It’s a match

It’s a match

Fourth year medical students Darcie Reasoner and Troy Gorman walked down an aisle, in front of friends and family, during a life-changing ceremony Thursday. Bonnie M. Miller, M.D., associate dean for Medical Students did the honors as part of the nationwide Match Day, handing the couple a sealed envelope. Together, Reasoner and Gorman opened it, learning that they had matched with the University of Utah Affiliated Hospitals in Salt Lake City.

Tomorrow Reasoner and Gorman will walk down the aisle once more, in front of many of the same people, in another ceremony that will change their lives. The couple, who met at orientation their first year at Vanderbilt, will be married at the Wightman Chapel of the Scaritt Bennett Center.

“It was exciting to find out where we’ll be starting our married life together,” said Gorman, who will be serving an orthopaedic surgery residency. “Utah was our top choice. We’re so excited to be doing our training there. Knowing this makes me a lot less nervous for Saturday.”

“Our family wanted to be here for Match Day,” said Reasoner, who matched for an internal medicine residency. “We thought, why make them travel again? Why not plan the wedding for the same time? We’re really happy with our match, and we’re very excited about the wedding.”

March 18 was an exciting day for thousands of medical students across the country, who were matched with residency positions as part of the National Residency Match Program (NRMP). The medical students started the process a year ago by formulating lists of medical centers and hospitals they were interested in. After filling out applications and attending on-site interviews, the students ranked the different programs, which in turn ranked the students. The NRMP computer then matched the programs and students to give each their best choice. The culmination of this process is Match Day, when the selections are revealed simultaneously nationwide.

“Congratulations to all of you on reaching a life-changing day,” Gabbe said. “I also want to congratulate all of the program directors around the country as they open their lists and see that you have matched with them.”

Gabbe also acknowledged John E. Chapman, M.D. associate vice chancellor for Medical Alumni Affairs and former dean of the School of Medicine, who was in the audience for his 36th consecutive Match Day celebration. The class of 2004 was the last class Chapman admitted.

Miller then took the floor, and after receiving a standing ovation from the students, thanked the entire faculty and staff for their team effort in advising the class of 2004.

She began reading off names as the students cheered, sounded noise-makers, and tossed a beach ball. Some students revealed their match with tears in their eyes, some with shaking hands, and some after looking twice at their letters.

Jessica Chan carefully and neatly opened her envelope. An upcoming wedding has also made this Match Day more significant for her — she was hoping to match with a residency program near her fiance, Patrick Chang, M.D., at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. After pulling out the letter, Chan discovered she got her wish — a residency in pathology at UCLA.

Chan said she’s excited to take the next step in her medical career, but she is sad about leaving Vanderbilt.

“I was inspired here,” Chan said. “It’s almost unbelievable that I’ll be leaving soon. I feel ready though. It’s as though Dean Miller kept us in her nest for four years, and now she’s showing us the way out and telling us to fly. That’s what’s special about Vanderbilt — everyone here wants to see us succeed. They care about us and where our careers are headed. And that’s one reason why this day is so exciting.”

Miller announced each of the 105 Vanderbilt students who matched with residency positions across the country. Twenty-three students will continue to call Nashville home for the next few years while they complete their residencies at Vanderbilt. Seven students matched with Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, six matched with UCLA Medical Center, three with Stanford University Programs and two with Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.

Philip Ciampa was one of those students who got his wish to stay at Vanderbilt. He’ll be serving a medicine/pediatrics residency.

“Vanderbilt will be good for me. I looked at other programs, but I decided that Vanderbilt would provide the best training ground. The doctors here are the type I want to be — compassionate and knowledgeable,” Ciampa said. “I’m happy there are so many of us from our class staying. We’re going to plunge into our 30s together.”

As each name was read, another dollar went in to the fishbowl — a Vanderbilt tradition that has each student adding a dollar until the last name is called. Gabbe also made a contribution — a $100 bill to “sweeten the day.”

The student who is last to receive his or her envelope receives the bowl of money. Seth Brindis, who matched with Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, began stuffing the dollar bills into his pockets after being the last one called to the front. He did keep the student tradition — promising to use the money to treat his classmates at a local pub.

Residency Assignment

Class of 2004

Moni Bauch — University of Southern California, Pediatrics, Los Angeles

Chris Baughman — MetroHealth Medical Center, Radiology–Diagnostic, Cleveland

Prashant Bhandare — University of Pennsylvania Health System/Presbyterian, Anesthesiology, Philadelphia

Gus Blomquist — University of Tennessee/Baptist Medicine – Preliminary, Nashville; University of Texas Medical School, Radiology–Diagnostic, Houston

Andrea Bowers — Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Orthopaedic Surgery/Clin., Philadelphia

Lauren Boydston — University of Washington Affiliated Hospitals, Psychiatry, Seattle

Seth Brindis — Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Pediatrics, Torrance, Calif.

Laura Brunner — Vanderbilt, Pediatrics

Greg Buehler — Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Emergency Medicine, Philadelphia

Bianca Camac — Johns Hopkins Hospital, Pediatrics, Baltimore

Angie Carbonetti — Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Internal Medicine, Boston

Maggie Chan — Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Pediatrics, Cincinnati

Jessica Chan — UCLA Medical Center, Pathology, Los Angeles

Brian Chin — University of North Carolina Hospital, Medicine – Preliminary, Chapel Hill; University of North Carolina Hospital Radiology – Diagnostic, Chapel Hill

Jeanette Chin — Duke University Medical Center, Obstetrics-Gynecology, Durham, N.C.

Phil Ciampa — Vanderbilt, Medicine-Pediatrics

Amanda Cooper — Indiana University School of Medicine, General Surgery, Indianapolis

Elise Cornet — Massachusetts General Hospital, sychiatric/Pediatrics/MGH/McLean, Boston; Massachusetts General Hospital, Psychiatry-Adult and Child, Boston

Natalie Curcio — George Washington University, Medicine – Preliminary, Washington, D.C.

Joyeeta Dastidar — University of Michigan Hospitals, Medicine-Pediatrics, Ann Arbor

Dana Deaton — Vanderbilt, Psychiatry

Trina Dorrah — University of Alabama Hospital, Internal Medicine, Birmingham

Dan Ebert — Massachusetts General Hospital, Psychiatry, Boston

Roy Eyal — UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute, Psychiatry, Los Angeles

Nick Fletcher — Vanderbilt, Orthopaedic Surgery

Aditya Gangopadhyay — Kaiser Permanente, Internal Medicine, Oakland, Calif.

Troy Gorman — University of Utah Affiliated Hospitals, Orthopaedic Surgery, Salt Lake City

Raju Gupta — Mayo Graduate School of Medicine, Transitional, Jacksonville; Stanford University Programs, Dermatology, Palo Alto, Calif.

Matt Haemer — University of Washington Affiliated Hospitals, Pediatrics, Seattle

Ben Heavrin — University of Colorado School of Medicine, Medicine-Primary, Denver

Irene Ho — New England Medical Center, Internal Medicine, Boston

Jeff Holmes — University Hospital, Emergency Medicine, Cincinnati

Michael Hooper — Vanderbilt, Internal Medicine

Steve Huebner — University of Washington Affiliated Hospitals, Medicine-Preliminary, Seattle

Bruce Jacobs — University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Surgery-Preliminary, Pittsburgh; University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Urology, Pittsburgh

Whitney Kalin — Tripler Army Medical Center, Pediatrics, Honolulu, Hawaii

Ryan Kauffman — Vanderbilt, Surgery-Preliminary; Vanderbilt, Otolaryngology

Tony Khalifah — University of Texas Southwest Medical School, Internal Medicine, Dallas

Jonathan Kim — Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medicine-Pediatrics, Boston

Monika Kiripolsky — University of California Irvine Medical Center, Medicine-Preliminary, Irvine; University of Illinois College of Medicine, Dermatology, Chicago

Satjiv Kohli — George Washington University, Medicine-Preliminary, Washington, D.C.; Mt. Sinai Hospital, Emergency Medicine, New York

Megan Laniewicz — University of Michigan Hospitals, Emergency Medicine, Ann Arbor

Oliver Lao — University of Washington Affiliated Hospitals, General Surgery, Seattle

Ontario Lau — UCLA Medical Center, Otolaryngology, Los Angeles

Steve Leung — Duke University Medical Center, Internal Medicine, Durham

Caroline Lim — Kaiser Permanente, Radiology–Diagnostic, Los Angeles

Bruce Lin — University of Southern California, Internal Medicine, Los Angeles

Steve Liou — UC San Francisco, East Bay, Surgery-Preliminary, San Francisco; Kaiser Permanente — Otolaryngology, Oakland

Sharon Liu — UCLA Medical Center, Surgery-Preliminary, Los Angeles; UCLA Medical Center, Anesthesiology, Los Angeles

Clinton Marlar — Vanderbilt, General Surgery

Mary Hunt Martin — Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medicine-Pediatrics, Boston

Nima Massoomi — Vanderbilt, Oral Surgery

Cori McClure — Stanford University Programs, Emergency Medicine, Palo Alto, Calif.

Matt Mellon — Indiana University School of Medicine, General Surgery, Indianapolis

Timothy Mickus — Vanderbilt, Surgery-Preliminary; Allegheny General Hospital, Radiology–Diagnostic, Pittsburgh

Richa Misra — University of Washington Affiliated Hospitals, Internal Medicine, Seattle

Franklin Mullins — Stanford University Programs, Clinical Pathology track, Palo Alto, Calif.

Amy Musiek — Vanderbilt, Medicine-Preliminary; Vanderbilt, Dermatology

J.P. Norvell — McGaw Medical Center-Northwestern University, Internal Medicine, Chicago

Erika Nurmi — UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute, Psychiatry/Research, Los Angeles

Tim Oeltmann — Naval Hospital, Family Practice, Pensacola, Fla.

Joyce Ou — Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Pathology, Philadelphia

Keshini Parbhu — Vanderbilt, Surgery-Preliminary; Vanderbilt, Ophthalmology

Ashish Patel — Vanderbilt, Oral Surgery

Bett Pitchford — Vanderbilt, Pathology

Clovis Pitchford — Vanderbilt, Pediatrics

Sarah Ramos — UC San Diego Medical Center, Psychiatry, San Diego

Darcie Reasoner — University of Utah Affiliated Hospitals, Internal Medicine, Salt Lake City

Prasad Reddy — Vanderbilt, Surgery-Preliminary; Vanderbilt, Neurosurgery

Taylor Ripley — University of Colorado School of Medicine, General Surgery, Denver

Aron Rosenthal — Christiana Care, Transitional, Wilmington, Del.; UC San Diego Medical Center, Radiology–Diagnostic, San Diego

Andy Schoenhard — Johns Hopkins Hospital, Internal Medicine, Baltimore

Naveen Seth — University of Washington Affiliated Hospitals, Medicine-Preliminary, Seattle

Leigh Simmons — Massachusetts General Hospital, Medicine-Primary, Boston

C. E. Smith — University of Tennessee College of Medicine, Transitional, Chattanooga; Vanderbilt, Radiology–Diagnostic

Jeff Smith — Vanderbilt, Medicine-Preliminary; Medical College of Georgia, Dermatology, Augusta

Cindy Spanier — Vanderbilt, Pathology

J.D. Stamler — Vanderbilt, Anesthesiology

Gregg Stashenko — Duke University Medical Center, Internal Medicine, Durham

Rosemary Stelick — University of Utah Affiliated Hospitals, Internal Medicine, Salt Lake City

David Strayhorn — Washington University Hospitals, Neurology, St. Louis

Eron Sturm — Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Internal Medicine, Philadelphia

Anu Subramony — Children's Memorial Hospital, Pediatrics, Chicago

Paulgun Sulur — University of Texas Southwest Medical School, Internal Medicine, Dallas

Nidhi Thareja — George Washington University, Internal Medicine, Washington, D.C.

Tom Thomasson — University Hospitals, Orthopaedic Surgery, Jackson, Miss.

Megan Thunder — University of Texas Southwest Medical School, Orthopaedic Surgery, Dallas

Lillian Tseng — UC Irvine Medical Center, Internal Medicine, Irvine

Thanasi Tsiatis — Vanderbilt, Pathology

Jeffrey Venstrom — Johns Hopkins Hospital, Internal Medicine, Baltimore

Ruth Ann Vleugels — Brigham & Women's Hospital, Medicine-Preliminary/Brig/Faulk, Boston; Massachusetts General Hospital, Dermatology, Boston

Cory Vogt — Massachusetts General Hospital, Psychiatric/Pediatrics/MGH/ McLean, Boston; Massachusetts General Hospital, Psychiatry-Adult and Child, Boston

Justin Wahlstrom — NewYork Presbyterian–Cornell, Pediatrics, New York

Michelle Wang — St. Barnabas Medical Center, Medicine-Preliminary, Livingston, N.J., New Haven Medical Center, Ophthalmology, New Haven, Conn.

Jonathan Watson — UCLA Medical Center, Surgery-Preliminary, Los Angeles; UCLA Medical Center, Emergency Medicine, Los Angeles

Melissa Watson — UCLA Medical Center, General Surgery, Los Angeles

Alec Weisberg — Massachusetts General Hospital, Internal Medicine, Boston

Andrew White — University of Washington Affiliated Hospitals, Internal Medicine, Seattle

Irene Whitt — Mayo Graduate School of Medicine, Internal Medicine, Rochester

Janet Willoughby — Duke University Medical Center, Internal Medicine, Durham

Sam Wu — Vanderbilt, Internal Medicine

Andy Zwyghuizen — University of Michigan Hospitals, Plastic Surgery, Ann Arbor