Student Spotlight: Jack Donaghue, MD/MBA '26
Jack Donaghue grew up in Hershey, Pennsylvania, where he was surrounded by physicians affiliated with Penn State’s hospital and medical school, offering him an early glimpse into the world of medicine. But it wasn’t just proximity that inspired him. It was the growing sense that medicine was the ideal intersection of his skills and passions.
“I was lucky to have people who nurtured my interests,” Jack says. “Through great mentors in Hershey and during undergrad at Colgate University, I got to experience clinical medicine and spend time in the operating room. That sealed the deal on applying to medical school.”
After graduating, Jack moved to Manhattan and joined the Thoracic Surgery department at NYU as a research assistant. While he thrived professionally, something felt off.
“I missed the tight-knit, rural academic community I had at Colgate,” he explains. “So when I visited Dartmouth after my interview, I fell in love with the Upper Valley just as much as I did with the school itself. It felt like home.”
Dartmouth’s MD-MBA dual degree was a major draw for Jack and has become a defining part of his medical school experience.
“The MD-MBA program taught me to view patient care through both clinical and systems lenses by understanding how individual decisions connect to the broader structure of a hospital. At Tuck, I learned how teamwork, leadership, and data-driven decision-making can make care more efficient and equitable. At Geisel, I found mentors who showed me how to combine clinical skill with curiosity and innovation. Together, these experiences have guided me toward a career in academic surgery, where I hope to improve not only how care is delivered but also how surgical teams work together.”
Jack’s time at Dartmouth has been shaped not only by his academic training, but by the mentorship he’s received along the way.
“I’ve been deeply impressed by how invested the faculty are in our growth. At Geisel and within the Dartmouth Hitchcock community, attendings bring us to conferences, involve us in research, and guide us through the residency process with real care. And at Tuck, professors treat us like collaborators. That level of support isn’t just rare, it’s transformative.”
As Jack applies into General Surgery this cycle, he is looking for an academic program in the Northeast that will support his evolving research interests and offer exposure across surgical specialties. A future fellowship, perhaps in cardiothoracic surgery or surgical oncology, is on his radar, but he is keeping an open mind.
For now, Jack is soaking up everything the Upper Valley has to offer. “Skiing has been huge for me,” he says. “During my first year, I became a ski instructor at the Dartmouth Skiway. It connected me to this place in ways I never expected.”
That same spirit of exploration shaped his third-year clerkships, which spanned the Coast of Maine to Vermont to California. On the Maine coast, Jack was hosted by Kathy Given, the first female harbormaster in the state. At SVMC in southern Vermont, he was the only medical student on site, delivering babies, scrubbing into surgery, and hopping into other surgical cases whenever he could. At CHOC, he experienced cutting-edge pediatric care surrounded by whimsical, Disney-inspired hospital decor which “made rounds a little more fun each day,” he reflects.
For incoming students, Jack offers the advice: “You only get four years in this incredible place. Ask around. Explore. Take full advantage. Whether it's skiing, hiking, or just being in nature, the Upper Valley is a place worth leaning into.”
Written by: Mia Soucy
POSTED 10/31/2025 AT 01:28 PM IN #studentspotlight #dual degree #MD #Geisel #Tuck School of Business
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