MCW Students Connect with Leadership on the Running Trail

It could be below 10 degrees Fahrenheit or pushing nearly 100 degrees, and you would still find Jose Franco, MD '90, senior associate dean for education in the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW)’s School of Medicine, running alongside MCW students every Sunday morning.

The weekend tradition began in 2023 when medical students Austen Schweinert and Katie Rose Phillips created MCW’s Miles for Medicine Run Club, a student organization dedicated to weekly runs.

They reached out to Dr. Franco, an avid runner, to see if he was interested in joining. There was no question: of course he was.

“MCW’s Run Club was created to build an MCW running community and help people add purpose to their running,” says Schweinert, a fourth-year medical student. “From the start, Dr. Franco has been the biggest supporter of the club and of the students. He takes the time to get to know every student who comes to run.”

“I felt honored when I was asked to join the Run Club,” says Dr. Franco. “It provided me with an opportunity to get to know the students on a personal level and better support them.”

Connection, Community, and Balance

Every Sunday morning, Dr. Franco and a group of students lace up their shoes and hit the trails at Hart Park in Wauwatosa.

All MCW students – of any pace, distance, or running experience – can participate. As they run, the students chat – sometimes about school, sometimes about running and sometimes about nothing related to those two common interests.

“Run Club is really unique because we get so much mixing between classes,” says Dani Thompson, second-year medical student and current Run Club co-president. “It’s really nice to have that interaction with our peers in an atmosphere that’s removed from school. I have met many of my closest friends at Run Club.”

Beyond finding community, the runs also help students find balance amid a jam-packed school schedule.

“Run Club reflects MCW’s emphasis on work-life balance,” says Olisaneme Okonkwo, a second-year medical scientist training program student and current co-president of the group. “Even though running is not time that I’m studying, it’s time that I’m enriching myself, which will make it easier to rest and study in the future.”

Going the Extra Mile for the Community

MCW’s Run Club has also gone the extra mile to give back to the community.

With the help of Dr. Franco’s wife, Rose Franco, MD ‘91, the group has donated used running shoes to those in need. Many students have also lent their time and knowledge to staff water stations and medical tents at local races.

Last year, one student volunteered with myTEAM TRIUMPH, a non-profit that brings together athletes with and without disabilities. The student ran the Chicago Marathon with a runner who was visually impaired.

“Collaborating with the community has been a meaningful and rewarding experience,” says William Harris, third-year medical student and former co-president of the group. “The group originally started to bring people together to run, so to see it become something bigger is gratifying.”

Personal Connection with MCW Leadership

Over the years, the runs have forged a close relationship between the students and Dr. Franco.

“Dr. Franco has been a great advocate for all of us,” says Phillips. “If my friends or I have questions about something, I can just ask Dr. Franco on the run. It’s nice to have that personal connection to leadership at MCW.”

“If the students ask me something, I will try to help them in any way I can because that’s my role here,” says Dr. Franco. “I might report to MCW, but I always say to the students, I really work for you.”

The care also flows the opposite way. A few years ago, Dr. Franco was injured during a run. The students insisted that he set up a physical therapy appointment so he could recover.

“Without their insistence, I’m not sure how long I would have been on the sidelines,” says Dr. Franco. “I deal with a lot of stressful events, but when I’m around them, I am able to relax and be myself.”

In addition to Sunday runs, the Run Club has scheduled runs on Thursdays. In the future, they may add exercises to help students reach their running goals.

As for Dr. Franco?

“I just want to keep showing up for the students,” says Dr. Franco. “It’s important to me to be an advocate and a supporter for them. I also read recently that it’s better to be the oldest person in a group like Run Club than the youngest person in the nursing home.”