Caring for Kids Close to Home

Dr. Robert Becker at his graduation ceremony from MCW-Green Bay in 2019

Robert E. Becker, MD ’19, FEL ’25, MCW assistant professor of pediatric gastroenterology and pediatric gastroenterologist with Children’s Wisconsin, always had an interest in health and science. He began his education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison pursuing a degree in public health.

“I had a series of public health jobs and experiences and was also working at a summer camp. Through those experiences, I learned I preferred working one-on-one with people rather than on a public health scale and decided to pursue medicine. I also developed a passion for working with kids,” says Dr. Becker.

A Wisconsin native, he was drawn to the Medical College of Wisconsin-Green Bay (MCW-GB) program due to the three-year curriculum, small class sizes and focus on community health.

Dr. Becker in Door County Wisconsin, November 2022

“I enjoyed the collegiality with all my classmates and professors. I think having a smaller environment lends itself to strong personal relationships. I also think that it offers a unique educational experience working with attendings one-on-one,” shares Dr. Becker.

Dr. Becker completed a general pediatric residency at the University of Minnesota and a three-year pediatric gastroenterology fellowship at MCW. When it came time to look for his first attending position, he knew he wanted to return to Wisconsin’s Fox Valley. “Having lived in Green Bay, I knew that the Fox Valley is some place that I would enjoy living,” says Dr. Becker. “My home base is the Children’s Clinic in Appleton. I work one day a week in Ashwaubenon. I scope at Bellin Hospital in Green Bay, and I also have some time set aside to assist with medical education at MCW-Green Bay.”

Dr. Becker says the MCW-GB campus allows him to engage in the full spectrum of his abilities as an academic physician in a more community-based setting. “Patients in general are grateful to have care close to home. During my fellowship in Milwaukee, patients would routinely drive two to four hours to have a GI appointment,” shares Dr. Becker. “When people learn that there’s pediatric subspecialty appointments in the Fox Valley, it’s a big relief. By bringing high-quality care outside of the academic environment, we’re reaching a larger population of people. Especially for kids, it’s important that we come to where they are.”

Dr. Becker plans to continue to develop his practice in Appleton and Green Bay. “I’m really excited to offer more cutting-edge procedures and treatments to the kids in the Fox Valley and surrounding areas that may not be available in similarly sized communities due to the distance from subspecialty care,” Dr. Becker adds.

Dr. Becker looks forward to a career of continued learning and service, both as an alumnus and faculty member of MCW-GB. Recently, he became the first member of the MCW/Marquette Medical Alumni Association board of directors to have graduated from a regional campus. “I think there is a lot of value in alumni involvement in medical education, whether that be organizational support, financial support or mentorship,” he notes. “I also appreciate the opportunity to be able to give back and teach medical students, and to give them a framework for how to practice in an evidence-based age.”

– Michelle Schaefer