So many wonderful things have happened in such a short period of time it seems! Right after Tiffany and I’s wedding we just hit the gas and sped off into the sunset. Wow, where to begin.
January
After Tiffany and I’s wedding we had to come back to Mobile just in time for our rotations to start up again. No rest for the weary as they say. I jumped into cardiology and continued with the bulk of my match interviews. Tiffany and I did sneak a mini honeymoon in by way of heading to New Orleans! We made sure to hit the local staples and explored all around the city! This month flew by with all of the residency interviews.
February
February brought with it another rotation which was probably my favorite of all medical school. Critical Care! I learned so much and got to build so much confidence. The combination of the autonomy, the acuity of care, and the breadth of skills I got to practice was awesome! While this was going on, Tiffany and I’s interviews for the residency match finished up and we worked on submitting our rank list for the couples match together. No small feat, but together we put together a winning combination that we were both happy with! Tiffany and I also squeezed in some time to be cute for valentines day AND Mobile’s Mardi Gras Celebration kicked into full gear*!
Mobile, AL Mardi Gras Celebration February 2023
March
The first part of March dragged on as Tiffany and I waited for MATCH week. I spent my time in a neurology rotation to freshen up on my neuro skills. When the time came for MATCH week we were beyond excited!
Tiffany and I found out we matched on the Monday of match week which alleviated some nervous energy, but it wasn’t until the Friday that we would figure out where.
As a sort of recap… Starting back from even before medical school with my primordial interest in Emergency Medicine from my EMT days, I began to grind away through prerequisites as I commissioned into the USAF as a Developmental Engineer after graduation from The Pennsylvania State University in December of 2016. I continued my progress while on Active Duty and got accepted to the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) in September of 2018 and was ultimately selected as an Air Force HPSP student in April of 2019. I continued to progress through medical school starting in July of 2019 giving every lecture, every lesson, and every experience my all. Even battling the COVID-19 global pandemic!
All of this was rewarded when in December of 2022, I received word that I was selected for a Civilian Deferment for Emergency Medicine via the military match. Basically, this meant that I was one of the select few who would pursue Emergency Medicine residency training at a civilian institution in the civilian match with the promise to serve in that capacity for the USAF after the completion of residency. Following this wonderful news, and after my wife and I’s wedding in January of 2023, we both coupled up and officially entered the couples match together.
FINALLY, on the 17th of March 2023 (St. Patrick’s Day!) we found out I matched to Mercy St Vincent in Toledo, OH for Emergency Medicine and my wife (Tiffany Wood) matched to The University of Michigan for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) with a 1 year transitional year in Kettering, Ohio!
The rest of March was a sort of celebration as we fit in time with friends, time going to concerts, etc. I also switched halfway through this month into a PM&R rotation and got a greater appreciation for the specialty as a whole and just how much of a hidden gem it is!
Moments after finding out where we matched!
April
April began my last rotation of medical school! As fitting as it should be I chose to end things with Emergency Medicine. A final sendoff to warm up my skills prior to residency and get a few more procedures as a medical student. Also during this time we had the oppertunity for a After the rotation was complete, Tiffany and I took a trip up to visit Ohio and the Midwest to see where we would be living for the next couple of years. We had so much fun along the way and made sure to stop in Nashville, TN at the Opryland Hotel and for as many hot chicken sandwiches as we could!
May
After our trip at the end of April it was time to pack things up in Mobile, AL for our move and prepare for graduation. It was so wonderful to catch up with all of our family, friends, and their family for graduation weekend as well as to celebrate in our momentous accomplishment of getting through medical school! Combined with all of those emotions, moving, and setting-up our new homes it has been an absolute blur!
Final walk through of our Mobile, AL apartment. May 2023
Walk through of Tiffany’s Dayton, OH apartment. May 2023
Walk through of Jonathan’s Toledo, OH apartment. May 2023
As I finish up this entry its amazing to look back and think just how much Tiffany and I have accomplished and how we wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for everyone who has been there to support us. First off, my wife, my parents, my Grandmother, my brother and sister, my family, my friends, my professors, preceptors, coordinators, and everyone else who had the time to make a difference in our lives.
As Tiffany and I get ready to celebrate the last longest break before residency, we take comfort in the fact that we have so much of a network to back us up during this time.
Thank you all for your continued love and support! Check out some of the honorable mentions that didn’t make it into the main photo reels!
