Faculty

where his native Tamil was never heard and cricket was an insect. Once here he had a perpetual identity crisis, as no American could pronounce his name or look at it without going weak at the knees, until one kindly old gentleman bestowed upon him the name of Bowl of Soup and Onions (Balasubrahmanyan.) With this new title, he went on to medical school. In typical third year turmoil, he tried his hand at the monastic life. After one summer he decided family practice was the life for him. After medical school he left Baltimore and his beloved Orioles to begin residency in Michigan. Internship began with a bang July 1st, being on call for the entire hospital.

During residency he discovered there was a world outside of medical life through his involvement in Physicians for Social Responsibility and being a board member of the Local Peace and Justice Committee. Ravi finished residency with the dubious honor of being the worst dressed and having the most cluttered desk in the history of the program. Ravi joined a three-person practice in a small coastal town in Massachusetts, where patient visits occurred as often in the local grocery store as in the office. For 1 1/2 years his car could be heard puttering around town on house calls. Following the northern lights and the allure of his "Ole" wife, he came to the Twin Cities. Now a family man with two energetic boys, he enjoys running, baseball, tennis and "cricket anyone?" Education:

Medical School: University of Maryland
Residency: Michigan State University Hospital
Board Certified: Family Medicine

Lauren Carlson, MD, was born and raised in Victoria, Minnesota, at the outskirts of the Twin Cities. Her favorite memories involve regularly participating in the local Fourth of July parade with her neighbors and camping with her family along the shores of Lake Superior

After high school, Lauren headed out to rural Minnesota to Northfield, the town of “cows, colleges, and contentment”. She was thrilled when she was accepted for a U.S. Student Fulbright Grant in Ecuador. She was mentored by an Ecuadorian physician who started their local family medicine department. 

Despite her family’s concern that she would never return, Lauren eventually came back to Minnesota to attend Mayo Clinic School of Medicine. Back in the land of the north, she sought out opportunities to keep up her Spanish in local low-cost clinics as a Spanish language interpreter and a volunteer. 

After four years in Rochester, she joined the United Family Medicine Residency. She loved learning from faculty with long- term relationships with the community and commitment to full-scope family medicine. She also caught the geriatrics bug from two mentors Dr. Sharma and Dr. Toso. She was accepted back at Mayo for a geriatrics fellowship, where she was well-supported in developing her skills across clinic, nursing home, and hospital settings. 
After all that school, she finally got a job. She worked at Allina Bandana Square Clinic and United Hospital, where her clinic desk was next to her prior co-resident Dr. Okubo and she frequently bumped into graduates and faculty in the hospital’s doctor’s lounge. After the famous Dr. Toso retired, the program was looking for another geriatrician. She could not have been happier that the program accepted her back as faculty! 

During any spare moment at work, you’ll frequently see her sharing pictures of her dog with co-workers. When she’s outside of work, she’s spending time with her pup and husband Josh, doing anything involving the outdoors or cooking or time with family and friends.

Residency: United Family Medicine Residency Program
Board Certified: Family Medicine, Geriatric Medicine

created a foundation for exploration and curiosity. My empathy and deep interest in people took over from there and I set out on my journey to becoming a psychologist.

This has goal led me to the University of Wisconsin- Madison where I established an educational foundation and a love for all things cheese. I spent time living in New York City before moving back to Minnesota to complete a master’s degree in Kinesiology at the U of M with hopes of becoming a Sport Psychologist. From there I headed south to obtain my doctorate degree from the University of North Texas. During my doctoral training I had the opportunity to develop as a general psychologist alongside working with athletes on their mental health. This broad training allowed me to develop an interest and skillset in hospital based care, traumatic stress, and complex mental health concerns.  I was then eastbound again to Hartford, CT where I completed an internship and fellowship in acute psychiatric care at the Institute of Living.

Coming home to Minnesota in 2016 has been such a gift. I continue to foster my clinical interests through the privilege of caring for the patients at United Family Physicians. I specialize in treatment of trauma through the use of polyvagal theory and sensorimotor interventions. I have a background in attachment theory and perinatal/postpartum mental health, as well as a specialization in psychological assessment. Outside of work you can find me on a hiking trail or in a tent with my spouse, dogs, and new baby boy.

Doctorate Degree: University of North Texas
Fellowship: Institute of Living, Hartford, CT

get attention growing up. He was part of the first graduating class at Expo Elementary and during his time there he lobbied hard (although unsuccessfully) to make the giraffe the school mascot. He was determined to have everyone notice his (lack of) basketball skills when decided to take his talents to JCC basketball after missing the first cut at Ramsey Junior High School. He then moved on to Central High School and was in for a rude awakening when he found out that his chin length hair was not enough to get him the attention he needed to join the "cool" group.

After graduating high school, Jonathan spent the next 13 years attending the University of Wisconsin - Madison. He refused to grow up and get a job for many years as he decided to pursue both MD and PhD degrees. During his tenure, he taped ankles and treated injuries as an athletic trainer, played with centrifuges in the lab and explored every inch of each library to keep studying exciting. During his last 18 months he was in Milwaukee as he participated in the Training In Urban Medicine and Public Health (TRIUMPH) program and helped create a network of Little Free Libraries in the city. Most importantly, while in WI he met his wife (Maggie) and his son (Joseph) was born (in the same hospital as his two older sisters!).

United Family Medicine Residency was in for a surprise when Jonathan showed up and they learned (too late) that he had a combination being both opinionated and hard headed. He pursued his interests of resource mapping, research, ultrasound, addiction medicine and procedures during his tenure and behaved just well enough to be allowed to stay for a 4th year of Mastery. His daughter (Rachel) was born during residency where his fellow residents completed all prenatal care and assisted with the delivery. After his 4th year, Jonathan stealthy moved into a desk downstairs and never left. When the residency realized that he wasn't leaving, they graciously gave him a job.

Jonathan is now proud to practice full scope family medicine with OB and has particular interests in addiction care / medication assisted treatment, ultrasound and procedures. He enjoys fostering the growth of family medicine residents and is happy to constantly be surrounded by providers that are smarter than him. He cannot thank his wife, two children and the rest of his family enough for putting up with him all of these years.

Medical School: University of Wisconsin
Residency: United Family Medicine Residency
Board Certified: Family Medicine 

In college, Joel became active in student government and local politics and gained an interest in public service. After graduation, he joined Teach For America and taught seventh grade science for two years in rural Louisiana.

After deciding that he wasn't quite compatible with the heat and humidity of Louisiana, he moved to rural West Virginia to attend medical school. In West Virginia, he solidified his passions for providing medical care to underserved communities and practicing Family Medicine.

Yearning for his Midwestern roots, he moved to Minnesota and attended residency at the United Family Medicine Residency Program. Joel now enjoys spending time with his wife Carrie, playing with his nieces and nephews, going on bike rides, camping, and hiking. His medical interests include collaborating with patients to treat their complex chronic medical problems, health care for the homeless, quality improvement, adolescent medicine, and sports medicine - figuring if you can't play sports, you might as well treat those who can!

Education: West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine  
Residency: United Family Medicine Residency Program  
Board Certified: Family Medicine

in a predominantly white, working class neighborhood. When the neighborhood bullies found my flatter profile just reason for torment, I, with all the wisdom of my seven years of life, advised my father to adopt a German shepherd, the bigger the better. He appeared to be listening, but then promptly purchased an eighty-year-old upright piano, assuring me that this was the more effective weapon. Although dubious of my father's judgment, I agreed to lessons. Music has since warded off a number of enemies.

 I attended college on the south side of Chicago, where I was a volunteer in the pediatric emergency room. I saw children turned away from this rich, private institution because of lack of insurance, and my determination to provide care to the underserved was born.

I took a couple of detours, including a five-month stint in Japan, hanging out with my grandmother, a hipper version of my mother. After medical school, I moved to Austria to do a little research, preferring the café' culture of Vienna to the rigors of residency.

I packed up my cat named "Cat" and returned to the Twin Cities. I did, in fact, do a residency in between nursing recurrent bilateral tendinitis, secondary to compulsive knitting and foot numbness from running. After finishing a Maternal-Child Fellowship in Chicago, the cat and I, again, returned to the Twin Cities to join the faculty at the United Family Medicine Residency Program... happily ever after.

Education: Medical School: University of Minnesota
Residency: St. Paul Ramsey Medical Center
Board Certified: Family Medicine

and on an army base near Landstuhl, Germany, all before my fifth birthday. I consider myself a North Dakotan. St. Paul, Minnesota was my home from age five-to-eight, before moving to Devils Lake, North Dakota, where I grew my small town roots. I am the oldest of three girls and value my relationships with my sisters and parents. Thanks to my dad, I’ve learned to appreciate the beauty of motorcycle travel.

Upon completion of high school, I looked east, towards Providence, RI, where I attended Brown University and Brown Medical School. While my east coast living helped me develop a world-view, I realized a growing appreciation and desire to be closer to family. At Allina Health’s United Family Medicine Residency Program, I found residency training with a focus on community medicine and underserved populations.

After residency, I looked west and took a job with the Yakima Valley Farm Worker’s at the Rosewood Family Medicine clinic in Portland, Oregon. I practiced full-spectrum Family Medicine in a Federal Health Qualified Clinic (FQHC). This job satisfied my desire to work with a diverse patient population and maintain my Spanish language skills. Oregon offered the outdoor playground for activities I love: hiking, cross-country skiing, cycling and skijoring with a pound puppy named Hamlet. I look forward to continuing to be active in the natural beauty of Minnesota.

Again, I felt the pull to return home - pulled by my adorable three year-old niece and her new baby sister. Not wanting to miss the opportunity to be involved in their lives, I was fortunate to find an opportunity at United Family Physicians. I am excited to return home to my training program and to participate in graduate medical education.

I recently returned from volunteering and traveling in west and southern Africa. Over the past eight years, during three separate trips, I have witnessed and participated in the evolution of HIV care in sub-Saharan Africa. What was previously a death sentence in most African countries is slowly becoming a manageable chronic illness. My experience in Swaziland has motivated me to think about our approach to chronic conditions: diabetes, asthma, hypertension and ways to work with individuals and families to better facilitate lifelong control.

Education: Brown Medical School, Providence, RI
Residency: United Family Medicine Residency Program
Board certified: Family Medicine

and I helped implement group prenatal care - an innovative way to deliver medical care to pregnant women and their support person. I am always interested in new and imaginative methods of care delivery in the ever-changing landscape of healthcare. Through experiences playing basketball at Carleton College, running marathons, and cross-country skiing, I have developed a passion for sports medicine with a particular interest in point of care ultrasound. After graduating from college, I took a job as a science and math teacher in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. I feel very lucky to be able to make education part of my career at the United Family Medicine Residency Program. My connection to the Spanish language and Latinx culture that started in Guatemala continued during medical school, when I worked for a year at a hospital in Santiago, Dominican Republic. This connection has grown with my continuity patients at United Family Physicians Clinic.

Education: Dartmouth Medical School, The Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University
Residency: United Family Medicine Residency Program
Board Certified: Family Medicine

the world of medicine.  Spending numerous hours in the waiting rooms and offices of Mayo Clinic can do that to a kid. Intrigued by a Latin class in high school, I went on to St Olaf College and majored in the Classics (Greek, Latin and ancient history).  And thank goodness I was accepted into medical school because I am not sure what else one does with a major in two dead languages.  And so I was off to University of MN Medical School for four intense years.  Family Medicine was a natural fit for me, as I found everything about the human body fascinating (and still do).  I matched at United Family Medicine Residency Program and felt such a connection with the clinic and community that I have remained working with UFM and the residency program since graduation.   

Somewhere along the way, I found the travel bug which, along with excess coffee and the on-line ticketing options, has led me to some great adventures including these highlights: Angel Falls, Machu Picchu, Tikal, Angkor Wat, Bagan, Tiger's Nest (Bhutan).  Not to mention living and working in Singapore for a couple of years.  

I am now married and have two young, curious and adventurous boys.  As a family we love to travel, boat, canoe and camp, especially in the beautiful lakes of Northern Minnesota, which remains my favorite place on the planet.

Education: Mayo Medical School
Residency: United Family Medicine Residency Program 
Board Certified: Family Medicine

local nightclubs than his 8 a.m. calculus class. Jerry's obsession with music has continued through the years. His experience ranges from many gigs in smoke-filled nightclubs to playing in a back-up band for Rodney Dangerfield.

Most recently, he concentrates on writing and recording music in an effort to discover and document his musical brain. Should he find anything worthwhile, he’ll be releasing a CD of original music in the future.

After deciding that it might be difficult to make a living as a professional free-style skier, Jerry decided on a career in family medicine. He feels privileged to have such a great job.

Aside from being a doc and a musician, Jerry also enjoys spending time with family and friends, mountain biking, cross-country skiing, and other outdoor activities.

In the future, Jerry hopes to discourage increasing commercialism and promote more sustainable lifestyles for everyone.

"You might say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one..."

Education: Medical School: Washington University School of Medicine
Residency: Valley Medical Center, Renton, WA
Board Certified: Family Medicine

upper-Midwestern hybrid. I lived my early years in Minneapolis suburbia, then moved to small town Wisconsin for my later school years. After a tour south to La Crosse, east to Madison for medical school and further east to Milwaukee for residency, I found my mate in Wisconsin and convinced him that Minnesota was a pretty cool place to live. So, after three fun-filled years in Milwaukee, we packed up the U-Haul with three cats and various belongings and left the land of beer and cheese in our rear view mirror. (I will mention that although we crossed the border into Minnesota, Tom remains a Packer fan and I remain a Badger fan).

Since arriving here in 2003, I had the opportunity to practice in a physician-owned and operated group in Maple Grove for six years before getting the call to “serve and to teach”. After interviewing and seeing the great energy at United Family Medicine and care for their patients, I decided it was time to cross the river. In October 2009, I had the fortune to join the faculty at United Family Medicine Residency Program.

In my work life, I enjoy caring for the whole family, including prenatal and obstetrical care. One of the highlights of my current practice is getting to spend time with and teach residents and medical students. They bring such breaths of fresh air into my life as a faculty and physician.

In my home life, I enjoy spending time with my awesome husband and our two crazy kids, running, cooking, and reading.

Education: University of Wisconsin Medical School
Residency: Columbia – St. Mary’s Hospital Family Medicine Residency
Board Certified: Family Medicine

His wife and three children are the main focus of his life, followed by a continued belief that being a family doctor is a job that matters and, after all these years, can still say that he is glad to be doing what he is doing. He is the author of a novel, Pictures From A Trip, about two brothers in love with the world who take a trip with a blind friend to the Dakotas and Montana to look for dinosaur bones. Five CME credits are automatically given to anyone reading this book.

His main goals in life are to be a good dad and husband, to be a good family doc, and to play rhythm guitar with the Rolling Stones.

Education: Medical School: University of Minnesota
Internship: Hennepin County Medical Center
Board Certified: Family Medicine

Medical school in India, Residency in Minnesota, Fellowship in California, Electives in the UK – Australia

• One of the very, very few Indians, who can speak German, and getting better at speaking “Minnesotan”. (Yeah, you betcha!)
• Immediately after an OB delivery, one should sing “Happy Birthday” to the newborn, as that is the only true birthday
• Nerdy hobbies: crosswords, reading and more reading, trivia, chess. Non-nerdy hobbies: swimming, traveling, and table tennis
• Nerdy trivia question: Who was born on one continent, lived on a second continent, and died on a third continent
• Only favorite shopping place: Barnes and Noble
• Affinity for paper is greater than affinity for computer
• Starts the day at the office with a crossword, a favorite beverage, and a PPI for EERD
• BBC comedy freak, especially “Yes Minister” and “Monty Python”

Education: Medical School: Dayanand Medical College, Ludhiana, India
Residency: St. Paul Ramsey Medical Center
Board Certified: Family Medicine
Certificate of Added Qualification: Geriatrics