Residents
PGY 5
PGY 4
PGY 3
PGY 2
PGY 1
Jordan Caffe, M.D.
PGY 2
Undergraduate: Northwestern University
Medical School: Rush Medical College
Interests / Hobbies: Sailing, fishing, kayaking, baking, knitting
Favorite place in Maine: Acadia National Park
Medical interests: Intensive Care, Trauma, Medical Device Design, Robotic Surgery
Favorite weekend destination: Phillips Lake
Favorite Maine activity: Anything on/in the water
What did you do before medical school: Medical Assistant in Dermatology
Personal goals: Make macarons without hollow shells, restore an old sailboat and become a great surgeon
Craziest / Best / Worst Job: Prototyping Shop Assistant at Northwestern
Why Maine Medical Center: Always a dream to practice medicine in Maine. Learning about MMC, I knew I wanted the blend of academics and community with great well-rounded training and the resident/faculty sense of family that is here.
Celebrity I most resemble: Tom Cruise (or so I’ve been told)
If I wasn’t a doctor, I would be a…marine biologist or run my own cafe
Favorite restaurant in Portland: The Holy Donut
Meredith Elman, M.D.
PGY 2
Hometown: Washington, D.C.
Undergraduate: New York University
Medical School: Tufts University School of Medicine
Interests / Hobbies: live performances, television, movies, snacks, perusing dog adoption websites
Favorite place in Maine: TBD, excited to find out!
Medical interests: surgical oncology, breast, HPB
Favorite weekend destination: Netflix / my couch
Favorite Maine activity: eating lobster
What did you do before medical school: worked as a research assistant at the NIH
Personal goals: hike the Inca trail, own more house plants
Craziest / Best / Worst Job: retail / camp counselor / retail
Why Maine Medical Center: I did an acting internship as a medical student, really enjoyed my time here, and felt MMC was a place I could be happy.
Celebrity I most resemble: Post Malone
If I wasn’t a doctor, I would be a… yoga retreat organizer in Costa Rica
Anna Meader, M.D.
PGY 5
Hometown: Westford MA
Undergraduate: Bates College
Medical School: Tufts University School of Medicine MaineTrack
Interests / Hobbies: Sustainable living, organic farming and gardening, running, yoga, home renovations
Medical interests: Rural surgery, breast surgery, women in medicine
What did you do before medical school: Ballroom dancer and ultrasonographer
Personal goals: To have a small organic farm supplying most of the food for my family
Why Maine Medical Center: Matching at MMC allowed me to complete my surgical residency while remaining in my home state
If I wasn’t a doctor, I would be a… flower farmer
Lucero Parades, M.D.
PGY 2
Hometown: Boca Raton, Florida
Undergraduate: Washington University in St. Louis
Medical School: Boston University School of Medicine
Interests / Hobbies: Music, dancing, movies, spending time with family and friends, cross-stitching, exploring new cities!
Favorite place in Maine: New to the state but definitely looking forward to all the beaches and lighthouses!
Medical interests: Medical education, trauma, health inequity and social justice, diversity in medicine
Why Maine Medical Center: The sense of acceptance and inclusion I felt here was unlike anywhere else. I felt extremely comfortable on my interview day and everyone seemed invested in my training and empowering me to become the surgeon I hope to be. Also, the delicious food and beautiful nature were definite perks!
Celebrity I most resemble: Troy Polamalu… the hair has a mind of its own
If I wasn’t a doctor, I would be a: Drummer in a rock band
Personal quote: “It always seems impossible, until it is done.” – Nelson Mandela
Brianna Philbrick, M.D.
PGY 1
Hometown: Brewer, Maine
Undergraduate: Boston University
Medical School: Tufts University - MMC Maine Track
Interests / Hobbies: wilderness backpacking, skiing, swimming, musical theatre, hanging out with my cat Uchie and my husband Conor
Favorite place in Maine: Midcoast area (Camden to Belfast)
Medical interests: global health, rural health, indigenous health, reproductive justice
Favorite weekend destination: Bangor, Maine - to see my family
Favorite Maine activity: Climbing Mt. Katahdin
What did you do before medical school: Moved to Vancouver, Canada and worked as a swim instructor
Personal goals: Be a helpful colleague, take good care of my patients, hike the 100 Mile Wilderness
Craziest / Best / Worst Job: Summer Camp Counselor (best), Magician’s Assistant (worst)
Why Maine Medical Center: Desire to serve the people of Maine, dedication/camaraderie of the staff, and the opportunity to teach future Maine Track medical students!
If I wasn’t a doctor, I would be a veterinarian or a summer camp director.
Favorite restaurant in Portland: Tough call, it’s either schulte&herr or Figgy’s or Green Elephant
Kelsey Han, M.D.
PGY 2
Undergraduate: Harvard College
Medical School: Harvard Medical School
Medical interests: trauma surgery, surgical critical care
Why Maine Medical Center: Time moves in one direction – each day is precious and should bring a person one step closer to the life they envision. MMC’s commitment to helping residents achieve their personal and professional goals was the deciding factor for me.
Astrid Gleaton, M.D.
PGY 4
Hometown: Palermo, Maine
Undergraduate: Bates
Medical School: Tufts University School Of Medicine
Interests / Hobbies: Hiking, skiing, snow shoeing, fungal foraging, pottery
Favorite place in Maine: Acadia National Park
Medical interests: Rural General Surgery
Favorite weekend destination: Acadia National Park
Favorite Maine activity: Hiking
What did you do before medical school: Went straight through from college
Personal goals: 1. Be a better human being 2. Be happy. Not necessarily in that order.
Craziest / Best / Worst Job: Worked in a lab raising zebrafish.
Why Maine Medical Center: Great people to work with and Portland has great food.
Celebrity I most resemble: Grumpy cat, provided I have not had coffee yet.
If I wasn’t a doctor, I would be a... potter
Favorite restaurant in Portland: Paimen Miyake
Nicole (Nikki) Heidt, M.D.
PGY 5
Hometown: Ithaca, NY
Undergraduate: University of Rhode Island
Medical School: University of Nevada School of Medicine
Interests / Hobbies: hiking with our lab-newfoundland dog - Bear, camping, backcountry snowboarding, spending time with friends + family, breweries, traveling – near + far, fantasy football, reading
Favorite place in Maine: still exploring – but the mountains and beaches are pretty great!
Medical interests: trauma + burns, disaster relief, medical education, public health
Favorite weekend destination: anywhere outside
What did you do before medical school: fulltime EMT (ski patrol + bike patrol in Truckee, CA)
Personal goals: visit all 50 states, hike Katahdin, be healthy + happy
Why Maine Medical Center: the people, the program and the place – tons of breweries and restaurants to try + close to the ocean and mountains
If I wasn’t a doctor, I would be a… journalist
Jennifer (Jenny) MacDowell, M.D.
PGY 5
Hometown: Littleton, MA
Undergraduate: University of Maine at Orono
Medical School: Tufts University School of Medicine
Interests / Hobbies: backpacking, cooking, eating food other people cook, my dog
Favorite place in Maine: the top of Tumble down mountain in the fall
Medical interests: General Surgery
Favorite weekend destination: a lake, the ocean or a mountain
What did you do before medical school: the two months I had off? I hiked across Switzerland and ate a lot of cheese.
Why Maine Medical Center: I did my clinical years here and could not of imagined a better place to do residency. From the place to the people, you really can't beat it!
Celebrity I most resemble: I've gotten Doogie Howser a few times from patients, but I'm still waiting for my true doppelganger.
If I wasn’t a doctor, I would be a…white water kayak instructor. I should probably learn to do it myself before instructing others though.
Favorite restaurant in Portland: You'll have to ask me again next week because it will probably have changed by then. There are so many good ones!
Gary Zhang, M.D.
PGY 5
Hometown: Columbus, OH
Undergraduate: Columbia University
Medical School: The Ohio State University College of Medicine
Interests / Hobbies: Hiking, cooking / eating, traveling, DIY projects, reading, cycling
Favorite place in Maine: My house in South Portland
Medical interests: Colorectal, trauma, global health - but still keeping an open mind
What did you do before medical school: Biomedical engineer
Craziest / Best / Worst Job: EMT in NYC / Surgery Resident
Why Maine Medical Center: My interview at MMC was my first time in Maine. Everyone here is incredibly friendly and the training is excellent. MMC was also very supportive of my partner and I couples matching.
Chris Demme, M.D.
PGY 3
Hometown: Rochester, NY
Undergraduate: University of Rochester
Medical School: Tufts
Interests / Hobbies: Hiking, Cycling, Geocaching, Guitar, Skiing
Favorite place in Maine: Acadia
Medical interests: Surgical Critical Care, Trauma, Surgical Oncology
Favorite weekend destination: The White Mountains
Favorite Maine activity: Hiking
What did you do before medical school: Undergrad- I went straight through
Personal goals: Travel to every continent. Finish hiking the Appalachian Trail.
Craziest / Best / Worst Job: Lifeguard (worst)
Why Maine Medical Center: The people and environment, the location, the community feel with academic affiliation
If I wasn’t a doctor, I would be a… Park Ranger
Favorite restaurant in Portland: Hot Suppa
Adria Johnson, M.D.
PGY 4
Hometown: Fargo, North Dakota (yes, like the movie)
Undergraduate: University of North Dakota
Medical School: University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Interests/Hobbies: Skiing, biking, hiking, strength training, French, embroidery and crochet, trying new food and breweries
Medical interests: Trauma, surg onc, wound/burn/plastics, global surgery
Favorite weekend destination: Still exploring Maine and the rest of the northeast – there is so much to do outside!
Favorite Maine activity: hiking
What did you do before medical school: Resident Assistant at my undergraduate university, with one summer of being a research assistant and two summers as a camp counselor/tutor combo.
Craziest / Best / Worst Job: Best - resident assistant my last two years of undergrad, lots of leadership and conflict resolution experience.
Why Maine Medical Center: I felt a strong sense of belonging when I did a one month away rotation at MMC in trauma surgery – that was my first time visiting the Northeast and I realized that I loved the area.
If I wasn’t a doctor, I would be a... probably a physical therapist or optometrist
Favorite restaurant in Portland: Still finding them but Yosaku has great sushi and Becky’s Diner has life-changing eggs benedict.
Obieze Nwanna-Nzewunwa, M.D.
PGY 4
Hometown: Obibiezena, Owerri-North, Imo State, Nigeria
Medical School: University of Nigeria College of Medicine
Interests / Hobbies: Singing, playing soccer
Medical interests: Global surgery, medical innovation, trauma
Favorite weekend destination: Dubai
Favorite Maine activity: Sailing
Craziest / Best: Doctor on an offshore oil drill ship on the Atlantic Ocean
Why Maine Medical Center: MMC offers a well-rounded training, high patient volume and hands on experience and it is a level I trauma center.
Celebrity I most resemble: Lance Gross
If I wasn’t a doctor, I would be a… Singer or soccer player
Ben Caesar, M.D.
PGY 3
Hometown: Barrington, Rhode Island
Undergraduate: Siena College
Medical School: Albany Medical College
Interests / Hobbies: Skiing, Sailing, Hiking, Playing Cello and Trumpet, Frisbee, watching sports
Medical interests: Minimally Invasive Surgery, Surgical Oncology, Trauma/Critical Care, Medical Education
Favorite place in Maine: Anywhere in Acadia National Park
Favorite weekend destination: Rocky Pond in Canterbury, NH
Favorite Maine activity: Eating buffalo wings at Great Lost Bear
What did you do before medical school: Undergraduate studies at Siena and worked summers at New England Music Camp in Sidney, ME
Why Maine Medical Center: Excellent surgical training in the beautiful community of Portland surrounded by absolutely wonderful people. What more could you want?
Celebrity I most resemble: I’ve been told Jimmy Tatro and Adam DeVine, but I think Ryan Reynolds is the obvious choice
If I wasn’t a doctor, I would be an… engineer, Hollywood actor, or competitive sailor
Favorite restaurant in Portland: Great Lost Bear (seriously, check it out)
Personal quote: “You can’t change the direction of the wind, but you can adjust your sails.”
Lane Curran, M.D.
PGY 3
Hometown: Falmouth, Maine
Undergraduate: Bates College
Medical School: Albany Medical College
Interests / Hobbies: Skiing, rugby, soccer, cooking/baking, music, bad jokes, recycling
Medical interests: Pediatric surgery, trauma, medical education
Favorite place in Maine: Sugarloaf, Sebago Lake
Favorite weekend destination: Outside
Favorite Maine activity: Anything outdoors (bonus points if there is good local food/drink)
What did you do before medical school: Two years of clinical research at Mass General Hospital in Boston
Personal goals: Be an enthusiastic learner, a caring doctor, a supportive partner, and a reliable friend/teammate
Why Maine Medical Center: Kind people and supportive environment in beautiful Maine
Celebrity I most resemble: Personality: Tina Fey. Looks: Danny DeVito.
If I wasn’t a doctor, I would be an… environmental scientist, teacher
Favorite restaurant in Portland: All of them
Alison Pletch, M.D.
PGY 5
Hometown: New Paltz, NY
Undergraduate: McGill University 2006, SUNY New Paltz 2012
Medical School: University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine
Interests / Hobbies: Origami, podcasts, weight lifting, crime shows, aquariums, languages
Favorite place in Maine: Kettle cove, Cape Elizabeth; Saltwater marsh, Scarborough
Medical interests: Minimally invasive surgery, the foregut
Favorite weekend destination: Montreal
Favorite Maine activity: Eating
What did you do before medical school: Peace Corps (Mozambique), Linguistics
Personal goals: Raising a well-adjusted person
Craziest / Best / Worst Job: Peace Corps volunteer (craziest), surgery resident (best), software tester (worst)
Why Maine Medical Center: small program, lots of operative experience, flexible program administration
If I wasn’t a doctor, I would be a… personal trainer, event planner of the Montreal Jazz Fest, UN interpreter
Favorite restaurant in Portland: Purple House
Kelly McGuirl, DO
PGY 1
Hometown: Cushing, Maine
Undergraduate: University of Maine
Graduate School: London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Medical School: University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine
Favorite place in Maine: Harbor Island, Muscongus Bay
Medical interests: Acute care surgery, surgical critical care, rural general surgery, quality improvement research
Favorite Maine activity: Sailing on Muscongus Bay
What did you do before medical school: Traveled the world, worked in public health research, produced tiny humans
Craziest / Best / Worst Job: Best: first mate on a sailboat in the Virgin Islands
Why Maine Medical Center: I loved the strong sense of community and teamwork that I felt at Maine
Chinedu Okoli, MBBS
PGY 1
Hometown: Ezira, Orumba South, Anambra State, Nigeria
Medical School: University of Nigeria
Interests / Hobbies: Puzzles, Soccer enthusiast, Volunteering, Traveling
Favorite place in Maine: Fort Williams park but still discovering
Medical interests: Quality improvement projects, Rural surgery, Medical education
Favorite weekend destination: Cornwall, Devon
Favorite Maine activity: Sailing, Hopefully will add to the list
Craziest / Best: Primary care doctor in rural hospital
Why Maine Medical Center: initially a friend told me about MMC. Then I interacted with the residents and the faculties, I became smitten and I never looked back.
If I wasn’t a doctor, I would be a professional soccer coach
Personal quote: To shine your brightest light is to be truly who you are and never accept other people’s definition of you
Bridget Olsen, MD
PGY 1
Hometown: Eliot, Maine
Undergraduate: Colby College
Medical School: Tufts University School of Medicine – Maine Track
Interests / Hobbies: #1 staring at the ocean, followed by yoga, skiing, singing, woodworking, and butchering the French language
Favorite place in Maine: York Harbor beach (or Willard) and Sugarloaf
Medical interests: cardiac, vascular, breast, palliative care, women in surgery, public heath, teaching
Favorite weekend destination: exploring a new city or hiking/skiing
Favorite Maine activity: see #1 hobby above
What did you do before medical school: Emergency dept unit coordinator, family practice scribe, waitress
Personal goals: to be a great friend, happy daughter, funny sister, loving mom, and supportive wife
Craziest / Best / Worst Job: ocean lifeguard fits for all three
Why Maine Medical Center: It’s a great place to become a great surgeon and continue being the person that I love.
Celebrity I most resemble: facial expressions = Tessa Thompson, personality = Katherine Heigl (I like to think they meant to say appearance, but I’ll take what I can get)
If I wasn’t a doctor, I would be a… medical anthropologist, spin instructor, and/or lawyer
Favorite restaurant in Portland: Honey Paw, Izakaya Minato, Belleville
Personal quote: Never let order get in the way of justice.
Spencer Scott, MD
PGY 1
Hometown: Cape Elizabeth, ME
Undergraduate: New York University, B.A., University of Southern Maine, B.S.
Medical School: Tufts University School of Medicine
Interests / Hobbies: Sailing, woodworking, carpentry, skiing, cooking, singing in the shower, making my friends laugh, making strangers laugh
Favorite place in Maine: Sitting on the seawall at Ma’s cottage on Two Lights
Medical interests: Trauma and critical care; medical education; informatics
Favorite Maine activity: Anchored and swimming off the boat at Vail Island on a cloudless day
What did you do before medical school: Broadcast journalism; CNN, Fuse TV, ABC’s Boston Trauma
Craziest / Best / Worst Job: Craziest: Producer for Fuse TV’s music news broadcast “Fuse News,” Worst: Stuffing dead herring into bait bags for my brothers while we set our lobster traps, Best: Surgical resident!
Why Maine Medical Center: Maine Medical Center combines excellent clinical medicine, academic rigor, and a commitment to upholding humanity in medicine and surgery, all while serving the most incredible community in the greatest little city in the greatest state in the country!
Celebrity I most resemble: I’ve gotten “Blake Shelton” a few times… not sure how I feel about it.
If I wasn’t a doctor, I would be a: Journalist, probably, carpenter, maybe, farmer, possibly…
Favorite restaurant in Portland: For a great dinner, David’s 388, for a drink and snack, Eventide, and for brunch… actually I’m going to keep that one a secret, I like that I don’t have to wait for a table – sorry!
Personal quote: "When people talk listen completely. Don't be thinking what you're going to say. Most people never listen.” -Ernest Hemingway
Conor Hillert, MD
PGY 1
Hometown: Chippewa Falls, WI
Undergraduate: UW- Madison
Medical School: Medical College of Wisconsin
Interests / Hobbies: Soccer, Hiking, Biking and Cooking
Medical interests: Integration of Technology into Medical Practices/Medical AI and anything IR/Vascular surgery related.
Why Maine Medical Center: I chose MMC because the faculty and residents were people I envisioned being friends with. The area is exciting and has a lot to offer, especially for my outdoorsy inclinations. I also chose MMC because I wanted to work in a hospital that treats those from all around and from all walks of life.
Personal quote: The harder you work the luckier you get.
Scha’chia Murphy, MD
PGY 4
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
Undergraduate: University of Maryland
Medical School: The Ohio State University College of Medicine
Interests / Hobbies: Running, Nail polish collecting, Singing, Hanging out with my Lovebug J
Favorite place in Maine: The jury is still out on that one…
Medical interests: Burn and Soft Tissue, Plastics, Critical Care
Favorite Maine activity: Walking the beaches
What did you do before medical school: I was a bartender, a histology technician, and a research
assistant
Personal goals: To finish residency and get a fellowship position in a lovely location. Also to be the best
mom I can be to my daughter, Leilani
Craziest / Best / Worst Job: Craziest: Working in collections in high school; Best: Bartender- I met so
many different people and I got to dance and party for free; Worst: Working at McDonald’s in college to
pay for books
Why Maine Medical Center: I have a friend who comes here yearly and loves the scenery. She
convinced me to apply here… The rest is history. Clearly, someone higher up than me, thinks this is
where I should be at the moment, so I’m going to follow that lead.
Celebrity I most resemble: Not sure. In college, I was dubbed a Rosario Dawson look alike.
If I wasn’t a doctor, I would be a: Singing Nail technician, doing makeup tutorials, lol.
Favorite restaurant in Portland: Taj
Personal quote: “Where you are, what you see, how you are will influence how you
see it.”- my Grandfather always said it, and as I’ve gotten older, it’s become more and more applicable.