NHS Alumni at the School of Medicine Celebrate Match Day

Two women and one man are featured in head and shoulders images
School of Nursing & Health Studies graduates (left to right) MaryJo Kramer (NHS’14, M’19), Nadeen Hussain (NHS’15, M’19), and Victor Wang (NHS’15, M’19) all participated in this year’s Match Day celebration at the School of Medicine.

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(March 16, 2019) — On Match Day 2019, Nadeen Hussain (NHS’15, M’19) learned that she matched with the internal medicine residency program at Yale-New Haven Hospital. MaryJo Kramer (NHS’14, M’19) got into the anesthesiology residency program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Victor Wang (NHS’15, M’19) matched with the neurology residency program at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.

But before they learned where they would take the next steps of their medical education, the three School of Medicine students agreed that their undergraduate experiences at the School of Nursing & Health Studies (NHS) prepared them for the rigors of medical school and beyond. Hussain, Kramer and Wang were among several NHS alumni who participated in the Match Day celebration at the School of Medicine.

“The best decision I made in college was majoring in human science at the NHS,” Kramer said. “All of my NHS science courses have proved to be completely relevant to my medical education. I entered medical school with a very solid understanding and knowledge base in molecular biology, immunology and microbiology, to name just a few.”

Being an NHS graduate prepared Wang for the preclinical curriculum in medical school and made him feel more comfortable with the medical center environment. “I’ve enjoyed the familiarity with the medical campus from my undergraduate experiences, and have enjoyed running into colleagues, nurses and faculty who I met as an undergrad,” he said.

“As a human science major, I took classes like immunology, pathophysiology and genetics, which set me up for a smooth transition into medical school and success in my preclinical years,” said Nadeen Hussain (NHS’15, M’19). “I also developed a strong work ethic, which proved to be very useful.”

“I loved my time in the NHS, and I love that I still see familiar faces around campus, especially at Epicurean,” she added.

The Road to Match Day

At the School of Medicine, Wang valued having the opportunity to rotate in different clinical settings in D.C., Maryland and Virginia, including academic and community hospitals in urban and suburban settings.

“Having attended medical school in such a diverse area, rotating through so many different clinical settings, such as Virginia Hospital Center, MedStar Washington Hospital Center, MedStar Montgomery Medical Center, Washington DC VA Medical Center, and clinics across the region, we have learned to adapt to patient needs in unique situations,” he said.

In the interview process, Wang enjoyed visiting new places and talking to medical students from other institutions about their experiences. “Meeting other medical students from different training institutions, who have each had their own clinical exposures and opportunities has brought about new and exciting dialogues,” he said.

Kramer received about 30 invitations to interview with residency programs on the East Coast and in California. “Interview season was a very positive experience for me, and made me even more excited to start residency,” she said. “Most programs were interested in asking me about my marathon running experience and my research experiences. I fit in very well with the personalities of anesthesiologists, and this further reinforced my specialty decision.”

Hussain interviewed with 20 residency programs between Boston and Los Angeles. With a partner pursuing a career in anesthesiology, she participated in the couples match, which puts couples in the same geographic region.  

“What struck me along the interview trail was that so many program directors told me how impressed they always are with Georgetown medical students who join their residency programs,” she said. “They spoke so highly of the quality of our clinical training, which gives me confidence in anticipation of what will be a really challenging but incredibly rewarding three years.”

Opening the Envelope

Finding out where he had matched made Wang feel delighted and relieved. “It was my first choice program,” he said.

Moments after opening her envelope on Match Day, Kramer pulled on a blue Brigham and Women’s Hospital T-shirt and a red Harvard baseball cap. Her family joined her for the occasion. “They are really the most important people that I am excited to share this news with,” she said.

Hussain’s family also came out to support her on Match Day and she beamed as she held her letter, wearing a Yale baseball cap. “Both of my parents are physicians, and I am thrilled to celebrate this special moment with them as I follow in their big footsteps,” she said.

“Georgetown has been my home for eight years, and although it will always be home, I think it’s time to experience a new city, and then perhaps come back!”

Kat Zambon
GUMC Communications

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