Current Resident Bios - Pediatrics Residency

PGY 1

Kelly Blanchet, MD grew up on Long Island and attended MIT for her undergraduate studies where she played varsity lacrosse and majored in economics. After graduating, she worked as a bond trader on Wall Street for 5 years. Over time, she came to realize it was not her calling, and with encouragement from her family, she decided to pursue a career in medicine. She attended the Bryn Mawr post-baccalaureate program outside of Philadelphia and then returned to New York to attend Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. She chose pediatrics because of her love of children, the beautiful medicine, and the opportunity to develop relationships with families in her community. Kelly enjoys spending time outside with her husband, son, and husky, especially skiing and hiking, as well as cooking, home brewing, and reading novels. She is so happy to be in Vermont and part of the UVM Children’s Hospital family!

Sarah French, MD is from Burlington, Vermont. She attended Tufts University, where she majored in Biology with a minor in Child Development. She returned to Vermont to attend medical school at the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont. She discovered her love for working with children early while working at Camp Billings, a sleep away camp in Fairlee, Vermont, and her interest grew in college, while organizing an after-school program in the local elementary schools. Her interests in pediatrics include primary care, preventative medicine, advocacy, and wellness. Working with the refugee community in Burlington was a particularly meaningful part of her medical school experience, and she is thrilled to be able to continue serving that community. Outside of medicine, she enjoys the outdoors, and can be found running, hiking, biking, and skiing in the Green Mountains and Adirondacks. She also enjoys growing her own vegetables and making ice cream.  

Alec Girten, MD grew up in the mountains of Colorado.  He then attended the University of Rochester where he majored in Microbiology and minored in Philosophy.  He stayed in Rochester for medical school at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry.  He is excited to be in the Green Mountain State and work with this special patient population.  Outside of work, you can find Alec biking, skiing, running and enjoying the outdoors with friends and family with good beer and food to follow.

Kristen Keene, MD grew up in central Vermont.  After high school, she attended Ithaca College in New York.  She majored in biochemistry and earned a minor in nutrition.  Following her undergraduate education, she attended medical school at the University of Vermont College of Medicine.  In medical school, she developed a love for working with children through her pediatric rotations and as a volunteer basketball coach for K-2 children.  She is excited to continue her training at the University of Vermont Children’s Hospital as a pediatric resident.  In her free time, she enjoys skiing, hiking, swimming, and sewing clothing.  

Benjamin Kim, MD grew up in the quiet suburbs of Newton, Massachusetts. He attended the University of Massachusetts, Amherst where he majored in Biochemistry and minored in Sociology. In college, he continued his short-lived fencing career for 2 years and rekindled his long-term relationship with the piano. He went straight through to medical school at Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine. In medical school, he volunteered to teach at local high schools and juvenile detention centers with his fellow medical students. He is incredibly excited to be back in New England and is even more excited to join the team at the UVM Children’s Hospital. He has strong interests in LGBTQ+ health and improving health equity among underserved populations. Outside of medicine Benjamin enjoys trying and cooking new foods, practicing the piano, reading edgy fantasy novels, and engaging in overly competitive game nights with friends.

Clementine Knight, MD joins the UVM Pediatrics Residency after completing her undergraduate work at Brown University followed by her medical degree at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

Andrew Meshnick, MD grew up a Red Sox fan in Andover, Massachusetts. He studied history at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, focusing on how environmental systems shaped the human experience. When not in the library, his volunteer work as an EMT led him to apply to medical school.  He stayed at Georgetown for medical school and developed a passion for pediatrics due to its emphasis on shaping equitable health outcomes through prevention and early intervention. He also found that pediatricians and their patients have great imaginations, which made for a great day at work. Outside of work, Andrew enjoys running, biking, skiing, cooking, and spending time with his friends and family. He is thrilled and honored to join the team at UVM Children’s Hospital.

PGY 2

Jacqueline Baca, MD grew up on Cape Cod, MA. She majored in mechanical engineering at Olin College. While at Olin, she enjoyed off-road unicycling with friends on local trails. After college, she moved back to the Cape and worked as a paramedic, shuttling patients between medical facilities. Most of her patients were older adults, but she sometimes got to transfer kids to children’s hospitals and found that she enjoyed taking care of kids and their parents. During this time, she also worked building houses with her dad. After a few years, she attended medical school at Northwestern University, in Chicago. She thought she’d become an emergency physician, but she found that she fit in better with the pediatricians. Within pediatrics, she could see herself being drawn to emergency medicine, critical care, or cardiology. She is excited to have moved back to New England, to have a vegetable garden again, and to have more opportunities to explore nature.

 

Jonathan Danel, MD grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area in California and attended the University of California, Davis where he majored in Biology and Psychology. Before medical school he leaned into his love for teaching as an MCAT instructor. He attended Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, there discovering his passions for pediatrics and medical education. His special interests within pediatrics include general practice, hematology-oncology, and bringing music into the hospital. His hobbies include playing the guitar, singing/songwriting, volunteering within the community, and spending time with his wife and friends. He challenges anyone to match his Marvel Cinematic Universe knowledge!

 

Kelsey Frey, MD grew up in Cumberland, Maine with three older brothers. She graduated from the University of Southern Maine where she studied biology and philosophy. Before medical school she worked as a medical scribe in a local ER. She has always known pediatrics was her dream, and has volunteered at a children's hospital, with children who recently immigrated to the US, and with a local elementary school choir! She attended Tufts University School of Medicine - Maine Track program where her love for pediatrics grew. Kelsey has loved Burlington since she traveled there for her first anniversary with her now-husband. She is so excited to join the UVM community and is interested in child advocacy, pulmonology, and hematology/oncology. In her spare time she enjoys running, baking, and exploring the outdoors with her husband and their two Bernese Mountain Dogs, Naya and Pebble! 

 

Lacey Gowdy, MD grew up Broomfield, CO. She attended Metro State University in Denver and received her undergraduate degree in Modern Languages with an emphasis in Spanish and a minor in Geography. She then made the logical progression to working abroad in South Korea where her Spanish skills came in very handy. While there, she had a pivotal interaction with her son’s pediatrician that sent her on the path to medicine. This pursuit led her to the Frank H. Netter, MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University in North Haven, CT where she cultivated her desire to work in primary care pediatrics with underserved populations. She can’t wait to join the community at UVM Children’s Hospital and is elated to be moving to VT with her husband and two children who have already tried most of Ben & Jerry’s flavor offerings. 

 

 

Rebecca Merrifox, MD spent her first years in Eugene, Oregon and moved to the thriving metropolis of Shoreham, Vermont as a teenager.  For many years, she worked as a pastry chef and baker specializing in slow-ferment doughs and traditional European style pastry before relaunching a career in the medical field. She attended Oregon Institute of Technology for her undergraduate studies in Biology and enjoyed all the amenities that the nearby Crater Lake National Park had to offer.  She was thrilled to be able to return to Vermont for her medical schooling at the Larner College of Medicine, and even more thrilled to be continuing her education in Pediatrics here with the UVM team.  In her spare time, she has more hobbies than she knows what to do with and enjoys sewing her own clothes, puttering in her garden, swimming in the lake, and spending time with her husband and sons.

 

Nicholas Moore, MD was born and raised in New York City. He attended Harvard University where he studied Human Evolutionary Biology and played for the Harvard Rugby Football Club. After college, he moved to Los Angeles and taught 9th grade English and math as a City Year Americorps Member, as well as drove for Uber. He returned to the East Coast for medical school, attending the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Throughout these experiences, Nick spent his summers teaching basketball at Camp Androscoggin, a sports camp for boys in Wayne, ME. His work with children led naturally to pediatrics and to specific interests in adolescent health, sports medicine, and medical education. Outside of the hospital, Nick enjoys playing basketball, hiking and skiing with his fiancée, watching Scrubs for the umpteenth time, and trying to keep his beagle, Sparky, away from chocolate.

Bradley Weitz, MD was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He lived in many different small towns and big cities on the East Coast while growing up. After attending College at the University at Buffalo he entered medical school at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Science. During this time, he developed an interest in pediatrics through many experiences, particularly during his time as a camp counselor for children with Muscular Dystrophy. The areas within Pediatrics that he is particularly interested in include primary care and emergency medicine. He is thrilled to be completing his training in Vermont and to be a part of this community. Outside of medicine he enjoys spending his time woodworking, baking, running, and playing the guitar.

PGY 3

Chenthan Krishnakumar, MD was born and raised in Sri Lanka, a small beautiful island in the Indian Ocean well known for the spices and tea for centuries.  I completed medical school there and worked for a few years before making the decision to bring my family to the United States.  I worked as a clinical research coordinator at Emory University in Atlanta where I discovered my love for the field of Pediatric Gastroenterology.  I am now excited to join the Pediatric Residency Program at UVM.  Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my wife and daughter.  We love to do outdoor activities including gardening and exploring state parks.  I also have a side hobby restoring old electrical and electronic equipment.

 

 

Cole Nygard, MD was born in the balmy city of Anchorage, Alaska where he spent 15 years before moving with his family to rural Townsend, WI. After finishing high school in Northern Wisconsin he attended the University of Wisconsin - Madison where he received a degree in Kinesiology. He proceeded to medical school at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Green Bay with the intent on pursuing pediatrics and graduated from their accelerated three year curriculum. Cole was drawn to Vermont due to his interests in rural medicine, child advocacy, and the supportive community that UVM Children's Hospital fosters. It was also hard for him to turn down all the amazing things that Vermont has to offer! In his spare time you may find him enjoying one of his many hobbies, such as snowboarding, rollerblading, kayaking, and eating.

Vivian Pauley, MD was raised in Bellingham, Washington. She attended the University of Washington in Seattle for undergraduate studies in bioengineering and doctoral medical degree.  Prior to entering medical training, she worked with homeless and street involved youth, taught English at a university in Ecuador, and coordinated multidisciplinary healthcare at elementary school-based health centers. She looks forward to a career in pediatrics including working within diverse communities to improve health equity. She has a strong interest in adolescent and LGBTQ health. Outside of medicine, she enjoys getting outdoors whether hiking, biking or gardening. 

 

Sean Rossi, MD grew up in central Massachusetts. He was raised as an obsessive skier and is looking forward to exploring the mountains of northern Vermont. He attended Colgate University where he graduated with a degree in Chemistry, and also played on the club Ultimate Frisbee team. He went straight through to medical school at Boston University, where he discovered a passion for pediatrics while working (playing) with children and their families at homeless shelters as part of BU's REACH group. He's interested in community advocacy for underserved patients, and looks forward to serving the Burlington area's littlest patients.

 

Jessica VanNostrand, MD grew up in a small town in the Adirondacks of New York. She attended Elmira College and received her undergraduate degree in Biology and Business Administration. She then attended SUNY Upstate Medical University, where she enrolled in the Rural Medical Scholars Program.  Through this track, she returned to her hometown to complete many of her required clerkships and study healthcare in rural communities. During her time in medical school, she discovered an interest in global health after studying in Nicaragua and working in a pediatric refugee health clinic back in New York. She is interested in pursuing a career in primary care with a focus on underserved medicine. In her free time, she enjoys running, hiking, and spending time with her husband and dog, Daisy.

Nathaniel White, MD grew up in Jericho, Vermont. He attended St. Lawrence University where he majored in Biology and Environmental Studies. After college, he spent the next three years working as a Medical Assistant in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Vermont before pursuing a master's degree in Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. He returned to Vermont to attend medical school at the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont. He is excited to be continuing his training at the University of Vermont Children's Hospital. He is interested in many fields of pediatrics including critical care, pulmonology, emergency medicine and cardiology. Outside of medicine, he enjoys skiing, hiking, boating, traveling, cooking and spending time with his wife, son and extended family.