When mom is your biggest medical influence, and she happens to be across the world

This mother-daughter duo won’t let distance get in the way of their love for medicine — and each other

A shared love of medicine keeps Madeleine and her daughter Madison connected, even when they’re halfway across the world from each other.

“It’s great to have a fellow medical geek to chat with,” says Madison. “The rest of our family is less keen on hearing about trauma cases at the dinner table.”

Madison is currently studying the healthcare system in Botswana, where she interns at a pediatric occupational therapy clinic. Her decision to pursue a career as an EMT-B and a degree in public health was inspired by her mother’s work as a physician assistant (PA). Now that Madison is studying overseas, the mother-daughter duo stay in touch through Figure 1.

“I still remember my mom telling me about a photo of an arterial bleed on this new app called Figure 1,” says Madison. They’ve been sharing cases ever since.

“We’ve had more than a couple of occasions when we’ve been side-by-side, staying up way too late, looking at the Figure 1 feed,” adds Madeleine.

Although browsing Figure 1 side-by-side isn’t possible while Madison finishes her studies, the two stay in touch online.

“Now we’ll send each other the link for an especially interesting case so the other person doesn’t miss it,” says Madeleine.

Although she is a PA now, Madeleine previously worked for many years as an Occupational Therapist (OT). After working as an OT in traumatic brain injury, general rehabilitation, and pediatrics, she was motivated by her experience with rare diseases to return to school and become a PA. She now works in a small primary care practice, loves the variety of cases she experiences day-to-day, and describes herself as a “total geek” when it comes to solving medical puzzles.

Madison intends to follow her mother’s footsteps and to become a PA herself further down the road.

“I’m very grateful to have such a great career role model,” says Madison. “My mom has a great perspective from working in multiple areas of the healthcare field, which has been invaluable in gaining more knowledge on a medical condition I encounter or a deeper outlook on an intervention.”

Happy Mother’s Day!