Members of the OUWB Class of 2025 learned Friday where they will first be physicians, successfully matching at Johns Hopkins University, University of Massachusetts, and more than 20 other programs across the U.S.

The fourth-year medical students participated in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP), the annual event that reveals where most graduating medical students will begin residency training. About 47,000 medical students from across the U.S. participated, according to the NRMP.

The future physicians from OUWB celebrated the moment at Oakland University’s Oakland Center, where, at noon, they ripped open envelopes showing where they matched.

Eighteen learned they are going to residency programs throughout the Corewell Health system in Michigan, while others will head to places like University of Connecticut, Brown University, University of Southern California, Georgetown University, Case Western University, and Cleveland Clinic. The match rate for the class was 96.5%. 

“I’m filled with happiness for all of our students because they’re landing at the next destination on their long journey,” said Christopher Carpenter, M.D., Stephan Sharf Dean, OUWB. “They’re heading to exceptional places and great residency programs and you saw the joy, enthusiasm, and relief on their faces. It’s an exciting time.”

Carpenter said he was particularly impressed with the variety of specialties and programs represented by the matches.

“We’ve had great consistency over the years of demonstrating that our students go to great places across the country,” he said.

“It makes us very proud that we are helping them be competitive with the best medical schools and the best students in the U.S.”

Shortly before noon, Berkley Browne, Ph.D., associate dean, Student Affairs, introduced dignitaries from Oakland University and Corewell Health. Students were then given their envelopes to open.

 Ryian Owusu matched in anesthesiology at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

“Right when it hit me, I was shocked,” she said. “I was so happy, and then all the tears just came flowing. (Johns Hopkins) was my number one, so I was very happy to get it,” said Owusu.

“I was really excited. I was happy to have all my family around me,” said Owusu.

“OUWB has helped me immensely through this journey.”

‘Very cathartic’

The match process begins in the fall during the final year of medical school when fourth-year medical students apply to residency programs. Residency programs interview applicants throughout fall and early winter.

From mid-January to late February, applicants and residency program directors separately rank each other in order of preference and submit the preference lists to NRMP, which processes them using a computerized mathematical algorithm to match applicants with programs.

OUWB students matched in 23 states plus Washington, D.C. (Seven students have transitional years before their final destinations as residents. Only their final destinations were counted in statistics.)

Additionally, they matched in 20 different specialties. The top four, in order, were internal medicine, pediatrics, anesthesiology, and family medicine, general surgery, obstetrics -gynecology (three-way tie).

Forty-two students – or 37% of those who matched Friday – will stay in Michigan.

Eighteen students (16%) will be participating in residencies at Corewell Health Hospitals in 10 specialties in Dearborn, Royal Oak, Southfield, Grand Rapids, and Grosse Pointe.

Simon Keep matched in physical rehabilitation and medicine at The Ohio State University Medical Center.

“It feels great,” he said with a big smile. “It’s really the culmination of eight to 10 years for most of us…the moment leading up to opening the envelope was intimidating, scary, and terrifying all at once.”

“Then you see your name on that piece of paper…it’s very cathartic,” he said.

Stories of inspiration and excitement

Inspirational stories could be found throughout the room filled with smiles, cheers of joy, and tears of happiness.

Andrew Glaza matched in general surgery at Medical University of South Carolina and plans to pursue a fellowship in surgical oncology. It was his top choice.

“When I did an away rotation there I felt immediately like I was at home…I was welcomed and challenged in a way that I want to be for training,” he said. “I’m excited to spend the next five years there.”

Originally from Haslett, Michigan, Glaza attended Eastern Michigan University on a presidential scholarship and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry.

Just before he turned 5 years old, he was diagnosed with leukemia. He went into remission at age 9. By successfully becoming a doctor, Glaza hopes to inspire others.

“I hope to inspire children who are going through cancer treatment and might think to themselves, ‘Is this going to be the rest of my life?’” he said. “I want them to know that it is possible to take something negative and turn it into something positive.”

Caroline Roberts matched in family medicine at University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine – Knoxville.

Originally from Brighton, Michigan, Roberts attended Oakland University.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in voice performance, which means she took a non-traditional route to medical school. Roberts credits her success to the strong support system consisting of her classmates, faculty, and staff at OUWB.

“I'm so happy. I just can't believe that we're at this day. I got my number one residency program, so I'm super excited,” said Roberts.

“I cried. I was so overwhelmed with emotion, but I was so excited. I'm just so excited for what the future will hold,” said Roberts.

Others who matched also were excited.

Skylar Sundquist matched at University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School in psychiatry - neurology.

“I was very nervous leading up to it. I was super excited. I got into my number one program, so I was very thrilled,” said Sundquist. “I feel very relieved and excited for the next step.”

“If I hadn't come to OUWB, I don't know if I would have matched into what I matched into,” said Sundquist. “Without all the wonderful mentors who helped me find the ways those specialties connected I don't know if I would have ended up here.”

Misha Haq matched at Cleveland Clinic Foundation in dermatology.

“I feel great. I feel on top of the world,” said Haq. “I was definitely nervous before, but then I matched up my number one, so I was super excited,”

“It just feels surreal that, like I worked so many years, and it's like finally paying off,” said Haq.

For more information, contact Andrew Dietderich, senior marketing specialist, OUWB, at adietderich@oakland.edu.

To request an interview, visit the OUWB Communications & Marketing webpage.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.