Sarah DiBrigida

Year in program: PGY2
Hometown: Bedford, New Hampshire
Undergraduate: Dartmouth College
Medical School: Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine
Interests / Hobbies: Running, baking, reading
Favorite place in Maine: Belfast and Camden
Medical interests: Primary Care
Favorite Maine activity: Hanging out at the beach and swimming in the ocean, hiking and running on trails
What did you do before medical school: worked at My Gym and taught children’s fitness classes
Why Maine Medical Center: I loved that even with everything that the city of Portland has to offer the residency program and the community overall still have a small town vibe. Everyone is genuinely kind and interested in doing whatever they can to help you, whether it is to further your learning or something small like letting your dog out while you are on nights. Being near all of the beaches, lakes, forests, and mountains that Maine and New Hampshire have to offer is definitely a bonus!

 

Danielle Doctor

Year in program: PGY2
Hometown: Westford, MA
Undergraduate: Boston University
Medical School: Boston University School of Medicine
Interests / Hobbies: Hiking, Baking, Trying new food, Cooking, Yoga,
Favorite place in Maine: Popham Beach
Medical interests: Adolescent Medicine, Primary Care
Favorite Maine activity: Sitting on a beach or hiking
What did you do before medical school: Medical Assistant at an OB/GYN office
Personal goals: Train my cat to be an adventure cat
Craziest / Best / Worst Job: Worked at Dunkin’ Donuts..a true New Englander!
Why Maine Medical Center: The people! Everybody at MMC is so warm and welcoming I knew it would be a great and supportive environment to train in. Living in Portland is an added bonus!
If I wasn’t a doctor, I would be a… Baker
Favorite restaurant in Portland: Baharat or Honey paw

 

Amanda Gagnon

Year in program: PGY2
Hometown: Manchester, NH
Undergraduate: University of New Hampshire
Medical School: University of New England
Interests / Hobbies: hiking, skiing, reading, going to concerts (esp at Thompson’s Point!)
Favorite place in Maine: Portland (Acadia State Park close second)
Medical interests: primary care
Favorite weekend destination: White Mountains
Favorite Maine activity: skiing at Sunday River or the Loaf
What did you do before medical school: I worked as an LNA at a nursing home in the Alzheimer’s unit for a year and then I worked in a financial aid office for a large, online university.
Personal goals: adopt a dog, run a half marathon, finish hiking the 48 peaks in NH that are higher than 4,000 feet (4 more left!)
Craziest / Best / Worst Job: Craziest job – security guard for an art institute/ art school, Best job – Bus Driver at UNH, Worst job – spent a summer working for a Mack Truck office shredding paper….all I did was sit in an actual closet… and shred paper
Why Maine Medical Center: I knew that MMC was number one for me after I completed my AI on BBCH during my 4th year of medical school. This rotation was my favorite rotation of medical school and my first real experience with autonomy. I was so impressed with the attending and resident physicians who all went out of their way to help me learn and grow while also being the most kind individuals. I loved that the residents I worked with had lives outside of medicine and continued to make time for their hobbies/families/friends outside of residency. I truly felt that MMC would provide me the best pediatric training and I was thrilled to match here.
If I wasn’t a doctor, I would be a… truck driver or a deckhand on a super yacht
Favorite restaurant in Portland: Taco Escobarr, Falafel Mafia food truck, Becky’s Diner

 

Haley Pelletier

Year in program: PGY2
Hometown: Rome, Maine
Undergraduate: University of New England
Medical School: University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine
Interests / Hobbies: Cooking (and eating!), reading, spending time outside
Favorite place in Maine: Fortunes Rocks Beach
Medical interests: Primary care, newborn medicine, rural/ community hospital medicine
Favorite weekend destination: Any of the Scarborough beaches or up in my hometown floating on the Belgrade Lakes
Favorite Maine activity: Early morning coffee walks on the Eastern Trail with my husband
Why Maine Medical Center: I wanted a small program with minimal fellow involvement where residents had a lot of autonomy and were really “doing the work” from the beginning. The Resident as PCP model for continuity clinic was also very important to me and something that was pretty unique to Maine Med. Also- location, location, location. Being near to family and support systems was a huge reason. The chance to live near the ocean and get outside after long shifts in the hospital provides balance in my life I didn’t want to give up.
If I wasn’t a doctor, I would be a… Professional holiday decorator
Favorite restaurant in Portland: Yobo, Sur Lie, Bao Bao Dumpling House (who could ever pick just one?!)

 

Heather Reiley

Year in program: PGY2
Hometown: Marblehead, MA
Undergraduate: Dartmouth College
Medical School: University of Massachusetts
Interests / Hobbies: I love being outside and finding ways to go up and down mountains, mostly hiking in the summer and skiing in the winter! I also love to travel and am always planning my next trip or five, whether that is a day trip or multi-month adventure. My favorite countries to explore have been Argentina, New Zealand, and Nepal.
Favorite place in Maine: It’s already hard to pick one and I still have so much to explore! Close to home, my favorite place is Willard Beach after 7 pm when the dogs are allowed to come out. My idea of heaven, especially after a long day in the hospital.
Medical interests: Rural primary care, wilderness medicine, global health
Favorite weekend destination: Home to Marblehead, MA to spend time on the water with my family What did you do before medical school: After deciding to pursue medicine during my senior year of college (I was a geography major!), I did a post-bac in NYC for 2 years. After that, I spent a year working, skiing and generally loving life in Aspen, CO.
Personal goals: My goals for residency are to take advantage of living in such an incredible place while simultaneously learning from our incredible faculty and becoming the best pediatrician I can possibly be.
Craziest / Best / Worst Job: My best job was working at the Aspen Institute in Colorado. Having a “real” job in a mountain town was the best of both worlds.
Why Maine Medical Center: I knew on my interview day I wanted to train here. Growing up in New England, I was already familiar with the Portland and I knew how awesome the lifestyle was in Maine, but it was the people I met on my interview day that sold me. I also loved the size of the program, and the opportunities for rural medicine. MMC Pediatrics had everything I was looking for in a program and I am so thrilled to be a part of it.
If I wasn’t a doctor, I would be a… travel agent. I love planning adventures!
Favorite restaurant in Portland: Taco Trio (SoPo represent!)
Personal Quote: anything John Muir

 

Aaron Wallace

Year in program: PGY2
Hometown: West Hartford, CT
Undergraduate: Skidmore College
Medical School: Emory University School of Medicine
Interests / Hobbies: Jazz/Rock Saxophone, Hiking, Biking, Cooking/Fermentation
What did you do before medical school: I studied music in college. Afterwards I spent four years doing biomedical research and taking night classes before applying to medical school.
Craziest / Best / Worst Job: Segway Tour Guide at the Boston Museum of Science!
Why Maine Medical Center: I chose MMC for a number of reasons. The location met my and my family’s personal goals, and I fell in love with Portland on my interview day. At MMC, I found a tight-knit, compassionate environment where residents are given the autonomy to learn by doing, while constantly feeling the support of attendings when needed. All of the attendings I have worked with so far have been pro-active teachers, always asking what I need to be the most successful and get the most out of residency. I was lucky to find this incredible program in an incredible location, and am excited for the next few years!
Celebrity I most resemble: John Lennon. I had long hair during a semester abroad in Australia and could not go anywhere new without people stopping me to ask for a picture with them.

Colbey Bowen, D.O.

Year in program: PGY3
Hometown: Gray, Maine
Undergraduate: University of New England
Medical School: University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine
Favorite place in Maine: Hermit Island, Phippsburg
Medical interests: Primary care, neonatology, pediatric neurology
Favorite Maine activity: Kayaking on Maine’s coast
What did you do before medical school: I spent most of my time as a student. However, after classes I was a researcher and training officer for other EMTs while I was a volunteer EMT myself.
Why Maine Medical Center: For me, the decision to come to Maine Medical Center was an easy one. Having lived in the greater Portland area my whole life, I grew up hearing about the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital’s overwhelmingly positive reputation. That caught my attention, but what convinced me were my rotations here as a student. I was brought into an amazingly supportive, compassionate, and passionate team that me left no doubt that this was the place where I wanted to be.
If I wasn’t a doctor, I would be a… musician

Amber Brown, D.O.

Year in program: PGY3 
Hometown: Farmington, Illinois
Undergraduate: Greenville College – Greenville, Illinois
Medical School: Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine – Des Moines, Iowa
Interests / Hobbies: Doing something daily that brings me joy, Drinking copious amounts of coffee, exploring local coffee shops, home-roasting coffee beans, Early morning barre classes (or really any time barre classes), learning to handstand, hammocking, Exploring local farmers’ markets (I have high standards after living in Des Moines, Close friends would add kale to the list…because it’s essentially a food group in my life
Favorite place in Maine: near the ocean
Medical interests: incorporating osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) into caring for kiddos, hematology/oncology, PICU
Personal goals: In life: cultivate what matters, In peds: help kiddos recognize their value and abilities
Craziest / Best / Worst Job: I completed a fifth year of medical school (by choice/selection) working as an Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM) Fellow. I spent approximately equal time treating patients and teaching 1st and 2nd year medical students. It was an invaluable learning experience personally and professionally in patient care, procedural skill, formal and informal teaching, and academic planning. Functioning as faculty but technically still being a student offered unique opportunities to connect with, pour into, and impact students, and was supported by incredible attendings who have become good friends .
Why Maine Medical Center: It’s a small program without clinical pediatric fellowships and with attendings who are largely intentional about resident development and fostering a community atmosphere. The hospital has an OMM consult service and basic working knowledge of OMM. The ocean and easy access to nature are nice touches, too.
Favorite restaurant in Portland: Bard Coffee, Tandem, Speckled Ax, The Proper Cup. Yes, these are all coffee shops – see “interest / hobbies” above. If you’re curious about my kale – nothing special, typically just Trader Joe’s.
Personal quote: “Be a humble sponge” and “Their way of being human is not my way of being human, and that’s okay!”

Rachel Coffey, D.O.

Year in program: PGY3
Hometown: Rhinebeck, NY
Undergraduate: Fordham University (go rams)
Medical School: New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine
Interests: The outdoors. Epic picnics. Jigsaw puzzles. Sunrises.
Favorite place in Maine: Little John Island Preserve
Medical interests: Keep changing!
Why Maine Medical Center: I instantly felt connected with residents and supported by faculty. I saw education as a priority in the training. I liked that the curriculum balanced inpatient and outpatient experiences. But most importantly, I listened to my gut.
Celebrity I most resemble: Elaine Benes, but only on the dancefloor.
Favorite restaurants in Portland:
Donut: Eighty 8
Oyster: The Shop
Coffee: CoffeeMeUp
Bagel: Maples (not in Portland)
Burger: Black Cow
Fries: ..Also Black Cow
Pizza: Maine Beer Co (also not in Portland)
Margarita: Terlingua
Lobster Roll: I’ll never tell

Sarah Reynolds, M.D.

Year in program: PGY3
Hometown: Tewksbury, Massachusetts
Undergraduate: University of Massachusetts Amherst
Medical School: West Virginia University School of Medicine – Charleston
Interests / Hobbies: Netflix, skiing, DIY, cooking, hiking
Favorite place in Maine: 22 Bramhall St
Medical interests: Primary Care, Rural Medicine, Global Medicine
Favorite weekend destination: Loon Mountain in Lincoln, NH – my family has been going there for years for skiing and year-round fun!
What did you do before medical school: more school and trying to fit in as much time hanging out with kids as possible (youth ministry, Boston Children’s volunteering, Big Brothers Big Sisters, coaching soccer)
Personal goals: To be as cool as Colbey, unflappable as Amber, popular as Rachel, sweet as Anna, and sporty as Robin!
Why Maine Medical Center: So many reasons! I’ve always loved Maine as a destination because of all the varied outdoor adventuring available. As I learned more about myself and my goals in medicine, Maine and Portland became more interesting to me for the intersection of rural and global medicine exposure available. Then, I fell in love with MMC and the Peds program on my interview day! The people were so kind and welcoming but very funny and relatable, and MMC truly cares about its residents/employees AND patients! I couldn’t imagine a better place to learn to help kiddos of all types from all backgrounds than with the best people in the best place!
Celebrity I most resemble: apparently Amy Schumer
If I wasn’t a doctor, I would be some sort of travel/adventure guide – getting paid to ski or white water raft – another way to remain a forever kid at heart!
Favorite restaurant in Portland: Blue Rooster – a restaurant where a specialty is their gourmet tater tots? What could be better?!

Anna Sagaser, M.D.

Year in program: PGY3
Hometown: Waterville, Maine
Undergraduate: Swarthmore College
Medical School: Tufts University School of Medicine – Maine Track
Interests / Hobbies: Hiking, kayaking, biking, cross country skiing, ballet
Favorite place in Maine: Acadia National Park
Medical interests: Drawn towards inpatient medicine… possibly PICU, NICU or cardiology
Favorite Maine activity: kayaking or cross country skiing
What did you do before medical school: I worked as a research assistant on a glaucoma study at UPenn.
Why Maine Medical Center: I absolutely loved being a medical student here, and felt that the excellent teaching, level of resident responsibility, dedicated and approachable attendings, and diverse pathology that residents deal with directly was pretty special. I really felt like I could not get better training anywhere else. I wanted a residency program that was small where I would get personalized attention, work closely and directly with complex patients even as an intern, and where people are supportive of each other, and Maine Med is exactly that.

Robin Wolschendorf, M.D.

Year in program: PGY3
Hometown: Rochester Hills, Michigan
Undergraduate: Grand Valley State University
Medical School: Michigan State University College of Human Medicine – Grand Rapids
Interests/Hobbies: Spikeball, soccer, traveling
Medical Interests: hospitalist, cardiology, global health
Favorite Place in Maine: Sitting on the rocks at the Portland Head Light is by far my favorite place. There is nothing better than staring out into the ocean and listening to the waves hit the rocks after a long day or night at the hospital.
Why Maine Medical Center: I was looking for a program that was small and family-like without sacrificing quality of training and fellowship opportunities. Residents are very focused on wellness and spending time outside of the hospital doing things we love!
Favorite Maine Activity: I love all things sports, so I take advantage of the well-run adult recreational leagues in Portland. My wife and I play on softball, flag football, and dodgeball teams.
If I wasn’t a doctor, I would be a Pizza Maker

Gabriela DeOliveira, MD

Year in program: PGY1
Hometown: Novi, Michigan
Undergraduate: Central Michigan University
Medical School: Michigan State University College of Human Medicine
Interests / Hobbies: Hiking, drawing, reading
Favorite place in Maine: Portland
Medical Interests: Primary Care and Rural Medicine
Favorite Maine activity: Hiking and drawing the beautiful scenery
What did you do before medical school: While completing my undergraduate education, I worked in a research lab studying social networks and their influence on hormones in fish.
Why Maine Medical Center: I just love everything about the program here and Maine in general. Everyone in the residency program is genuinely friendly, caring and very supportive of our education and career interests. Portland is a fantastic place to live and is just the right size for a city, not too small and not too big. There are so many great opportunities for hiking in the city and in surrounding areas. As a bonus, I have always wanted to live near the ocean and now on my days off I go to the beach!

Maria Libertin, MD

Year in program: PGY1
Hometown: Green, OH
Undergraduate: Xavier University
Medical School: Northeast Ohio Medical University
Interests / Hobbies: playing sports especially soccer, Cleveland sports, baking, cooking, hiking, anything in the outdoors
Favorite place in Maine: Ogunquit
Medical interests: Advocacy and ethics, Hospitalist medicine, Primary Care
Favorite Maine activity: Beach time and hiking! Also eating the endless, wonderful food!
What did you do before medical school: Worked as a camp counselor for children with special needs and as an ED scribe
Why Maine Medical Center: I loved the program and the city. The program offered the tight knit community of a small program, where everyone is close and the mentors/faculty are able to actually know the residents but it also offered the large catchment area that would give me great exposure to interesting patients and patient populations. The city is beautiful, there is an endless amount of things to do and the outdoors are breathtaking. It is very walkable and offers something to do each season. Lastly, I chose this program because I felt like I could see how passionate the staff was about their population and kids they serve. That was really important to me because ultimately these residents and faculty would become my mentors, so I wanted to pick a place that mirrored the pediatrician I want to become.

Julia Oppenheimer, MD

Year in program: PGY1
Hometown: Pelham, Massachusetts
Undergraduate: Barnard College
Medical School: University of Massachusetts Medical School
Interests / Hobbies: Hiking, cycling, baking, knitting
Favorite place in Maine: Acadia
Medical interests: Primary Care
Favorite Maine activity: Hiking, walking by the ocean, eating wild blueberries
What did you do before medical school: I worked in a greenhouse during college, then spent two years at Boston Children’s Hospital working on an initiative to improve symptom monitoring for children with epilepsy and ADHD.
Why Maine Medical Center: I was looking for a small, close-knit, and supportive residency program with strong primary care training and opportunities to experience rural practice. Maine Medical Center ticked all the boxes for me and more - to be able to live in Portland and enjoy the ocean, mountains, and incredible food offerings with a wonderful group of co-residents is a dream come true.

Mitchell Peterson, MD

Year in program: PGY1
Hometown: Salt Lake City, Utah
Undergraduate: The University of Utah
Medical School: The University of Utah School of Medicine
Interests / Hobbies: Running, cycling, taking my dog on hikes
Favorite place in Maine: Anywhere along the coast
Medical interests: PEM, PICU
Favorite Maine activity: Taking a ferry to one of the islands nearby and spending the day exploring.
What did you do before medical school: I worked in an anatomy lab creating dissections for students. Kind of gross in retrospect, but hey, I did meet my wife there.
Why Maine Medical Center: The people. Everyone is kind, helpful, and truly invested in your education inside the hospital, as well as your passions outside of it.

Hannah Yeomans, MD

Year in program: PGY1
Hometown: Buffalo, New York
Undergraduate: Bucknell University
Medical School: SUNY Upstate
Interests / Hobbies: hiking, reading, rollerblading, knitting
Favorite place in Maine: All the beaches!
Medical interests: Some sort of inpatient medicine, global and refugee health
Favorite Maine activity: Hiking, kayaking and exploring this beautiful state!
What did you do before medical school: Worked at an ice cream place; it was tons of fun!
Why Maine Medical Center: I loved how kind everyone I interacted with seemed and that it was a place that would foster learning and growth. The hospital was also in a smaller city which I wanted, but Portland has such a vibrant community that you don't miss out on any of the bigger city life. All of the wonderful Maine nature so close was also a bonus! 

Makenzie Zidek, DO

Year in program: PGY1
Hometown: Leechburg, Pennsylvania
Undergraduate: Allegheny College
Medical School: University of New England College of Osteopathic
Medicine Interests / Hobbies: Playing basketball, golfing, doing anything outdoors
Favorite place in Maine: Two Lights State Park
Medical interests: Primary Care
Favorite Maine activity: Spending as much time that I can on the beach and enjoying all of the great restaurants in Portland
What did you do before medical school: I served a year with the National Health Corps in Pittsburgh, PA
Why Maine Medical Center: At MMC there is a great sense of community and you feel like you are part of a family. You receive a great education and work with faculty who love to teach! I also wanted a program that would expose me to a diverse patient population and give me opportunities to explore medicine in an urban and rural setting.

Erica Hidu, MD

Chief Resident

Hometown: Hampden, Maine
Undergraduate: University of Maine
Medical School: Tufts University School of Medicine - Maine Track
Interests / Hobbies: Surfing, hiking, kayaking, reading, yoga
Favorite place in Maine: Buck's Harbor in Brooksville
Medical interests: Primary care, clinical reasoning, medical education
Favorite Maine activity: Surfing, eating
What did you do before medical school: Worked in a microbiology lab
Personal goals: Take vacations
Craziest / Best / Worst Job: Concessions for Waterfront Concerts in Bangor. You see all kinds.
Why Maine Medical Center: The people and location. I knew that I would get a great education surrounded by supportive people who care about helping this community and you can't beat living in one of the most beautiful places with so many fun activities close by!
If I wasn’t a doctor, I would be a… veterinarian
Favorite restaurant in Portland: Baharat or Taj Indian Cuisine (which is technically South Portland)