Curiosity Fuels MCW Student’s Path to Match Day

Adrienne Davis, who will graduate from the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) in May, had a fitting nickname growing up.

“My nickname used to be ‘Probey’ because I was always getting into stuff,” Davis says. “I really liked to tinker. I always had a love for being curious.”

That curiosity led her to take things apart to see how they work, enjoy science kits, and watch shows like Untold Stories of the E.R. It even helped her make her first diagnosis after her friend got hurt while they jumped rope and they tried getting help from a teacher.

“I remember our teacher had told us that she was being dramatic. I told her, ‘No, I can feel the fracture,’” she recalls.

The next day her friend came in with a cast. She had broken her ankle.

Davis’ curiosity also drew her towards her long-term goal – becoming a doctor.

“As soon as I could talk I knew I wanted to be a doctor,” she says. “I was just always fascinated by the human body.”

Road to Match Day

As Davis moves closer to realizing her goal, she is also closer to learning where she will go next. Like thousands of graduating medical students across the country, she will get that answer on March 21, which is Match Day.

The National Resident Matching Program, or Match, is a process that pairs students with medical institutions to complete the next leg of their training. It culminates on Match Day, when students find out where they will go for residency.

It’s been quite the journey for Davis, a native of Elk Grove, California, who has two sisters (Danielle and Gabrielle) and whose mother (Sherry) is a Navy Veteran. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Dominican University of California. It was around that time that she lost her maternal grandfather and decided to take two years off from school.

During that time, she worked as a junior specialist scientist at the McManus Lab in the Diabetes Center at the University of California-San Francisco. The experience solidified her love for research.

“I believe in leaving things better than how you found it and that's kind of the whole crux of research,” Davis says.

Ready to try medical school, Davis chose MCW. She says there were several things about the school that drew her to it, including its community feel and its status as a world-class comprehensive medical center.

“I knew that I would be exposed to a breadth of specialties,” she says.

Davis made the move to Milwaukee, where she was quickly embraced by her new community. Being so far from home, that was crucial to her, especially considering she lost both of her grandmothers during her time here.

“It was nice to have that support from friends when I couldn't go home to attend their funerals,” she says.

That support also included spending time together to celebrate Friendsgiving or just to barbecue.

“Just being able to hang out with the friends that I've made here has been very instrumental in my time at the medical college,” Davis says.

Also instrumental has been the mentorship and additional support she got at MCW as a medical student and while she participated in the Medical Student Summer Research Program and Clinical to Translational Research Concentration, both Pathways Programs.

Her mentors included doctors Jose Salazar Osuna, MD, PhD, and Adrienne Cobb, MD, MS, both assistant professors in the Department of Surgery.

Both were kind enough to take her under their wings and influenced her decision to pursue a career in surgery.

In addition to mentorship, she also received sponsorship that allowed her to present research at national conferences and access other opportunities.

“A sponsor is someone that speaks about you in rooms that you're not allowed into, and they make strategic introductions alongside offering up some financial assistance if that’s what is needed,” says Davis, who added that this was crucial given the rising cost of conference attendance.

Davis was also chosen as the second Black female to serve as student assembly president at MCW, an honor she cherishes.

“It was nice to receive the honor from my classmates,” says Davis, who served on the student assembly for four years. “It was just nice to know that they entrusted me with the position.”

Looking Forward to a Bright Future

Eventually, Davis plans to pursue research as an academic surgeon.

“I want to practice medicine, but medicine is something that grows, changes, and evolves, and research is a big part of that and making sure that we're being efficacious,” Davis says. “I think in the long run, conducting research makes you a better physician.”

Upon completing her residency, she’ll likely pursue a fellowship in surgical oncology or pediatric surgery, while also seeking opportunities to mentor others.

But, first, she’ll need to find her Match.

“I interviewed at quite a few programs across the U.S.,” Davis says. “Now I'm just waiting to find out where I match.”