Dr. Kristen (Scislow) Budahn MD, FAAFP, 2008 alumna, is the recipient of the 2024 Bethany Distinguished Alumni Award. Dr. Budahn, a Ylvisaker scholar at Bethany, graduated in three years summa cum laude with a bachelor of arts in biology and minors in chemistry and Spanish. She held a 3.99 GPA and gave tours for the Admissions Department, worked the annual student Phone-a-thon raising funds for the College, taught Spanish labs, and studied abroad in Ecuador. She played varsity soccer for the Vikings and was the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2008. She is fluent in speaking Spanish which helps daily in her medical practice. From 2008-09, Budahn moved to the Dominican Republic where she taught high school math and science at St. David School, a bilingual school in Santiago, Dominican Republic. While living in the Dominican, she was active in the local WELS mission congregations.
Upon returning to the United States, she became Bethany’s first bachelor of arts graduate to be accepted into medical school. She attended the University of Minnesota Medical School studying at both their Duluth and Minneapolis campuses. While in medical school, she completed a nine-month Rural Physician Associate Program (RPAP) in Glencoe, Minnesota, followed by rotations at many hospitals and clinics throughout the Twin Cities. Between her first and second years of medical school, she returned to Ecuador and volunteered in an emergency room and pediatric clinic. She was ranked second academically in her medical school class and to this date, she is the only student to score 100% on an anatomy test – both the written test as well as identification of anatomic structures in cadavers. She attributes this accomplishment to having taken gross anatomy while at Bethany where she was able to study a cadaver, which is a rare opportunity for bachelor programs to offer. Budahn graduated from medical school in the Spring of 2013, and then began her three-year family medicine residency through the University of Minnesota Park Nicollet/Methodist program in St. Louis Park, Minnesota.
In September 2016, Budahn began working at Glencoe Regional Health in Glencoe, Minnesota, where she still practices today. She has a full scope family medicine practice. She is passionate about pediatrics, obstetrics, women’s health, sports medicine, hospital medicine, and dermatology. To date, she has delivered almost 600 babies. In addition to her clinical practice, she has served on multiple hospital/clinic committees including the Obstetrics Committee, Obstetrics Case Review Committee, Hospitalist Committee, Pediatrics Committee, and Operating Room Multidisciplinary Committee. She was elected to the Medical Executive Committee by her peers and is currently the Chief of Medical Staff, also an elected position. She is licensed to practice medicine and surgery in the state of Minnesota and is double board-certified in family medicine through the American Board of Family Medicine and family medicine obstetrics with surgical qualification through the American Board of Physician Specialties. She is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Beyond her clinical practice, Dr. Budahn has a passion to teach the next generation of physicians and health care providers. She continues to work as a community faculty preceptor at her residency program, and is a primary RPAP preceptor, which is the nine-month longitudinal program through the University of Minnesota Medical School which places third-year medical students in a rural community to work primarily with family physicians. She also serves as a preceptor for physician assistants and nurse practitioner students.
Budahn is married to Bryan and they reside in Glencoe. They enjoy traveling the world, hiking, rock climbing, and mountain climbing. They also love trying out new recipes together as they both love to cook. Budahn is an avid runner. Giving back to society is a big part of her life. She gives much of her time and medical expertise presenting and volunteering for non-profit medical organizations. She is a member at NorthCross Lutheran (WELS) in Lakeville, Minnesota. She has been a youth group leader, volunteered at Bible camp, and been a congregational pianist. She has been a volunteer youth soccer coach in communities she has been a part of. Giving back to her alma mater, Bethany, is of great importance to Budahn as well. The Budahns have established an endowment fund at the College that provides a cadaver for the students in gross anatomy and pre-medical classes to study from. She is a part of the Viking to Viking Mentor program where she visits with Bethany students interested in becoming medical doctors and offers them the opportunity to job shadow her. She is a member of the Bethany President’s Advisory Council and Heritage Society.
Dr. Budahn is the granddaughter of 2013 Bethany Distinguished Alumnus, the late Dr. Peter Harstad, who was an accomplished and nationally known historian. She will be officially recognized as the 2024 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient at the Bethany Fall Commencement Ceremony on Friday, December 6, 2024, when she will address the graduating class and guests.