Match Day: Mission-driven future physicians
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On March 21, Creighton University School of Medicine’s fourth-year medical students will find out where they have matched into residency. The past four years of demanding coursework, intense training, dedication and sacrifices will culminate in opening their Match Day envelopes.
The clinical experiences, community work and faculty mentorship at Creighton make Creighton-trained physicians highly sought after by residency programs nationwide; however, the Jesuit values-based approach to care is what truly sets these future physicians apart.
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“My experience at Creighton has been incredibly transformative, shaping me into a physician who views medicine as far more than the memorization of facts and procedures,” says Creighton undergraduate alumna and Phoenix campus medical student Emily Reeson.
Her education has been a holistic experience.
“My rotations at both Valleywise Health and St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center exposed me to diverse patient populations and care settings, showing me firsthand how social, economic and spiritual factors shape medical care,” says Reeson.
Reeson fully understands that compassionate healthcare reaches far beneath the surface. Growing up on a family farm in West Point, Nebraska, she worked with her hands. When a basketball injury left her unable to make a fist, she underwent hand surgery, experiencing the life-changing effect of orthopedic care. She witnessed that profound impact while volunteering with Arizona Disabled Sports, one of the most meaningful experiences of her medical school journey.
“The athletes’ resilience and joy continue to inspire my commitment to helping future patients regain mobility and independence. This perspective will guide me in treating not just injuries, but people,” says Reeson.
She hopes to match into an orthopedic surgery residency on March 21.
The Creighton community first stood out to fourth-year Omaha medical student and Colorado native Ayushi Kaul during her medical school interview with School of Medicine faculty and students.
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“It was clear they cared about who I was as a whole person. The culture at Creighton is rooted in compassion and collaboration rather than competition,” says Kaul.
Kaul’s experiences in hospital rotations reinforced the idea of treating the whole person.
“Everyone I worked with exemplified incredible teamwork and created an environment of collaboration that allowed me to be curious and ask questions without fear. I worked with residents and physicians who constantly showed me how to be a patient advocate and worked tirelessly to provide the best care they possibly could to patients and their families,” says Kaul, who hopes to carry this passion forward into a pediatric specialty on Match Day.
“My experiences, along with the relationships I built with faculty and peers, have shown me how to be a physician who can provide care for the whole person.”
Reeson echoes this sentiment.
“The Jesuit values have solidified my calling to be a physician who truly cares for the whole person, treating each patient with dignity and respect and seeing medicine not just as a job but as an honor and privilege,” she says.
