NORFOLK, Va. — Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) students were led by a jazz band Friday and cheered on by family and friends as they found out where they’ll be doing their residencies.
“I’m applying to internal medicine," said EVMS student Evan Leung.
“I really like social medicine. I kind of like the controlled chaos," EVMS student Megan Duggins said.
Friday was the four-year anniversary of states implementing shutdowns to try to stop the spread of COVID-19.
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It was also four days after the four-year anniversary of the CDC declaring COVID-19 a pandemic.
Going through medical school during the pandemic was tough, but it also gave students perspective.
“I realized how important it is to have these public health measures (like) wearing masks," Leung said. "Being a medical student and being someone who’s representing the medical field, I realized how important it is to follow those procedures and try to keep everyone safe.”
“I think us going through our own experience with the pandemic at the medical school made us more sensitive that there’s always so much more than the face value of the symptoms or the disease," said Duggins.
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With a countdown and confetti, 135 students in the soon-to-be 2024 EVMS graduating class opened manilla envelopes that contained their residency program match results.
It was an emotional moment.
As doctors, aside from navigating the medical industry they’ll also have to deal with medical issues often being politicized.
The most recent example is an Alabama Supreme Court ruling that sparked a national discussion about IVF.
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The students, though, said they’re prepared and are committed to helping their patients.
“EVMS is really good in that as part of the curriculum they have health system sciences, a course dedicated to learning about those topics and sort of learning how to navigate those issues," said Leung.
“What we came to do is care for the patient, so we’re going to give the best resources available. We’re going to go out of our way to make sure that they have success when they leave the room," Duggins emphasized.
Students were scheduled to graduate in May and start their residencies over the summer.
