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| University of South Alabama fourth-year medical students Sean Carter and Caroline Miller recently found out they matched in ophthalmology. The majority of medical students go through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) to find out where they will be doing their residency training following graduation, but students who wish to match in ophthalmology participate in a specialty match program that takes place months before Match Day on March 17. |
The majority of medical students go through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) to find out where they will be doing their residency training following graduation, but students who wish to match in ophthalmology participate in a specialty match program that takes place months before Match Day on March 17.
According to Dr. Susan LeDoux, associate dean of medical education and student affairs at USA, ophthalmology is an extremely competitive subspecialty. “We are very proud of the students who matched in ophthalmology,” she said. “Their success speaks to the quality of students who choose to come to our medical school at USA and to the quality of their training at the USA College of Medicine.”
Fourth-year medical student Sean Carter matched in ophthalmology at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Miss.
Carter did an away rotation at the University of Mississippi Medical Center last year and was excited to have matched at a program that he was already comfortable with. “Having already developed great relationships with the residents and faculty and knowing how great the clinical and surgical training are at UMMC made me all the more happy to have matched there.”
Originally from Daphne, Ala., Carter earned his undergraduate degree in biomedical sciences from Auburn University. His love for anatomy and physiology developed at Auburn, and the shadowing and volunteering experiences he was given during that time allowed him to see the potential impact he could have on the lives of others. “Going into medicine was an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up,” he said.
During medical school, Carter shadowed a local retina specialist. It was his first exposure to the field of ophthalmology, and he was “hooked.”
“Seeing how happy and grateful the patients were in the clinic and the unbelievable complexity and precision of the microsurgical procedures blew me away,” he said. “I was sold!”
Caroline Miller, another fourth-year medical student at USA, matched into the University of Iowa ophthalmology program – her first choice. “I was shocked that I matched at my first choice, and absolutely elated that I did so,” Miller said. “I wanted to go to Iowa because I felt that it was a place that I could really grow as a physician.”
Miller believes ophthalmology is the most exciting field in medicine right now. “Treatment options are advancing quickly and patient outcomes are improving as a result,” she said. “It’s also a very hands-on field with long-term patient-physician relationships. For those that love surgery but also want a clinic-based practice, it’s really a perfect fit.”
Miller grew up in Mobile, Ala., and graduated from Murphy High School in the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. She went on to earn a bachelor of science degree in biology from Emory University. Miller and her family are no strangers to the medical field or the USA College of Medicine.
Her oldest brother, Dr. T. Cooper Wilson, is a USA College of Medicine alum and currently a chief resident in orthopaedic surgery at the University of South Florida in Tampa. Her younger brother, Caleb Wilson, is a third-year medical student at USA.
Both Carter and Miller agree that their medical education at USA will help guide them through their residencies. “I think the clinical training we get here is unbeatable, and the mentorship I’ve had has been incredible,” Miller said.
“I know the skills I’ve learned here will carry over into residency,” Carter said. “I am proud of the training that I have received over the past few years at USA, and I feel prepared to be very successful in the years to come.”
Carter and Miller will start their ophthalmology residences in July.
The remainder of the USA College of Medicine Class of 2017 will found out where they matched on Match Day, March 17, 2017. The event will take place at the Mobile Convention Center in Mobile, Ala.
