Clinic Quality fellow and received the Golden Stethoscope Award from Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine as well as the Academic Proficiency Award in 2021. 

Dr. Lu truly embodies a three-shield approach to her practice. First, her patient care is exemplary. She approaches each patient with a tender, compassionate, curious and respectful manner. She has a confident, calming presence that can visibly relax patients in the preoperative setting. She weaves in humor at the right times and has an empathetic directness that is clear and concise. Though she has a soft touch, it is driven by a steely resolve and sense of purpose that gets the job done right the first time. She is reliable and prepared at every turn. She is a relentless patient advocate. 

Dr. Lu is committed to and has excelled in the scholarly realm. She has been a resident teacher for Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine and serves as a mentor in the general surgery interest group. Teaching is a way of life for her, and seemingly effortless — she teaches patients in the clinic, medical students on rounds and junior residents in the operating room. She does this deftly with both medical knowledge and the many technical skills of surgery. She seeks to understand where her learner is and meets them there without judgment. This was reflected in her selection for the Golden Stethoscope Award, an honor for residents chosen by the Mayo Clinic medical students for excellence in teaching. Regarding her own education, she has routinely scored well on her in-training exams and has already passed her written boards for general surgery. She has been accepted to a fellowship in endocrine surgery at the University of Chicago next year. She is interested in working at an academic institution after finishing fellowship to continue teaching residents and medical students. 

She values research and makes time to do it. While juggling a busy surgical residency, she has managed to publish 10 peer-reviewed articles and has three more forthcoming. She took a year for research and during that year presented either a poster or had an oral presentation at every major vascular surgery conference. She has given six oral presentations at national conferences and five poster presentations. In addition, she completed her master’s in the science of healthcare delivery from Arizona State University during her research year. She recognizes clinical questions that need answers and practices evidence-based medicine. 

Perhaps most importantly, her character and spirit truly embody Mayo Clinic values. She is honest, reliable and fair. She has a knack for connecting residents and building community. She can be counted on to get the job done well the first time, without prompting. She always does the right thing and advocates for her patients, even if that means more work for her. She wants to be the one to get the call to check on patients in order to keep a close an eye on them. 

“Dr. Patty Lu is the doctor that you want as your surgeon, your colleague, your collaborator and your friend. Her curiosity, steadfast character, exemplary technical skills, passion to educate and research, and pure joie de vivre is, I believe, the embodiment of what the Mayo brothers would hope for to carry on the torch of their mission. She is a credit to us all.” 

Megan Nelson, M.D.

Dr. Lund completed her undergraduate education at Massachusetts Institute of Technology where she received a degree in brain and cognitive sciences with a minor in chemistry. She then matriculated at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine. Dr. Lund is PGY-5 and chief resident in the General Surgery Residency. 

Dr. Lund exemplifies the Mayo Clinic values of respect, integrity, compassion, healing, teamwork and excellence. Dr. Lund is a clinician and resident like no other. She is a masterful surgeon and even better human being. Her commitment to education and patient care reflects a profound respect for learners and patients alike. She approaches challenges with integrity, seeking solutions that prioritize the well-being of both her colleagues and patients. Dr. Lund’s compassion is evident in her mentorship of junior residents and her efforts to create a supportive learning environment. Her leadership in initiatives that promote collaboration and inclusion further underscore her alignment with the Mayo Clinic values, making her an outstanding representative of the institution’s mission. 

Dr. Lund’s clinical performance has been outstanding and aspirational. Her humility and dedication are evident in the work she does. Her clinical acumen is evidenced by her recognition with the Jon A. van Heerden Award for meticulous patient care in 2024. 

This accolade highlights the unwavering commitment she has to patient-centered care, a quality she embodies in every aspect of her practice. Dr. Lund is an outstanding surgeon whose advanced skills are consistently recognized by the Department of Surgery faculty. Her professional evaluations highlight her practice readiness, with numerous assessments indicating that she has progressed more rapidly than many of her peers throughout her residency. Patients recognize Dr. Lund as their lead physician and surgeon. She takes ownership of every interaction with her patients and their families, demonstrating a profound commitment to their well-being. Dr. Lund addresses all questions and concerns with empathy and care, ensuring that her patients feel supported and valued. 

Dedication to scholarly work and commitment to advancing the field of education science have been consistent throughout Dr. Lund’s training. Her research focuses on critical areas such as residency recruitment, procedural assessment validity and bias in surgical education. She has produced 39 peer-reviewed publications, with 18 as first author, and delivered over 65 national presentations. Her involvement in the Association for Surgical Education’s (ASE) Surgical Education Research Fellowship reflects her dedication to addressing the pressing challenges in surgical education. Notably, she secured an ASE grant for her work on validating virtual assessments of laparoscopic skills, showcasing her ability to innovate in the field. Her dedication to surgical education deepened during her two-year American College of Surgeons- Accredited Education Institutes-accredited (ACS-AEI) simulation fellowship, where she developed and led over 60 simulation sessions for general surgery interns, introducing innovative topics such as implicit bias and difficult conversations. This work culminated in the development of 16 simulation sessions and 23 procedural models, demonstrating her ability to blend creativity with educational effectiveness. Dr. Lund’s peers recognize her teaching excellence; she was selected as a finalist for the ACS Resident Award for Exemplary Teaching in 2022. 

“Dr. Sarah Lund is an exemplary physician. Her achievements in education, research, leadership and clinical practice illustrate her dedication to the field of medicine and her potential to drive meaningful change in surgical education. I have witnessed firsthand her remarkable accomplishments in education, research, leadership and clinical practice. I wholeheartedly support her and have no doubt she will continue to inspire those around her.” 

Mariela Rivera, M.D.

Dr. Lauren Webb is a PGY-4 in the Adult Neurology Residency. Dr. Webb graduated summa cum laude from the University of Delaware Honors Program with a Distinction in Research. She earned her medical degree at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine where she had a full Merit Scholarship and was inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society. She completed her intern year at Mayo Clinic in Rochester where she was recognized as the Preliminary Intern of the Year in 2022. 

Dr. Webb has exemplified Mayo Clinic values during her training. She has excelled in multiple capacities with strengths including compassionate clinical care, community outreach, education, administration and research. She is a leader and is currently serving as one of our chief residents. With the numerous and prestigious awards that have been bestowed upon her, she is in a class of her own. Her resident colleagues recognize her talents, voting to give her the residency’s Mayo Clinic Values Award in 2023 for embodying the Mayo Clinic values of respect, compassion, integrity, healing, teamwork, excellence, innovation and stewardship. Despite her incredible accomplishments, she is perhaps the humblest physician one will ever meet. 

Dr. Webb’s clinical acumen is outstanding, and she delivers the highest quality of care to her patients. She is bright and applies knowledge with a consistently patient- and family-centered perspective. Her work ethic is unparalleled, and it shows in her expansive clinical knowledge. Comments on evaluations include: An all-star in her class. She has a strong work ethic and embodies the Mayo ideal of “the needs of the patient come first.” She is truly an amazing and competent physician. Superb neurology trainee. Goes above and beyond for her patients consistently. Extremely conscientious and diligent in her approach and very caring of patients. Very organized presentations and excellent neurologic exam. Will be an outstanding neuro-oncologist. 

Academically, Dr. Webb has a career goal to be a clinician-educator. She was chosen to be one of two senior residents to teach the five-week Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine neuroscience course. She is passionate about education and as a teaching assistant for neuroanatomy contributed to the design and implementation of FUNctional Neuroanatomy, a selective offered to medical students. She has received outstanding evaluations for her clinical teaching. She readily looks for teaching opportunities while skillfully leading the child neurology service and is well organized in her formal teaching presentations. After receiving one of the top scores in our residency neuroanatomy course, she returned as a senior to serve as a teaching assistant, shepherding junior residents through the lab and presenting illustrative cases. She is also taking part in the Neurology Clinician-Educator Program, an elective course that spans a two-year period and includes an educational project. 

Dr. Webb has been a scholar and leader throughout her training. She truly takes a patient-centered approach to scholarly activity in addition to her clinical duties, educational roles and volunteerism. She has worked with multiple consultants on research projects and has had impressive productivity with 21 publications, nine of which were published in 2024 alone. In 2023 and 2024, she has been first or second author on eight published manuscripts, with more projects in submission and in the works, highlighting her incredible drive and work ethic in taking projects to completion. Dr. Webb has presented her work around the globe and is active in neurologic societies including the Society for Neuro-Oncology. 

“The vision of our residency program is to train future leaders in neurology; Dr. Webb is an outstanding clinician, community leader, educator and future academic neuro-oncologist. I am grateful for the opportunity to be her program director and while my praise may seem effusive, it is earned and still does not do justice to what this young neurologist can do and will do in her career. I have no doubt that she will succeed in all that she does and know that she will do it while leading with Mayo Clinic values.” 

Elizabeth Coon, M.D. 

Dr. Dunleavy graduated from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and completed her internal medicine residency at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, where she was president of the Graduate Medical Education House Staff Council during COVID-19. She then completed her Gastroenterology and Hepatology Fellowship at Mayo Clinic in 2024. Currently, she is in the Advanced Inflammatory Bowel Disease Fellowship at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. 

One of her greatest strengths lies in her commitment to contribute to humanitarian efforts. Most impressive is her willingness to work toward addressing heath disparities. She volunteered to bring awareness to gastrointestinal and liver disease at Rochester Pride Festival in 2022 and 2023. Additionally, Dr. Dunleavy participated in planting a vegetable garden and in raising funds for a medical exam room at The Landing, a day shelter for people experiencing homelessness in Rochester. 

In 2024, Dr. Dunleavy traveled to Rwanda for a month with GI Rising, a nonprofit organization of international healthcare professionals with a mission to improve gastrointestinal care in Rwanda through local sustainable initiatives. Prior to her trip, Dr. Dunleavy organized a bake sale; through this and in-kind donations she raised close to $10,000 for GI Rising. Additionally, Dr. Dunleavy secured the donation of four brand new iPads and uploaded them with GI board review and other educational materials to provide to the inaugural class of trainees at the only GI fellowship training program in Rwanda. While in Rwanda, Dr. Dunleavy participated daily in direct patient care, teaching, endoscopy and relationship building. She had the opportunity to present on topics including introduction to GI history and physical examination and bedside teaching. Dr. Dunleavy was assigned to Butaro District Hospital, a unique 240-bed hospital and cancer center in rural Rwanda where she performed and taught endoscopy with appropriate supervision. Dr. Dunleavy witnessed firsthand the direct impact of medical education as lessons she taught were applied to patient care in the moment. Since returning home, Dr. Dunleavy has been invited to join the Board of Directors for GI Rising and she hopes to continue collaborating for the future of GI care in Rwanda and other underserved countries. 

Dr. Dunleavy has stood out as an ally for patient advocacy. She has taken the lead in an initiative to support patient advocacy in our division. Dr. Dunleavy approached divisional leadership to suggest having a patient advocate come to speak at divisional Grand Rounds during March 2024 for colon cancer awareness month. This presentation was well received by all who attended. 

Based on this work, Dr. Dunleavy published an article in American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) Magazine outlining her patient advocacy work, which highlights the importance of encouraging patients to tell their stories. In the article, Dr. Dunleavy outlines various ways to improve patient/provider interactions. 

As a testament to her commitment to serve and lead, Dr. Dunleavy has been a member of numerous institutional and society committees, including the Wellness Committee for the Mayo Fellows’ Association, the Trainee Well-Being Subcommittee for MCSGME, the ACG Digital Communications and Publications Committee and the ACG Women in GI Committee. 

Dr. Dunleavy is an exceptional clinician as highlighted by her recognition as a Mayo Clinic Experience Top Performing Provider in 2022. She has excelled in scholarly activity and embraced the third shields of Mayo Clinic. Dr. Dunleavy has published numerous impactful manuscripts, including an important study investigating intestinal permeability in patients with inflammatory bowel disease as way to detect active inflammation. She has presented her research at several GI conferences, including the prestigious Digestive Disease Week, where she served as an invited faculty for the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Postgraduate Course in 2023. During her GI fellowship, she completed the Center for Clinical and Translational Science certificate program with a concentration in clinical trials and served as editor for ACG Magazine. 

Upon completing her fellowship at Mayo Clinic, Dr. Dunleavy will join the IBD faculty within the gastroenterology division at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, where she will continue to pursue her passion for clinical research, education and exceptional patient care. 

“Dr. Dunleavy is one of the most compassionate and talented fellows in our program who excels across all three Mayo Clinic shields. Dr. Dunleavy stands out for her humanitarian efforts to better the lives of community members and patients and provide educational opportunities to trainees from limited-resourced countries.” 

Douglas Simonetto, M.D.

During her intern year, Dr. Jackson happened to mention to her program director that she would be attending the Student National Medical Association (SNMA) conference to represent Mayo Clinic, specifically saying, “I want people to know that Mayo Clinic looks like me.” SNMA is a vital national organization dedicated to supporting underrepresented individuals in medicine. Initially, Dr. Jackson planned to use her vacation time as well as her personal funds for registration, flight and hotel expenses. However, after sharing her plans with program leadership, she was able to adjust these to be approved trip days and funding. Her willingness to attend and represent Mayo Clinic on her own dime because the conference was so important to her is truly remarkable. Several residency applicants have shared that meeting Dr. Jackson at the SNMA conference inspired them to apply to the Internal Medicine Residency at Mayo Clinic. Dr. Jackson’s impactful discussion of her experience was one of the main foundational arguments for the MCASOM Excellence in Travel Grant initiated in 2024, awarded to learners interested in showcasing their scholarly research and/ or developing their professional skills and networks by attending conferences. She attended the SNMA conference again, this time representing Mayo Clinic as a second-year resident. 

In her second year of residency, Dr. Jackson was invited as one of five panelists (the only trainee among them) for a Black History Month event at Mayo Clinic in Florida. The new Black Heritage MERG leadership team has since requested to connect with her for guidance on the Florida campus. Dr. Jackson has traveled to several college campuses across North Florida, speaking to underrepresented minorities. She shares her personal journey, answers questions about the path to residency, and highlights why Mayo Clinic is one of the best training programs. 

She has partnered with Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education’s diversity, equity and inclusion team to represent the Florida Internal Medicine Residency at an enterprise-wide open house recruiting event highlighting the inclusive environment at Mayo Clinic. Additionally, she has participated in planning meetings for the Center for Health Equity and Community Engagement Research and served as an ad-hoc member of the Community Engagement Committee. 

Dr. Jackson has been intentional in promoting diversity and inclusion not only within the Florida campus but also across the Mayo Clinic Enterprise and nationally through her participation in SNMA events. She exemplifies leadership and excellence in her commitment to fostering diversity within the medical community. 

Dr. Park initiated the research project from its conceptualization, extracting data through Mayo Data Explorer, reviewing medical records, conducting the initial data analysis and more. He wrote the original manuscript, which is currently under peer review, and presented the findings in poster and oral formats at regional and national conferences. This project investigated racial disparities in the application of physical restraints and administration of intramuscular medications in emergency psychiatric care at the Rochester campus of Mayo Clinic. Analysis of a cohort of 525 patients awaiting admission to the acute psychiatric inpatient unit in 2022 found that Black patients were three times as likely to experience physical restraints in the Emergency Department as compared to non-Black patients, even after adjusting for sociodemographic and clinical factors. This primary outcome and other findings of racial disparities suggest that these disparities arise from a complex interplay of individual, interpersonal and systemic factors. Through the interpretation of these findings at multiple levels, the project proposed potential actionable steps, such as implementing objective agitation measures, enhancing early de-escalation training, recruiting diverse healthcare professionals, and promoting shared decision-making starting in the early phase of treatment. 

The outcomes of Dr. Park’s project can be replicated across the Mayo Clinic enterprise by implementing similar data-driven approaches to identify and address healthcare disparities in other departments. He has been involved in another project addressing healthcare disparities in pediatric psychiatric ED patients. If similar racial disparities not only in the application of physical restraints but also other clinical outcome measures are identified in other settings, targeted institutional policies and educational initiatives could be implemented at multiple levels. Key similar strategies would be utilizing objective measures, training staff, and enhancing institutional policies to increase racial diversity in healthcare professionals and support further healthcare disparity research in a large scale beyond the Mayo Clinic. 

Dr. Ungerer proposed the idea for this project after he observed that percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) patients frequently encountered barriers to being discharged on post-op day 1, which can lead to missed transportation, challenges arranging logistics and picking up prescriptions, delays in room turnovers, and adverse impacts on patient experience. In consultation with unit nursing leaders, he identified the enterprise discharge by noon initiative as an achievable goal for appropriate PCNL patients. He approached Kevin Koo, M.D., his residency mentor, about initiating a quality improvement (QI) project to study the causes of delayed discharges. Dr. Ungerer subsequently led the project through all phases of development, execution and dissemination, including approval by the Quality Academy, each phase of the Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control (DMAIC) framework, and presentation at Department of Urology Grand Rounds and to nursing teams. The project aim was to increase the hospital discharges completed by noon following percutaneous nephrolithotomy by 66% from 15% to 25% by June 2024 without adversely impacting the clinical contact within 30 days of hospital discharge. Using the DMAIC QI framework, the team assembled a multidisciplinary team of stakeholders and successfully implemented a multipronged intervention that achieved and sustained their goal. 

Through self-directed learning and multidisciplinary collaboration, Dr. Ungerer took ownership of this project and guided the team at each step of the DMAIC process. He identified relevant stakeholders and assembled a diverse project team. He learned to use several QI tools to address important aspects of the project, including stakeholder analysis, fishbone diagram, effort-impact grid and Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle analysis. He independently designed and implemented a new Plummer Chart order set to maximize the impact of the other interventions. He documented and communicated the results of the QI project, which far exceeded the target for success, to his peers and colleagues to sustain the improvement. His project now serves as a model for trainee-led QI in the Department of Urology. 

Dr. Sterner is a pathology chief resident and the chief resident representative on the Department of Laboratory Medicine Graduate Medical Education Well-Being Committee. Dr. Sterner is an active member on the committee and deeply cares about the importance of well-being in the practice of medicine. This committee funds awards and grants for trainee-initiated and trainee-focused wellness events. Since 2023, Dr. Sterner has organized a Pathology Pet Show wellness event for pathology residents and fellows. In 2024, it was expanded to incorporate the entire Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology by joining forces with the Anatomic Pathology Joy Team, another wellness initiative in the department. 

The Pathology Pet Show involves DLMP residents and fellows sharing photos of and short essays about their pets, explaining how they bring wellness to their pet and how their pet brings wellness to them. Trainees present their pet photos and essays at the awards ceremony. Participants receive a trophy and pet toys/treats for participating in the Pathology Pet Show. Through this initiative, participants reflect on how pets can help bring physical, emotional and social wellness to their lives. Trainees wrote thoughtful and fun essays about their pets, and the department experienced emotional and social wellness. Participants took the toys/treats they received from the Pathology Pet Show and took pictures of their pets enjoying them after the show and shared them with the department. Over 60 people from the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology participated in the most recent event, at least doubling the participation from the previous year. 

Dr. Sterner also volunteers with Mayo Clinic Caring Canines. She and her therapy dog Sadie, a long coat chihuahua, enjoy visiting with staff, residents, fellows, visitors and patients to help bring them wellness. Dr. Sterner and Sadie always make a point to visit with the residents and fellows every time they go volunteering. Many of the trainees comment that this is truly “wellness at work” and the “high point” of their day. In their spare time, Sadie and Dr. Sterner show at dog shows. It was this combination of volunteering through Caring Canines and the fun competition of dog shows that inspired the idea of the Pathology Pet Show.