STUDENT SPOTLIGHT Maddie Bernardo A Bit About Maddie Hello! I’m Maddie, a fourth-year medical student at the University of Utah. I primarily grew up in and around Boise, Idaho, before moving to Salt Lake City for my undergraduate education. I spend most of my free time trying new restaurants, exploring new trails, camping, skiing, and biking! When the call of the wild is a bit more muted, I love to get creative by cooking intricate meals and baking cakes, pies, and pastries. The Path to Medicine Growing up, I never imagined that I would pursue medicine, and it completely took me by surprise when I became enamored with my first exposure to anatomy and physiology during a sports medicine elective in high school. Special shoutout to Mr. Fitzpatrick, for being my introduction to medicine and a constant source of support! I followed in my big brother’s footsteps and came down to the University of Utah after graduating high school. I quickly became involved in neurobehavioral research while I studied biology and chemistry. I loved the process of research and designing experiments, but I didn’t feel like I’d found where I belonged in the world of science and medicine until I started volunteering with Connect2Health. This student-led organization placed volunteers in many different clinical environments, from free clinics to specialty services where we would meet with patients, discuss their social determinants of health, and craft them a personalized resource prescription to help meet their needs. After a couple years of involvement, I knew I wanted to continue learning the details of human physiology while working directly with patients — so I applied to medical school! I was ecstatic to have the opportunity to stay at the University of Utah for medical school. Not only did I have a great support system of friends and family in the area, but I had made strong connections working as an adaptive ski instructor at the National Ability Center in Park City and was determined to stay involved throughout my medical training. Furthermore, the opportunities for rural 18
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