Kayla Backus

Kayla grew up along the lakeshore in Holland, MI. She completed her bachelor's degree from Central Michigan University and her PharmD and MBA from Ferris State University. She followed in the footsteps of her mom and uncle who are also pharmacists! Her clinical interests include infectious disease, internal medicine, and emergency medicine. Outside of pharmacy Kayla loves to travel, shop, spend time at the beach, and hang out with family, friends, and her Maltipoo Maui! She was drawn to the residency program Munson Medical Center because of the robust opportunities for clinical rotations and welcoming environment.

Alyssa DiMondo

Alyssa was born and raised in Traverse City, MI. She completed her Bachelor of Science at Michigan State University and then continued on to earn a PharmD from Ferris State University in 2024. Her clinical interests include emergency medicine, critical care, and pediatrics. Outside of pharmacy, Alyssa’s hobbies include hiking, traveling, playing tennis, and spending time on the lake. She chose to pursue residency at Munson Medical Center after her many years of working as a technician here. She was drawn to the opportunities available through the program, the department’s positive and driven culture, and the preceptors’ passion towards mentorship and development of each resident.

Cole Orlikowski

Cole grew up in Sparta, MI and received his Bachelor of Science at Michigan State University in 2019 and PharmD and MBA from Ferris State University in 2024. His professional interests include infectious disease and oncology. Outside of pharmacy, you can find him playing golf, shredding on guitar, and exploring hiking trails. Cole was drawn to the PGY1 program at Munson due to the down-to-earth nature of the pharmacy team along with opportunities to teach, mentor, and work with longitudinal APPE students throughout the year.

Jenna Smigielski

Jenna grew up in Farmington Hills, MI and completed a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science from Michigan State University and PharmD from Midwestern University College of Pharmacy – Glendale. Her clinical interests include oncology, infectious disease and critical care and academia. Outside of pharmacy, her interests include any outdoor activities (camping, boating, fishing, etc.), lifting weights, reading, and acrylic painting. Jenna was drawn to the PGY1 at Munson Medical Center due to the variety of clinical rotation experiences, teaching opportunities and positive atmosphere.

Zachary Zawacki

Zach is from Byron Center, MI. He earned his bachelor’s degree in biomedical sciences from Grand Valley State University in 2020, followed by his PharmD from Ferris State University in 2024. His professional interests include oncology, NICU/PEDs, and anticoagulation. Outside of pharmacy, his interests and hobbies include going to the beach, watching movies, scuba diving, and spending time with his fiancée Cayman and their English Bulldog named Piper. Zach was drawn to the PGY-1 program at Munson after positive interactions with preceptors, great interview experience, leadership opportunities, and the potential to progress to the PGY-2 oncology program.