{"id":9837,"date":"2022-12-21T10:42:58","date_gmt":"2022-12-21T16:42:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/for-your-health\/?p=9837"},"modified":"2022-12-21T10:42:58","modified_gmt":"2022-12-21T16:42:58","slug":"chance-encounter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/for-your-health\/2022\/12\/21\/chance-encounter\/","title":{"rendered":"Chance encounter"},"content":{"rendered":"

Drs. Michelle and Robert Bianco establish the Dr. Michelle K. Bianco Medical School Scholarship Endowment for UND medical students<\/p>\n

\u201cWe met in the old medical school building,\u201d wrote Dr. Michelle Bianco of that fateful moment in 1995 when she first bumped into her future husband \u2014 in the space that is today UND\u2019s Columbia Hall. \u201cI was lost and needed help with directions.\u201d<\/p>\n

And there was Robert Bianco. A graduate student in biochemistry at the time, like Michelle, the Bismarck native was in the former medical school building, Michelle said, and helped her find her way.<\/p>\n

A friendship was forged that later led to dating and marrying.<\/p>\n

From her home in Horace, N.D., the Class of 2001 grad of the UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences M.D. program was keeping her written responses to my too-many questions both brief and direct.<\/p>\n

Such concision was the necessary result of a year-old amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) diagnosis that has made answering any queries via phone or Zoom much more difficult.<\/p>\n

\u201cEmail is best,\u201d she wrote.<\/p>\n

The Bianco Scholarship Endowment<\/h3>\n

Despite the difficult diagnosis, the levity with which Michelle approached sharing memories of her time at UND came through in her written responses. She is especially proud of the fact that the aforementioned chance meeting resulted not only in her eventual marriage to Robert, but, in time, the opportunity to help many future physicians cross the finish line.<\/p>\n

In 2021, the couple established the Dr. Michelle K. Bianco Medical School Scholarship Endowment at the UND Alumni Association & Foundation in an effort to help UND medical students offset the rising cost of tuition.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe scholarship will be awarded yearly to a student with financial need, a record of service, and good academic standing,\u201d continued Michelle, noting that the service aspect of the gift gives preference to students with a military service background. \u201cI was helped through high school and college by the generosity of donors through need- and academic-based scholarships. We both feel it\u2019s important to give back in gratitude for what you have received.\u201d<\/p>\n

Choosing a path(ology)<\/h3>\n

Even though future scholarship recipients need not follow Michelle\u2019s specific path in medicine, Michelle certainly wouldn\u2019t mind.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe genetic and molecular basis of disease has revolutionized how we diagnose and treat illnesses,\u201d wrote the now pathologist. \u201cIn my field of hematopathology, the genetic and molecular findings were essential in the proper diagnosis of hematologic malignancies, such as leukemia and lymphoma. In addition, these findings often influenced treatment and prognosis, which was essential for the clinicians treating the patient.\u201d<\/p>\n

Such a path wasn\u2019t a foregone conclusion though, admitted Michelle, adding that as a young student she imagined she would end up in pediatrics.<\/p>\n

\u201cI adore children. But after taking the pathology course, I was very drawn to pathology,\u201d she said of her specialty choice, adding that internal medicine too caught her eye as a student. \u201cI\u2019m a visual learner, and many aspects of pathology appealed to me. I found that pathology, in addition to a fellowship in hematology, was the best of both worlds. It allowed me to use my visual skills while taking the clinical picture into account.\u201d<\/p>\n

So it is that after a wedding in 2000, and a 2001 graduation (Robert took his doctoral degree from UND in 2002), Michelle and Robert ended up in Iowa City as Michelle pursued a pathology residency and hematology fellowship at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, while Robert undertook a post-doctoral research position in the university\u2019s Internal Medicine Department.<\/p>\n

Coming home<\/h3>\n

The family returned to North Dakota in 2006, settling in the Fargo area, where Michelle practiced. They were drawn back to the Red River Valley not only because the region is home for both her and Robert, Michelle said, but because they felt a pull to serve the region that had given them so much.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter living out-of-state, I had a strong desire to return home,\u201d noted Michelle. \u201cServing the community and region where I grew up was important to me, and I was blessed to do so for over fifteen years.\u201d<\/p>\n

Of course, being closer to UND\u2019s hockey program didn\u2019t hurt.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were big hockey fans, enjoying games in the old and new arena,\u201d Michelle added shortly after seeing UND defeat Holy Cross at the Ralph Engelstad Arena in Oct. 2022. \u201cThe relationships we had with students, faculty, and clinical mentors made the whole learning experience memorable, with graduation day being the culmination of years of hard work.\u201d<\/p>\n

As with so many games the pair took in around the turn of the century, UND won that night.<\/p>\n

Of course, hockey is not the family\u2019s only sport of choice. Having started fencing at UND through the university\u2019s fencing club, and competing regionally while the pair were in Iowa, Robert led the way in founding the Fargo-Moorhead Fencing Club earlier this century. This competitive club participates in the Minnesota high school league in Minneapolis.<\/p>\n

\u201cRobert coached both our daughters, Anna and Elise, who participate in the sport,\u201d said Michelle, who has served as the club\u2019s cheerleader, photographer, and lead fundraiser. \u201cAnna has competed regionally and nationally.\u201d<\/p>\n

Such opportunities are among the many reasons, Michelle said, that there\u2019s nowhere else she\u2019d want to raise her children.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecoming a physician was one of the highlights of my life,\u201d she reflected. \u201cCompleting my medical education at UND was a fabulous experience. We were in a medical school with faculty who were committed teachers and mentors. During my clinical years of training, our firsthand experience was much greater than many large medical schools. I was well prepared and competitive when it came to applying for residency programs. I feel thankful for my education at UND.\u201d<\/p>\n

To contribute to the Dr. Michelle K. Bianco Medical School Scholarship Endowment, contact Jeff Dodson at jeffd@UNDfoundation.org<\/a> or visit the UND Alumni Association & Foundation online at UNDalumni.org<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

By Brian James Schill<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Drs. Michelle and Robert Bianco establish the Dr. Michelle K. Bianco Medical School Scholarship Endowment for UND medical students \u201cWe met in the old medical school building,\u201d wrote Dr. Michelle Bianco of that fateful moment in 1995 when she first bumped into her future husband \u2014 in the space that is today UND\u2019s Columbia Hall. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":9842,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[2185,2187,710,2183,259,2182,2184,2186],"class_list":["post-9837","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-als","tag-fencing","tag-foundation","tag-michelle-k-bianco","tag-pathology","tag-robert-bianco","tag-scholarship-endowment","tag-und-alumni-association"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nChance encounter - For Your Health<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/for-your-health\/2022\/12\/21\/chance-encounter\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Chance encounter - For Your Health\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Drs. 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