Residency Program

Kinza Ali

I was born in Karachi, Pakistan but raised in Mississauga, Canada. I attended University of Toronto and did a double major in health sciences and psychology.  Later, I attended Windsor University School of Medicine for my medical degree. My hobbies include hiking, running, gardening, and many other outdoorsy activities. I also enjoy traveling and getting to explore new places. I have a strong interest in preventive medicine with the goal to promote health and well-being within the community. 

Sandeep Badyal

Dr Badyal was born and raised in Canada. She acquired an undergraduate degree in Biology with minor in psychology at Ryerson University and then an MD from Ross University. Her medical interests include preventive medicine as well as geriatric medicine. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family, travelling, reading, cooking and ice hockey. Languages: English, Punjabi and some Hindi

Diangie Acosta Bonilla

Hello! I was born and raised in the beautiful island of Puerto Rico so that I can speak fluent Spanish and English. I attended college in PR and majored in Biology. After, I graduated from the University of Medicine and Health Sciences in St. Kitts and from Walden University, obtaining my Master's in Science Psychology. I'm currently pursuing a Master's in Healthcare Administration. I have volunteered for many years to care for those less fortunate. I love to teach my patients about healthier lifestyles, thus making prevention my number one goal. I firmly believe that with healthier diets, such as plant-based, we can prevent and improve numerous chronic diseases, and all our patients need is education. Keeping in mind the social determinants of health, we can provide better value-based care as physicians. With that said, I love being active in the outdoors and working out with my husband, as well as getting creative in the kitchen!

Andrew Chang

Dr. Chang is Ann Arbor-born, Taiwan-raised, San Diego-educated, and Des Moines-trained in Osteopathic Medicine. He enjoys community outreach, engagement, and education. He anticipates to enter private practice in the future. In his free time, he enjoys the great outdoors and assembling furniture for his friends. Scuba diving with sharks in the Bahamas was the riskiest and most exciting thing he’s done so far. Languages: English, Mandarin Chinese, some Spanish

Shalini Chowdavarapu

I was born and raised in a small town in India. I went to school and graduated from Mediciti Institute of Medical Sciences(MIMS). I came to the United States in 2013. I chose Family Medicine because I believe continuous medical care for families and individuals can be delivered. I am particularly interested in Preventative Medicine. I love spending time with my family and making crafts.Other interests include to travel around and cooking. Languages:English,Telugu and Hindi.

Ashley Dohlman

Dr. Dohlman was born and raised in the small town of Aplington, Iowa. She graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in biochemistry and leadership studies. She then earned her medical degree at Ross University. Dr. Dohlman is excited to be back home in the Cedar Valley and to take care of the people whom she grew up with. In her spare time she enjoys being outdoors fishing and gardening as well as spending time with her family.  Dr. Dohlman’s interests are in rural medicine and full-scope family practice to serve the population of Iowa.

Myriam Donovitch

I was born and raised in a small rural town near Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. I acquired my undergraduate degree in Physical and Health Education at Laurentian University where I was recruited to play varsity soccer. During my time at Laurentian University I developed a special interest in sports medicine which led me to pursue a career in medicine to care for my patients through physical activity and nutrition. I graduated from Saint James School of Medicine in 2020 where I obtained my medical degree.  I love spending time with my wonderful husband Mike! We are always playing sports or training for the next Spartan Race or local Triathlon. I absolutely love cross-fit and you can always find me at the local cross-fit gym on my free time! I am so excited to be a primary care provider for the Cedar Valley community and I cannot wait to be involved in local sports and health promotion activities! Languages Spoken: English & French 

Elise Duwe

Dr. Duwe grew up in south central Wisconsin in a solo family practice clinic where her father saw patients and her mother kept the practice running. She studied religious studies and biochemistry at the College of Wooster, then went on to receive an MD and a PhD in sociology from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her research interests are in pain, suffering, and grief focusing on marginalized populations, in particular incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals and indigenous peoples. Dr. Duwe's husband is an assistant professor at Iowa State University. They have two children: Adelaide and Hank. As a family, they enjoy gardening, running skeet shoots, cooking experiments, biking, and exploring new and old places. Dr. Duwe aspires to practice full-scope family medicine with particular interest in mom and baby health as well as palliative care near the end of life. She wants to use patient-engaged research to redefine the clinic and then enact that innovative model of compassion and care.

Uwem Ekwo

I was Born and raised in a military family in the western part of Africa known as Nigeria. The principles of hard work and community were instilled in me at a very young age, as my family traveled around the world living and learning from people with different cultures from ours. I received my premedical training from The University of Gambia in West Africa, my Doctor of Medicine degree from the American University of Integrative Sciences in Barbados and my Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Northern Iowa. Inspired by the mission trips I went on as a teen, my focus is to use a patient centered health care delivery model, that elucidates the commercial, social and environmental impact that health care cost has on today’s patients, in a way that generates lasting solutions to their health needs. I reside in the Cedar Falls area with my wife and 2 sons. The bulk of our activities as a family involve spending quality time together.

Lesley Green

Dr. Green was born and raised in Ottumwa, Iowa. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Kenyon College in Ohio, and a medical degree from the University of Guayaquil in Ecuador. After many years of living abroad, she is happy to be back in Iowa!  Her medical interests include women’s health, emergency medicine, nephrology, pediatrics, and preventive medicine. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music, reading, and spending time with her dogs. Languages spoken: English and Spanish.

Sarah Kadura

Sarah is a member of our Pharmacy Residency and will graduate in 2021.

Felix Kurilov

My name is Felix G. Kurilov (Dr. K). I'm originally from Russia, born and raised in the most beautiful city, St. Petersburg. I came to the States 20 years ago, so I'm fluent in English and Russian. Medicine is not my first career. I spend some time in the service as a Navy Corpsman, and I've worked as an ER and ICU RN for 15 years before going to medical school. I graduated with BSN from National University, San Diego, CA. I obtained my Doctorate of Medicine from UMHS, St. Kitts. I'm currently finishing my Masters in Health Administration. As a physician, I enjoy a full spectrum of Family Medicine. I'm a firm believer in preventative care and evidence-based medicine. I have a passion for education and acute care settings. Outside of work, I enjoy working out, outdoor activities, traveling, cooking new recipes, great wine, jazz, and a good company. I love going out for salsa dancing with my wife. My quiet time is reading and learning about different religions/philosophies and piano playing. My future plan is to open a small rural area Family Medicine practice with my wife, Dr. Diangie Acosta, dedicate some time to medical education, work in an emergency room, and serve as an Officer for Army Reserve Medical Corps.

Inger Lied

Dr. Lied was born and raised in Norway, and attended Norwegian University of Science and Technology for medical school. She also has a Bachelor`s degree from the University of Oregon.  She started playing the violin at age six and enjoys classical music as well as traditional Norwegian music. Other interests include travelling, baking, hiking and skiing, as well as spending time with her husband and two children.

Shadi Mustafa

Dr. Mustafa was born and raised in Milwaukee, WI. Attended University of Wisconsin Madison where he double majored in biology and zoology. He then attended Drexel university for his medical license certificate followed by Ross university school of Medicine for his doctorate. His medical interest includes sports medicine as well as pain management. Other interests include weight lifting, automotive enthusiast, all kinds of sports especially soccer, cooking and traveling with his wife. Languages: English, Arabic

Stanley Nickarz

Dr. Nickarz was born in Winnipeg, Canada and raised in Los Angeles. He attended Hampton University and Howard University College of Medicine earning his degrees in biology and medicine, respectively. His medical areas of interest include hospital medicine and hospice/palliative care.   In his free time, Dr. Nickarz enjoys playing guitar, singing, and exercise.

Ektaben Patel

Dr. Patel was born and raised in a small town in India. She went to school in India and acquired her undergraduate degree in Pharmacy. After marriage she moved to the United States in 2012. She held special interest in Healthcare and that inspired her to pursue a career in Medicine. She went to St. James School of Medicine in Anguilla, Where she earned her graduate degree in Medicine in 2017. Dr. Patel enjoys quality time with her husband  and a 2 years old daughter. In her spare time, she likes to go hiking and bike-riding. She is also an avid painter with a special interest in landscapes. Dr. Patel is very keenly looking forward to serving the Community of Cedar Valley as a health care provider. Languages Spoken:  English, Hindi & Gujarati.

Emily Pursley

Dr. Pursley was born in Dickinson, N.D. and raised in Bismarck, N.D. where she also attended the University of Mary, majoring in psychology and minoring in business administration. She attended St. George’s University of London for her medical education, studying for two years in Nicosia, Cyprus, and two years at Swedish Covenant Hospital in Chicago. Dr. Pursley enjoys engaging in community outreach and hopes to make a positive impact on the local community. She is passionate about comprehensive continuity of care throughout all ages. Her other medical areas of interests include urgent care, sports and aesthetic medicine. She is an avid hockey fan and enjoys golf, exercise, crafting, writing and spending time outdoors.

Sophia Qureshi

I grew up in the beautiful capital city of Islamabad, Pakistan and earned my medical degree from Rawalpindi Medical College. After graduating from medical school, I worked as a Medical Officer for a few years and later moved to USA with my family. Women’s health and Preventative medicine are my main areas of interest. In high school, I worked with rural communities and highlighted importance of nutrition and promoted wellness and disease prevention. During medical school, I advocated for women education about breast cancer and easy access to better health facilities. My emphasis on the importance of patient education and their role in decision making process for their health related issues led me to choosing family medicine as my specialty. My husband’s family business brought us to Cedar Valley area. We love the place and what it has to offer. Together, we love to take road trips and have gone all the way to Niagara Falls, Canada and Washington D.C and were able to visit almost ten states! We are planning to take another such trip to the Yellowstone National Park very soon. I like to enjoy the outdoor activities including hiking and biking with my sons and also playing soccer with them. I simply love to cook and make new dishes for my family and friends. I also practice yoga & meditation in my free time. Water skiing and exploring Midwest are the things I would like to do in future. Languages spoken: English, Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi I look forward to be a part of the exuberant resident team at NEIMEF and having the privilege to serve my hometown community.