Internal Medicine announced the department's four new chief residents in July.
Cory Rohlfsen, MD, has been named Chief Resident for the Department of Internal Medicine. Tesia Winter, DO, has been named the Ambulatory Chief Resident. Karisa Hajek, MD, is the VA Chief Resident, and Kaitlyn Brittan, MD, is VA Patient Safety and Quality Chief Resident.
Read on to learn a little more about each of them.
Name: Cory Rohlfsen, MD
Hometown: Omaha, Neb.
Title and department at UNMC: Chief Resident, UNMC Department of Internal Medicine
Research/Professional Interests:
- Medical education
Why I chose internal medicine:
I’ve always wanted to be a primary care provider because I saw it as a privilege to take care of the WHOLE person. Building trusting relationships with patients as you work through complex problems is an absolute thrill for me. I fell in love with Internal Medicine because it allows you to think deeply about individual problems without losing sight of the overall goals of the patient. It’s the perfect blend of breadth and depth.
Degrees:
- BS, Drexel University
- MD, UNMC College of Medicine
- Residency, internal medicine, UNMC Department of Internal Medicine
Memberships:
- American College of Physicians
- Society for Perioperative Assessment and Quality Improvement
Three things people may not know about me:
- I played Division 1 soccer in college
- I love history and wish there were more hours in a day to learn about it
- I worked every summer growing up on my uncle’s dairy farm. Driving the telehandler, building barns, and talking to large animal vets (with handle bar moustaches) kept me coming back for more.
Name: Tesia Winter, MD
Hometown: Council Bluffs, Iowa
Title and department at UNMC: Ambulatory Chief Resident, UNMC Department of Internal Medicine
Research/professional interests:
- General internal medicine
- Hospital medicine
- Medical student and resident wellness and education
- Decreasing hospital readmissions
- Diabetes management
Why I chose internal medicine:
During my first internal medicine rotation I fell in love with the variety of complex medical conditions I observed and the problem solving it required. I also really enjoy developing long-term relationships with patients as I care for them throughout the duration of their illness.
Degrees:
- BS, Luther College
- DO, Des Moines University
- Residency, internal medicine, UNMC Department of Internal Medicine
Memberships:
- American College of Physicians
Three things people may not know about me:
- I grew up dancing and in college was part of a hip hop dance team.
- I love to travel and try new adventures while abroad; one of my favorite trips included rappelling down waterfalls in Ecuador.
- Shamefully, I am a reality TV junkie.
Name: Karisa Hajek, MD
Hometown: Fremont, Neb.
Title and department at UNMC: VA Chief Resident, UNMC Department of Internal Medicine
Research/professional interests:
- Resident and medical student education
- Hospital medicine
- Women’s health
Why I chose internal medicine:
Shortly after starting my Internal Medicine clerkship as a third year medical student, I realized I had found "my people." I love the intellectual challenge – I feel like I spend my days solving complex puzzles. Practicing Internal Medicine also gives me the opportunity and privilege to help my patients and their families navigate through what are often scary and difficult hospitalizations, and it gives me great joy to make these scary situations more comfortable.
Degrees:
- BS, Wayne State College (Wayne, Neb.)
- MD, UNMC College of Medicine
- Residency, internal medicine-pediatrics, UNMC Department of Internal Medicine
Memberships:
- American College of Physicians
- American Medical Association
- American Medical Women's Association
- American Academy of Pediatrics
Three things people may not know about me:
- I'm a huge fan of the show The Office – I dare anyone to challenge me in trivia!
- If I wasn't a physician, I would be a veterinarian.
- I'm a Minnesota Vikings fan – skol vikes!
Name: Kaitlyn Brittan, MD
Hometown: Omaha, Neb.
Title and department at UNMC: VA Patient Safety and Quality Chief Resident, UNMC Department of Internal Medicine
Research/professional interests:
- Quality improvement and patient safety
- Resident wellness
- Rheumatology
Why I chose internal medicine:
I fell in love with internal medicine because of the relationships I’ve developed with patients in primary care and the intellectual challenge of cases.
Degrees:
- BS, Creighton University
- MD, UNMC College of Medicine
- Residency, internal medicine, UNMC Department of Internal Medicine
Memberships:
- Nebraska Medical Association
- American Medical Association
- American College of Physicians
- American College of Rheumatology
- Nebraska Rheumatology Society
Three things people may not know about me:
- I love to travel
- I enjoy food- both cooking at home and trying new restaurants. If I wasn’t a physician, I would be a chef.
- I love outdoors activities: hiking, snowboarding, and am learning to wake surf!