UVM Emergency Medicine Residency, Meet Our Residents

Meet Our Residents

Class of 2023

Wendell Bliss

Hometown: Geneva, Ohio
Medical school: University of Louisville
Hobbies: Cooking, climbing, fly fishing, photography, playing in the snow, and riding bicycles.
What excites you about EM at UVM: The program here has so many unique things! The faculty and staff here are excited about creating and growing a new residency and I think that the residents are really benefiting from that energy. The opportunity to practice in a variety of settings, both large academic and smaller outlying hospitals, lets you frame your practice around the resources that you have available. Not to mention that the people and location are fantastic!
Future plans: Preparing to become the best “small town ED physician,” growing my own food, building a sauna, and finding morels.

Emily Guy

Hometown: Boyceville, WI
Medical School: University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
Hobbies: Mountain biking, bikepacking, hiking, running, paddle boarding, trying (and failing at) various winter sports, eating tacos and drinking margaritas.
What excites you about EM at UVM: I found that all-elusive “fit” during my away rotation at UVMMC. Every single person in the department is phenomenal, from the scribes, nurses, and techs, to the attendings. The faculty here are both a joy to be around and incredibly dedicated to teaching. I easily learned more during my 4 weeks at UVM than during any other medical school experience. I am stoked not only to continue learning from this stellar group of people but also to help build and shape what is already an amazing program. Not to mention, Burlington has basically everything you could ever want/need: every type of outdoor activity, great food and beer, and Ben and Jerry’s ice cream.
Future plans: Find a winter sport, figure out how to doctor, maybe get a dog.

Nektarios Konstantinopoulos

Hometown: Huntington, VT
Medical School: Larner College of Medicine at UVM
Hobbies: Anything outdoors, putting trees on the ground, and sugaring.
What excites you about EM at UVM: top notch faculty with diverse interests. Providing care in a variety of low resource environments.
Future plans: Provide great care to each and every patient who walks in the door of the ED. And, hopefully become an outstanding EM attending in the great state of Vermont.

Jake Lehman

Hometown: Kalamazoo, Michigan
Medical School: Larner College of Medicine at UVM
Hobbies: Cooking, hiking, running, sitting on beaches and occasionally beating my friends in Mario Kart.
What excites you about EM at UVM: To continue my education with the best teachers in a demanding yet supportive environment. Being able to get off shift and spend time in Burlington on the waterfront or eating on Church St.
Future plans: Exploring global health opportunities internationally and with Indian Health Services. Perfect home culinary skills and start a small farm. Pay for my own Netflix subscription.

John Priester

Hometown: Grafton, VT
Medical school: Tulane University School of Medicine
Hobbies: Trail running, surfing, snowboarding, and spending time outdoors with my children.
What excites you about EM at UVM: After spending the past 18 years in California and Louisiana, I am excited to return to Vermont to continue my medical training. The EM program at UVM offers outstanding training in a truly unique environment. The faculty and staff at UVM are passionate about teaching emergency medicine, and Burlington offers access to just about any outdoor activity you could think of. I am excited to be a part of this growing program.
Future plans: Become the best EM physician that I can be.

Xavier Schwartz

Hometown: Menomonie, WI
Medical School: University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
Hobbies: Mountain biking, cross-country skiing, windsurfing, bikepacking, sewing bikepacking gear, playing the piano and ukulele (not at the same time).
What excites you about EM at UVM: I rotated as a visiting student, and I’m pretty sure UVM has the best group of attendings and staff I’ve ever worked with. I’m excited to learn from them and help build what I think is already one of the best programs in the country. When I’m not at work, Burlington is pretty much impossible to beat when it comes to outdoor access, especially in a town where I can bike to work in less than 20 minutes.
Future plans: Get better at sewing and windsurfing, but mostly to get better at doctoring. Learn to provide top-notch care everywhere from an academic department to the side of a trail.

Class of 2024

Interns 2021 at Leddy resized

Dan Bak

Hometown: Stowe, VT
Medical school: University of Vermont
Hobbies: Skiing, biking, surfing
What excites you about EM at UVM: The group, which is made up of smart, down to earth, good people who are invested in the program. The access to the outdoors is also incredible.
Future plans: Become the best EM physician I can, lots of ultrasound, explore new backcountry ski zones, and bike as much as possible.

Kunal Chohan

Hometown: Orlando, FL
Medical school: University of Miami
Hobbies: Music, all things food and drink, meditation, travel, large bodies of water, hiking
What excites you about EM at UVM: A kind and remarkable culture that puts people first. The opportunity to shape an emerging program. Experience practicing low resource medicine. Life in paradise here in Burlington.
Future plans: Survive and thrive through residency and winter. Learn to shred skiing. Become the kindest and most incredible EM physician I can be.

KC Collier

Hometown: Moved a bunch growing up both East and West Coasts
Medical school: Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
Hobbies: Reading and walks by the lake, paddling, gardening, cooking and baking new recipes, spending time with family and friends, struggling at guitar, impromptu dance parties.
What excites you about EM at UVM: Being a part of a growing program with powerhouse faculty, wicked smart and fun residents in a beautiful place! What’s not to love!
Future plans: Enjoy residency and all the perks Vermont has to offer.

Stephen Hobson

Hometown: Flushing, Michigan
Medical School: University of Michigan Medical School
Hobbies: Spending time with my wife and son, going on family adventures and road trips, playing guitar and drums, reading science fiction, making my son laugh.
What excites you about EM at UVM: I first came to Vermont for a medical course at the Army Mountain Warfare School and absolutely loved the state. Everybody talks about finding the right “fit” for residency, and I definitely felt that with the faculty and residents at UVM.
Future plans: Explore opportunities as an EM doctor in wilderness medicine and medical education and enjoy the many outdoor activities Vermont has to offer!

Ashley McCormick

Hometown: West Chester, PA
Medical School: Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Hobbies: Reading, fly fishing, hiking, trail running, exploring local craft breweries, perfecting that first batch of morning coffee, bouldering, being a dog mom and crazy plant lady.
What excites you about EM at UVM: I could go on and on about everything that excites me about this program, but for those adult learners with short attention spans like me: I ultimately chose UVM for the people, the program philosophy, and the culture – this is a progressive and adaptable program that embraces the humanity of every patient, places equal value on each team member’s role to deliver optimal patient-centered care, and offers a support system chock full of mentors that truly care about their residents as human beings in and (especially) out of the hospital.
Future plans: Learn from the best, care for the community, and discover the best hazy IPA in Burlington.

Daniel Peters

Hometown: Nashville, TN
Medical school: University of Tennessee Health Science Center
Hobbies: Running, biking, disc golfing, playing Settlers of Catan
What excites you about EM at UVM: The combination of innovative leadership, diverse clinical training sites, and outdoorsy-ness of Burlington make for an excellent residency experience. I’m excited to be part of a young, growing program with a team of supportive faculty physicians from a diverse set of backgrounds.
Future plans: Career-wise: hopefully a mix of academia/administration and community EM. Personally: spend as much time outside as possible; be an engaged community member.

Class of 2025

Brittany Drath

Hometown: Green Bay, WI
Medical School: Medical College of Wisconsin
Hobbies: Running, biking, skiing, eating cake and playing with my dog Nala
What excites you about EM at UVM: It was clear from my interview that the faculty and residents are not only fun and welcoming people but also are invested in teaching and truly care about the patient experience. I am also excited about the global health opportunities and the community outreach work that is done at UVM.
Future plans: I hope to become the best patient advocate I can and learn from an incredibly diverse group of people. Additionally, I plan on continuing my work with victims of domestic violence and human trafficking. I hope to run the Vermont Marathon, get better at skiing, and explore a new restaurant scene.

Nicholas Lang

Hometown: Salem, NH
Medical School: Albany Medical College, Albany NY
Hobbies: Rock climbing, cycling, caving, cooking, hiking, podcasts and snowboarding
What excites you about EM at UVM: I’m excited to be a part of supportive and motivated community that prioritizes providing the highest quality of medical care to patients in both urban and rural settings. I also cannot wait to take advantage of the incredible access to the outdoors for year-round adventuring and relaxation.
Future plans: Work with the local first responder community to promote their health and wellness and spend as much time as possible learning to snowboard under the expert tutelage of my girlfriend Jacque.

Colin Waters

Hometown: Rome, NY
Medical School: Tufts University School of Medicine, Maine Track Program
Hobbies: Sharing meals with family and friends, outdoor activities (running, climbing, and skiing), woodworking, and spending time with my wife and our dog.
What excites you about EM at UVM: UVM is a place where I can obtain excellent clinical training, develop diverse professional interests, and join a vibrant community. I am impressed by how passionate the faculty are about the training and well-being of residents and excited about the opportunities provided by an expanding and evolving program.
Future Plans: To be a community emergency medicine physician that dabbles in research, quality improvement, and projects that increase access to medical care. I also hope to dabble in hobby farming if my wife and I can settle our Jersey vs. Galloway cattle debate.

Christopher Whiting

Hometown: Falmouth, Maine
Medical School: Tufts University School of Medicine
Hobbies: Skiing, mountain biking, triathlon, cooking and baking, guitar
What excites you about EM at UVM: I was really impressed with all the people I met on my interview day, specifically their enthusiasm for growing this younger program with down to earth faculty, staff, and residents and creating a kind and generous culture for each other and for patients. The outdoor access and livability of Burlington is also incredible.
Future Plans: Be a human sponge as I attempt to learn as much from the incredible faculty and patients at UVMMC. Continue to push myself outside the hospital to engage with my community, be the best husband possible, and explore the beautiful environment around Burlington.

Luke Wohlford

Hometown: Tucson, AZ
Medical school: University of Arizona COM – Phoenix
Hobbies: Running, pizza (running fuel), GeoGuessr, hiking, skiing, Rocket League, and tug of war with my dogs
What excites you about EM at UVM: The sheer amount of opportunities here blows me away, especially in rural and low-resource EM. It’s also clear how the program was intentionally built to create amazing clinicians and I feel lucky to jump onboard.
Future plans: Adapt my hobbies from desert life to mountain life, become the best EM doc I can be, and serve my community however I can.

Department of Emergency Medicine