Education Update

Published on Monday, November 4, 2024

The 2024-2025 Education Division 

• Vice Chair of Education - Dr. Brian Tollefson
• Residency Program Director - Dr. Jonah Gunalda
• Associate Program Directors - Dr. John Pettey Sandifer, Dr. Neal Glover, Dr. Joshua Norman
• Clerkship Director - Dr. Joshua Norman
• Assistant Clerkship Directors - Dr. Allison Barrett, Dr. Nick Hoda 
• Medical Toxicology Fellowship Director - Dr. David Vearrier
• EMS Fellowship Director - Dr. John McCarter
• Sports Medicine Fellowship Director - Dr. Brian Tollefson

We rang in the new academic year by filling all 16 of our PGY-1 positions in the NRMP Match. This was a substantial achievement given the national downtrend in EM match rates in the previous 2 years. We attribute this to our enhanced recruiting efforts and the continued strength of our training program.

The residency program was also awarded Continued Accreditation status by the ACGME , as was our Primary Care Sports Medicine fellowship.

Our Medical Toxicology fellowship was awarded Initial Accreditation status by ACGME. 

After the announcement of the new ABEM Certifying Exam that begins in 2026, we are developing instructional materials to prepare our residents to prepare for passing their boards after graduation.

Our intern class completed their month-long Orientation Program in Emergency Medicine (OPEM). We continue to provide world-class training, including a pepper spray self-defense demo by Dr. Andy Anderson and a procedure lab with pericardiocentesis and Minnesota tube insertion for acute upper GI hemorrhage

Finally, we have assembled a Strategic Planning Committee to evaluate and establish best practices for our education division, including recruitment efforts, instructional modalities, and faculty engagement.

We continue to strive for excellence in education and aim to prepare our trainees for independent practice.

Jonah Gunalda, MD

Residency Program Director