Sancia Ferguson, MD

Name: Sancia Ferguson, MD

Hometown: Madison, Wisconsin 

Undergraduate School: University of Wisconsin, Madison

Hobbies: Reading Sci-Fi/Fantasy, hiking, running, cycling

Languages you speak: English

Furthest I've traveled from home: Costa Rica

Favorite activity in the Twin Cities: It’s been a long time since I’ve lived in the Twin Cities, but I loved cross country skiing when I did live there.

What is your specialty: Rheumatology

Why I chose my specialty: I took care of many young women with connective tissue diseases during my internal medicine residency in New Orleans and found I deeply connected with my patients, and was interested and challenged by the field. Rheumatology is a specialty that requires a great deal of thought, patience and partnership between physicians and patients. Our patients can be quite ill, our treatments often take time, and there is no one-size fits all solution. Rheumatologic diseases often deeply impact quality of life, helping patients to restore this is very satisfying work. Since connective tissue diseases are not restricted to a single organ system, I enjoy thinking systemically and broadly, working closely with primary care and other specialists to afford our patients the best possible care.

Why Medicine: I contemplated medicine during my undergraduate years, but landed on public health. I did my MPH in epidemiology prior to starting medical school and I deeply enjoyed public health and its lens. I did an elective in the emergency department at HCMC and I realized how much I enjoyed patient care. Pursuing medicine was the right decision for me, I deeply value the unique relationship between physicians and patients. The public health perspective has been immensely useful in my work in clinical operations and leadership.  Medicine has the unique combination of being highly rewarding and highly humbling. I am grateful for the opportunity to do this work, and for how the work affords me the opportunity to continually refine myself.