Fellows
FEL6
FEL5
FEL4
Ryan N. Best, MD
Hometown: Buena Vista, Colorado | Fort Worth, TX
Undergraduate: Texas A&M University | University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
Medical School: University of Colorado School of Medicine
Residency: Maine Medical Center
Interests / Hobbies: I enjoy playing guitar and listening to music, whether live or on my home sound system. I like woodworking, sharing and brewing craft beer, and being outdoors, especially when cycling, running and hiking.
Favorite restaurant in Portland: Little Tap House. They have great food that is mostly locally sourced, a good local beer list, and the best poutine in town (excellent local curds and amazing pot roast gravy). It was the first restaurant I visited when I interviewed for residency and is still my favorite.
Medical interests: I enjoy both critical care and pulmonary medicine. I also am passionate about education, leadership, and advocacy.
Why Maine Medical Center?: I moved to Maine for residency after completing medical school in Denver, Colorado. Since arriving, I have come to love both the city and the hospital. MMC is very professional but not overly formal and takes a collaborative approach to patient care. It is a relatively large tertiary care academic center but is small enough that you get to know people on a first name basis, from supervising physicians to nurses and support staff.
Michael D. Jaeger, MD
Hometown: Minneapolis, MN
Undergraduate: St. John's University
Medical School: University of Minnesota
Residency: Hennepin County Medical Center
Interests / Hobbies: Being active and outdoors, either running or biking; traveling and experiencing new cultures.
Alison Fluke
Hometown: Ambler, PA
Undergraduate: Virginia Tech
Medical School: Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine - Virginia Campus
Residency: Internal Medicine-Pediatrics at Maine Medical Center
Interests / Hobbies: hiking, snowboarding, paddle-boarding, fishing, running, spin classes
Favorite restaurant in Portland: Honey Paw or Woodford's
Medical interests: Neuromuscular disease, critical care
Why Maine Medical Center?: The people! I loved that the focus was on being an excellent clinical training program where you get to learn from fantastic teachers/mentors who genuinely care about your success. Portland is also an excellent place to live and provides a nice quality of life outside of the hospital.
Christopher Roy
Hometown: Cape Elizabeth, Maine
Undergraduate: The George Washington University
Medical School: The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Residency: Boston University School of Medicine
Interests / Hobbies: Hiking, sailing, skiing
Favorite restaurant in Portland: Duckfat
Medical interests: Critical Care Ultrasonography, Venous Thromboembolism, Patient Safety/Quality Improvement
Why Maine Medical Center?: The department's teaching faculty consistently demonstrate a strong dedication to the kind of mentorship that is key to fostering robust professional growth in trainees. The camaraderie amongst fellows has also proven an invaluable feature of the program.
Ali Al-Hilli
Hometown: Wimbledon, England
Undergraduate: Biomedical Sciences & Toxicology
Medical School: Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poland (E.U.)
Interests / Hobbies: Soccer, tennis, cycling, kayaking, cooking, gardening, and travelling
Medical interests: In addition to my main interest in Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine, I very much enjoy caring for medically complex patients with multiple organ system pathologies, geriatric medicine, palliative care, medical education, and Point-of-Care Ultrasonography. I have always enjoyed being an advocate for patients. Before moving to Maine I held several leadership roles at the Wisconsin Medical Society, which enabled me to take patient advocacy to the State legislative level.
Favorite weekend destination: A picnic by the seaside
Favorite Maine activity: Looking forward the great outdoors of Maine. Hoping to go camping, kayaking, surfing and may be even learn to sail
What did you do before medical school: Worked as a research scientist in developing novel treatments to help restore body tissues damaged by trauma, burns, cancer or birth defects
Craziest / Best / Worst Job: The craziest job I had was at Fun Time Entertainment in London when I was a teen. We travelled as a crew setting up inflatable rides for outdoor parties. It was so nice to interact with people of all ages and watch them enjoy a great day out. I was often manning the Gladiator Joust, and never turned down a duel from anyone foolish enough to challenge me!
Why Maine Medical Center: I was looking for more than a great training program. Life can get intense in the Critical Care field so I was looking for a place with great colleagues that I can trust, rely on, and connect with. My interview with Maine Medical Center’s faculty and fellows was such a pleasant experience. I knew I wanted to work alongside those wonderful people, who will essentially be my family outside of home. Being in Portland is a big plus too, my family and I love the ocean and sea food.
If I wasn’t a doctor, I would be a… A rocket scientist or a pilot
Favorite restaurant in Portland: There seem to be so many amazing restaurants here. Too early to speak of a favorite yet but I’m all ears for recommendations