Six NYITCOM at A-State Student Doctors Matched to Military Residencies

Six members of the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine at Arkansas State University Class of 2023 were matched to U.S. military residencies and will begin their graduate medical education in conjunction with service to their country.    

NYITCOM at A-State students who participated in the Military Match include Maron Barrett (Navy), Preliminary Year, Internal Medicine, Naval Medical Center, San Diego, Calif.; Brian Dreher (Navy), Transitional Year, Naval Medical Center, San Diego, Calif.; Patrick Matulich (Army), Diagnostic Radiology, Tripler Army Medical Center, Honolulu, Hawaii; Josh Mihalcin (Army), Emergency Medicine, Army-Civilian Program, Augusta University Medical Center, Augusta, Ga.; Benjamin Munley (Navy), Preliminary General Surgery, Naval Medical Center, San Diego, Calif.; and Jini Song (Army), OB/GYN, Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, Texas.  

Shane Speights, DO, is the dean of NYITCOM at A-State and is also a Major (O-4) in the U.S. Army National Guard attached to the Arkansas Medical Command (MED DET) unit based at Camp Robinson. Those roles give him a special appreciation for NYITCOM students who are committed to military service.   

“These student doctors are to be commended not only for their incredible accomplishment of completing medical school, but also for their commitment to our country,” Speights said. “On average, only one percent of all the physicians in the United States are serving in our military. It takes a special person to take that oath and agree to step into that role. I’m incredibly proud of each of these students, and I’m grateful for their service to our country.”  

Upon completing medical school, physicians must complete a residency training program and obtain a medical license to practice in the United States and become board-certified in a specialty. Medical residencies last three to five years for primary care physicians, with other specialties requiring additional years. While the “civilian” match will take place in March, medical students who committed to military service for their residency are matched a few months earlier.  

The six NYITCOM at A-State student doctors who will perform military residencies will take the military oath of office at NYITCOM’s 2023 hooding ceremonies next May.  

Physicians enlisted in the military deliver healthcare services to military personnel and their families and work in a variety of settings, including hospital ships and international medical centers, among others. Much like civilian doctors, their daily responsibilities include treating patients, diagnosing illness, and prescribing medicine. Military physicians may also participate in international relief and humanitarian efforts, helping to care for the victims of natural disasters, and other events requiring medical stability assistance.  

Amanda Deel, DO, associate dean of academic affairs at NYITCOM at A-State, attended medical school through the U.S. Navy’s Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP).  Upon completion of medical school, she served five years of active duty with the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, achieving the rank of Lieutenant Commander. Her military experience also gives her a unique appreciation for students who follow a similar path.   

“Our student doctors who were matched this week are not only committing to serve their fellow man, but also their country,” Deel said. “My time in the Navy was one of the greatest and most rewarding experiences of my life, and I’m thrilled for our students who are certain to gain similar invaluable lessons as they begin their graduate medical education and enter active duty in the military.”  

 

01/23/2023