Fourth-year medical students from the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University learned where they will begin their career as medical residents during Match Day, March 20, and nine won’t have to look far to find their new home.
The Brody School of Medicine’s latest class continued the institution’s established track record of training future family medicine and primary care physicians. Of the 74-person class, 39 will enter a primary care residency. Nearly half matched at a North Carolina hospital and nine matched to ECU Health Medical Center.
“These students share a commitment to service that will change patients’ lives, and today we celebrate that commitment,” said Dr. Michael Waldrum, ECU Health CEO and dean of the Brody School of Medicine. “In their four years at the Brody School of Medicine they have learned how to heal, certainly, but also how to communicate and connect with people in the important landscape of rural health care. Their impact will be felt in communities across the nation, including right here in eastern North Carolina. I am exceptionally proud of them all and happy to welcome the nine continuing their journey here at ECU Health.”
Match Day was a full circle moment for Blaiz Rodman, a native of Kill Devil Hills who matched into physical medicine and rehabilitation at ECU Health. When Rodman was 16, he was in a car accident that broke a vertebra in his spine, which required fusion surgery to put titanium rods and screws in his back.
“That’s what made me really want to become a doctor and help people going through something traumatic like that in their life,” Rodman said. “It’s really why I chose rehabilitation as a specialty to go to.”
Rodman said he is healthy now and able to touch his toes, run, and play basketball. On Match Day he was excited to take his next step as an ECU Health resident.
“I love the people here. All of the people in the program are amazing,” Rodman said. “I get to stay close to my friends and my family so I’m really happy.”
Haris Shehzad also matched into physical medicine and rehabilitation at ECU Health. He agreed with Rodman that his experience working with current residents, faculty and team members have him excited to continue that relationship. As a first-generation college student, Shehzad said he wants to be a role model for others.
“I chose medicine because I really wanted to help my community,” Shehzad said. “I think that representation is very important because it provides people of different cultures a good image. Patients are more comfortable. I want to provide that comfort.”
Match Day continued a streak for Emily Tate, who matched into emergency medicine at ECU Health. A “triple Pirate,” Tate earned her undergraduate, graduate and now medical education at ECU and the Brody School of Medicine. She spent years teaching at ECU before she followed her calling into patient care.
“I have always wanted to go into medicine and I’m just so happy to be here at the end of this step in my journey,” Tate said. “Medicine is a combination of all of the things I like – education, patient care, and research are all very important to me. I’m very happy to do those things here in the place that I have trained up to this point.
“I’ve really loved it here and always feel very supported. I’m glad to work with the people who have helped me get to this point. I’m ready to shoot for the stars and be the best emergency medicine physician I can be.”
A fellow triple Pirate, Cooper Butts, was accepted into the Brody School of Medicine’s Early Assurance Scholars program when he decided to come to ECU for an undergraduate degree. Early Assurance Scholars uphold high academic standards and participate in group and enrichment activities in exchange for a guaranteed seat in their medical school classes. He said the investment made in him as an 18-year-old inspired him to want to serve eastern North Carolina.
“I felt like I need to give back to the community since they put their investment in me,” Butts said. “I’ve enjoyed my training here, so I wanted to stay – not only for the great training and experiences that I know I can get here and have gotten here, but just for the people and the patient population as well.”
Emily Gerlach is an eastern North Carolina native who was overjoyed to match into the obstetrics and gynecology program at ECU Health for residency. She said serving the community she calls home is an opportunity she looks forward to for years to come.
“I think ECU Health has an emphasis on rural health care and it cares for everyone east of I-95, basically,” said Gerlach “ECU Health Medical Center is a tertiary care center, academic medical center and I think that’s an amazing place to train with what I want to do – working in rural eastern North Carolina in the future.”