Madiline McNamara, M4, is a new TIP student at the Marquette Family Medicine Residency Program.
The open road from Laurium to Iron River glistened with the reflection of the setting sun. As I glanced up toward the silhouette of Bishop Baraga, watching silently over the Village of L’Anse, tears welled up in my eyes. That was when I knew that, finally, my reason for choosing medicine, my present, and my future came into focus.
After moving away from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula for the first time and beginning medical school, countless doubts and worries filled my head. I was lucky to return for a clinical experience in Laurium shortly after the semester began, and spending two weeks at a family medicine clinic, I noticed the selfless care the physicians provided their patients. They practiced medicine in a way that I always imagined it would be - going the extra mile for their patients. While performing a thorough history and physical exam, friendly conversations ranged from the bountiful fishing during the summer to the fact that surely, we’d have seen a decent snowfall by now. Every patient felt like a neighbor or a friend.
This is the type of care I grew up experiencing, and I looked forward to the day I would be able to provide it. I finally felt what it was like to practice family medicine in a tight knit community as I always planned to do. So, fueled by my motivation to return home to the U.P., I decided I would embrace the opportunity to live downstate, see a different patient population, and learn new skills. To my surprise, I thrived in this new environment and grew more than I had ever imagined.
Being a first generation student from a very small town in the U.P., I had to walk into many rooms where I felt out of place - rooms I’d worked hard to get into – learning all the while to tell myself that I belonged. These experiences taught me how to stay resilient and adaptable in any situation. I brought with me the qualities that define any dedicated Yooper in healthcare: a strong sense of community, an understanding of limited access to resources, and pride for where I come from.
Growing up with diabetes and frequently being the patient myself, I always understood what it was like to be the one receiving healthcare. It instilled in me the empathy and compassion that I’ve grown to use in the hospital and clinic. From being able to relate to a patient about anything they’re going through to relating to another patient with diabetes, I’m able to make strong, trustworthy connections. I intend to center my practice around this drive to make patients comfortable and be the primary care physician they can rely on.
I always knew family medicine was the right fit, and I look forward to creating lifelong relationships with my patients and providing care for entire families. My heart has always been in the Upper Peninsula, and it is my goal to give back to the communities that raised me and that I love so dearly. I believe The Marquette Family Medicine Residency Program would prepare me well for this endeavor. It would further train me with the skills and knowledge needed to contribute to the health and wellness of both our communities in the U.P. and our patients.
That evening on my drive home from Laurium, I kept thinking about how truly happy and fulfilled I felt after seeing patients all day. As I played John Denver’s “Country Roads Take Me Home”, I realized how lucky I am to have this opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives in a place I’ll forever call home.
