General Surgery Residency Faculty
You will be inspired by our world-class faculty who are committed to providing advanced surgical training and excellent mentorship.
Meet our residency leaders and faculty
Our core residency faculty includes dozens of exceptional, award-winning surgeons with a wide range of clinical, educational and research interests. We are passionate about surgical education and dedicated to teaching and developing our residents into highly qualified and caring surgeons who will become leaders in the field and the communities they serve. You will have the unique opportunity to work alongside our surgeons on cases from day one - and we will be here to guide you as you grow into an independent operating surgeon.
Melissa K. Johnson, MD
Dr. Johnson practices broad-spectrum general surgery, with interests in breast surgery, endocrine surgery, acute care surgery and surgical education. Dr. Johnson served as an associate program director for 9 years before she took over as director. She was drawn to Gundersen’s General Surgery Residency Program by its long-standing tradition of outstanding education, noting "Every faculty member is dedicated to the education of the surgery residents and is passionate about surgical education."
Residency associate program directors
Joshua D. Pfeiffer, MD, associate program director
Kevin Riggle, MD, associate program director
Brendon M. Esquibel, MD, surgical skills lab director
Residency faculty
Gundersen’s Surgery department encompasses general surgery, pediatric surgery, vascular surgery and bariatric surgery. With their teaching responsibilities, many of our surgeons are clinical adjunct professors of surgery at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
General Surgery teams make up our core residency faculty:
Team A: Vascular surgery
- Clark A. Davis, MD, vascular surgery
- Luke Pesonen, MD, vascular surgery
- Laura Peterson, MD, vascular surgery
- Irina Shakhnovich, MD, vascular surgery
Team B: Bariatric, colorectal, foregut, GI and hernia
- Brandon T. Grover, DO, general, bariatric and advanced laparoscopic surgery
- Michitaka Kawata, MD, general, colon and rectal surgery
- Kate Mellion, MD, general, bariatric and advanced laparoscopic surgery
- David Nelms, MD, general, colon and rectal surgery
- Joshua D. Pfeiffer, MD, general, bariatric and advanced laparoscopic surgery
Team C: Acute care surgery, critical care and trauma
- Mason G. Fisher, MD
- Nolan Rudder, DO
- Christine J. Waller, MD
- Andrew Riggle, MD
- David Tomich, MD
- Laurel Vaughan, MD
Team D: General surgery—breast, colorectal, endocrine, GI, hepatobiliary and pancreas
- Benjamin T. Jarman, MD, general, hernia, laparoscopic surgery, colon and rectal
- Stephen B. Shapiro, MD, general, colon and rectal surgery
- Travis J. Smith, MD, general, laparoscopic, robotic, adrenal and hepatobiliary surgery
- Brittany Splittgerber, MD, breast surgery
- Hope Guzzo, MD, breast surgery
Team E: Chief surgery resident service
Our chief resident service—a “junior attending” rotation—allows you to build autonomy and transition to your ultimate practice. Under our attending surgeons, you will be responsible for your own office, operating room and endoscopy schedule, call responsibilities and administrative tasks. Chief residents rotate every 3-4 months.
Team F: General, acute care, pediatric, breast and endocrine surgery
- Melissa K. Johnson, MD, general, breast and endocrine surgery
- Kevin Riggle, MD, pediatric surgery
- Brendon Esquibel, MD, general and acute care surgery
- Leroy J. Trombetta, MD, general, breast, hernia and acute care surgery
Residency staff
Teresa Enger, program administrator
If you have any questions, please email [email protected].
Claire DeJong, residency program assistant
If you have any questions, please email [email protected].
Why Gundersen
Call La Crosse Home
We have it all in La Crosse, Wis. Our vibrant city and region support your dream lifestyle with a welcoming community, culture and outdoor adventure.
Housing
Steps from our flagship medical center in La Crosse, our housing options allow you to enjoy the company of your family and the comradery of your colleagues.
Prioritizing Your Wellness
As you learn how to become the clinician you aspire to be, we’ll provide space to prioritize your mind and body wellness, and reach the work-life balance you need.