In the years before he set foot on the W.E. Upjohn M.D. Campus, Matthew Hartwig considered pursuing a career in medicine.
The COVID-19 pandemic was the catalyst that ultimately changed the trajectory of his life and his career, and led to him being a member of the Class of 2027 at WMU Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine (WMed)
Hartwig, a native of Essexville, graduated from the University of Michigan in 2017 with a degree in chemical engineering. After completing his undergraduate studies, he brought his talents as an engineer to Pfizer in Kalamazoo.
By 2020, he was leading the water systems team dedicated for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine.
“Still, I always felt like something was missing,” Hartwig said. “It was that human interaction, that human interface and the chance to use the knowledge I had to help others.”
Later, when he volunteered to help administer the COVID-19 vaccine, Hartwig said he knew it was time to change course and go to medical school.
“That volunteer work really sparked that drive and it still motivates me today,” Hartwig said. “I feel an immense privilege being entrusted with people’s health as a future physician.”
Now, in his third year at WMed, Hartwig said he knows he made the right choice and, recently, he was honored as a recipient of the James R. Ryan Family Foundation Scholarship.
The scholarship is given annually at WMed to the top-ranked rising third-year student at the conclusion of their second year, as well as the top-ranked rising fourth-year student at the conclusion of third-year clerkships. WMed students do not apply for the merit-based scholarship.
The scholarship is the result of the generosity of Dr. Thomas and Mrs. Debra Ryan who, since 2012, have made significant financial contributions to the medical school through the James R. Ryan Family Foundation. Their donations have led to endowments for the annual scholarship, as well as for the Curtis M. Hanson M.D. and E. Dennis Lyne M.D. visiting professorships.
The namesake of the foundation is Dr. James R. Ryan, Dr. Thomas Ryan’s uncle, who was an alumnus of Western Michigan University and an accomplished orthopaedic surgeon. Dr. James R. Ryan taught at the Michigan State University Kalamazoo Center for Medical Studies, a predecessor to WMed, and dedicated his entire life to teaching and helping orthopaedic surgery residents.
Dr. Thomas Ryan and Debra Ryan are both Kalamazoo natives who attended Comstock High School before graduating from WMU. Dr. Ryan completed his residency in orthopaedic surgery at the Southwest Michigan Area Health Education Center, also a predecessor of WMed. He works as an orthopaedic surgeon in Kalamazoo.
In addition to his work as an orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. Ryan is a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Surgical Sciences at the medical school. He also serves as councilor for the Michigan Epsilon chapter of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society at WMed.
“It’s really special how the community in general wants to help financially support us as students,” said M4 Piper Cramer who also received the Ryan scholarship this year. “It shows how much people really care for the students here at WMed.”
Cramer, who plans to complete her residency training in general surgery after graduation this spring, is an alumna of the University of Washington where she majored in bioengineering. She said she was honored to be named as a recipient of the Ryan scholarship and takes pride in being recognized as the top student in the MD Class of 2026.
“I really connect with the way they test us in medical school,” she said. “I try really hard to show up every day with a good attitude and try to learn something new. That has gone a long way, especially during our clinical years.”
As for his success at WMed, Hartwig said his goes about each day much like Cramer.
“I strive to make each day better than the previous day and I try to learn something from everyone that I meet,” he said. “I have brilliant teachers and friends here and I know I can learn something from them each day. That curiosity and the willingness to learn is what put me in this position to be the top student.”