Student Spotlight: Joyce Cheng, MD

  They say when you know, you know.   And Mercyhealth Hospital and Trauma Center at Rockford knew they wanted Saint James School of Medicine alum Joyce Cheng to be among its first class of residents in the internal medicine program, so they extended her a pre-match offer.   It is a perfect fit because it was one of her top choices and offers her the opportunity to stay in Illinois, so she can fulfill both her short- and long-term career goals. “In the short-term, my goal is to complete my residency and hopefully become chief resident since we are the first class of residents,” Joyce shared.   Her long-term vision is to have her own internal medicine practice focusing on preventative medicine serving diverse communities and underserved populations.   Her pre-match status is the culmination of a lifelong love and dedication to medicine. “When I was younger, I was attracted to taking science courses and as I grew, I discovered that medicine was a science career that offered constant learning. It involves a lot of technology and there’s always something new and exciting to discover,” the October 2018 graduate explained.   It’s a love that led her to a degree in Biological Science from the University of California at Riverside. After undergrad, she entered into a post-baccalaureate program at Berkley, worked as a medical transcriber and then on to Saint James.   Her road to SJSM was quick and direct. “I had a family friend who had graduated from Saint James and they said lots of great things about the program,” she shared. “I wanted a school that allowed me to practice in the U.S., had a great location and an affordable tuition and that was Saint James.”   Joyce credits her time at SJSM with preparing her for residency, “SJSM offers a great foundation and teaches you how to stay focused and be proactive.”   Congratulations Joyce and best of luck at Mercyhealth!