Our residents originate from several areas throughout the U.S. and beyond. Despite varied academic backgrounds, geographic diversity and career goals ranging from primary care to academic research, our residents share one common goal: to become the best physicians possible.
Alexis Amatisto, DO
Medical School: Western University
Undergraduate: Oregon State University
Alexis is a native Oregonian. While she considered the fast-paced environment of Emergency Medicine, Alexis realized that Internal Medicine fills her desire to have continuity with patients and see how the course of their complex diseases unfold. As a possible future Intensivist, Alexis hopes to combine clinical excellence with research that improves how medicine is practiced. Some of Alexis’ hobbies include hiking, snowboarding, crime podcasts, and creating healthy.
Brittany Cook, DO
Medical School: Rocky Vista University
Undergraduate: University of Nebraska
Brittany brings a wealth of life experiences and commitment to service, including two years working to support communities in Peru impacted by inequalities. In medical school she continued community outreach as a fundraiser for Denver Safe House and as a volunteer at health fairs for underserved populations. Brittany has many interests outside of medicine as well: outdoor recreation, gardening, Salsa dancing, yoga, and exploring diverse food. She will fit right in with Portland life.
Jaye Espinas, MD
Medical School: University of Queensland, Australia
Undergraduate: Arizona State University
Jaye comes to us from the University of Queensland, a collaborative training with experiences in both Australia and New Orleans. She attributes her work ethic and interest in medicine to her 1st generation Filipino immigrant parents who worked as nurses. Jaye developed a strong drive to improve the lives of others working with youth involved in the criminal justice system, caring for patients on hospice, and organizing events for those with social anxiety. Jaye is leaning towards a career in primary care or outpatient focused specialty. Jaye’s many hobbies include glass painting, Karaoke, anime, Zumba, Aikido and dog training.
Kemin Fena, MD
Medical School: University of North Dakota
Undergraduate: Michigan Technological University
Kemin is a northern Mid-westerner with a culturally rich background that includes Chinese, Italian and Finnish influences. She attributes this diversity with developing her adaptable spirit and commitment to serving others. She hopes to use her engineering training towards process improvement to address social determinants of health and healthcare delivery systems. Consistent with her diverse background, Kemin enjoys studying languages and cultures, travel, Podcasts, cooking, Nordic skiing, and classical music.
Michael Knapp, MD
Medical School: Oregon Health & Science University
Undergraduate: Portland State University
Michael is another native Oregonian with a commitment to underserved communities. As a student he served with a mobile COVID response team aiding migrant farm workers, studied the impact of health literacy on hospital utilization, and researched an ambulatory intensive care unit for those suffering houselessness. Despite his firm local roots, Michael is an avid travel and photographer who has backpacked in over forty countries. In his free time, Michael competitively trains for and teaches Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
Abby Lindseth, MD
Medical School: University of Minnesota Medical School
Undergraduate: University of Minnesota
Abby grew up in a small town in northern Minnesota. As a third-year student selected to participate in the Rural Physician Associate Program, Abby was able to return to her community for clinical rotations where she was praised for her medical knowledge, leadership, character, and communication skills. Abby has academic interests in interprofessional medical ethics and environmental activism. She speaks conversational Norwegian and loves reading National Geographic and literary classics. Other hobbies include long distance running, biking, backpacking, and baking bread.
Christinia Patel, MD
Medical School: University of Tennessee
Undergraduate: Brea College, Kentucky
As a first-generation college student from rural Tennessee, Christiana has a passion for tutoring and mentoring those who might face barriers to obtaining education. After college she joined AmeriCorps and tutored students in Washington’s DC’s most at risk schools. She has worked as a peer mentor and advisor for pre-medical students and fellow college students. Christiana enjoys travel- having studied abroad in Japan, completed research in Brazil, and explored many other countries. Other hobbies include journalism and painting.
Amanda Tep, DO
Medical School: Western University
Undergraduate: Oregon State University
Amanda rotated with us on cardiology, and we are excited to have her back. Amanda was born and raised in Portland, headed to Corvallis and Lebanon for school, and is happy to return home to ultimately serve the community in which she grew up. While in medical school, Amanda volunteered with the Lebanon Health Career Ladder program to inspire high school students to pursue science, was a Student Ambassador, and reviewed applications for the DREAM Program for under-represented pre-medical students. She has two years of scribe experience and speaks basic Cambodian and Spanish. In addition to spending time with family and friends, Amanda likes exploring new restaurants, playing tennis, and hiking.
Adam Betcher, MD
Medical School: Oregon Health & Science University
Undergraduate: University of Oregon
Adam, an Oregonian, will join us for one year of preliminary medicine before pursuing training in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Montefiore/Einstein in New York. Adam is very patient- centered. In medical school he co-founded an Addiction Informed Care Interest Group and a Patient Education Collaborative to promote the use of plain language. He has been a personal caregiver and medical scribe. In his free time Adam enjoys reading, creative writing, basketball, and athletics (yoga, weightlifting and calisthenics).
Jonathan “Jack” Feng, MD
Medical School: Medical College of Wisconsin
Undergraduate: Oregon State University
Jack has roots in both Wisconsin and the Pacific NW. Jack has diverse work experiences: barista, blood drive historian, emergency department scribe, math tutor, and volunteer at a free clinic, to name a few. Jonathan enjoys running, fishing, and camping. Jack is drawn to the field of radiology for its interface with every aspect of medicine. He has a strong interest in teaching and plans to bring this to his training. After a preliminary year in medicine, Jack will pursue residency in Diagnostic Radiology at John’s Hopkins.
Ashley Hoff, MD
Medical School: Oregon Health & Science University
Undergraduate: Oregon State University
Ashley grew up on the family ranch in Lakeview, Oregon and understands the difficulties many rural communities have accessing healthcare. She brought her work-ethic to school where she achieved academic excellence, conducted research, volunteered at a free clinic, and mentored pre-medical students. Ashley’s hobbies include cake decoration, gardening, camping, kayaking, and hiking with her husband and rescue dog. Ashley will train in Dermatology at Oregon Health and Sciences University, after which she plans to practice in a rural community like her own.
Nathan Stencel, MD
Medical School: Oregon Health & Science University
Undergraduate: Oregon State University
Like many in medicine, Nathan is a musician. He describes practicing as a classical pianist an exercise in patience, diligence, and humility—traits that are critical in medicine. He enjoys the camaraderie of being part of a musical ensemble and has found similar power in team-based medicine. When not studying or playing music, Nathan can be found in the wilderness: backpacking, mountaineering, and doing snow sports. Other interests include cooking, home brewing and international travel. After a preliminary year in medicine, Nathan will head to Boston University for residency in Anesthesia.
Hannah Giger, DO
Medical School: University of New England
Graduate: Boston University, Public Health
Undergraduate: University of Oregon, Biology and Chemistry
Hannah returns to Oregon after a six-year hiatus in New England. She was a varsity cross country runner in college and still enjoys being active in the outdoors. Hannah brings her strong work ethic and an interest in advocacy for LGBTQIA+ health and patients with substance use disorder. In medical school Hannah helped facilitate a course on Cultural Humility and Biases. Hannah’s diverse hobbies include woodworking, photography, playing a variety of musical instruments, cooking, gardening, and learning Russian.
Maxwell Hirsh, MD
Medical School: Oregon Health & Science University
Undergraduate: University of Oregon, Physics and Psychology
Max will join us after completing a preliminary year in New York where he discovered his love for Internal Medicine and developed a resiliency that comes from working in an epicenter of the COVID pandemic. He is an advocate for equity in health care and has experience in health policy lobbying. Max is a true Oregonian with diverse talents and interests: jazz piano, electric bass, learning Japanese, computer programming, cooking, running, and homebrewing.
Leslie Hudson, DO
Medical School: Western University, College of Osteopathic Medicine
Undergraduate: St. Olaf College of Northfield, Psychology
Leslie, an Oregonian, was a competitive English Hunter/Jumper and founded a summer horse camp for children. Her health care research with Mayo Clinic, volunteer work with underserved populations, and early personal experiences taught her about the nuances and complexity of medicine. She loves both the science and human connection in medicine and is excited about a future career as a hospitalist. Her commitment to learning and humanity were evident when she did her cardiology rotation here at PSVMC. When not engaged in school or riding horses, Leslie enjoys reading, writing, drawing, and the outdoors.
Bethany Koschel, DO
Medical School: Western University of Health Science College of Osteopathic Medicine
Undergraduate: University of Colorado, Integrative Biology
Bethany was an excellent student in our ICU, and we are fortunate to have return for more. She grew up in Loveland, Colorado where she worked as a CNA caring for patients with dementia. Her undergraduate capstone project investigated what “community” means to nursing home residents. These experiences honed her values of patient advocacy and personalized care. She was awarded her medical school’s 2018 Distinguished Service Award and was elected to the Gold Humanism Honor Society. Most of Bethany’s free time is focused on her two rescue dogs.
Adrianna Morse, BA/MD
Medical School: University of Missouri– Kansas City
Undergraduate: University of Missouri-Kansas City, Biology
Adrianna, a Kansan, comes to us from Missouri where she completed a combined BA/MD program. She will be welcome on the ACU as she has done Quality Improvement research on preventing hypoglycemia in the inpatient setting. Adrianna is a people person. She served as a peer mentor, student ambassador, and as a wellness organizer promoting events to establish camaraderie amongst students. Adrianna competed in collegiate dance and continues dance for enjoyment and exercise. She is an avid podcast listener, reads mystery and horror novels, and cooks Italian dishes.
Michelle Nguyen, MD
Medical School: Oregon Health & Science University
Undergraduate: Oregon State University, Microbiology
Michelle is well known to us having done several clinical rotations at PSVMC. Michelle has worked as an EPIC tutor, scribe, and student volunteer at a free clinic. She was a board member for the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association, raising awareness of health challenges and supporting cultural events. Michelle is fluent in Vietnamese and hopes to serve her community as a primary care physician. She enjoys weightlifting, playing classical piano, board games, hiking and kayaking, and being actively involved in her church.
Omar Pandhair, MD
Medical School: Oregon Health & Science University
Undergraduate: University of Texas-Dallas, Biology
Omar was raised in Oregon by Pakistani parents. He loves to teach, having started as a middle school tutor at his local mosque, becoming a peer educator in college, and facilitating the narrative medicine course at OHSU. In evaluations, he is described as “innately compassionate, upbeat and humble”. During the pandemic he grilled food for a houseless community. Omar’s hobbies include football, American politics and foreign policy, and walking on beautiful trails near his home.
Allison Schue, DO
Medical School: Western University of Health Science College Osteopathic Medicine
Undergraduate: Oregon State University, Microbiology & Chemistry
Allison is an Oregon native who left long enough for a semester at St. Andrews in Scotland. She is dedicated to improving her local community having conducted public health research, working with the OMA Equity and Inclusion taskforce, volunteering at a community clinic, and participating in advocacy work. She has possible career interests in Palliative care and Rheumatology. Alison’s hobbies include running, cooking, travel and spending time with family and friends.
Nathaniel Edwards, MD
Medical School: Northeast Ohio Medical University
Undergraduate: Corban University
Nathaniel spent two years substitute teaching in Alaska before heading to medical school in Ohio. Helping the underserved is a passion of his. Nathaniel spent many hours mentoring younger medical students in the medical school's primary care free clinic for the underserved. He enjoys the outdoors, road cycling, gardening and spending time with his wife and two children. He is also happy to be relocating back to Oregon.
Jakob Feeney, MD
Medical School: Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University
Undergraduate: College of Coastal Georgia Brunswick
As a volunteer for Mercy Health Center throughout his medical school career, Jakob’s diverse resume includes student clinic manager, Christmas caroling leader, clinic volunteer at the patient free clinic for the underserved, and working with medical residents in the mobile medical clinic providing medical care to neighborhoods with limited access. In addition to finding a passion in medical education, Jakob is a talented singer and actor, enjoys cooking and baking (including decorating), and plays board and video games.
Nicholas Gates, MD
Medical School: Louisiana State University of Medicine
Undergraduate: University of Colorado
Leaving his home state of Colorado for Louisiana after college, Nicholas discovered his love for working closely with under-served communities through volunteering. His work as an EMT in New Orleans gave him real-world experiences in medicine before applying to medical school. In medical school, he was elected co-director of the student-run homeless clinics helping provide services to those that needed it most. In his free time, Nicholas writes songs on guitar & piano, enjoys the outdoors, video games, and yard games with friends. He is interested in pursuing a career in nephrology or pulmonary critical care but overall keeping an open mind.
Wiley Harkens, DO
Medical School: Pacific Northwest University
Undergraduate: California Polytechnic State University
After spending his undergraduate years in California, Wiley decided to return to the Pacific Northwest. During his educational years, he volunteered as a food packer, packaging food for a hunger relief agency, worked at the AIDS Support Network & Hep C Project for low income members of the community, and also worked as a “Big Doc” mentoring underclass medical students navigating their first year of medical school. He is an artist and makes woodblock prints, ink & graphite drawings, as well as acrylic paintings. He enjoys rock climbing, traveling, and watching foreign films.
Thatcher Houldin, MD
Medical School: University of Colorado School of Medicine
Undergraduate: Case Western Reserve University
Thatcher has quite a diverse background in work and volunteer experiences. He has done student lectures, been a teaching assistant as well as a construction volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, and mentored homeless youth for Attention Homes in Boulder, CO. Growing up with parents who ran an outdoor adventure summer camp gave Thatcher a love for the outdoors. When he is not rock climbing or mountain biking, he likes to listen to science fiction/fantasy audio books.
Karissa Kunihira, MD
Medical School: Loma Linda University
Undergraduate: University of California, Los Angeles
In addition to the numerous research projects Karissa worked on in medical school, she still had time to volunteer as a tutor for first and second year students and work part-time as a dental assistant on evenings and weekends. She speaks several languages including German, Japanese, and Spanish. Her appreciation for the outdoors would explain her hobbies of landscape photography, alpine skiing, ultralight backpacking, and hiking. She enjoys travel, music and coffee too.
Divya Nimmatoori, MD
Medical School: NTR University of Health Sciences, India
Born and raised in India in a family full of physicians, Divya is the 21st doctor in her family. She had an inherent liking for medicine from the beginning but recognized her true calling when she saw her dad serve landmine victims during the Gulf War. Divya volunteered with EKAM, a non-profit group that strives to uplift healthcare for the underprivileged, was a clinical skills instructor for first- and second-year medical students at OHSU and worked for ambulatory care quality improvement. A passionate singer, she has recorded a song for an Indian movie, is a part of a music band, is involved in fundraising-through-singing and wants to research the benefits of music therapy in the future. She also enjoys Bollywood dancing, fusion cooking, spending time with her husband and little daughter and catching up with her parents and sister over zoom.
Banu Ramachandran, MD
Medical School: Oregon Health & Science University
Undergraduate: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
After a successful law career, and raising two children, Banu decided that medicine was her true calling. Before medical school, Banu volunteered by doing pro bono legal work, and during medical school, began volunteering by mentoring a disadvantaged student applying to medical school and by facilitating narrative medicine sessions for other medical students at OHSU. She is working to learn Spanish, understands basic Tamil, and runs in her spare time. She enjoys cooking and entertaining, crossword puzzles, and reading, and might break out in song if you put her in front of a karaoke microphone.
