Fourth-year medical students at the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine gathered March 17 at the Mobile Convention Center in downtown Mobile to commemorate Match Day.
During this annual event, future physicians at medical schools across the United States and Canada simultaneously learn where they will be completing their residency training. It was the largest Main Residency Match in the National Resident Matching Program’s 70-year history with 48,156 total applicants registered, an increase of 481 applicants over last year.
At the Whiddon College of Medicine, students matched in 24 states, with 51 students matching out of state and 22 matching in the state of Alabama. Ten of the students matching in Alabama matched at USA Health.
“This class has really shown resilience,” said Kelly Roveda, M.D., associate dean of student affairs at the Whiddon College of Medicine. “They have had their education interrupted by COVID and came back to the learning environment in person. And they have really embraced what they need to do to be the next level of healthcare providers.”
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Aidan Gilbert, accompanied by his wife, Laura Stowe, announces his match in surgery at USA Health. |
As Match Day neared, Gilbert said he was feeling fortunate and thankful to everyone around him who have been an integral part in shaping him into the man he is. Starting a family has been one of the defining features of his medical school career, and his children have been his inspiration and driving force behind his success, he said.
“My daughter called me Dr. Aidan Daddy Gilbert the other day and tells me she wants to be a surgeon like me,” he said.
As he opened his envelope, he was elated to see that he matched in surgery at USA Health and immediately kissed his wife to celebrate.
Gilbert said the Whiddon College of Medicine trains future physicians to be well-rounded thinkers, clinicians and technicians who are capable of handling almost anything, and he is grateful for each person who took time out of their day to help him become a better provider.
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Ife Akisanya shares her match in emergency medicine at Emory University School of Medicine. |
Since high school, she knew she wanted to be a doctor, she said. Growing up with both parents who are healthcare professionals, she was exposed to the medical field at an early age.
“For as long as I can remember, I found myself interested in healthcare, and I knew that I wanted a career where I can make an impact on people’s lives,” she said. “I started shadowing my dad and my pediatrician while I was in high school, and from then on, I knew I wanted to be a physician.”
Akisanya’s path to medical school began during her undergraduate studies at Auburn University. Through the DREAM (Diversity Recruitment and Enrichment for Admission into Medicine) pipeline program, she took MCAT prep courses, continued to shadow physicians and met several students through the Whiddon College of Medicine who would later become her mentors.
“I enjoyed my experience as a DREAM student, so I couldn’t think of a better place for me to go to medical school,” she said of choosing the Whiddon College of Medicine.
For Akisanya and the other members of the class of 2023, Match Day is the culmination of four years of hard work, but, for her, it’s also the next step toward her emergency medicine residency at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta.
“More than anything, I am so excited to experience this day with my classmates,” she said. “It has been a long four years, and I can’t wait to see where everyone matches! I am also excited for a new chapter of my life to start and finally, finally become a physician.”
After residency, Akisanya said she may consider fellowships, but overall is committed to being a leader by example to underrepresented minority students.
“I want to be heavily involved in a pipeline program that promotes diversity and inclusion for the medical school where I end up working,” she said. “I also want to be a mentor to underrepresented minority students and residents who are pursuing a career in medicine.”
Though most students do not find out their match until Match Day, some residency programs participate in early matches. Donavon Dahmer learned earlier that he matched in ophthalmology at University of Iowa Health Care in Iowa City, Iowa.
“University of Iowa is considered second in the nation for ophthalmology residency training,” Dahmer said. “I would not have expected, even in my wildest dreams, to attend such an outstanding institution.”
Growing up in a family with eye issues increased Dahmer’s familiarity with eye pathology, but his interest in ophthalmology was not sparked until his second year in medical school after shadowing Ryan Turner, M.D., an ophthalmologist at a local clinic.
“I researched the field of ophthalmology heavily after working with Dr. Turner and found the Minority Ophthalmology Mentorship Program,” Dahmer said. “The program only fanned my fiery passion for the field by increasing my exposure and allowing me to attend an ophthalmology conference in 2021.”
Dahmer credits the Whiddon College of Medicine for the focus on patient-centered care that will help him excel during his residency. He is looking forward to providing an optimum level of care at the free clinic at the University of Iowa, serving those who do not have the resources to afford proper ophthalmology care.
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Sarah Fillingim announces she matched in dermatology at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. |
As her family looked on, Fillingim opened her envelope with the help of her husband and hugged classmate Kasey Grant Andrews. She matched in dermatology at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson – her first choice.
Fillingim spread out a puzzle on the table at Match Day for the children in her family to assemble. On the back was a yellow mark showing the location, about three and a half hours away, where the family will be relocating. “We will be able to make trips back here easily,” she said.
Fillingim said she chose to pursue medicine after working in environmental health and safety for a few years. “I wanted to serve people in a way that I am passionate about, and to show my children that their dreams can be attained through hard work and God’s grace!” she said.
Fillingim reflected on the highs and lows of the past four years, during which time she and her husband welcomed a third child, Emmy, to the family. “Every step has seemed hard at the time; but looking back, I realize just how each step was growing and maturing me,” she said. “The easiest part, taking time for vacation and somewhat resting in the knowledge of what is to come, is just now starting for me.”
