Summer V. Allen

Summer V. Allen, M.D. is an Assistant Professor of Family Medicine and Consultant in the Department of Family Medicine at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota. Her career integrates clinical practice with a robust research portfolio aimed at improving patient experience, patient engagement, and the design of minimally disruptive, patient-centered health-care-delivery models. She is also nationally recognized for her work in women’s health and breast-cancer screening shared decision-making.

Education & Training

• M.D., Mayo Medical School, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, 2007
• Residency, Family Medicine, Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education, 2010
• B.S., Nutritional Sciences, University of Florida, 2003
• B.A. coursework, Baylor College of Medicine & Rice University (MPF program), 2002

Research Focus

Dr. Allen’s scholarship centers on three inter-related themes: (1) patient experience and activation, ensuring patients are informed partners in their care; (2) minimally disruptive medicine, reducing treatment burden for people with multiple chronic conditions; and (3) health-care-delivery innovation, redesigning systems to be more responsive to patient goals. She has particular expertise in breast-cancer screening shared decision-making, digital-health equity for rural populations, and measurement of treatment burden.

Honors & Awards

• 2024 Top Doctor, Minnesota Monthly
• Multiple Top Performing Provider Patient Experience Awards (2020, 2021, 2022)
• Family Medicine Research Awards—Silver (2020) & Bronze (2013)
• Robert Frank Avant, M.D. Resident Leadership Award (2010)
• Tomorrow's Leader Award Scholarship, AAFP (2006)

Grants & Advising

Dr. Allen has served as co-investigator or consultant on several NIH and foundation-funded projects focused on rural digital-health interventions, diabetes care disparities, and cancer survivorship care models. She mentors residents and junior faculty in quality-improvement and health-services research methods and is a standing member of the Mayo Clinic Cancer Survivorship Program and the Communication in Healthcare Leadership Faculty Committee.

Labs & Teams

She collaborates closely with the Mayo Clinic Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery, the Cancer Survivorship Program, and the Office of Mayo Clinic Experience, leading multi-disciplinary teams that include health-services researchers, data scientists, nurses, and patient partners.