CA-3 Bios

Britni Beagley, MD

Out for a hike with my nieces!

Hometown: Eagle, CO 

Hobbies: I try to be outside as much as possible whether it's picnicking in the park, reading on a balcony, doing water sports or actually getting outside in the mountains. I love doing all the stereotypically Colorado activities--camping, hiking, fishing, boating, running but especially skiing. My whole family still lives up in the mountains so I make it up there as often as I can for some fresh mountain air and family time. Besides the active Colorado lifestyle, I enjoy petting other people's dogs, cooking, spending time with my close friends, baking, DIY projects and interior decorating.

What is the biggest strength of our program? The diversity of the training sites and the acuity of cases. Rotating through 4 different hospitals is a huge bonus that allows residents exposure to a variety of hospital cultures, patient populations, workflow and institutional protocols and medications used that will prepare trainees for almost any work environment. Each site has its own strengths and diversity of training of the attendings that work there and all sites offer training with extremely high acuity patients and cases.

What were you doing before you went into medicine? I took a few years off after college while I decided if I wanted to make the commitment to medical school. I traveled a great deal internationally, had a variety of jobs including as a ski instructor, nanny, volleyball coach, physical therapy aid,  innkeeper,  office administrator in the family construction business and a handful of other small jobs.

What is your dream vacation? My dream vacation would be exploring Switzerland or New Zealand on back roads through the countrysides and rural areas. During my 4th year of medical school I got to explore northern Vietnam on a motorcycle; it's probably my favorite way to travel! The people you meet, experiences you have and things you get to see are unmatched.

AJ Ferrone, MD

Riding an open-air train in Georgetown. 
One of the many unique activities CO has to offer.

Hometown: Newburgh, NY

Hobbies: In my spare time I enjoy hanging out with my wife, two small children, and two large dogs.  Anytime spent outdoors is quality time, to include hiking, mountain biking, snowboarding, running, and soon...fly fishing.  I rode a 10' fish when I lived in San Diego.  I still continue to fly occasionally, and also dabble on the ukulele and brew my own garage beer.

What is the biggest strength of our program? From the perspective of a CA-1, I would say mutual respect and approachability,  From the anesthesia faculty to senior residents, administrative staff, OR staff, and surgeons, I have found everyone to be open, welcoming, friendly, professional, and approachable.

What is your favorite educational activity as a resident? I'm a tactile learner, so the multitude of workshops that were conducted during the orientation week were integral to my development.  They centered on laryngoscopy, peripheral IV catheterization, CVC kits, familiarization with ultrasound equipment and the spinal/epidural CSE kits.

What were you doing before you went into medicine? I was a Major in the United States Marine Corps and flew AH-1W SuperCobra attack helicopters.

What is your dream vacation? I lived my dream vacation when I eloped with my beautiful wife Samantha on the island of Bora Bora.

What skills/talents do most people not know about you? I'm a big "The Walking Dead" fan, I was once on a single episode of a little-watched reality television show on a B-network, and I am the military equivalent of an FAA NTSB investigator who has actually authored mishap reports and staked flags in the ground.  I'm interested in applying the Crew Resource Management principles and risk reduction strategies borne of aviation mishaps and research to improve patient safety within the ORs.

Jesse Fioravanti, MD

Hometown: Denver, CO 

Hobbies: Music, outdoors, international travel, friends

What is the biggest strength of our program? The people, CU draws from a diverse background of professionals from the zenith's of academia to the veteran private practice provider and everything in between.

What is your favorite educational activity as a resident? In person lectures with experts in the field, best when combined with hands-on real-time training where merited.

What were you doing before you went into medicine? I was a med student like everyone else I'm sure, but prior to that I toured in a band in the USA and lived in the USVI for a record-contract right before completing undergrad back in Boulder, CO.

What is your dream vacation? International, huge gaggle of my closest friends, new experiences.

What skills/talents do most people not know about you? Multi-instrumentalist and I have a home studio to record tunes.  Also used to be in the drumline in marching band (aka the coolest thing ever)

Jake Gamboa, MD

Hiking with my daughter

Hometown: Westminster, CO

Hobbies: I love being outside. I'm passionate about sports and specifically love to watch/play football and basketball, and I play on competitive volleyball leagues. I relieve stress by going to the mountains and camping. I like to snowboard and surf. But most spare time is spent with my wife and daughter.

What is the biggest strength of our program? The faculty and residents here are all very fun and supportive. There is a lot of camaraderie within the program and wellness is highly valued. Program leadership is also responsive to feedback and makes changes to optimize our training and experience.

What is your favorite educational activity as a resident? Weekly lectures and being able to see some of my co-residents.

What were you doing before you went into medicine? I did undergrad in Hawaii and Utah and spent two years living in the Dominican Republic while on a mission. I was a medical interpreter prior to medical school and traveled to Guatemala with humanitarian groups. During medical school at CUSOM, I helped lead a local free health clinic for immigrants and created an international research project focused on using Facebook to prevent Zika in the Caribbean.

What is your dream vacation? Camping on the beach and surfing all day.

What skills/talents do most people not know about you? Table tennis. I used to train with an Olympic coach and robots.

Clare Hasken, MD

My favorite hiking buddy, Stella!

Hometown: Richmond, IL 

Hobbies: Hiking, camping, water skiing, hanging out with my dog

What is the biggest strength of our program? The people! Everyone is very friendly and welcoming

What is your favorite educational activity as a resident? Hands on workshops during orientation - they were high yield and helpful prior to starting in the OR

What were you doing before you went into medicine? Surgery intern here at the University of Colorado

What is your dream vacation? New Zealand with a variety of outdoor activities

What skills/talents do most people not know about you? I learned to water ski when I was 6 and have loved it ever since

Ian Holmen, MD

Enjoying the mountains

Hometown: Grand Marais, MN 

Hobbies: Running, skiing, hiking, canoeing, reading, cooking

What is the biggest strength of our program? The Attendings are dedicated to resident education. You will feel very well trained and ready to join any practice you want at the end of training.

What is your favorite educational activity as a resident? I enjoy doing research. Research here is easy to get involved with, and if you have an idea of what you’d like to study the department can be supportive.

What were you doing before you went into medicine? I was a fuels operator at McMurdo station in Antarctica working for the United States Antarctic Program.

What is your dream vacation? Traversing the Gates of the Arctic or running a dog team to the South Pole.

What skills/talents do most people not know about you? Highly skilled in spoiling my girlfriends puppy.

Sam Jensen, MD

Celebrating the completion of my
first rotation as a CA-1.

Hometown: Sioux Falls, SD

Hobbies: I enjoy spending time outside hiking, camping, backpacking, snowboarding, and trying new things. I am interested in sports and follow the Minnesota Vikings, Twins, and Liverpool FC closely. I also enjoy finding water and swimming, boating, and waterskiing. I am always up for an adventure no matter how far we need to drive. I love spending time with friends and my wife, Maria!

What is the biggest strength of our program? I was drawn to the University of Colorado because we get four very distinct anesthesia practices at UCH, DH, CHCO, and the VA. The amount of learning from these different environments from complex patients/procedures, to very intense traumas, and everything in between was an attractive option to build my own anesthesia practice for the future. I also felt very comfortable with all of the residents during my interview and that has proven to be true. The senior residents have been very helpful and are always available to discuss an issue, question, and find ways to help. And finally, I have found University of Colorado to emphasize a positive work life balance. This has allowed for lots of time to explore the mountains, take weekend trips, and refresh after a long week or a tough day.

What is your favorite educational activity as a resident? The CA-1 bootcamp is a great educational activity that University of Colorado offers to us. It allows us to get early OR exposure and then highlights the very basics that you have to know cold when you are running your own OR. We also go into some of the non-OR skills and knowledge that is necessary to be not only successful but a strong anesthesia resident.

What were you doing before you went into medicine? After my undergraduate studies, I moved to Madison, WI to try my hand at research. I studied the outcome of crossing different strains of various vegetables while attempting to make a more robust crop, more resistant crop, and an all around better product. This was a great experience but was not at all glamorous. I then moved on to protein biochemistry at a lab and focused on developing a method that would assist researchers in determining protein-protein interaction profiles. The method was BioID and it took a good amount of time and effort to create but has been used to help study muscular dystrophy, battons disease, and various other rare diseases. The day I got accepted to medical school, I moved to Guatemala to work with my now wife, Maria, in a small community in the Guatemalan highlands. We spent 2 months living and working there.

What is your dream vacation? My dream vacation would be a hybrid mountain/beach vacation. Lazy morning spent drinking cafe con leche and having a light breakfast with Maria. Then the rest of the morning and early afternoon spent catching a nice powder day on an isolated mountain. Then finishing the day on the beach with a cold beverage until the sun sets. Right after the sunset, we would be at a concert of any one of my favorite bands right along the beach. Finally, we would have a giant wagyu steak before finding a natural hot spring to relax in to recover to do the same thing the next day.

What skills/talents do most people not know about you? I would say most people wouldn't guess that I was a college athlete. I played soccer goalkeeper for the University of Saint Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. They recently became a D1 school, so even better... I am a D1 athlete.

I still am an average, at best, sportsman and love to play any sport recreationally! Recent sports highlights include beer league volleyball champions, pick-up basketball MVP (self-given award), 5 times men's league soccer champion (2015 -2019), and recent conqueror of black diamonds on a mountain bike.

Kevin Kim, MD

A family photo of my wife, my twin girls, and me during
their 100th day celebration (special day to celebrate in Korea)

Hometown: Denver, CO

Hobbies: Food, traveling (pre-COVID), fantasy football, video games

What is the biggest strength of our program? Strengths: exposure to very broad spectrum of patients from the simple bread and butter to the very complex patients. Able to rotate at different hospitals with different types of practice methods.

What is your favorite educational activity as a resident? Few of the CA1 lectures were very useful. My favorite one was with Dr. Jameson as she was teaching us the circle circuit of the vents and how the machines work. She brought a few machines and let us play with them, breaking them apart and putting them back together. She also had opportunities to try different vent modes on ourselves with a mouth piece. It really put into perspective what each of the vent settings are doing and get to see how difficult some of the vent settings are to breath through.

What were you doing before you went into medicine? Prior to med school I did different things. I spent some time working as a youth pastor at a local church, I worked as a student aid in a lab, and expectantly got promoted to work as a full time employee. I went to CUSOM for med school and did my pre-lim intern year at Saint Joseph Hospital in Denver, where my wife gave birth to our twins!

What is your dream vacation? Went on one of them right before med school graduation, went to S. Korea for 4 weeks (stayed with my in-laws) and from there hopped on a plane to Japan. It's been over 14 years since I last visited S. Korea and it was my first time visiting Japan. I wish to do something similar later on, using S. Korea as a base camp and traveling around Eastern Asia.

What skills/talents do most people not know about you? I have a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, but it has been a long time since I practiced martial arts, but an accomplishment I like to hold on to.

Patrick McGee, MD

Hometown: San Diego, CA

Hobbies: I love to snowboard any chance I get! I'm also always looking for opportunities to play a game of basketball or volleyball. I'm a big sports fan and love going to football, basketball games, and baseball games (Chargers, Lakers, and Padres). I enjoy checking out breweries and fun places to eat. Having game nights with my wife and friends is also something I love. Music is definitely a passion of mine, and going to concerts and festivals has been easy in Denver (pre-covid).

What is the biggest strength of our program? I think the attendings and residents are awesome. As a CA1 I’ve felt supported and encouraged throughout the year. The CA2/3s have really acted like big siblings, making sure I've been doing alright and always willing to talk if I need it. The attendings have been easy to work with and truly care about my learning. There are so many other strengths to this program, but this definitely stands out to to me!

What is your favorite educational activity as a resident? I thought the CA1 core curriculum lecture series was really helpful when starting the year. For 5 weeks we had daily afternoon lectures covering all the basics of anesthesia given by attendings and fellows.

What were you doing before you went into medicine? I got a degree in engineering during my undergraduate years. I didn't work in the field and instead decided to go straight to med school. I went to Loma Linda University for med school and loved being able to go to the beach, the mountains, home to San Diego, and to LA for music and food. I married my wife, Julia, during med school and we made the move out to Denver last year for my medicine prelim year as part of the categorical program. We've really been enjoying Denver, so much to do!

What is your dream vacation? Either a tropical beach lying out doing nothing or up to the mountains to snowboard. Snowboarding in New Zealand is definitely on my bucket list. A trip exploring Europe or Asia wouldn't be so bad either.

What skills/talents do most people not know about you? I love to play the drums. Funk music is my preferred genre. I also enjoy sketching architecture and other perspective images.

Rizwan Nazarali, MD

Vitamin D and Grapes

Hometown: Houston, TXHobbies: Reef Tanking, Lifting heavy things and putting them back down, Spending time with my kids, Conquering 14ers, Video Games (Starcraft & Dota), Movies (DiCaprio is the King)

What is the biggest strength of our program? The multitude of sites of training

What is your favorite educational activity as a resident? Off the cuff teaching and Discovery Rounds

What were you doing before you went into medicine? Worked in Telecom (Verizon)

What is your dream vacation? Laying on a beach on the West Coast

What skills/talents do most people not know about you? I was a professional Gamer; I rebuilt a turbo’d engine

Dan Paz de Araujo, MD

My wife, Caroline, and I in Beacon Hill one of
our favorite areas of Boston just before our wedding in 2019.

Hometown: Colorado Springs, CO

Hobbies: Hiking, mountain biking, snowboarding, spending time with friends/family, video games.

What is the biggest strength of our program? I like that our program has the diverse clinical sites of DH, UCH, CHC, and VAMC which offer their own unique training experiences. Additionally, I was born and raised in Colorado with many of my friends and family still here and have several mountain/outdoors hobbies so it is great that I can get this top tier and diverse training while still in my favorite place with all of my favorite people nearby.

What is your favorite educational activity as a resident? All of the attending anesthesiologists I have worked with as both a medical student here at CU and now an anesthesia resident are extremely passionate about teaching so each day in the OR I find I learn something new from a group of attendings that are very excited to teach.

What were you doing before you went into medicine? Before starting medical school I worked for a year in a lab studying potential drug targets for treatment of Hepatitis B infection. Prior to that I attended Boston College where I studied biology and theology. My theology senior thesis focused on the ethics surrounding medical missionary work in Africa which I became interested in after going to Uganda for a couple summers during undergrad and seeing a wide variety of types of medical missions come through the town I lived in.

What is your dream vacation? My wife and I would really like to visit New Zealand.

Nathan Rietberg, MD

My partner Dan, our dog Mila, and me
near Telluride, CO this past September

Hometown: Grand Rapids, MI

Hobbies: I enjoy swimming/diving, snowboarding, hiking, camping, baking, napping in my hammock, and walking my dog.

What is the biggest strength of our program? The faculty come from a wide variety of training backgrounds which brings in multiple perspectives. I find it really beneficial to try things several different ways and find what works best for the patients and my workflow. There are also numerous transplants at the University and all the trauma your heart desires at Denver Health. Training at four different hospitals that are all in close proximity also adds to the diverse training we get here.

What is your favorite educational activity as a resident? I really enjoy the mentorship groups. It provides an easy way to get to know faculty better as well as CA-2s/3s in a casual environment. We regularly meet outside the hospital at breweries which makes it really fun!

What were you doing before you went into medicine? I was a diver at the University of Michigan in undergrad and then I worked as a nurse technician in a rehab hospital during my gap year before medical school. I also fostered rescue dogs which was super fun and I look forward to doing that again in the future!

What is your dream vacation? I have yet to make it to Europe so I would love to explore places like Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain. I would also like to make it Switzerland and Austria someday.

What skills/talents do most people not know about you? I can still do some flips and twists on a diving board and trampoline. I'm also continuing to hone my baking skills, especially making homemade pies.

Annie Stumpf, MD, MPH

One of my favorite day hikes, rain or shine,
is American Lakes, outside Aspen.

Hometown: Oconomowoc, WI

Hobbies: All things outside. All things mountains. Also a self-proclaimed ice cream connoisseur.

What is the biggest strength of our program? The people. It's striking how much the faculty invests in the residents; how much my co-residents move as a team; it makes a really special community.

What is your favorite educational activity as a resident? Ultrasound workshops! As a combined resident/fellow in critical care anesthesia, I get dedicated days in the year for ultrasound training and it's so helpful. I love that I  feel confident in my TTE skills and feel empowered to make informed clinical decisions at the bedside.

What were you doing before you went into medicine? I was a BMT nurse here at CU. I also have my MPH in health policy and worked on Wisconsin Medicaid policy development during the opioid epidemic.

What is your dream vacation? The top of my bucket list is to raft the Grand Canyon.

What skills/talents do most people not know about you? I'm super proud of the garden that I cultivated this summer, which started during COVID. I've got watermelons, strawberries, tomatoes--all the things. I'm always game to cook a fresh meal with a friend.

Grace Tooley, MD

Atop Aspen Mountain this past summer. Admittedly, I rode
the chairlift up, but I've become a more seasoned hiker since!

Hometown: Tucson, AZ

Hobbies: I love playing games, board, video or otherwise. I'm a golfer, a crafter, and a crazy plant lady. I love to be outdoors, and having recently made the move from NY to CO am excited to continue exploring where I live.

What is the biggest strength of our program? The biggest strength of this program is its people. The more co-residents of mine I meet, the more I want to become friends with. The attendings are passionate, receptive, and approachable. They are the likes of whom I aspire to become. I feel proud to be a part of this community and can honestly say I am happy showing up to work.

Marco Uribe III, MD

Colorado mountain air with my wife Whitney

Hometown: Austin, TX

Hobbies: I am the most relaxed when I am outdoors fly-fishing, hunting, skiing or horseback riding. As a native Texan, I can't refuse some good BBQ, live music and driving around on the ranch. I met my wife Whitney in Colorado and together we enjoy spending time with our friends and family, traveling and going on adventures with our pup Rooster.

What is the biggest strength of our program? Dedicated support and teaching from faculty and colleagues, not to mention living near the mountains.

What is your favorite educational activity as a resident? I really appreciate this program's focus on preparedness for CA1's. Every night I have a phone call with my attending to prepare for the next day's cases. This level of support helps me to go to bed comfortably with a confident plan.

What were you doing before you went into medicine? Before I was a medical student I was an undergrad at CU Boulder basking in the lack of responsibilities I had and the time I had to enjoy hobbies and sports ha! Having a younger sister who battled cancer her whole life, I always knew I wanted to go into medicine and have always been driven by that desire to get here.

What is your dream vacation? Fly-fishing in Argentina or New Zealand with my wife

What skills/talents do most people not know about you? I grew up playing rugby and really enjoy the sport. I also love tying my own flies.

David Wiegmann, MD

Mt. Democrat: My first 14er.
One of three I completed that day!

Hometown: Breese, IL

Hobbies: Since moving to Colorado, I have become quite the explorer and hiker. I absolutely love getting out on the weekends to see new sights and areas Colorado has to offer. Also, outside of work I enjoy grabbing drinks with friends and exploring the many breweries and bars Denver and the surrounding area has to offer. I play volleyball on a weekly basis and enjoy working out. When the opportunity presents itself again, I will join a basketball league to relive my glory days.

What is the biggest strength of our program? I believe the biggest strength to our program is the people. The faculty and ancillary staff are absolutely wonderful and so willing to teach. Coming to work is enjoyable when the atmosphere is not hostile. It's a very collegial environment. Also another huge strength of the program is that we are in Denver. When you are not working there is so much to do and see. We really are able to embrace a work life balance as much as possible while doing residency.

What is your favorite educational activity as a resident? So far, my favorite educational activity as an anesthesia resident has been working alongside my fellow colleagues. The environment is welcoming and learning is the top priority. It's amazing the amount of knowledge we accumulate each day and don't even realize it.

What were you doing before you went into medicine? Prior to my entry into the University of Colorado Anesthesia residency I was an Interventional Radiology resident in Michigan. I can, hands down say this was the best decision I have ever made. There is not a single day I look back and regret my decision to enter anesthesia.

What is your dream vacation? My ideal vacation would be a mix of action and relaxation. I love the warm tropical climates. I would need to go to a location with delicious food and drinks (Is it really a successful vacation if you don't gain weight?) I love the ocean and warm sandy beaches. But most of all, it would have to be with someone very special. A person I could spend time with and explore new areas and make fantastic memories.