Meet Our Team
Eric Simon, MD
Medical School: Medical College of Wisconsin
Undergrad: University of Miami (FL)
Why Anesthesiology: I chose anesthesiology because it is a great combination of both a cerebral and procedural specialty. We are ultimately in charge of taking care of the entire patient perioperatively, but we are constantly moving and working with our hands to do so. I thrive taking care of sick patients undergoing complex surgery because of our ability to employ all of our lines and monitors to predict and diagnose their specific pathology, then utilize our basic science and pharmacology knowledge to manipulate their physiology in real time and ultimately get them through surgery safely. There really is no other specialty like it.
Why Do You Enjoy Teaching: I enjoy teaching because it is truly the area where I can make the greatest difference. While I take tremendous pride in helping a single sick patient get through surgery successfully, the education of future anesthesiologists will ultimately help an exponential number of patients. Additionally, I really enjoy watching residents grow from inexperienced interns to extraordinary anesthesiologists.
What were you most proud of in medical school? I am most proud of the month that I got to spend learning and working in Nepal. I was able to use what I had learned in medical school to teach some local healthcare workers, but more importantly I was able to learn from them and learn about their culture. This experience jumpstarted my interest in global health.
What do you do for fun? I enjoy spending time with my husband traveling the world, going to Green Bay Packers or Chicago Cubs games, and going to concerts. Closer to home, we spend most of our summer time boating and most of our winter time snowmobiling.
Anna Frackman, MD
Medical School:Harvard Medical School (MA)
Undergrad:Oberlin College (OH)
Why Anesthesiology: I really honestly have a lot of fun doing anesthesia. I get to make a big difference in patients’ lives, have a working knowledge of so many different parts of medicine and pathophysiology, and the clear feedback of waking up a patient comfortably and seeing them safely through their surgery day really appeals to the goal-oriented part of my personality. In addition to the OR I also attend in the ICU, where I get to see the sickest patients through some very hard times, and the team structure there lets me spend more time getting to know each patient and also getting to know my trainee team over the course of a week at a time which I also find very satisfying.
Why Do You Enjoy Teaching: I remember what an impact some of my favorite faculty had on me and my peers, and I want to emulate those people who were so critical to my development. I also just really like spending time with the residents and fellows, getting to know them, and helping them out in whatever way I can. These are the folks who will go on to be leaders in medicine, and the way we teach them and the way we treat them will shape the future of our field.
What were you most proud of in medical school? In my last year of medical school I took a monthlong medical Spanish intensive and then spent 2 months doing rural primary care in Chile. Being able to speak Spanish and having a familiarity with the medical terms I would need has been even more useful in my career than I imagined.
What do you do for fun? I like to spend as much time outdoors as possible, ideally with my husband and 2 kids, or some subset thereof. We like to hike, swim, ski, go sledding and explore ALL the local playgrounds. When we have the time, we also love exploring national parks! Zion and Yosemite have been recent favorites for our family.
Patrick Meyer, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor
Sabrina Sam, MD
Kristin Bevil, MD
Medical School: University of Notre Dame
Undergrad: Loyola University Chicago’s Stritch School of Medicine
Why Anesthesiology: I chose anesthesiology because I loved the rapid feedback of taking care of a patient in the most unique way, continuously manipulating physiology to enable procedures while assessing, diagnosing, treating, and re-assessing with a focus always on the patient’s well-being.
Why Do You Enjoy Teaching: I enjoy teaching because it provides a way to “pay it forward” for all the teachers from whom I have learned as well as a way to force myself to stay up-to-date on current evidence-based practices.
What were you most proud of in medical school? In medical school, I am most proud of getting through! I have no family who are in medically-related fields and each stage of the game was a new experience. From classroom studies to clinical rotations to getting involved in research projects, I found excellent mentors and expanded my knowledge of medicine and healthcare.
What do you do for fun? In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my husband and children, reading, bike riding, going for walks, and baking.
James Gentry, MD
Medical School: The University of Arizona, College of Medicine – Phoenix
Undergrad: Lewis & Clark College, Portland, OR
Why Anesthesiology: I love anesthesiology because I enjoy the patient relationships, the team approach to patient care, the physiology, the pharmacology, the expertise in a subspecialty! What’s not to love?!
Why Do You Enjoy Teaching: There’s no greater way to help the maximum amount of people possible than to share what I have learned with others. Moreover, I would not have become an anesthesiologist without the help of others. By teaching I feel like I’m able to potentially help others the way I was helped along the way.
What were you most proud of in medical school? My proudest moment in medical school was probably simply gaining acceptance. That said, I was honored upon graduation to receive the award for “Outstanding Medical Student” in the medicine department.
What do you do for fun? My family is everything to me outside my profession. I absolutely adore coaching my 10 year old daughter’s softball team – and occasionally my 10 year old boy’s baseball team too! If I’m not doing that I enjoy time with my beautiful wife, home improvement projects, fishing, dinners out, backyard barbeques with friends, and perhaps a little bourbon.
Lisa Klesius, MD
Medical School: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Undergrad: University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
Why Anesthesiology: I really enjoy seeing someone master a new concept, technique or procedure that I have just taught them. The excitement is contagious!
Why Do You Enjoy Teaching: My initial draw to teaching in Anesthesiology was to inspire and make a difference in the lives of residents who are going through what will be one of the most stressful times in their lives. I have also found new interests in education innovation, and for the past two years have focused on incorporating technology into education curriculums.
What were you most proud of in medical school? Graduating! 😉
What do you do for fun? Bicycling, motorcycling, gardening, birdwatching…I love being outdoors!
Timothy McCormick, DO
Medical School: Midwestern University Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine
Undergrad: Azusa Pacific University
Why Anesthesiology: I was drawn to anesthesiology for a couple of reasons. First, I enjoyed the unique patient and family interactions that occurred prior to and following surgery. It is a special relationship that has to have trust formed very quickly but ends up being very meaningful to both the patients and their families. Second, I enjoy focusing on single or very limited number of patients at any one time. It really makes me feel like I am providing the best possible care without being distracted. Lastly, I enjoy the procedural aspect of anesthesia because no matter how many times I do a procedure there are times when I am still challenged by them.
Why Do You Enjoy Teaching: I enjoy teaching because it allows me to see the change in our students and residents over the course of their training. To me, teaching a resident the basics when they begin their residency to when they graduate and see them as my colleague is the best part of my job.
What were you most proud of in medical school? My most proud moment of medical school was a medical mission trip to Mexico. It was very meaningful being able to use what I had learned over 3 years and put it into practice.
What do you do for fun? I enjoy spending time with my family doing things outdoors like biking, hiking, and skiing. Our favorite place to vacation is Door County, Wisconsin and we spend as much time as possible there throughout the year.