Wisconsin Medical Alumni Association

Here's to school pride, whether anticipating a Badger win, or continuing to celebrate it. Although our medical students arrived from all over the country with a rainbow of colors, we know they'll all depart with some Cardinal Red!

We ♥️ UW Homecoming!

On, Wisconsin!

WMAA - via the WMA Fund - is proud to invest in student organizations and the many ways they support our students, fostering career exploration, service, leadership and a strong sense of community.

Recently, the PM&R Interest Group offered a subspecialty panel featuring three physiatrists who've taken very different paths in the field, from pain medicine to peds to administration - including our own Steve Wiesner, MD '85 and Melissa Villegas, MD '13.

Viva career exploration!

Hmmmm, wonder what our awesome M1s will come up with tomorrow for Fit Friday - last Friday was "monochrome" theme.

Cheers to class leaders for inspiring such creativity - Fit Friday is a fun way to bring the class together by dressing to match a new theme each Friday. What a great way to show some class spirit, get creative, and make Fridays a little more fun!

The last Block of Phase 2 of our curriculum begins - From SIM to ultrasound, Phase 2 students are gaining confidence, becoming more independent, and putting their learning into action. It’s exciting to see our students progress so successfully through their medical education! 👏🩺

Huge kudos to Samantha Crowley, MD '25, MPH '21, for recently completing her first full Ironman — 140.6 grueling miles of swimming, biking, and running in and around Madison.

Speaking of kudos, UW's BerbeeWalsh Dept. of Emergency Medicine provided a great shout-out to Samantha:
"Samantha Crowley, MD, MPH (PGY-2), inspired all of us with her determination to complete her first full Ironman Wisconsin while balancing the demands of emergency medicine residency. After falling just short of the bike cutoff during her first attempt in 2024, Samantha returned two years later and completed all 140.6 miles in 15 hours, 59 minutes and 25 seconds — just one day after finishing a month-long intensive care unit rotation.

Her persistence, flexibility, and willingness to keep taking big challenges 'in small bites' reflect a mindset that resonates far beyond endurance sports. Congratulations, Samantha, on an incredible accomplishment — your Emergency Medicine family is proud of you!"

We're proud of you, too, and ALL of you who compete in such demanding endeavors!

Read more at https://tinyurl.com/SamCrowlz

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“The beginning of residency at WashU/Barnes-Jewish has been bittersweet. It is a privilege to learn in such an exciting and deeply rewarding environment, caring for remarkable patients alongside outstanding residents and faculty, but it has also been difficult to be away from UW–Madison.

As I begin caring for patients in St. Louis, I continue to draw on the strong clinical foundation, generous mentorship, and commitment to service that shaped me at UWSMPH. Each day, I try to bring a bit of the Wisconsin Idea with me to what I am doing here: the belief that what we learn should improve lives far beyond the walls of the university.

I have been especially fortunate to work with my senior resident and fellow Badger, Eden Charles, MD '25. Eden is an exceptional physician, teacher, and exactly the kind of colleague you hope to have beside you during residency. Learning from her has been a meaningful reminder of the community and values we share as UWSMPH graduates!”

~ Matthew Freeman, MD '26, PhD '25, MS '22

Just because this is cool...

Last week an Irish delegation made a visit to campus. On the agenda was a visit to to learn about the research of Aaron LeBeau, PhD, associate professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, and see his research lab, which doubles as a shark tank.

The visitors learned how the school is transforming cancer care from discovery to patient treatment. This includes pioneering research using antibodies from sharks as targeting vectors in models of human cancer.

Scientists draw small samples of blood from the sharks every couple of months to harvest the needed single-chain antibodies (VNARs). Once the genetic sequence for the helpful antibody is isolated from the blood sample, it is grown synthetically in a laboratory setting. Cool! 🇮🇪

We spy two , Ann Evensen, MD ’95, and Mel Ricker-Bouche, MD ’20, at a recent Family Medicine Interest Group meeting on global health opportunities.

From students to alumni, Badgers are making a difference around the globe. Opportunities like these are just one of the many ways our students explore their passions and prepare for lives of service. On, Wisconsin!

.roden

M1s and M2s: Family Day is coming up on Saturday, October 17, and registration has been extended through October 6!

Give your loved ones an inside look at how you learn, life beyond the classroom and the community that makes SMPH special through interactive, student-led sessions.

M1s/M2s and families - register at:

https://www.uwevents.com/ereg/newreg.php?eventid=892187&