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Meet Leigh Koidahl

OBGYN in Edina and Burnsville, MN

Leigh Koidahl

Leigh Koidahl, MD, is a passionate, dedicated, board-certified Physician at Southdale ObGyn. The practice has two locations with offices in Edina and Burnsville, Minnesota. 

She earned a Bachelor of Arts with Distinction from the University of Minnesota in Morris, Minnesota, where she also received her Doctor of Medicine. She completed her residency at the University of Rochester Strong Memorial Hospital (UR Medicine Strong Memorial Hospital) in Rochester, New York.

Memberships, leadership, and awards include:

  • Junior Fellow at the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists (ACOG) 
  • American Medical Association (AMA)
  • 2012-2013 Administrative Chief Resident, OB/GYN
  • 2012-2013 Resident Representative and Graduate Medical Education Committee
  • MSP Magazine’s Top Doctor Rising Star Award

Dr. Koidahl first thought about specializing in geriatrics, but that changed when she participated in the Rural Physician Assistance Program and did her OB/GYN rotation at Bemidji Hospital, now called Sanford Bemidji Medical Center. 

“I was the only medical student there, so I got to assist with all the deliveries and surgeries,” she says, “I remember thinking, ‘This is by far the coolest thing in medicine.’ I knew it was what I wanted to do.”

In 2012 Dr. Koidahl traveled to the Philippines on a medical mission trip. They performed gynecologic surgeries 10 hours a day, in a hot operating room, with women lined up down the street. They made a massive difference in these people's lives, and they were so grateful. It was an incredibly rewarding experience.

Dr. Koidahl describes herself as a take-charge person but also calm in high-pressure situations and a good listener. She feels it’s essential to put yourself in your patient’s shoes and help make decisions that are best for them.

“Taking care of her and advocating for her led to my decision to become a doctor,” says Dr. Koidahl. “I wanted to be charged with people’s care. My grandma was one of the biggest influences in my life.”