Residents
Colby Meinke
- Year in ProgramPRG5 - CHIEF RESIDENT
- HometownStratford, Connecticut
- UndergraduateUniversity of Vermont
- Medical SchoolUniversity of Massachusetts
- Interests/hobbiesyoga, ballet, traveling, ice cream connoisseur, spending time with my husband and chihuahua Messi.
- Favorite restaurant in PortlandScales
- Favorite place in MaineWillard Beach
- Medical interestsPalliative care, health disparities, limb salvage, surgical education
- Favorite weekend destinationBar Harbor
- What did you do before medical school?Teacher
- Best/worst jobMiddle school teacher
- Why MaineHealth Maine Medical Center?I chose MMC first and foremost for the amazing people that work here. It feels like being part of a big family. I truly love working with my co-residents and attendings. The breadth and volume of cases for vascular surgery is unparalleled by other programs in the Northeast. Lastly, Portland is amazing.
- If I wasn't a doctor, I would be a...yoga instructor
Luke Keffer
- Year in ProgramPRG4
- HometownRoseville, California
- UndergraduateBoston College
- Medical SchoolTufts University School of Medicine
- Interests/hobbiesExercise, studio art, golf, video games, piano
- Favorite restaurant in PortlandFore Street restaurant
- Favorite place in MaineAllagash Brewing
- Medical interestsVascular surgery, medical device development
- Favorite weekend destinationBoston
- What did you do before medical school?Worked for a tech startup called Science Exchange
- Best/worst jobBest: Resident at MMC!
- Why MaineHealth Maine Medical Center?Residency is tough no matter where you are and I was personally looking for a place where I would enjoy being around the people I work with every day - I found that at MMC. The culture and comradery in the surgical department is phenomenal both amongst the residents and between residents and attendings. I consider myself very lucky to have ended up at such a great institution.
- If I wasn't a doctor, I would be a...An animator for Disney/Pixar
Kyle Gillani
- Year in ProgramPRG3
- HometownChicago, Illnois
- UndergraduateLoyola University Chicago
- Medical SchoolNew York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine
- Interests/hobbiesCooking, calligraphy, card tricks
- Medical interestsThe effects of low-Earth orbit and space radiation on vascular mortality.
- Favorite weekend destinationStodder's Neck dog park
- What did you do before medical school?I worked in IT managing the technology infrastructure for a school district.
- Best/worst jobBest: program administrator / Worst: program administrator
- If I wasn't a doctor, I would be a...If I couldn't be a doctor, I would absolutely become a cook.
Joshua Riklan
- Year in ProgramPRG2
- HometownFreehold, New Jersey
- UndergraduateTulane University
- Medical SchoolUniversity of Florida College of Medicine
- Interests/hobbiesBaking, cooking, hiking, singing. I love to travel and explore new places. I really enjoy theater and art as well!
- Medical interestsIncreasing access to healthcare and improving healthcare disparities. I am interested in outcomes based research and medical education. Within vascular surgery, I enjoy limb salvage and hope to work on improving outcomes for patients.
- What did you do before medical school?I waited tables and worked as an EMT before medical school.
- Personal goalsI love medical education and teaching. I hope to spread my love of vascular surgery and ignite an interest in the field in those who otherwise would not have had the exposure. In my free time I hope to get better at baking, draw and paint, and go on as many new hikes as I can.
- Best/worst jobBest: Waiting tables. I loved working in the service industry and like to think that medicine is very similar to serving. Working in teams and problem solving were our day to day, but now I get to employ that with my patients. Worst: Working for my undergraduate university housing department.
- Why MaineHealth Maine Medical Center?I rotated at Maine Medical Center during my 4th year of medical school and fell in love with the people. The department was incredibly supportive and welcoming. I love the community feel of the hospital with the resources of a larger academic center, and the ability to teach medical students rotating through.
Thane Gehring
- Year in ProgramPRG1
- HometownTulsa, Oklahoma
- UndergraduateUniversity of Denver
- Medical SchoolUniversity of Oklahoma College of Medicine
- Interests/hobbiesHiking, golf, board games, skiing, ultimate frisbee, chess, photography and hanging out with my fiancée and our two cats and dog.
- Why MaineHealth Maine Medical Center?This program offers the ideal combination of academic training with the high operative exposure of a community setting, all the while maintaining a supportive culture. When I visited Portland and the program, I fell in love with the beauty of the area, the vibe, and how friendly everyone was, I immediately knew I would fit in.
- Personal quote (100 words or less)"What's normal anyways?" - Mrs. Gump
- If I wasn't a doctor, I would be a...Wildlife photographer
- Medical interestsLimb salvage, thoracic outlet syndrome, medical device development, surgical education
- Favorite place in MaineAcadia
- What did you do before medical school?I worked as a mountain guide at a Scouts of America high adventure base, leading backpacking trips to summit 14ers in Colorado. I also worked in tissue donation and recovery, harvesting tissue for the purpose of allografts.
- Best/worst jobBest job was working as a greenskeeper on a golf course. Nothing like mowing a dewy green as the sun rises, plus free golf. Worst job was working as a DoorDasher during the pandemic in a big city, finding the correct apartments is much harder than it looks.
Alumni
M. Farooq Usmani, MD, 2024
Medical School: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Practice: MaineHealth Maine Medical Center; Portland, ME
Truc Tal, MD, 2023
Medical School: Albany Medical College
Practice: SCL Health Heart & Vascular Institute; Grand Junction, CO
Leia Edenfield, MD, 2021
Medical School: Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University/University of Georgia
Practice: McLeod Health; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Vincent Noori, MD, 2020
Medical School: Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poland
Practice: Mercy Medical Center; Baltimore, Maryland
Michael Neilson, MD, 2019
Medical School: Tufts University School of Medicine
Practice: MaineGeneral Health; Augusta, Maine