Donna Miller, MD
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Donna grew up in a small town in south central Minnesota. Her interest in health care began in high school while working as a nursing assistant in a dementia care unit. She attended undergrad at University of Puget Sound in WA and returned to the Midwest to complete her MD degree at the Medical College of Wisconsin.
Several key experiences fueled her interest in internal medicine, such as her work at free clinics for uninsured patients and time spent abroad in a medical Spanish immersion elective in Xela, Guatemala. Involvement with the American College of Physicians and American Geriatrics Society helped build relationships within internal medicine. “Several key mentors at MCW have been extremely influential in shaping me as a physician; I strive to emulate their skills in this profession, both on and off the wards.”
With her interest in our growing and complex geriatric population, she matched into MCW’s unique combined medicine-geriatrics residency program. After completion of her training and chief residency, she plans to practice hospital medicine with a focus on the acute care of elderly patients and transitions in care. Hobbies include gardening, cooking, reading, and spending time with her husband and adorable little daughter.
Shannon Schmidt, MD
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Shannon was born and raised in the Milwaukee area. She completed her undergraduate degree at University of Wisconsin-Madison. Go Bucky! Volunteering experiences at UW Children’s Hospital contributed to her interest in Medicine. After college, she spent time doing research at the Max McGee Center for Juvenile Diabetes. She attended medical school at the Medical College of Wisconsin and had the opportunity to participate in an eye-opening rotation in the Philippines. She completed internal medicine residency in 2012 and plans to pursue a career in hematology/oncology.
Shannon has been most impressed by the responsiveness of the medicine program to its residents. “Program leadership has always been receptive to resident ideas, actively involving them in policy change. I have also appreciated the approachable staff who are always dedicated to resident education.” Shannon is a Wisconsin native and enjoys the balance Milwaukee offers between nearby lakes and hiking as well as great restaurants, festivals and cultural activities.
Dave Niccum, MD
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Dave Niccum, the current Med Peds Chief Resident, grew up in central Illinois and attended undergrad and medical school at St. Louis University. After 8 years in St. Louis, Niccum headed to Milwaukee for residency. “I came here because I wanted a residency program that offered a solid foundation in evidence based medicine and it was important to me that the residency be equally strong in both medicine and pediatrics. I was also impressed by the close relationships the residents had with each other and the sense of collegiality between faculty, residents, and staff.”
In his spare time, Niccum enjoys traveling, biking, and hanging out with friends. He divides his time at work between the hospital, clinic, and meetings. Niccum enjoys the challenging nature of his work and focuses on the friendships formed through call nights, clinic shifts, board review, and noon conferences. “We’ve made amazing friends, some of the best of our lives. The people are fun, interesting and supportive. Working with good people can make a 30 hour shift seem like just a few hours, and having smart friends to bounce ideas off challenges me to become a better doctor.
Niccum also enjoys his time outside the hospital. “Milwaukee is great and everyone up here really takes advantage of the amazing summer weather. We play beach volleyball, rent pontoon boats on Lake Michigan, and enjoy music festivals. There are bike trails all around the city too.”
Niccum is currently applying for pulmonology/critical care fellowship. “I’ve learned a lot during residency. I’m going into it with a good background in clinical patient care and evidence based medicine, which makes me confident in the care I provide.”
Marc Sala, MD
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Marc was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. He graduated with a degree in chemistry from Northwestern University (Evanston, IL), spent an interim year doing drug discovery research, and then attended the Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine in downtown Chicago.
"MCW optimizes what I believe are the important dichotomies in every residency program: mentorship vs. autonomy; education vs. work; and clinical experience vs. research. I couldn't have asked for a better training experience."
He is applying for fellowships in pulmonary and critical care medicine.