If there’s one word to describe Alisa Suen-Wallach, it’s curious. Since undergrad, she has been interested in how our genes, environmental exposures and lived experiences shape our health.
“My father taught me to be curious about the world around me and how things might be affecting my life,” Suen-Wallach said. “I’ve always been a curious, creative and driven person, and I love problem-solving. I think that’s what naturally drew me to science.”
Now, after years of research, clinical work and fascinating discoveries, Suen-Wallach is ready to participate in the 2025 UNC School of Medicine Match Day on March 21 — a milestone on her path to becoming the first in her family to earn a doctorate, not to mention a combined degree.
Becoming an MD-PhD
Suen-Wallach’s path to her medical doctorate was anything but traditional. In 2012, she began her PhD in toxicology at UNC. Her dissertation focused on using animal models to understand how exposures to endocrine-disrupting chemicals early in life lead to diseases like infertility and uterine cancer later in life.
Following postdoctoral years with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), she felt drawn to work that directly impacts human health and involves personalizing care for individual patients.
The California native applied to UNC School of Medicine and retroactively joined the MD-PhD program, officially starting in July 2020.
“I love the idea that I can help one individual person and then say, ‘What research can I do to make this better for everyone?’” Suen-Wallach said. “Being a scientist and a physician go together so well. That was the main reason I wanted to go to medical school.”
Her background as a scientist even allowed her to share her expertise with other medical students. Professor of Cell Biology and Physiology Kurt Gilliland played a key role in Suen-Wallach becoming a histology teaching assistant as a third-year student. She worked with first- and second-year medical students on an individual basis and co-led lectures.
“Alisa already had a PhD as well as experience in microscopy before coming to medical school,” Gilliland said. “We treated her as one of the faculty in the department. Both students and faculty appreciated her expertise, collegiality and enthusiasm as she taught.”
Life from a patient’s perspective
For most medical students, extended experiences in hospitals and clinics come only as providers. Suen-Wallach saw the other side as a patient.
Toward the end of her second year as a medical student, she went into labor at 29 weeks. Suen-Wallach ended up hospitalized for nearly a month before her daughter Magnolia was born. After another month in the NICU, Suen-Wallach, her husband and daughter were finally able to head home as a family.
Suen-Wallach is adamant the ordeal made her a better medical student and will make her a better physician.
“Being hospitalized gave me a unique perspective, especially right before going into clinical rotations,” Suen-Wallach said. “It’s hard to be a patient, to be vulnerable, to call the hospital your temporary home — I tried to find a silver lining in that experience and turn it into a strength that shaped my approach to patients during my third year.”
What’s next?
Having a baby in medical school shifted Suen-Wallach’s timeline. With the support of her advisor, Dr. Pali Shah, she balanced parenthood and medical training while preparing to pursue a competitive specialty.
During her maternity leave, she met Dr. Donna Culton, professor of dermatology, who ultimately served as a pivotal mentor. The duo eventually did dermatology research together during Suen-Wallach’s fourth year.
“Alisa brings maturity, curiosity and commitment not only to learning our amazing field, but to advancing it by asking critical questions and applying herself whole-heartedly to finding answers,” Culton said. “As her preceptors, teachers, mentors and colleagues, we have all been honored to play a small role in her journey, and I can’t wait to see what she will do in her career.”
Suen-Wallach plans to become an academic dermatologist specializing in vulvar dermatology and hopes to establish a subspecialty clinic at one of the many academic institutions that currently lack one.
“Vulvar dermatology is an interesting intersection of gynecology and dermatology,” Suen-Wallach said. “I hope to improve patient access to this specialized care and expand research.”
As she charts her course ahead, Suen-Wallach notes it’s only possible because of the support of her husband, Matt Wallach.
“I wouldn’t be where I am today without a very supportive partner,” Suen-Wallach said. “He has always encouraged me to follow my dreams and pursue the things I am most passionate about.”
Suen-Wallach reflects on the impact UNC has had on her life with gratitude. After many long years in school, she’s ready to leave her Heelprint wherever she matches.
“I want to bring everything that UNC has taught me into my career — from compassionate care to servant leadership to bridging bench-to-bedside research,” Suen-Wallach said. “I’m ready to become a doctor and make a difference in patients’ lives.”
Editor’s Note: Alisa Suen-Wallach matched into an Internal Medicine preliminary year at UNC Hospitals and Dermatology at University of Chicago Medical Center during Match Day.