{"id":1313648,"date":"2026-01-29T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/?p=1313648"},"modified":"2026-01-28T15:03:00","modified_gmt":"2026-01-28T21:03:00","slug":"wisconsin-ukraine-family-doctors-careers-madison-milwaukee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/2026\/01\/wisconsin-ukraine-family-doctors-careers-madison-milwaukee\/","title":{"rendered":"The transplants: 2 doctors fled Ukraine for Wisconsin. They\u2019re still trying to get their careers back.","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"<span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\"><b>Reading Time: <\/b><\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 10<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span>\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary>Click here to read highlights from the story<\/summary>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Anna Mykhailova and Sasha Druzhyna fled Ukraine after Russia invaded, leaving behind careers as physicians.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Wisconsin needs more medical professionals, including physicians. But those with foreign training face hurdles that can keep them from filling that gap.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>State officials recently eased requirements for foreign-trained doctors, but Mykhailova isn\u2019t sure what the change means for her.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Anna works as a sonographer at a Madison hospital, while Sasha is studying for a master\u2019s degree in medical perfusion at the Milwaukee School of Engineering.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The family is among 100,000 Ukrainians with Temporary Protected Status, allowing them to live and work in the United States for renewable 18-month stretches.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<p>Sasha Druzhyna knows all about transplants.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As an anesthesiologist and perfusionist in Kyiv, Ukraine, Sasha used specialized equipment to keep patients\u2019 blood pumping during heart transplants and keep donor organs alive until they reached their recipients.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, after fleeing Russia\u2019s full-scale invasion, the 52-year-old is learning his profession all over again as a student in Milwaukee School of Engineering\u2019s medical perfusion program.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eighty miles away, his wife Anna Mykhailova, 42, is starting over, too. In 2024, she started a job as a cardiac sonographer at a Madison hospital, using skills she refined as a cardiologist in one of Ukraine\u2019s top heart hospitals. She\u2019s also studying for the medical board exams in hopes of one day practicing medicine in the United States.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But as they work to rebuild their careers, they still don\u2019t know if they\u2019ll be allowed to stay.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s so stressful because of this immigration process. I will do these really hard exams and they (might) say, \u2018Oh, you have to leave this country,\u2019\u201d Anna said of the family\u2019s immigration limbo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wisconsin <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wha.org\/getmedia\/d2b089ab-077a-4d9f-8898-e91333edff5b\/Workforce-Report-2025-web.pdf\">needs more medical professionals<\/a>, including physicians. But as the couple\u2019s experience shows, those who arrive in the country with foreign training <a href=\"https:\/\/www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/growing_demand_healthcare_workers_wisconsin.pdf\">face hurdles<\/a> that can keep them from filling that gap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns alignwide is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" id=\"Voting-excitement\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"782\" height=\"770\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-002.jpg?resize=782%2C770&#038;quality=100&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Two people are seen with their backs to the camera watching a youth soccer game on a grassy field, where players in blue and orange uniforms run with a goal to the left.\" class=\"wp-image-1313655\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1;object-fit:cover\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-002.jpg?resize=782%2C770&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 782w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-002.jpg?resize=336%2C331&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 336w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-002.jpg?resize=140%2C138&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 140w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-002.jpg?resize=768%2C756&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-002.jpg?resize=1024%2C1009&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-002.jpg?resize=780%2C768&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 780w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-002.jpg?resize=400%2C394&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-002.jpg?resize=706%2C695&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 706w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-002.jpg?w=1200&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-002-782x770.jpg?w=370&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 782px) 100vw, 782px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Anna Mykhailova, right, worked as a cardiologist in Ukraine before fleeing with the couple\u2019s daughter in 2022 when Russia invaded the country. Sasha Druzhyna worked as an anesthesiologist and perfusionist. He stayed in Ukraine to work for a year after his wife and daughter left.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"782\" height=\"770\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-003.jpg?resize=782%2C770&#038;quality=100&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"People stand in a line on a grassy field, exchanging high fives with soccer players in orange and blue uniforms.\" class=\"wp-image-1313657\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1;object-fit:cover\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-003.jpg?resize=782%2C770&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 782w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-003.jpg?resize=336%2C331&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 336w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-003.jpg?resize=140%2C138&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 140w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-003.jpg?resize=768%2C756&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-003.jpg?resize=1024%2C1009&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-003.jpg?resize=780%2C768&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 780w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-003.jpg?resize=400%2C394&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-003.jpg?resize=706%2C695&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 706w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-003.jpg?w=1200&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-003-782x770.jpg?w=370&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 782px) 100vw, 782px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sasha Druzhyna, left, and Anna Mykhailova settled in Madison with the help of friends. The family has Temporary Protected Status, which allows them to stay in the U.S. for 18-month stretches.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"782\" height=\"782\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-001.jpg?resize=782%2C782&#038;quality=100&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Two people stand outdoors wearing jackets, smiling and looking ahead, with trees, a grassy area and a brick building visible in the background.\" class=\"wp-image-1313658\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-001.jpg?resize=782%2C782&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 782w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-001.jpg?resize=336%2C336&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 336w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-001.jpg?resize=140%2C140&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 140w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-001.jpg?resize=768%2C768&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-001.jpg?resize=800%2C800&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-001.jpg?resize=600%2C600&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-001.jpg?resize=400%2C400&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-001.jpg?resize=200%2C200&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-001.jpg?resize=1024%2C1024&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-001.jpg?resize=780%2C780&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 780w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-001.jpg?resize=300%2C300&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-001.jpg?resize=706%2C706&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 706w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-001.jpg?resize=100%2C100&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 100w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-001.jpg?w=1200&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-001-782x782.jpg?w=370&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 782px) 100vw, 782px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Anna Mykhailova, left, works as a sonographer at a Madison hospital while her husband, Sasha Druzhyna, studies for a master\u2019s degree in medical perfusion at the Milwaukee School of Engineering.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A new life begins<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Had the couple fled to Europe instead, their career paths might have been simpler. Sasha might be the teacher instead of the student. Anna might still be a doctor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But the invasion left no time to deliberate. Anna and her colleagues moved their patients to the hospital\u2019s basement, then brought their own families to shelter there, too. Anna and Sasha brought their daughter, Varya, who was 6 years old at the time.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They listened to the news as Russian troops occupied the suburbs around Kyiv.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhen they showed civilian kids killed by Russians \u2026 I realized that nobody will protect us and (we) just have to go,\u201d Anna said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A friend with military connections warned that Ukrainian forces would soon blow up Ukraine\u2019s own bridges to stop Russian troops from taking more ground.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThey told us, if you want to leave, you have to leave right now,\u201d Anna said. Sasha drove his wife and daughter west, past sirens and explosions, toward the border with Poland.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A week later, Anna and Varya were on a plane to Boston, where Anna had a friend from medical school. Arriving with tourist visas, she thought they\u2019d be away for just a few weeks. Sasha, who didn\u2019t speak English, opted to stay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cComing here, starting from zero, no money, no nothing, no job \u2014 he didn&#8217;t want to come and wash floors in a supermarket \u2026 It&#8217;s really difficult to immigrate when you already had something in your home country,\u201d Anna said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns alignwide is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" id=\"Voting-excitement\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"782\" height=\"770\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-011.jpg?resize=782%2C770&#038;quality=100&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"A person lies on a light-colored couch holding a phone, wearing red plaid pants, with sheer curtains and a window behind the couch.\" class=\"wp-image-1313661\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1;object-fit:cover\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-011.jpg?resize=782%2C770&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 782w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-011.jpg?resize=336%2C331&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 336w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-011.jpg?resize=140%2C138&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 140w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-011.jpg?resize=768%2C756&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-011.jpg?resize=1024%2C1009&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-011.jpg?resize=780%2C768&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 780w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-011.jpg?resize=400%2C394&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-011.jpg?resize=706%2C695&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 706w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-011.jpg?w=1200&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-011-782x770.jpg?w=370&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 782px) 100vw, 782px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Anna Mykhailova and Sasha Druzhyna\u2019s 10-year-old daughter, Varya, plays on her mother\u2019s smartphone at their home in Madison, Wis., on Oct. 25, 2025. Varya was 6 years old when she fled Ukraine with her mother.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"782\" height=\"770\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-010.jpg?resize=782%2C770&#038;quality=100&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Two drawings are taped to a wooden door, one showing a trident symbol on lined paper and the other a colorful drawing with a blue-and-yellow flag, hearts and peace symbols.\" class=\"wp-image-1313662\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1;object-fit:cover\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-010.jpg?resize=782%2C770&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 782w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-010.jpg?resize=336%2C331&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 336w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-010.jpg?resize=140%2C138&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 140w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-010.jpg?resize=768%2C756&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-010.jpg?resize=1024%2C1009&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-010.jpg?resize=780%2C768&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 780w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-010.jpg?resize=400%2C394&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-010.jpg?resize=706%2C695&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 706w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-010.jpg?w=1200&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-010-782x770.jpg?w=370&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 782px) 100vw, 782px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Drawings by their daughter hang on the front door of Anna Mykhailova and Sasha Druzhyna\u2019s home on Oct. 25, 2025. It might have been easier for the couple to practice medicine if they immigrated to somewhere in Europe, but they said they don\u2019t want to uproot their daughter again.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"782\" height=\"770\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-012.jpg?resize=782%2C770&#038;quality=100&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Three people sit close together on a light-colored couch, with one in the middle wearing red plaid pants, while the others look toward each other.\" class=\"wp-image-1313666\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-012.jpg?resize=782%2C770&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 782w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-012.jpg?resize=336%2C331&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 336w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-012.jpg?resize=140%2C138&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 140w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-012.jpg?resize=768%2C756&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-012.jpg?resize=1024%2C1009&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-012.jpg?resize=780%2C768&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 780w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-012.jpg?resize=400%2C394&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-012.jpg?resize=706%2C695&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 706w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-012.jpg?w=1200&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-012-782x770.jpg?w=370&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 782px) 100vw, 782px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">From left, Sasha Druzhyna, Varya and Anna Mykhailova sit on the couch together at their home on Oct. 25, 2025. They try to stay positive. Druzhyna sees his graduate degree program as an adventure, and Mykhailova is thankful for the support they\u2019ve received from Americans.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>He kept working in the hospital, caring for his usual patients and the war-wounded. They figured the fighting would end soon.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But about a year later, Sasha joined his family in Madison, where friends helped them get settled.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe realized that this war is going to be forever,\u201d Anna said. \u201cI don\u2019t believe that they will stop it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The three are among more than <a href=\"https:\/\/forumtogether.org\/article\/temporary-protected-status-fact-sheet\/\">100,000 Ukrainians<\/a> who\u2019ve been granted Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, because the federal government deems it unsafe to return. The status allows them to live and work in the United States for renewable 18-month stretches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Almost four years later, they\u2019re still here \u2014 and hoping to stay. The war rages on, and they\u2019ve embraced their new home. Varya, 10, now speaks mostly English.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cShe doesn\u2019t want to speak Ukrainian anymore,\u201d Anna said in an interview at her Madison apartment building in September. \u201cSo for her to go back to school in Ukraine \u2026 it\u2019s possible, but it\u2019s going to be really difficult.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But staying isn\u2019t easy either. Restarting their careers has come with significant personal and financial costs, and there\u2019s no guarantee their efforts will pay off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Covert cardiologist<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Until recently, all foreign-trained physicians seeking to practice medicine in Wisconsin had to pass three licensing board exams \u2014 offered only in English \u2014 then compete against recent medical school graduates for a three-year residency at a U.S. hospital.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To Anna, the process seemed daunting. The tests cost around $1,000 each \u2014 not counting textbooks and study materials \u2014 and she was still taking classes to improve her English. She heard that hospitals preferred recent graduates, and she feared they\u2019d be particularly reluctant to accept someone whose immigration status expires every 18 months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Meanwhile, she and her husband struggled to find a place to live. The prestige they commanded back home was irrelevant to U.S. landlords running background checks.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cCould you imagine? I&#8217;m in my 40s. I don\u2019t have any credit score \u2026 I just got my work permit. I couldn\u2019t find a job,\u201d Anna said. \u201cNobody wants me. They don\u2019t know who I am (or) what is our culture; everybody\u2019s afraid of us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"782\" height=\"770\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-007.jpg?resize=782%2C770&#038;quality=100&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"A person wearing blue scrubs and an ID badge stands beside a doorway, with two other people in scrubs seated at desks in a room behind the open door.\" class=\"wp-image-1313667\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-007.jpg?resize=782%2C770&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 782w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-007.jpg?resize=336%2C331&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 336w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-007.jpg?resize=140%2C138&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 140w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-007.jpg?resize=768%2C756&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-007.jpg?resize=1024%2C1009&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-007.jpg?resize=780%2C768&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 780w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-007.jpg?resize=400%2C394&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-007.jpg?resize=706%2C695&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 706w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-007.jpg?w=1200&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-007-782x770.jpg?w=370&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 782px) 100vw, 782px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Anna Mykhailova poses for a portrait on Oct. 27, 2025, at SSM Health St. Mary&#8217;s Hospital in Madison, Wis. Mykhailova worked as a cardiologist in Kyiv, Ukraine, before fleeing to the United States and having to start over due to the Russian invasion.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>She began applying for research jobs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cI don&#8217;t know how many interviews I had,\u201d Anna said. \u201cEverybody was so nice, but (they said), \u2018You are overqualified for this job.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then the mom of one of her daughter\u2019s soccer teammates mentioned that her employer, SSM Health St. Mary\u2019s Hospital, was hiring student sonographers. She encouraged Anna to apply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The roles are designed for people currently studying medical sonography, but Anna already had the relevant training: Ukrainian doctors regularly do their own sonography. She applied for the job with help from teachers at the Madison nonprofit Literacy Network, where she\u2019d been taking classes to improve her English and prepare for next steps in school or work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She started the job in 2024, running ultrasounds to aid in medical procedures and to diagnose things like heart attacks, heart murmurs, strokes and birth defects. She was promoted to a full-time position soon after.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On a typical day, she might see half a dozen patients. She doesn\u2019t tell them she\u2019s a doctor.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNobody knows,\u201d Anna said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some patients get rude when they hear her accent. \u201cI had a couple patients, they told me, \u2018Don\u2019t touch me. Call somebody else. I don\u2019t trust you,\u2019\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once a hospital security officer heard the way a patient spoke to her and urged her to file a report. The hospital sent a letter threatening to deny care if the patient acted that way again.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI have a really good experience working here,\u201d Anna said. \u201cI really like my job right now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"782\" height=\"770\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-006.jpg?resize=782%2C770&#038;quality=100&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"A tree with green and yellow leaves stands beside a sidewalk and street, with a modern building and glass skyway visible in the background.\" class=\"wp-image-1313668\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-006.jpg?resize=782%2C770&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 782w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-006.jpg?resize=336%2C331&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 336w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-006.jpg?resize=140%2C138&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 140w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-006.jpg?resize=768%2C756&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-006.jpg?resize=1024%2C1009&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-006.jpg?resize=780%2C768&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 780w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-006.jpg?resize=400%2C394&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-006.jpg?resize=706%2C695&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 706w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-006.jpg?w=1200&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-006-782x770.jpg?w=370&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 782px) 100vw, 782px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Leaves change colors on Oct. 27, 2025, outside SSM Health St. Mary&#8217;s Hospital where Anna Mykhailova works as a sonographer. Mykhailova already had the relevant training: She regularly did her own sonography as a physician in Ukraine.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>In October, Wisconsin <a href=\"https:\/\/dsps.wi.gov\/Documents\/NewsMedia\/20251010ProvisionalPhysicianLicenseNewsRelease.pdf\">eased requirements for foreign-trained doctors<\/a>, joining several other physician-strapped states that have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/sections\/shots-health-news\/2025\/03\/03\/nx-s1-5313856\/doctor-shortages-licensing-foreign-trained-physicians\">recently made such changes<\/a>, but Anna isn\u2019t sure what the change means for her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Under the new rules, qualifying foreign-trained physicians can work under the supervision of another physician without repeating residency training if they\u2019ve passed U.S. board exams and have a Wisconsin job offer.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Anna heard the news from a friend and asked about it at work.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI showed this bill to people in the medical field here, and they were just like, \u2018Oh, we don\u2019t know,\u2019\u201d Anna said. \u201cSo I don\u2019t know how does it work here, or where to go and who to ask.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s also not clear she\u2019d qualify. The new rules require applicants to have practiced medicine in their home country for at least one year in the last five years. She left her job nearly four years ago, and she figures it will likely be a couple years before she passes the board exams.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lately, she\u2019s been reading up on the licensing rules in other states and contemplating a move after her husband finishes school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She wonders if things might have been easier if the family had immigrated to Poland, say, or Italy, instead of the United States. Back in Ukraine, her husband ran a perfusion school certified by the European Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion, and he received his own training in Europe. But she doesn\u2019t think it\u2019s worth emigrating again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter where you go, everything is going to be different,\u201d Anna said. \u201cIf I go to Europe, I have to start over. I have to study a new language, and then all of the education and activities for our daughter, and she also has to study a new language. So I just don\u2019t want to do it a second time. I don\u2019t have the energy to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>From professor to pupil<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Sasha, meanwhile, decided not to try to become a doctor again. His top priority was perfusion, the field to which he dedicated two doctoral dissertations and decades of work. In the United States, perfusionists don\u2019t need to be doctors, but they do need specialized training.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe perfusion specialty board, they do not recognize European diplomas,\u201d Anna said. \u201cThey want them to go back to school here. But he\u2019s happy to do it. He was so happy that they admitted him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Last fall, he started the two-year master\u2019s degree program at MSOE.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis wasn\u2019t about choosing an easier path. Perfusion is a highly specialized and demanding field \u2026 This is where my experience is most relevant,\u201d Sasha said, \u201cand it\u2019s work I genuinely value.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"782\" height=\"770\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-009.jpg?resize=782%2C770&#038;quality=100&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"A person sits on a table in a room with white brick walls and periodic table posters, seen through a glass panel with a vertical frame dividing the view.\" class=\"wp-image-1313669\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-009.jpg?resize=782%2C770&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 782w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-009.jpg?resize=336%2C331&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 336w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-009.jpg?resize=140%2C138&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 140w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-009.jpg?resize=768%2C756&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-009.jpg?resize=1024%2C1009&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-009.jpg?resize=780%2C768&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 780w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-009.jpg?resize=400%2C394&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-009.jpg?resize=706%2C695&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 706w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-009.jpg?w=1200&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-009-782x770.jpg?w=370&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 782px) 100vw, 782px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sasha Druzhyna takes classes on Nov. 5, 2025, at the Milwaukee School of Engineering in Milwaukee. Druzhyna worked as an anesthesiologist and perfusionist in Kyiv, Ukraine, before fleeing to the U.S. and having to start over due to the Russian invasion. He takes classes Monday through Friday and returns to his family in Madison on weekends.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Anna teases him about being so much older than the other students in the program.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s like a father for all his classmates,\u201d Anna said. \u201cThe first day, he brought actual paper, a notebook with different colored pens. His classmates brought just iPads. They were like, \u2018What is that? Are you a dinosaur?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Paying for tuition for the first semester took most of the couple\u2019s savings, Anna said. Their immigration status makes them ineligible for federal student loans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She\u2019s not sure how they\u2019ll cover the remaining costs.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sasha was also accepted to the perfusion school at \u200b\u200bState University of New York Upstate Medical University, which offered him a job that would have offset his tuition costs, but he didn\u2019t want to uproot his family again.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMy daughter would need to change her school, leave her friends,\u201d Sasha said. \u201cYou know how important it is for a girl of 10 years, your friends? It\u2019s the most important thing in your life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But being in school has meant far less time with her. Since September, Sasha has spent his weekdays in Milwaukee, attending classes and shadowing other perfusionists during surgery. When he\u2019s not in the operating room, he spends the night in a spare room he rents from a friend.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"782\" height=\"770\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-008.jpg?resize=782%2C770&#038;quality=100&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"A city street lined with buildings, trees and parked cars is seen through a window, with a crosswalk and pedestrians visible below and glass office buildings in the distance.\" class=\"wp-image-1313670\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-008.jpg?resize=782%2C770&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 782w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-008.jpg?resize=336%2C331&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 336w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-008.jpg?resize=140%2C138&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 140w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-008.jpg?resize=768%2C756&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-008.jpg?resize=1024%2C1009&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-008.jpg?resize=780%2C768&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 780w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-008.jpg?resize=400%2C394&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-008.jpg?resize=706%2C695&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 706w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-008.jpg?w=1200&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-008-782x770.jpg?w=370&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 782px) 100vw, 782px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Milwaukee School of Engineering campus is seen on Nov. 5, 2025. Sasha Druzhyna is studying for a master\u2019s degree in medical perfusion, a profession he dedicated two dissertations and decades of work to in Ukraine.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Back in Madison, Anna is \u201cbasically a single mom\u201d five days a week. On Fridays, Sasha drives home to see his family and work on a transplant team at UW Health, where he uses perfusion techniques to keep donated organs alive and healthy until they\u2019re transplanted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With luck, he\u2019ll move back to Madison after he finishes his coursework in May. He\u2019s hoping to do his second-year rotations at Madison hospitals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Status: Pending<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Back in Kyiv, the couple\u2019s condo stands vacant, full of the things Anna left behind when she packed hurriedly for a few weeks away.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The high-rise penthouse, located beside the many bridges on Kyiv\u2019s east side, boasts an impressive view of the city and the river \u2014 and Russian missile strikes. The couple can\u2019t sell it, or go back, until the war ends.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNobody wants to live on the 27th floor when you don\u2019t have electricity, elevator or water, and you can see rockets and jets in front of your eyes,\u201d Anna said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Meanwhile, despite the time and money the two doctors have invested in their new lives, their future in the United States is uncertain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The family\u2019s Temporary Protected Status expired in April, and they still haven\u2019t received an answer on the renewal application they submitted a year ago.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Homeland Security office said that our work permits are still valid (while) we are waiting for their decision,\u201d Anna said. \u201cWe\u2019re just waiting to see.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If their application is approved, they could be on the hook for thousands of dollars. The Department of Homeland Security announced in October that Ukrainians\u2019 applications, including those already waiting to be processed, will be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uscis.gov\/newsroom\/alerts\/uscis-implements-new-immigration-parole-fee-required-by-hr-1\">subject to a new fee<\/a> of $1,000 per person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Anna has been looking into other visa options, too. Many foreign doctors practice in the United States on H1-B visas, an employer-sponsored visa for workers with specialized skills. If Sasha can eventually get one of those visas as a perfusionist, Anna will get a work permit, too. But in September, the Trump administration announced a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ama-assn.org\/press-center\/ama-press-releases\/ama-urges-dhs-exempt-physicians-new-100000-h-1b-visa-fee\">$100,000 fee on most new H1-B visas<\/a>, raising concerns that employers \u2014 including hospitals \u2014 will cut back on those visas.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"782\" height=\"770\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-005.jpg?resize=782%2C770&#038;quality=100&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Three people are seen from behind walking across a grassy soccer field, with one wearing a blue jersey numbered \u201c74\u201d and carrying a bag, as a soccer ball rests nearby with parked cars in the background.\" class=\"wp-image-1313671\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-005.jpg?resize=782%2C770&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 782w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-005.jpg?resize=336%2C331&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 336w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-005.jpg?resize=140%2C138&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 140w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-005.jpg?resize=768%2C756&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-005.jpg?resize=1024%2C1009&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-005.jpg?resize=780%2C768&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 780w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-005.jpg?resize=400%2C394&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-005.jpg?resize=706%2C695&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 706w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-005.jpg?w=1200&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-005-782x770.jpg?w=370&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 782px) 100vw, 782px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sasha Druzhyna, right, and Anna Mykhailova head home after their daughter\u2019s soccer game on Oct. 25, 2025, in Oregon, Wis.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Even if the family is able to renew their status, it will end in October unless the Department of Homeland Security extends Ukraine\u2019s TPS designation. Since President Donald Trump took office last year, his administration ended TPS for immigrants from 10 countries, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2025\/12\/23\/g-s1-103001\/trump-immigration-deportation-migration-legal-status\">revoking legal status for more than 1.6 million immigrants<\/a>, NPR found.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Anna worries that she and her family could become targets for deportation before they ever get a decision on their application.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t feel safe,\u201d Anna said. \u201cWhen you are waiting, you are legally in the United States, but this new administration and ICE police, they think that you are illegal here.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Still, she said, she and Sasha try to stay positive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMy husband says this is a good opportunity. He feels so young because he is studying as a student, and he says it\u2019s just an adventure,\u201d Anna said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She looks for the bright side, too. She points to the support and kindness Americans have shown her and the fact that she\u2019s learned she can survive \u201cwithout anything.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI feel like a homeless person. I feel like Ukraine is not my home anymore, and the United States is not my home yet,\u201d Anna said, \u201cbut people are trying to make it feel like home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<div\n\t\tclass=\"wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles  wpnbha is-grid columns-2 colgap-2 show-image image-alignleft ts-2 is-3 is-landscape \"\n\t\tstyle=\"\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t<div data-posts data-current-post-id=\"1313648\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"article-section-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span><a href=\"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/series\/public-square\/\">public square<\/a><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t<article data-post-id=\"1313648\"\n\t\tclass=\"tag-doctors tag-madison tag-milwaukee tag-news tag-photo-essay tag-ukraine tag-wisconsin-watch category-pathways-to-success category-public-square type-post post-has-image\"\n\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"post-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/2026\/01\/wisconsin-ukraine-family-doctors-careers-madison-milwaukee\/\" rel=\"bookmark\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-004.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-newspack-article-block-landscape-large size-newspack-article-block-landscape-large wp-post-image\" alt=\"The transplants: 2 doctors fled Ukraine for Wisconsin. They\u2019re still trying to get their careers back.\" data-hero-candidate=\"1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-004.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-004.jpg?resize=800%2C600&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-004.jpg?resize=600%2C450&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-004.jpg?resize=400%2C300&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-004.jpg?resize=200%2C150&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-004.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=370 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw \/ 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw \/ 12)), 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><!-- .featured-image -->\n\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/2026\/01\/wisconsin-ukraine-family-doctors-careers-madison-milwaukee\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">The transplants: 2 doctors fled Ukraine for Wisconsin. They\u2019re still trying to get their careers back.<\/a><\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .entry-wrapper -->\n\t<\/article>\n\n\t\t\n\t<article data-post-id=\"1311073\"\n\t\tclass=\"tag-addiction tag-green-bay tag-new-news-lab tag-news tag-photo-essay tag-wisconsin-watch category-health-welfare category-public-square type-post post-has-image\"\n\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"post-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/2025\/11\/laurie-doxtator-wisconsin-green-bay-sobriety-sober-living-home-women\/\" rel=\"bookmark\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/asse20250813-Laurie-Doxtator-Amandas-House-Timmerman-007.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-newspack-article-block-landscape-large size-newspack-article-block-landscape-large wp-post-image\" alt=\"\u2018I came from nothing and built a community\u2019: After years of healing, woman takes next step in sobriety\" data-hero-candidate=\"1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/asse20250813-Laurie-Doxtator-Amandas-House-Timmerman-007.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/asse20250813-Laurie-Doxtator-Amandas-House-Timmerman-007.jpg?resize=800%2C600&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/asse20250813-Laurie-Doxtator-Amandas-House-Timmerman-007.jpg?resize=600%2C450&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/asse20250813-Laurie-Doxtator-Amandas-House-Timmerman-007.jpg?resize=400%2C300&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/asse20250813-Laurie-Doxtator-Amandas-House-Timmerman-007.jpg?resize=200%2C150&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/asse20250813-Laurie-Doxtator-Amandas-House-Timmerman-007.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=370 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw \/ 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw \/ 12)), 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><!-- .featured-image -->\n\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/2025\/11\/laurie-doxtator-wisconsin-green-bay-sobriety-sober-living-home-women\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">\u2018I came from nothing and built a community\u2019: After years of healing, woman takes next step in sobriety<\/a><\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .entry-wrapper -->\n\t<\/article>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-light-gray-background-color has-background\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p><em>This story is part of <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/series\/public-square\/\"><em>Public Square<\/em><\/a><em>, an occasional photography series highlighting how Wisconsin residents connect with their communities. To suggest someone in your community for us to feature, email Joe Timmerman at <a href=\"mailto:jtimmerman@wisconsinwatch.org\">jtimmerman@wisconsinwatch.org<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Natalie Yahr reports on pathways to success statewide for Wisconsin Watch, working in partnership with <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.opencampus.org\/\"><em>Open Campus<\/em><\/a><em>. Email her at <\/em><a href=\"mailto:nyahr@wisconsinwatch.org\"><em>nyahr@wisconsinwatch.org<\/em><\/a><em>.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An anesthesiologist and a cardiologist gave up prestigious careers to save their daughter from war. Nearly four years later, they\u2019re still on the long road to practicing their professions in the Dairy State.<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":531,"featured_media":1313652,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"single-feature.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"gigafact_has_fact_brief":false,"gigafact_remote_fact_brief_post_id":0,"gigafact_remote_sync_timestamp":"","gigafact_remote_sync_status":"","gigafact_remote_sync_response":"","gigafact_has_been_published":false,"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"apple_news_api_created_at":"2026-01-29T15:04:38Z","apple_news_api_id":"11606846-655a-4560-bbeb-41105de0d9dd","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2026-01-29T15:04:38Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAD\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/w==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AEWBoRmVaRWC760EQXeDZ3Q","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_newspack_byline_active":true,"_newspack_byline":"By [Author id=531]Natalie Yahr \/ Wisconsin Watch[\/Author]. Photos by&nbsp;[Author id=802]Joe Timmerman \/ Wisconsin Watch[\/Author]","newspack_content_restriction_is_exempt":false,"newspack_featured_image_position":"beside","newspack_post_subtitle":"An anesthesiologist and a cardiologist gave up prestigious careers to save their daughter from war. Nearly four years later, they\u2019re still on the long road to practicing their professions in the Dairy State.","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_show_updated_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[19064,18900],"tags":[18922,198,672,3656,3530,18981,3617],"partner":[],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"type-of-work":[],"coauthors":[3451,18800],"class_list":["post-1313648","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pathways-to-success","category-public-square","tag-doctors","tag-madison","tag-milwaukee","tag-news","tag-photo-essay","tag-ukraine","tag-wisconsin-watch","entry"],"fact_brief":null,"apple_news_notices":[],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/2026\/01\/wisconsin-ukraine-family-doctors-careers-madison-milwaukee\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"The transplants: 2 doctors fled Ukraine for Wisconsin. They\u2019re still trying to get their careers back.","url":"http:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/2026\/01\/wisconsin-ukraine-family-doctors-careers-madison-milwaukee\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/2026\/01\/wisconsin-ukraine-family-doctors-careers-madison-milwaukee\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-004.jpg?fit=140%2C138&quality=100&ssl=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-004.jpg?fit=1200%2C1182&quality=100&ssl=1"},"articleSection":"Pathways to success","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Natalie Yahr \/ Wisconsin Watch"},{"@type":"Person","name":"Joe Timmerman \/ Wisconsin Watch"}],"creator":["Natalie Yahr \/ Wisconsin Watch","Joe Timmerman \/ Wisconsin Watch"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Wisconsin Watch","logo":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/ww-logo-footer-1.png"},"keywords":["doctors","madison","milwaukee","news","photo essays","ukraine","wisconsin watch"],"dateCreated":"2026-01-29T12:00:00Z","datePublished":"2026-01-29T12:00:00Z","dateModified":"2026-01-29T12:00:00Z"},"rendered":"<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"wp-parsely-metadata\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"headline\":\"The transplants: 2 doctors fled Ukraine for Wisconsin. They\\u2019re still trying to get their careers back.\",\"url\":\"http:\\\/\\\/wisconsinwatch.org\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/wisconsin-ukraine-family-doctors-careers-madison-milwaukee\\\/\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/wisconsinwatch.org\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/wisconsin-ukraine-family-doctors-careers-madison-milwaukee\\\/\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/wisconsinwatch.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-004.jpg?fit=140%2C138&quality=100&ssl=1\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/wisconsinwatch.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-004.jpg?fit=1200%2C1182&quality=100&ssl=1\"},\"articleSection\":\"Pathways to success\",\"author\":[{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Natalie Yahr \\\/ Wisconsin Watch\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Joe Timmerman \\\/ Wisconsin Watch\"}],\"creator\":[\"Natalie Yahr \\\/ Wisconsin Watch\",\"Joe Timmerman \\\/ Wisconsin Watch\"],\"publisher\":{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"name\":\"Wisconsin Watch\",\"logo\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wisconsinwatch.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/02\\\/ww-logo-footer-1.png\"},\"keywords\":[\"doctors\",\"madison\",\"milwaukee\",\"news\",\"photo essays\",\"ukraine\",\"wisconsin watch\"],\"dateCreated\":\"2026-01-29T12:00:00Z\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-01-29T12:00:00Z\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-29T12:00:00Z\"}<\/script>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/wisconsinwatch.org\/p.js"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asse20251119-Ukraine-Doctors-Public-Square-Timmerman-004.jpg?fit=1200%2C1182&quality=100&ssl=1","acf":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7SEfu-5vJS","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Wisconsin Watch","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org","push-errors":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"link","format":"url"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1313648","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/531"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1313648"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1313648\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1313673,"href":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1313648\/revisions\/1313673"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1313652"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1313648"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1313648"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1313648"},{"taxonomy":"partner","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/partner?post=1313648"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=1313648"},{"taxonomy":"type-of-work","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/type-of-work?post=1313648"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=1313648"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}