Match Day is arguably one of the most anticipated days in a medical student’s journey to becoming a physician. Through the National Resident Matching Program, every medical student in the U.S. learns the results of their residency program placements at the same time. The reveal happens on March 15, at noon EDT. A few Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine students shared their stories ahead of the big day.
Watch the livestream at 11:30 a.m. on March 15, 2024.
Ian Dorney
What specialty are you hoping to match?
Psychiatry
What drew you to this specialty?
During medical school, I consistently felt more compelled by understanding the emotional experience of my patients than by alleviating mechanical problems. I love the potential within psychiatry to discover effective treatment options and care for individuals deeply affected by societal issues.
How will you celebrate match day?
I plan on spending time with my closest friends (who are also matching) and my partner who will be joining me wherever we end up!
How did Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine prepare you for this next step?
CWRU has been incredibly supportive as I explored specialty options and changed my mind frequently during the first 2.5 years of medical school. I appreciated seeing multiple hospital systems during my third-year rotations. The society deans were always there for me and I received great mentorship!
Gabriel Forbes
What specialty are you hoping to match?
General Surgery
What drew you to this specialty?
Hands-on experience. Working in teams. Anatomy is a miracle.
How will you celebrate match day?
My family and I are hitting the clubs.
How did Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine prepare you for this next step?
Getting accepted to CWRU School of Medicine felt like I hit the lottery, I took every opportunity I could that CWRU had to offer! I felt very prepared for my rotations and as a result very prepared for this huge step!
Maria Claudia Moncaliano
What specialty are you hoping to match?
Pediatrics
What drew you to this specialty?
Pediatrics is a field where you get to work with some of the most extraordinary, hopeful, resilient, and charismatic patients I have ever encountered. I love caring for children, and I look forward to building long-lasting relationships with my patients as they grow and thrive. I am also excited to join a specialty filled with passionate advocates for patients, families, and communities in need. My mission has always been to support and provide excellent healthcare for underserved patients, and through pediatrics I will have an early role in patients' health and a community of peers to work with to address health inequities on a large scale.
How will you celebrate match day?
I will be celebrating with the people who made it all possible, my family. I could not have reached this point in my career without my supportive parents and two incredible sisters, who inspire me to work hard and reach for my dreams every day.
How did Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine prepare you for this next step?
I will always be grateful for my time at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. I have met so many incredible instructors, physicians, and educators who are truly passionate and knowledgeable, not only about the science but also the art of medicine. I appreciate their devotion to teaching communication, empathy, and interprofessional teamwork, which will serve me well as I begin residency. I am also grateful to every mentor I had at the School of Medicine. These individuals supported me through my challenges, believed in my abilities, and taught me new skills. I am a strong advocate for diversity, and the faculty collaborated with me on multiple projects that incorporated diversity at CWRU within the curriculum and the institution. It is because they believed in me and treated me as a junior colleague that I discovered a love for medical education and curriculum development, which I will incorporate into my residency training and career.
Derrick Obiri-Yeboah
What specialty are you hoping to match?
Neurological Surgery
What drew you to this specialty?
The complexity of neuroanatomy, combined with the opportunity to engage in impactful research. More important was the opportunity to meet and walk alongside patients in some of their most dire moments.
How will you celebrate match day?
With family and friends here in Cleveland.
How did Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine prepare you for this next step?
The Cleveland Clinic Lerner College Program within the Case Western Reserve School of Medicine has provided me with all the mentorship and research opportunities I could ask for. I truly believe this is the best medical school in the country in terms of student support and going above and beyond to ensure that each student has a tailored experience that allows them to achieve their unique goals. I am a proud product of the Lerner College Program and sincerely thank them for taking a chance on me.
Precious Oyem
What specialty are you hoping to match?
Orthopaedic Surgery
What drew you to this specialty?
I like how this specialty offers the opportunity to significantly improve the quality of life of patients. Additionally, the global applicability of orthopaedic surgery aligns with my goal of being involved in global surgery as there is a huge need in several countries around the world.
How will you celebrate match day?
I will celebrate match day with my friends and family.
How did Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine prepare you for this next step?
The Cleveland Clinic Lerner College Program within Case Western Reserve School of Medicine has equipped me with so many tools that will assist me in becoming a great physician. From the opportunity to work with and be mentored by some of the greatest minds in the field at the Cleveland Clinic, to the intense research training within the Lerner College Program curriculum which together, ensures that patients are given the best care possible. I feel prepared to begin my training as a resident and I am very grateful for the numerous opportunities I have been afforded by the Lerner College Program.
Theresa Papich
What specialty are you hoping to match?
Internal Medicine
What drew you to this specialty?
Internists have to understand the entire body and how all organ systems work together. They also place a lot of value on critical thinking and teaching - not that other specialties don't, but they seem to be trademarks of IM. Also, doing a residency in internal medicine opens doors to a variety of fellowships. I'm excited about the breadth of training in internal medicine residency but I can see myself ultimately choosing a subspecialty. I also feel like I found my people in this specialty - people who like to think a lot and talk a lot!
How will you celebrate match day?
I'm looking forward to celebrating with friends at the HEC and in the evening in downtown Cleveland, and a nice dinner at Cordelia's with one of my friends as well.
How did Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine prepare you for this next step?
I've had the opportunity to be exposed to excellent general and subspecialty care at the hospitals affiliated with CWRU and I've worked with incredible residents and faculty who prioritized teaching and wanted to see me succeed. It has been amazing to realize how much I've learned, even just after third-year rotations. Each step in medical training has been daunting - clerkships, step exams, acting internships - but I have ultimately found myself prepared for each of these challenges, and I know the excellent teaching and high standards at CWRU have helped make that possible.
Jordan Petitt
What specialty are you hoping to match?
Neurosurgery
What drew you to this specialty?
At the age of 18, one of my good friends passed away from an anaplastic astrocytoma. A group of friends and I were by his side every day for what would end up being his last few months. Watching his course as a helpless bystander was both emotional and confusing, but his resilience and positive attitude struck a chord with everyone around him. His motto “Make it Count” resonated far and wide. Moving forward, the idea of making it count allowed me to push through doubts and conquer tasks I never thought possible. From walking onto a Division I soccer team and eventually earning a starting spot and athletic scholarship to applying for neurosurgical residency, my friend’s attitude during such a dark time gave me the inspiration to always push through any obstacle put in front of me.
Naturally, my interest in neuroscience came from this experience, which further blossomed into an interest in neurology, and then a passion for neurological surgery. The idea of a lifelong journey in which one embarks on a lifestyle of constant growth, and striving for excellence, paired with a unique experience of both grit and compassion, resonated with my background in athletics and newfound passion for the brain. Neurosurgery allows for new challenges to be faced every day, a setting I thrive in. The nature of neurosurgery, as the most complex medical specialty, requires not only grit and determination, but also poise under pressure, and finesse. It requires a form of obsession to strive for excellence, and the ability to overcome failures and obstacles over extended periods of time, simply in the hopes of one day creating the best possible outcomes for your future patients.
Neurosurgery requires you to reach back, to teach and mentor those who follow, as well as to push the field to new horizons. My love for neurological anatomy, physically demanding tasks, constant improvement, and teaching agrees with neurosurgery more than any other medical specialty. Throughout my life, I have learned how to adapt and adjust and realized that my falls and my failures have led me to rise and overcome, leaving me with a change in perspective through each obstacle. While the qualities of leadership, grit, and resilience have been the foundations I am based on, I’ve learned that it is not only about your own achievements, but also who you have made better through mentorship, compassion, and understanding. It is about what you have given back and how you have cultivated. I look forward to using these tools and living by the words “Make it Count” throughout a lifetime journey in neurosurgery.
How will you celebrate match day?
Eating and drinking with friends and family. Traveling to London and the Amalfi Coast with 5 other close friends that I completed undergrad with who are also matching at other schools.
How did Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine prepare you for this next step?
CWRU gave me the tools, opportunities, and freedom to explore my areas of interest, as well as the mentors who were able to make my dreams come true.
Diya Ramanathan
What specialty are you hoping to match?
Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
What drew you to this specialty?
I came into medical school with broad interests in surgery and reconstruction and discovered ENT during a clinical placement between my first and second years of medical school. I liked the intersection of surgical and medical management in ENT, as well as the complex patient pathology, capacity for interdisciplinary care, and neat technology used in the operating room. I wanted a surgical specialty with the ability to form longitudinal patient relationships and to treat a large range of patient pathology (from placing ear tubes in pediatric patients to free flap reconstructions for head and neck cancer patients). I met residents and faculty who were warm and welcoming and made the specialty feel like the right fit. I am very excited to hopefully join the Otolaryngology community!
How will you celebrate match day?
I'm very excited that I have lots of family coming into town to celebrate! My significant other and sister are driving in from Chicago, my parents are driving in from Wisconsin, and my aunt, uncle, and cousins are flying in from Texas, along with my extended support network in Cleveland who will be there as well. I am very excited to show my family around Cleveland and to celebrate such a momentous day together and to celebrate with my classmates afterward!
How did Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine prepare you for this next step?
The first and second-year IQ curriculum at Case is uniquely structured to get us engaged in teams-based problem-solving early on in our education, which parallels the workflow of teams in a hospital. By talking through real patient cases and independently researching each week, we were able to do deep dives into disease pathophysiology, which was supplemented by lecture content, a robust Tuesday Seminar curriculum centered on "soft skills" in medicine, and communications and physical diagnosis workshops. In addition, having the ability to train with such a wide variety of physicians across all of the hospitals in the city is a unique opportunity that Case Western is able to provide based on its location here in Cleveland and something that has been a highlight of my medical school career. Overall, I am very grateful that I was able to receive my medical education at CWRU over the last four years!
Rebekah Russell
What specialty are you hoping to match?
OBGYN
What drew you to this specialty?
I am very committed to reducing health disparities. Women face some of the largest health disparities, and minority women face even greater health disparities. I felt like I had the skills and compassion to help reduce negative outcomes.
How will you celebrate match day?
I will be with my family!
How did Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine prepare you for this next step?
CWRU has trained us to be well-rounded physicians. We're extremely compassionate, knowledgeable, and patient-centered. As a student body, we're very collaborative and supportive of our fellow students.
Jennifer Yang
What specialty are you hoping to match?
General Surgery
What drew you to this specialty?
I became interested in general surgery because its training will equip me with the necessary skills to address a wide breadth of pathologies. Furthermore, navigating the intricate anatomy, from cancer to trauma cases, affords opportunities to exercise both creativity and critical thinking to devise innovative solutions.
How will you celebrate match day?
I am going to try a new restaurant with friends and family! Afterward, we are having a cocktail hour where everyone crafts a specialty-inspired drink to share!
How did Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine prepare you for this next step?
The self-directed curriculum facilitated the exploration of various healthcare-related interests outside the setting of a traditional classroom. I was able to work on initiatives focusing on health equity, which I aspire to continue in residency. In addition, the dedicated research blocks granted early development of research skills that will be beneficial when investigating new research topics as I start my surgical career!
Lucy Yang
What specialty are you hoping to match?
Vascular Surgery
What drew you to this specialty?
Growing up in the family restaurant ignited my passion for hands-on work, which led me to explore surgery in medical school. I love the broad spectrum of open surgical and endovascular techniques, as well as the various medical management approaches available for vascular surgeons to treat a myriad of conditions. Additionally, working with underserved patient populations within the field remains a humbling and rewarding experience.
How will you celebrate match day?
I am excited to share the news with my family, friends, and mentors, who have been invaluable sources of support throughout my journey. I look forward to spending the day with my loved ones and trying some awesome new food in Cleveland!
How did Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine prepare you for this next step?
Before entering medical school, the field of vascular surgery was unfamiliar to me. I am grateful for the financial support available at CWRU School of Medicine, which allowed numerous student organizations to host events to provide early exposure to different specialties. Additionally, the flexible research block curriculum not only introduced students to mentors in their desired fields at the local level but also offered opportunities to showcase research and establish connections at the national level.