BLF Talks: Matthew Davis

Matthew Davis from BLF '17 provides insight on where he is at in his life and reflects back to his favorite key takeways from being in BLF. 

-Tell us about where you’re at and what you do currently. 

I am a resident physician in Urology at Rutgers. My days are split between the operating room and seeing patients in the office with about half a day per week dedicated to education. I live in northern New Jersey with my wife.

-What was your college career path and how did you also manage being in BLF?

I was a Biomedical Science major as well as a student-athlete on the Men's Wrestling team. I managed all of my commitments by planning my days meticulously and staying organized. It was certainly a lot to handle.

-What is your biggest takeaway from BLF that you’d like to share with current or prospective fellows.

The biggest takeaway from BLF for me has been becoming more comfortable working on teams with varied strengths and weaknesses. It paid dividends in business school when working on teams with people from other fields like law, art, pharmaceuticals, etc.

-How has BLF helped you get to where you are today? How does what you learned in BLF show up for you today?

BLF helped by instilling the importance of networking. After I finish my residency, I plan to complete my fellowship away from New Jersey to further expand my network and position myself for my career going forward.

-What are you most proud of?

I will say my marriage right now, but I am sure that I am going to change that to my family as soon as our first child is born next month.

-What keeps you grounded?

Servant leadership, for sure. Although leadership is more often discussed in business than medicine, the physician was traditionally seen as the leader in the doctor-patient relationship. Approaching patients as a servant leader goes a long way, especially when surgeons have a reputation for not being the most
grounded.

-What is your why?

Doing the right thing. I am fortunate to be in my position, so I working hard and not wasting such good fortune comes from that drive.