Hometown: Urbandale, Iowa  

Matched: Internal medicine-pediatrics, University of Illinois, Peoria

Madeline Ungs’ interest in health care started early.

Growing up in Urbandale, Iowa, Ungs was surrounded by conversations about patient care. Both of her parents are physical therapists, and she remembers being curious about their work when she was young.

“I was always interested in what they were doing when they talked about their work,” Ungs says. “That’s where my interest in medicine started.”

Ungs considered several career paths in health care, but one thing was certain.

“I figured out early on that I wanted to work with children and adults with disabilities,” Ungs says.  “I want to provide overarching, comprehensive care for my patients and lead multidisciplinary teams. This goal ultimately pointed me towards medical school.”

A personal connection

Ungs’ interest in caring for people with disabilities is deeply personal. Her younger sister, JP, is autistic. Growing up close in age, Ungs says she often wondered how her sister’s brain worked and how she saw the world.

Her connection to the disability community also grew through years of volunteering. In high school, Ungs began volunteering with Dance Without Limits, a dance program for children with disabilities. This is also where she met a young Deaf dancer, which was her first exposure to American Sign Language.

“That experience helped me realize how passionate I am about working with this population, namely individuals with disabilities, Autistic individuals, and individuals in the Deaf community,” Ungs says.

She continued volunteering with the organization and, over time, began hearing more from families about the challenges of navigating medical care as their children transitioned to adulthood.

“There is a gap in care for young adults with disabilities who ‘age out’ of pediatrics, especially those requiring complex care for childhood disabilities,” Ungs says. “Of course, those with ‘childhood’ disabilities can and do become adults.”

That realization helped lead her toward medicine and eventually toward internal medicine–pediatrics, also known as med–peds.

“I want to be the person they know is going to support them and advocate for them.”

— Madeline Ungs

Establishing a community

Ungs’ goals were also shaped by her own experience with chronic illness. This inspired her to start a chapter of Medical Students with Disability and Chronic Illness (MSDCI) at the Carver College of Medicine.

“There is sometimes a misconception in medical culture that doctors must be the picture of health,” Ungs says. “I was nervous to contend with this and sought to build a community around me.”

With the help of mentor Robert Roghair, MD, and eight other students, MSDCI at Iowa was founded in fall of 2022.

“The goal of starting MSDCI at Iowa was about community, awareness, and advocacy with and for medical students with disabilities and chronic illnesses,” Ungs says.

The kind of physician she hopes to be

For Ungs, caring and advocating for patients with disabilities and chronic illnesses means more than treating a condition. It means creating a space where patients and families feel supported and understood.

She says patients with disabilities and chronic illnesses, and their families, can sometimes become frustrated or disillusioned with medical care.

Ungs’ goal is to be a physician they can trust.

“I want to be the person they know is going to support them and advocate for them, be passionate about them, give them good care, and connect them with all the resources that they need,” Ungs says.

That goal is central to the physician she hopes to become.