PGY 1's

Aaron Guinn
Bio: I grew up in the wilds of suburban Winnipeg, and spent my youth playing street hockey, piano and trumpet, and watching science documentaries on PBS (even at this point in my life I was a large nerd). Most of this was not by choice, but rather for the sanity of my parents, and to save my twin sisters from me attempting to teach them algebra. Initially, my aspiration in life was to be a teenage mutant ninja turtle; however, seeing as I was not allowed into the sewers, this was not practical. I started undergrad with the intention of doing a degree in theoretical physics, but I realized that this would be about as practical as trying to be a ninja turtle. And besides, I liked biology and physiology better… which lead me into medicine. I chose Manitoba for residency, as the pathology and clinical experiences here were the best I had anywhere in the country. That, and the residents and staff were the smartest, friendliest, and most human group I had encountered. Couples matching was stressful, though ultimately successful as we got our top pick of EM and General Surgery in Manitoba. When I’m not in the ED trying to figure out if this is the 4th or 5th time the patient in resus has ever been stabbed for “minding their own business,” I enjoy paddling, playing piano, trying new restaurants, reading everything I can get my hands on, and wasting time looking at funny pictures of cats on the internet.
email:aaronjguinn@gmail.com

Lisa Moddemann
Bio: Lisa grew up in the wonderful suburbs of Winnipeg before she headed east for an adventure in Undergraduate studies at the University of Western Ontario. There she developed a penchant for bizarre sports such as ultimate frisbee, frisbee golf (aka frolf) and winter and summer kite-boarding. Much to Lisa's joy and surprise she was able to pursue such sporting activities AND medical school back in her hometown of Winnipeg. Since returning to Winnipeg, Lisa discovered that she has a knack for traveling to far and away places, often just in time to see outrageous natural disasters such as earthquakes in Japan and volcanoes in Iceland. While she is working on shaking this traveling curse, she has managed to stay, as of yet, curse free in her first year of the Emergency Medicine residency.
email:lmoddemann@gmail.com

Kristjan Thompson
Bio: I'm a prairie boy through and through. Your typical Gimli, MB lovechild: half Icelandic, half Ukrainian...an Icekrainian if you will. I’m a Winnipeg lifer: kindergarten, high school, undergrad, med school, and now, my FRCPC EM residency—this place just can’t get rid of me! As an undergraduate student at the University of Manitoba, my career aspirations included: astronaut, professional icecream taste-tester, and/or government spy. In 2007, I tore up my application to CSIS and gave up on a promising career in international espionage—a medical degree would just have to suffice. I was a bit of lab geek, and with a background in medical microbiology and basic translational research I had the opportunity to co-author several publications in the field of infectious diseases, focusing mainly on antimicrobial resistance and surveillance. From my humble days sitting behind a microscope, I eventually found my niche in the emergency room. Chalk it up to a love of ‘all things medicine’, high-functioning obsessive-compulsive tendencies, ADD, and borderline mania—the ER was a perfect fit for me! My current academic/career interests include emergency medicine, microbial surveillance and epidemiology, medical education, and health-care administration. In real-life, I’m an avid traveler, washed up amateur theatre performer/film producer, and die-hard Winnipeg Jets fan.
email:kristjanthompson@gmail.com

Aaron Webb
Bio: No exciting beginning here - I was born, grew up, went to undergrad and med school in Winnipeg. I like to leave town as often as possible, but every trip reminds me that this is where I want to live. I was fortunate enough to spend all my childhood summers living at the lake about an hour east of Winnipeg, which largely shaped who I am today. When I was old enough, I started working on the local ambulance service and spent 5 years as a paramedic before I decided to go to medicine. I've had tunnel vision for this program since day 1 and am ecstatic to be part of the group. When I have some free time (which isn't much these days) I can be found running, skiing, camping, and meowing at strangers.
email:umwebbam@cc.umanitoba.ca

PGY 2's

Robert Gooch
Bio: I grew up in Vancouver, where I learned that Lululemon is acceptable formal wear, and a centimetre of snow makes roads impassable. I split my time between running track and being a total math nerd. I made the mistake of trying to do an undergrad in biophysics, but halfway trough, I realized I'd rather being ordering CT's than figuring out how the CT machine works, so I flew across the country and started medical school at Western. After four years spent mostly at the track, I graduated and decided I needed to discover what a real winter (and real trauma) is like, so I came to Manitoba. My interests include running fast, resuscitation, and new, creative explanations for how that foreign body might have got there.
email:rgooch44@gmail.com

Carmen Hrymak
Bio: I grew up on a farm in Erickson, a small Manitoba town, where a lot of my time was spent looking after the animals. I spent most of my free time playing sports and riding horses. I used to do competitive equestrian riding, but now I just ride for fun when I can. From there I went to Brandon for three years for my undergrad degree where I had fun mixing various chemical and eventually earned a chemistry degree. Since then, I have been in Winnipeg for medical school and residency. I continue to enjoy activities outside of work including running, yoga, tennis, and long walks by the river. I also occasionally get back to the farm to visit the animals.
email: umhrymak@cc.umanitoba.ca

Murdoch Leeies
Bio: The name Murdoch means "prosperous from the sea." Unfortunately I am still looking for a way to harness the power of the sea for profit (and healing). I am half Scottish, half Polish and one sixteenth Chinese. I was born in Winnipeg's urban core where I developed a deep affection for sticking chest tubes into its residents. Before realizing my love of resuscitation I had a variety of odd-jobs including dancing fork, baritone-for-hire, and Pilates instructor. My choice of Winnipeg for Emergency Medicine was an easy one. The residents are cool and it's a very cohesive, supportive group. The staff doctors love to teach and have a wealth of experience to share. Winnipeg is basically a funnel for pathology with its huge catchment area of patients. Our program is small enough for each resident to get hands-on experience without competitive pressure for sexy procedures, management of rare presentations, and niche development while boasting a level 1 trauma centre, cardiac centre of excellence and emergency sub-specialists in toxicology, EMS, palliative care, ethics, critical care, ultrasound and simulation just to name a few. We also have the best sushi In Canada - I'll prove it to you as long as you pay. My current interests in Emergency Medicine include Critical Care, Resuscitation and EMS. My current interests in life include home renovations, luxury travel and fitness modelling. I'm only actively participating in one of these though. Along with many of the other residents I also found my soulmate here - while not officially known as the city of love I suspect that there's something in the water in Winnipeg.
email: umleeies@cc.umanitoba.ca

Kathryn Toews
Bio: I grew up in Beautiful British Columbia on a healthy diet of granola and mountain air. I did an undergrad degree at UBC in Microbiology and then trained as a physiotherapist. I worked at an inner city hospital in Vancouver until I decided that I was more interested in the medical issues of my patients than their rehab and returned to UBC for Medical School.
Most people want to know why anyone, including a Resident, leaves BC and moves to Manitoba… I came here for the acuity of the medicine and the hands on experience. The residents and staff are some of the nicest people I’ve ever worked with. I have been enjoying the city of Winnipeg for its culture and recreation. In my free time I like to cycle, swim and do anything outdoors. I love to camp, backpack, canoe and kayak. I thought that by leaving BC I would be missing out on outdoor adventure, but there is a lot to do in Manitoba. The Canadian Shield is close, there are a million lakes here, and Grand Beach is an easy drive from the city. Manitoba has been great and I heard that it is sunny here in the winter! If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at kt_toews@yahoo.ca
email: kt_toews@yahoo.ca

PGY 3's

Tom Jelic
Bio: Tom adds a little more diversity to this already diverse group. Born in Serbia, I came to Winnipeg when I was 8 months old and have been here until I left for medical school. I attended Ross university, which took me on a tour of North America (kind of!) with stops in Dominica, New York City, Washington DC, Cleveland and Detroit. I spent a month during medical school at the HSC ED, and found this program to be a great place to train at. So with my wife-to-be we decided to stay in Winnipeg for residency and call it home again.
email: tjelic@gmail.com

David Kirschner
Bio: Well I wasn’t always the ‘ER doc to-be’ that you see pictured to the left. I actually started out studying light opera (as opposed to heavy opera?) in Calgary before switching goals and moving towards medicine. For some reason, I was worried what my mom would think about going from being a starving artist to a professional…
Long story short, I ended up here, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. The program is great, the most encouraging ‘thumbs up’ for the program coming from other residents who have spent time elsewhere and speak of how well they are prepared when they leave here.
My wife and I moved out here for med school, and we have grown to love the place. We have had 3 children thus far (Med I, Med II, Med IV), hopefully with more to come. When not involved with my education, I can be found wrestling with my daughters, strolling with my son, or relaxing with my wife.
If you care to know more (as in the next layer of the ‘Dave Kirschner’ fascinoma), my other interests include real estate investing, watching episodes of America’s Funniest Home Videos (I don’t care what you think, seeing someone getting hit between the legs is ALWAYS funny), how to make my home more energy efficient, and parenting.
My only real goal for my time here, other than becoming a competent ER physician, is to start an evening of ‘roasting’ for the residents and attendings. Game on attendings!!!
If you have any reservations about this program, throw them to the wind. I am very thankful to be a part of this group, and look forward to the years (yikes) I have here.
email: umkirscd@cc.umanitoba.ca

Katie Sullivan
Bio: For someone who is usually never at a loss for words, I had a difficult time writing my bio. I am a born & partly bred American, who grew up in Upstate New York, Boston & finally Winnipeg. (I realize this transition of my through-and-through Irish family may not make sense to some people). Growing up, I preferred to spend my time in the dance studio & on stage. Always a Broadway dreamer, even when leaving Winnipeg to complete a science degree @ McGill University, I envisioned a life of feathers, sequins and lights.However, my hopes of show-biz stardom were dashed after spending several unfulfilling summers both performing professionally & waitressing/bussing @ local establishments. Returning home to the prairies for medical school, I sort of fell into Emergency Medicine at the last minute. Aside from boasting a disproportionate number of dancers & left-hand dominant residents, the Emergency Medicine program at the University of Manitoba hosts incredible pathology & trauma, dedicated attendings, and residents who are always rallying to support one another. I could not envision spending 5 years any other way!
Outside of medicine, I still strap on my tap shoes every Monday night for class. I enjoy fitness of any kind (especially bootcamp!), reading novels that have nothing to do with medicine and long walks in the snow. I also indulge in Glee & the color pink whenever possible! Give me a shout if you have any questions or would like to find out more info about our program.
email: umsulli2@cc.umanitoba.ca

Julian Regehr
Bio: I grew up a Winnipegger and spent most of my younger years behind a music stand playing trumpet. Undergrad netted me degrees in music and theology so my first step toward the world of medicine came when I got a job as a paramedic here in Winnipeg. Ten years later the need to keep learning was strong enough for me to go back to university and get my medical degree.
With my EMS background the seed had been sown and through clerkship my passion for Emergency Medicine continued to grow. As you might guess, I am thrilled that I have been given the opportunity to purse my dream career here in Winnipeg. Let me echo my colleagues and say that our program has outstanding staff, crazy patient acuity and diversity, and fantastic residents (no joke - Luke’s hands are out of this world). If I had imagined a best-case scenario I still wouldn’t have imagined how amazing this program and its people are.
Outside medicine my life is just as full. I’m married and have three great kids. So if there is spare time between reading, working, and shaking off post-call days I try to spend it with them. Our family loves camping, bike riding, and playing outside in the back yard. Once the kids are a bit older I’d love to get back to backpacking and rock climbing but that will wait for a while. In the mean time I mostly relax behind the viewfinder of my camera.
If you are thinking about Emergency Medicine, think about our program. You will not be disappointed! Any questions? Don’t hesitate to get in touch.
email: jregehr21@me.com

PGY 4's

Joseph Bednarczyk
Bio: Joe is a proud Winnipeg "Lifer", although from the diversity of his facebook pictures many believe he is actually involved in a ring of international espionage. He also incorporated Medicine with travel in Northern Manitoba and the Thai-Burmese border during medical school. Joe's interests in Medicine include infectious diseases, resuscitation, and critical care, and so he loves the acuity of Winnipeg's HSC. When school's out, Joe plays almost any instrument (badly), juggles, snowboards, and skateboards; and when his scaphoid bites it he knows his co-residents will there to take care of him again. (Right guys?)
email: joseph_bednarczyk@hotmail.com

Deborah Hill
Bio: I am so happy to be back at home in the Peg! I spent 10 years travelling around the US and Canada - undergrad at Butler University in Indiana, a semester at Columbia University while dancing ballet in NYC, med school at McGill in Montreal, a couple years of residency in Ottawa, and finally back home. Winnipeg is a great place to experience Emergency Medicine with a fantastic group of residents and amazing pathology and hands-on clinical experience. I have been overwhelmed by the welcoming reception I have received from the Emergency group in the Peg, which just speaks to the quality of the people we have here. Outside of the hospital, life is great too. I spend most of my free time in the summer out at Victoria Beach, and enjoy dancing ballet, playing golf and tennis, and hanging out with family and friends.
email: deborah.hill@mail.mcgill.ca

Bryce Makar
Bio: I came into medicine with 2 goals in mind: 1) to learn how the body works, 2) to help people. Five years later, my goals haven’t changed that much.
I found my way into emergency medicine after having liked every rotation I did in clerkship and finding that emerg satisfied my ADHD the best.
In my opinion, Winnipeg is the best place to learn medicine for the sheer diversity and complexity of patients, not to mention some of the best attending physicians and wonderful colleagues I’ve ever encountered.
Outside of medicine I have a wonderful wife and love cooking, biking, and golf.
email: bryce.makar@gmail.com

Greg Reimer
Bio: The above resident declined to provide humorous or informative work product prior to the allotted deadline. No biographical information appears here. Check back often.
email: umreimeg@cc.umanitoba.ca

Hareishun Shanmuganathan
Bio: I was born in Sri Lanka and arrived in Edmonton during the Oiler hey-days and was raised on a steady diet of street hockey,Transformers and home-cooked curry. During my undergrad, the medicine bug bit me, but at the same time, so did the travel bug. After touring Europe, I decided to take a 4 year vacation in Australia and was fortunate enough to get a medical degree out of it as well. I still have fond memories of my time in Aus, and the mention of any topic remotely connected to my second home will cause me to slip into a nostalgic reverie.
Like many of my colleagues, I was attracted to the variety in Emerg, but the ability to actually have a life outside of medicine is what clinched the specialty for me. I generally try to do a bit everything, so my interests tend to be pretty broad, and EM allows me to indulge them. I chose to come to Winnipeg largely because of all the great people I met while I was an elective student. The fact that Winnipeg has some of the most amazing pathology I have ever seen is an added bonus. Winnipeg may not be on your radar, but I encourage you to consider it - you'll see a lot, you'll do a lot, and the welcoming nature of the city will make sure you'll have a good time.
email: hareishun@gmail.com

PGY 5's

Jeff Klassen
Bio: I grew up in Roseisle, Manitoba. To give you an idea of the size of Roseisle, the population of the town actually went down by 2% when I left. I moved to Winnipeg for undergrad and took some paramedic training at the same time. That's where I fell for this whole emergency medicine thing. I played in a couple of bands and was fortunate enough to tour a lot of the mid-western states and provinces playing guitar and ruining my vocal cords. I stayed in Winnipeg for med school, too. I fell in love with a beautiful elementary school teacher and somehow convinced her to marry me just before clerkship. Now I'm in residency and enjoying most of it, especially when on emergency rotations. I definetly recommend the program. If you intend on applying here and are a drummer, let me know.
email: jmklassen@gmail.com

Zoe Piggott
Bio: I grew up in Saskatchewan, and spent most of my life dancing. At the end of high school, though, I decided I was too chicken to spend the next decade sleeping on tour buses and washing out leotards in filthy backstage sinks. So I went to university instead, which, incidentally, turned out to be equally disgusting but much more fun! Over the next 8 years I still spent more time in the dance studio than the classroom, but somehow managed to complete a linguistics degree, a year in Europe, and medical school in Kingston Ontario. By that time, I really missed the open sky, so I came back home to the Flatlands.
Emergency Medicine turned out to be the perfect outlet for my energy, curiosity and short attention span. Winnipeg really does have a great mix of diversity, patient acuity and awesome colleagues, and I love working here. Outside the ED, I am a completely boring and very happy person. I love baking, gardening, buying stilettos, hiking (not wearing said stilettos…), traveling, and my amazing husband Dave, who consistently puts up with my neurotic behaviour. I still dance, too, but the bloody pointe shoes have officially retired.
email: TBA

Paul Ratana
Bio: I scraped through a few undergraduate/post graduate degrees (BSc, LLB, LLM) obtained at lacklustre Canadian institutions before i tried my hand at this medicine thing. Previously i worked a few years as a corporate commercial lawyer in Calgary. Notably, i was equipped with unlimited office supplies and a personal assistant transcribing my dictation and answering my phone. Presently, the program here in Winnipeg does not offer personal secretarial support. I have been assured it is imminent. In any case, my loving wife tolerated the decision to huck it all away and slog though medical school. In exchange, we moved to snow town where, all in all life is good for young families. I have two three small children that can identify me by name, and that i love to spend time with. Once upon a time i used to do lots of cool stuff like skiing, snowboarding, rock climbing and loads of racquet sports, but now i mostly drink low calorie sodas. Drop me a line if you want more 411 on our program. Yours truly.
email: interested parties may contact Jeff Klassen at: jmklassen@gmail.com who provides my interim secretarial support.

Ryan Sustrik
Bio: I was born at the University of Alberta Hospital and spent most of my early days sleeping, eating, and crying. In my early days, I learned to walk...blah, blah, blah...so, like my buddy H, I grew up in the hood in Edmonton on an infusion of Gretzky, street hockey. To increase my hockey fighting efficiency I branched out to Tae Kwon Do. Odds ratio for success notably increased to 1:2 from a previous 1:50. After realizing that I wasn't skilled enough to be a dangler and 110lbs didn't qualify as a goon I moved on to mountain biking, snowboarding, and basketball. From an early grade school age I wanted to be a neurosurgeon, showcasing my early mania with psychotic features. Evetunally through an undergrad, masters, and med school where I mostly learned to play ping-pong decently I settled on Emergency Medicine as it played perfectly into my short attention. While in Alberta, I fell victim to a plot to grow Manitoba's population by exporting their women to marry and return home with fresh DNA. As a result I was lucky enough to be here in a very exciting time of growth and development of an already solid program. If you want a strong program, with lots of exposure, and a family of other residents, you should consider this program.
email: TBA

PGY X's

Ryan Cormier
Bio: Welcome to Fight Club. The first rule of Fight Club is – you don’t talk about Fight Club.
email: TBA

Cheryl ffrench
Bio: Cheryl is a born and raised Winnipegger who has done all her university training at the University of Manitoba. She is a firm believer in Winnipeg and what it has to offer – namely friendly people, great community, tons of amazing restaurants and the ability to live cheaply so you can travel! Medical school helped Cheryl find the three great loves of her life – her husband, coffee and Emergency Medicine. Its embarrassing to note that despite being a huge fan of the TV show ER, Cheryl had no idea when she started in medicine that emergency was its own specialty. However, she quickly found it to be the perfect fit for her love of high acuity and lack of an attention span. Matching to the Emergency Medicine program in Winnipeg meant she could combine her love of Winnipeg with her love of the specialty. The residents and attendings are an amazing group of individuals who are incredibly supportive. And the clinical pathology is second to none. There really is no better place to learn and practice emergency medicine. When she’s not in the emergency department, Cheryl spends her time searching for the perfect cup of coffee, hanging out with her husband and family and planning her next vacation! She loves to talk about Winnipeg and emergency medicine, especially over coffee, so please feel free to email with any questions.
email: TBA

Luke A Terrett
Bio: After a modestly successful career as a hand model on the west coast, Luke found his way to Winnipeg and Emergency Medicine. He enjoys the combination of a fast pace and high acuity that is present in the ER environment and he never ceases to be amazed by the pathology that is found here in Manitoba. His areas of interest include medical education, simulation, and critical care. When not working he enjoys winter running (it only makes you stronger), playing guitar, and polishing his firearms. Check out Luke's hands in the Rolex ad from the 2004 June edition of GQ magazine.
email: luketerrett@hotmail.com