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as told by Michael Probst
I’d heard of the generosity of people in the Coulee Region before I arrived in town for my medical research summer fellowship, but I had no idea that it would impact me personally. I’d just graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and was looking forward to my fellowship through Gundersen Lutheran Medical Foundation. The only snag—I was having trouble finding housing for the summer.
 I arrived at my pre-employment physical in Occupational Health Services with nowhere to live the first couple of weeks of summer. It was there I met Bob Ustby, a registered nurse in the department. He asked me how I liked La Crosse and I told him it was fine, but that I’d have to rent a hotel room until the place I was going to sublease opened up.
What happened next was something I never expected. He said, “That’s nonsense,” and invited me to stay in his home. I couldn’t have anticipated such generosity from a stranger.
I stayed with Bob and his family for almost two weeks, and during that time, he treated me like part of the family. We’d sit and watch baseball games, talk about our day and eat as a family. Bob even offered to have me stay for the whole summer. I didn’t want to take advantage, so I moved into an apartment. Even then, I was still part of Bob’s family. He’d checked in on me to make sure I was okay…and see if I wanted to move back!
During my time at Gundersen Lutheran, I discovered that Bob’s gracious nature and other fine qualities are reflected in many other people here. The hospitality is more exceptional than anywhere else I’ve ever been. It’s a small town atmosphere with big town professionalism.
While my fellowship has ended, I hope my time at Gundersen Lutheran and in the La Crosse community has not. My experience last summer is the biggest reason I applied for the UW-La Crosse-Gundersen Lutheran-Mayo Physician Assistant Program. I want to continue my education in a place that provides personal, passionate healthcare…a trait that’s evident in people like Bob and so many others at Gundersen Lutheran.
Editor’s note: Mike is not the first summer fellow to find Gundersen Lutheran employees opening their hearts and homes. Many other employees have also made our summer fellows and interns part of their families.
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