I am an MCW-Green Bay third-year student matching into Family Medicine! I am a native of Cedarburg, Wisconsin (just north of Milwaukee), but also fell in love with the Twin Cities and being a Gopher when I moved there for undergrad in 2012. My father is a family physician, so I was that 5-year-old that said she was going to be a doctor – and I never changed my mind once! Such the path that led me to MCW-Green Bay...

I first learned of the Pioneer Press when I applied to MCW-Green Bay.  It was the perfect way for me to get to know some of the students and the culture of the unique 3-year campus. Since that time, it has since taken a bit of a hiatus since it was originally intended for the inaugural class – which last posted here about their graduation! And now, two years later, we are starting it up again, and I am almost to graduation as well, but first MATCH DAY!

Tomorrow is Match Day, but for us, it will be a little bit different. COVID-19 has affected all of our lives, as I am sure it has affected yours. I finished my last exam of Medical School ever last Friday and was excited for the rest of my time here to be spent in clinical learning with patients. However, my current rotation, which was in the NICU, had to be canceled due to the risks. I am instead participating in a reading and writing elective in which I am researching the aspects of NICU care, and how as a future family physician, I can help those infants once they are discharged. As the scope of the virus continues to change daily, we are all waiting as students to see what this means for our education and for those around us. We, as future doctors, understand the gravity of this situation and the fact that even if we become infected, we may be asymptomatic but pass it on to those less medically stable. My husband is a high school English teacher, so he too has had to make significant adjustments to how he provides education, with also being mindful of the limitations that many of his students may have. The same could be said for many other professions as we adjust to the new normal for a while.

In light of all of this, we, the Class of 2020, are very excited about our futures in medicine and where our training will take us next. In the last week, there have been many meetings about whether Match Day could move forward as it has previously with friends and family gathered together to watch us announce our placements on stage. It became clear that this was no longer an option, and so a new plan was to have matching students and faculty only present for this event. This too proved to be too risky. So, we are left “together at home” to share in the joy of the occasion with those nearest (literally and figuratively) to us.

Members of our graduating class felt that we had made it this far together and wanted to share our results together and with those who supported us. For that reason, we still will be holding a livestream of Match Day by calling in from our respective homes. For those that are reading this post March 19-20, 2020, I have a link posted below of our livestream which will be airing March 20, 2020, at 1:00PM CST. For those viewing this later, you can see the result of this Match Day and where we all ended up!

Livestream MCW-Green Bay Match Day

Life will always throw curveballs, but we are asked to adjust and do what is best for the community, as is the call of all doctors. As we face unprecedented challenges, I am even more thankful for the entire MCW community and the support I have received over these last three years. I am ready to face whatever new trials lie ahead and am hopeful and excited for the next chapter of our lives to begin!

#MCWMatch20

Friendsgiving 2017, 2018 and 2019 respectively.