A Perfect Match AUC graduates explore their journey to residency By Sophia Pino
Vital Stats: Allison Chen, M.D. Undergraduate years: Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
T
he three graduates featured here, are a powerhouse of personalities who have matched
into some of the most competitive specialties and
Residency: OB/Gyn, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
prestigious programs. Their combined drive,
AUC Honor: Ranked number 1 in graduating class
dedication and AUC education, prepared them for
Fun Fact: Played college soccer
their respective journeys as an Orthopaedic Surgeon,
Photo by Carla Sosa
Anesthesiologist, and Obstetrician/Gynecologist. Their accomplishments defy the persistent rumors that there is a stigma attached to International Medical Graduates, that these graduates cannot match into competitive specialties. Every year, AUC graduates, like the ones featured here, prove that the rumors are false. Students survive basic sciences, clinical rotations and then prepare their residency application — a final rite of passage for every medical student. After
Vital Stats: Justin Millard, M.D.
four years of hard work, it’s the final hurdle in the
Undergraduate: Purdue University
race to become a practicing physician. For many, the final months of medical school are a blur of test scores, letters of recommendation, CVs, interviews, and the anticipation of that fateful third week in March. It is no secret that the competition for a residency placement is fierce. According to NRMP data 37,556 students and graduates competed for
Residency: Orthopaedic Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine AUC Honors: Was selected to serve on the 2006-2007 Curriculum Reform Committee. Fun Fact: Millard’s son, Oliver, was born on St. Maarten. Millard helped deliver him, along with a midwife
Photo by Ara Howrani
25,520 positions in the 2010 Match, an all-time high in available positions. Of those applicants, 5,508 were U.S. citizen graduates of international medical schools, or U.S. IMGs. 1,749 of those US IMGs that completed applications matched to a PGY-1 position. The advantage of being an IMG, not reflected in the data, is the ability to pre-match. Students and graduates of AUC, and other international medical schools, have the ability to accept an offer for a residency position outside the NRMP Match. Many AUC graduates have obtained their residency placements this way. On July 1, 2010, over 180 AUC graduates walked through the doors of their residency programs for the first time as doctors. Here are the stories of how these three graduates sidestepped the stigmas and landed their residencies. q
Vital Stats: Michael Sharghi, M.D. Undergraduate: University of California, Los Angeles Residency: Anesthesiology, Penn State, Hershey, Pennsylvania AUC Honors: Dean’s List, member of Alpha Omega Phi Fun Fact: In college, worked on research on spinal cord injuries
Photo by Carla Sosa
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