Class of 2027
Thomas Gander
Medical School: Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine
Medical Interests: Health optimization from pediatrics to geriatrics
Personal Interests/Hobbies: Music, gardening, wood and metalworking, running.
Why Grand Forks/Altru: The Grand Cities area is a wonderful place to live and have a family. Altru is a regional health center with a wide variety of patients with different healthcare needs and priorities.
Brandon Haugrud
Medical School: University of Minnesota- Duluth Medical School
Medical Interests: Rural family medicine, emergency medicine
Personal Interests/Hobbies: I am a gigantic fisherman (everything from walleye and bass to muskies and sturgeon!) Also an avid waterfowl hunter, trapper, and all around outdoorsman. Generally, in my free time I'm either on the water or deep in the woods somewhere!
Why Grand Forks/Altru: I grew up on a farm in Northwestern Minnesota and knew I wanted to go somewhere that would give me excellent training in rural family medicine and Grand Forks was a natural fit. I love the area and the culture of the people in this part of the country and didn't ever want to leave. Additionally, all my family and extended family live in North Dakota or Minnesota so it really does feel like home to me here in Grand Forks. Finally, I was blown away by how kind and welcoming everybody was when I first interviewed and knew this is where I wanted to be.
Daniel Lengowski
Medical School: University of North Dakota School of Medicine
Medical Interests: Full spectrum family medicine, point of care ultrasound, pain management
Personal interests/hobbies: I am an avid outdoorsman and enjoy any outdoor activity especially hunting and fishing. I enjoy gardening with my wife and daughter in the summer. During the winter months, I enjoy wood-working, home improvement projects, and crafts with my daughter.
Why Grand Forks/Altru: I completed the first 2 years of medical school in Grand Forks. The town has always felt so welcoming to my family and the people here have made us feel as though we are part of the community. Grand Forks is a perfect blend of small town and convenience which our family has truly come to love. During medical School I had the opportunity to work closely with the Altru FMR residents and staff and know that I will get a meaningful and fulfilling training experience while here.
William Olson
Medical School: Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine
Medical Interests: Full spectrum family medicine including in office procedures, hospital medicine and emergency medicine.
Personal Interests/Hobbies: During my free time I enjoy staying active playing sports such as basketball, golf, baseball and occasionally volleyball. I also enjoy hunting, fishing, hiking and spending time relaxing on the many lakes in Minnesota.
Why Grand Forks/Altru: I had the opportunity to complete my interview in-person and I am so happy I did. During my interview I immediately felt like a member of the Altru family due to their warm and welcoming staff and residents. The residency’s primary focus on cultivating exceptional full spectrum rural family practice physicians aligns perfectly with my professional goals. As an unopposed program, I believe it offers an opportunity to deepen my knowledge and better prepare me for a successful career post-residency. The people of Grand Forks are some of the most pleasant individuals I have encountered, and the city uniquely combines a rural atmosphere with urban amenities. As someone who is very family oriented, attending Altru also gives me the opportunity to stay closer to my family and loved ones who live in Northern Minnesota.
Kenny Ryan
Medical School: University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Medical Interests: I am passionate for rural, full-spectrum family medicine and providing for people of all ages.
Personal Interests/Hobbies: Huge fan of golfing and keeping the groundskeepers at Ray Richards busy. I also enjoy running, cooking, and hanging out with my wife. On the nerdier side of things, I also enjoy playing video games.
Why Grand Forks/Altru: I moved to Grand Forks over 10 years ago and I have absolutely fallen in love with the area. I met my wife here and found that the culture here is built on being kind and caring about others. It is the best community a person could ask for. I also had the opportunity in medical school to do my clinicals at Altru and had plenty of experiences with the residents at the Altru Family Medicine Residency. They are great people, extremely knowledgeable, and skilled at medicine. They showed me how great the residency is and motivated me to go here.
Jaskaran Sidhu
Medical School: American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine
Medical Interests: Full spectrum medicine, Rural and Emergency Medicine, Sports Medicine and Women's Health
Personal Interests/Hobbies: I enjoy spending time with family and friends, traveling to new places, hiking, gardening, and cooking.
Why Grand Forks/Altru: Grand Forks resonates closely with my hometown of Mission B.C., fostering a tightly-knit community atmosphere. In Grand Forks, everything is within a 10-minute drive, making it incredibly convenient and time-saving. Altru FMR offers all the aspects that I was looking for in a residency program - unopposed residency, approachable faculty & staff and focus on rural medicine and women's health. Altru FMR faculty, residents and the staff are extremely supportive and genuinely care for each other’s well-being. I am thrilled to be a part of such a renowned program and call Grand Forks my home for the next three years.
Theoren Solseng
Medical School: University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Medical Interests: Rural Medicine, Mental Health and Addiction Medicine, Broad-spectrum care
Personal Interests/Hobbies: Spending time with my family, Going to the lake, Golfing, Fishing, UND sports, Steelers Football.
Why Grand Forks/Altru: Being from Ada, MN I grew up coming to Grand Forks to visit family and attend UND hockey and football games a lot. I further familiarized myself with the city while attending both undergrad and medical school at UND. During medical school I spent a rotation with the Altru Family Medicine Residency and was able to work very closely with the residents and faculty. The caring, supportive, genuine nature of everyone I worked with further solidified Altru and Grand Forks as the perfect choice of residency for me and my family.
Dhishver Velusamy
Medical School: University College Cork, Ireland
Medical interests: Full Spectrum Family Medicine, Sports Medicine, Pain Medicine, Medical Education
Personal Interests/Hobbies: I enjoy travelling, experiencing different cuisines, exercising, swimming, and spending quality time with family and friends.
Why Grand Forks/Altru: I wanted my preferred residency program to have a curriculum that emphasizes comprehensive medical training, encourages residents to step out of their comfort zone, and prioritizes collaboration and community. I realized that Altru FMR had all these components during my interview. The faculty and residents made me feel welcome, comfortable, and valued. They were passionate about the program and its curriculum and were willing to explain all details and answer any questions. In addition, Grand Forks is a small city resembling my experience in Cork, Ireland, a city that I grew fond of and called home while attending medical school. I knew that by choosing Altru FMR and Grand Forks, I would be in good hands and have a great place to call home for the next three years.
