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
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.
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