MEET DR. FANCY

A smiling woman in a pink blazer sitting at a desk with a notebook and pen, in an office or studio setting with decorative baskets, artwork, and a landscape painting in the background.

The Calling

I was seven years old in Fort Valley, Georgia when I first said I wanted to be a doctor. No one in my family wore a white coat, no one rounded in hospitals, and no one talked about medicine at the dinner table, much less research. But the desire was there, quiet, steady, and placed in me long before I understood what purpose even meant. It felt less like a dream I chose and more like a calling that chose me. I carried that calling with me through childhood, not knowing how, when, or where it would unfold…but every decision I made was a deliberate step into my calling.

Young girl dressed in a white ruffled dress with puffed sleeves, wearing matching socks and shoes, sitting on a bench with a basket to her left and a plant behind her.

Lil Fashionista

A girl with style in her DNA

Young girl smiling, wearing a colorful dress with ruffled yellow skirt, white tights, and a large feathered hair accessory.

The Wizard of Oz - Star Quality

Stealing the show long before she knew her calling

A young boy wearing a blue Scout uniform with a white collar and logo, standing indoors with other people around him.

Uniform, But Make it Cute

Even troop meetings were a runway

A smiling woman with dark hair, wearing a pink uniform and a white lab coat over her shoulder, standing against a plain background.

Paging Dr. Fancy

The Future Has My Name on It

The Becoming

Growing up in a small town in Georgia shaped my faith, my grit, and my sense of community. Following in my parents’ footsteps, I made the decision to attend a historically black college & university (HBCU) for my undergraduate and graduate education. Tuskegee University became the soil where I grew academically, culturally, and socially. I earned both my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Biology there, became a member of the Tuskegee University Marching Crimson Piper Band (Piperettes), and joined Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®. It was during those years that I discovered something that changed everything: research. In the lab, I realized that medicine wasn’t just about treating patients, it was about understanding the “why” behind disease, asking questions that didn’t yet have answers, and building the evidence that shapes how we care for people. Research became the foundation beneath my calling.

A woman in a white suit with wide-leg pants and cape stands in an arched alcove with textured beige walls and a gray marble background, posing with one hand on her face and the other on her hip.

"I grew up watching my parents' pride in their HBCU roots, and stepping onto Tuskegee's campus felt like coming home."

The Pivot

During graduate school, fate placed me at a medical conference that introduced me to a career I had never heard of: the physician-scientist. The idea that you could care for patients, conduct research, and bring discoveries back to the community felt like the perfect intersection of everything I loved.

But the real turning point came from a dare.

My classmates bet me to walk up to Dr. Francis Collins - yes, that Dr. Collins - and tell him how his talk had opened my eyes. So, I did. I told him I wanted to learn more about this path, that I wanted to see the National Institutes of Health (NIH) up close, and that I believed this was the direction my calling had been pointing me toward all along. That bold moment changed the trajectory of my life. It was the beginning of my journey into the world of becoming a physician-scientist. The rest truly was history!

A woman with dark, shoulder-length hair and makeup, wearing a white medical coat with a name tag that reads Francesca Duncan, MD, Pulmonary & Critical Care, and a U of U Health emblem in the lower left corner of the coat, standing against a plain light-colored background.
A woman with dark hair styled in a bob, wearing a pink blazer over a white top, sitting in an indoor setting with art on the wall and a wooden cabinet behind her. She is resting her chin on her hand, looking confidently at the camera.

The Climb

The path to becoming a doctor was not linear, easy, or glamorous.There were days I questioned everything - my ability, my belonging, and my strength. There were moments when giving up felt closer than going on. But every time I reached a breaking point, something small would appear: a sign, a word, a mentor, an opportunity. I started calling them pebbles - little reminders that I was on the right path. Those pebbles carried me through the hardest seasons. They reminded me that purpose doesn’t always feel good, but it is always guiding you.

Woman in graduation cap and gown holding a diploma at an outdoor ceremony.

Graduate School Graduation

Where the Science Started

A young woman smiling in graduation gown and cap during a graduation ceremony.

Medical School Graduation

The Day the Dream Got a Name: MD

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Residency Graduation

Four Years. One Toss. Endless Gratitude.

A woman standing outdoors, wearing a black T-shirt that says 'Black Doctors Matter' with a stethoscope graphic and a heartbeat line, and white ripped jeans. She has a stethoscope around her neck and her hands on her hips.

Residency Graduation

This is What Breaking Barriers Looks Like

The Legacy

Somewhere along the way, I realized I wasn’t just following pebbles anymore - I was dropping them. For students who look like me. For trainees who feel unseen. For young women from small towns who dare to dream big and be fabulous. For future physician-scientists who need someone to show them what’s possible.

A female nurse in pink scrubs with a stethoscope around her neck sitting in a bright room near a large window. She is resting her head on her hand and looking at the camera.
A young woman in a graduation cap and gown holding a diploma cover at a graduation ceremony outdoors.
A man and woman smiling at a graduation ceremony, the woman in cap and gown holding a bouquet of yellow and white flowers.
A woman wearing a dark medical uniform with a stethoscope around her neck adjusts a blue face mask. She has dark hair with a purple headband and is looking directly at the camera. The uniform has a logo that reads 'Indiana University School of Medicine' and includes her name, Francesca Duncan.
The entrance to TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY with a landscaped garden in front and a domed building in the background.
Two people, a woman and a man, standing in front of academic research posters at a conference or presentation event.
Five people sitting beside a large sculpture of a person's head and upper body, all smiling for the photo in a public indoor space.
Close-up of a woman wearing a white medical coat with an Indiana University Health badge, smiling, with shoulder-length black hair, light makeup, and gold hoop earrings.

Dr. Fancy’s Life Outside the White Coat

Outside of medicine and research, my world is rooted in family, faith, and the simple routines that keep me grounded. I’m the oldest sibling and the oldest daughter, roles that shaped me long before I ever stepped into leadership in my career. What they say about oldest daughters is true: you learn early how to guide, protect, and show up for the people you love. My family is my foundation, and my youngest sister, fifteen years my junior, is my best friend, my cheerleader, and one of my greatest motivators.

As a Capricorn, I thrive on structure and intention. Most mornings start the same way: music playing through Alexa, a quiet moment of devotion, a chapter on my Kindle, and an iced coffee in hand. Those small rituals set the tone for my day and remind me to slow down before the world speeds up.

When I’m not in the hospital or working on research, you’ll usually find me enjoying the things that bring me joy, reality TV nights, time with friends, shopping, traveling to new places, and exploring the world with curiosity. Fashion is one of my biggest passions, a love my mom recognized early when she started calling me “Fancy.” If I weren’t a physician, I’d be a stylist. I love the creativity, the storytelling, and the confidence that comes from putting a look together.

Movement is another part of my life that keeps me balanced. Whether it’s Pilates, strength training, or the pride of running a half marathon (yes, I ran the entire time), fitness is where I reconnect with my body and my strength.

These are the pieces of my life that shape who I am beyond the titles, daughter, sister, friend, planner, traveler, fashion lover, and a woman committed to living with purpose and joy.