Student embarks on her medical school journey to serve her Native tribe

Saturday marked a special occasion for students entering medical school. 65 students were welcomed at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth Campus.

Madison Esposito was one of the students at the white coat ceremony, starting her medical school journey. "Where ever my passion takes me that’s where I have to go”, she says.

The ceremony included medical speakers sharing their experiences and inspiring the new students. Esposito says, “It’s a very important ceremony to kind of welcome us into the profession and get us in that mindset of what it’s going to be like to be healers."

These students are prepared to face another couple years of school. Madison says, "We are all very concerned about our personal communities, the mission here at University Minnesota really focuses on the community health aspect of doctoring."

Madison is a member of the Berry Creek Rancheria of Maidu Indians of California and is passionate to give back to her community. She says, "My main goal is to go back to practice as the doctor of my nation. We have a tribal health clinic that’s very close to our Rancheria. And so I want to go back there and serve as a primary care physician for the community."

Medical school is another step in that that final goal, but before that she created nonprofit called Redbud Resource Group. Helping her community during the pandemic.

Esposito says, “This pandemic was a nightmare for the native community we- like I said that resilience that we have as a people is what helped us get through it successfully."

Even though she is inspired to help people during the pandemic, her passion for the medical field actually started at a young age. “I’ve wanted to be a doctor since I was a child so COVID, it really doubled down on that importance of public health for me”, says Maddison.

And now with her white lab coat she’s ready to embark on her school journey for her community.