A Rewarding Education in Medicine

For as long as she can remember, Amelia “Amy” Baltes wanted to be a doctor. Raised in Kenosha, Wisconsin, by a single mother, Amy has always been deeply committed to her tightly knit family, including two older brothers. Her mother, a nurse for more than 35 years, has served as an ongoing source of inspiration, illustrating what’s possible when you put your whole heart into your work.

“Growing up, I saw firsthand how much of an impact my mom had on the patients she worked with,” says Amy. “I hope to have a similar impact on my future patients.”

Amy attended UW–Parkside, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in biology. She was overwhelmed by and also excited about the prospect of pursuing a career in medicine. While she was an undergraduate, Amy got her first hospital job working as an inpatient pharmacy technician.

“I started to discover my passion for assisting patients, gathering all the information I could about mechanisms of drugs as they related to pathology from the pharmacists that I worked with, and realized that the physician role was something I wanted as a career,” she says. “I have always enjoyed learning about anatomy and physiology, and that, combined with the leadership role of a physician on a patient care team, was what drew me to medicine.”

Amy began working with the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health in 2016 and has continued with them ever since, performing research in addiction medicine. She moved to Madison in 2018 to begin working on her master of public health degree at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH), which she completed in 2020. Currently a third-year medical student, Amy wants to gain a comprehensive understanding of her patients’ complex pathophysiology and apply that to helping them whenever possible.

“As a medical student, I have the luxury of having extra time available to build relationships with patients by lending a listening ear during their visit, learning about their life stories, and even providing banter that distracts them from the hardship that they may be going through,” Amy says. “I’ve valued these conversations, and while the amount of time available later in my career may not be as plentiful for these additional discussions, I know that I will always prioritize learning more about patients beyond their diagnoses.”

A natural leader and community-builder, Amy is a recipient of the generously endowed Stephen C. Aron MD Medical Scholarship Fund, a recruitment-based fund that supports medical students attending SMPH. In addition to the vital financial assistance it provides, this scholarship played a significant role in Amy’s selection of medical school.

“I’m a lifelong Wisconsin resident, so this scholarship made me feel incredibly supported,” she says. “Knowing that my state institution was willing to invest in me through this scholarship has further encouraged me to remain in the Midwest — particularly Wisconsin — after graduation to invest in our local communities by providing care to Wisconsin residents.”

Donor contributions go far beyond assisting students while they’re attending the university. Scholarship funds help create real-world opportunities for recipients that they never thought possible, leading them to understand the value of helping other students achieve their dreams.

“The philanthropic support I’ve received as a medical student has inspired me to give back during my career as a physician,” Amy shares. “If I can positively impact students the way that receiving this scholarship has impacted me, then I would be honored to provide exactly that for future Badgers.”