Program: Medicine (University Program)
Class Year: Class of 2023
Growing up in Dayton, Ohio, Madeline (Maddie) McKenna originally thought she would become a photojournalist. That changed when, as a teenager, she accompanied her father (MED, ‘92) to Honduras to volunteer with health organizations in the local community. After earning her undergraduate degree at Notre Dame, she enrolled at the School of Medicine with a goal to specialize in obstetrics and gynecology, providing health care access to women.
She chose CWRU not only because of its outstanding reputation in medical education and research, but also for the curriculum structure.
“Students here are so much happier, working hard, but also enjoying time with friends. There’s a great structure to the curriculum with exams every three to four months followed by time afterward to relax and take a break, “ she said.
Volunteering is important to McKenna, who was elected as one of two social chairs on the Committee for Student Representatives in her first year. And for two consecutive years, she served as a director for CWRU’s Doc Opera, a variety show written and directed by and starring medical students which last weekend raised more than $25,000 for the Student-Run Health Clinic.