Ly Ton

Using her hands to construct ramps for the underserved and build Habitat for Humanity houses, Ross University School of Medicine (RUSM) student Ly Ton will now utilize her fine-motor skills in the operating room as a soon-to-be surgical resident.

“My heart stopped, and I became emotional even before opening the email because part of me was not confident that I matched,” she said about Monday’s results from the National Resident Matching Program® (The MATCH ℠) process. “As soon as I read ‘Congratulations, you have matched!’, a wave of emotions washed over me. I was so relieved. It felt like a huge boulder was lifted from my shoulders. Four years of hard work paid off.”

The Vietnamese-born future physician thought she’d become an architect but that all changed after she visited her homeland to witness healthcare disparities and how it negatively affected her grandfather. Surgery became her chosen specialty because of its immediate impact on patients. On July 1, she will join East Florida GME Consortium in Plantation, Florida.

Grateful for Support
Ly Ton

 

Now living in Chicago with her wife, Ly praises her family, friends and mentors for their unwavering support throughout her medical academic journey. She also applauds RUSM for “seeing me as more than a number on my MCAT,” the medical college admission test. “They saw I had potential and gave me an opportunity to pursue medicine.”

The avid crafter hopes to join academia after residency but for now, she advises next year’s MATCH candidates. “Treat each interview like it’s your only chance at matching. This is the time to advocate for yourself. The RUSM community is amazing and I got tons of wonderful advice from past Rossies who matched into general surgery.” 

 

Visit our MATCH Day webpage to read more success stories, and check out where this year’s participants are headed — 2021 Residency Appointment List.

 

Road to Residency Library

The Road to Residency: Navigating the Student Journey series is designed to provide you with thought-provoking pieces on topics important and relevant to your medical school journey. Please visit our Road to Residency library.

 

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In 2020, 91% of RUSM students passed the initial step of the United States Medical Licensing Examination® (USMLE®) on the first attempt. And in 2022-2023, results show yet another strong year for RUSM with a 97% first-time residency attainment rate* thus far. Located on the island of Barbados and with a network of more than 15,000 alumni, RUSM is one of the largest providers of doctors for the U.S. healthcare system. RUSM graduates practice in all 50 states and in Puerto Rico.

*First time residency attainment rate is the percent of students attaining a 2023-24 residency position out of all graduates or expected graduates in 2022-23 who were active applicants in the 2023 NRMP match or who attained a residency position outside the NRMP match.