HAMDEN, Conn. — Facing a critical staffing shortage, the field of medicine got a big boost from some bright minds on Friday.
Quinnipiac University in Hamden joined medical schools around the globe for Match Day. It’s the day medical students around the world open an envelope at noon, and in doing so, find out what school they’ve matched to for their postgraduate residency.
It was the moment anesthesiologist Meghan Leubner of Tolland found out she "clawed" her way to Maryland.
“We were hopeful,” said Leubner as she held up a paper crab cutout that her mom made that said, “Baltimore bound!”
“I’m the first one in my family to be a doctor,” Leubner added.
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It's the culmination of a lot of hard work that resulted in a few sleepless nights for both Meghan Leubner and mom.
“I’ve had a lot of sleepless nights because she really wanted to place there,” said Sandy Leubner.
For Meghan Leubner, her move to Maryland means continuing medicine alongside her boyfriend.
“He’s a resident there," she said. "We’ve had to do long distance for some time.”
While some Connecticut natives will study out of state, other out-of-staters will continue their careers in Connecticut, like Nour Aboumatar of Maryland. She told FOX61 she was, “Relieved. Incredibly relieved. Very happy.”
“I’m really hopeful for the future of our field and where it’s going. I know that there’s so much that people are looking to improve and I know that this new generation of doctors can take everything to the next level,” explained Aboumatar, who is UConn-bound.
For Aboumatar, medicine is in her DNA.
“I’m a physician myself,” said her mother, Hanan Aboumater. “So I tried my best not to influence her decision and not to dictate her path in life. On her own she decided 'I want to be a doctor.'”
One by one the students, now turned doctors, opened an envelope to their future, posed for the picture and pinned it to a map.
“The world needs doctors like our students more than you can imagine,” said Phile Boiselle, M.D., the dean of the Quinnipiac School of Medicine.
Dealing with a nationwide physician shortage, the specialty fields of medicine have been decimated with departures. They are now bolstered by 100 new bobcats.
“A real mindset around agility, innovation, resilience, perseverance and compassion and you’ve got the recipe for exactly the type of doctors the state of Connecticut needs and the world beyond,” said Boiselle.
Of the 100 medical students, 33 are from Connecticut. Twenty percent of the entire class is staying in Connecticut to continue their medical work. The rest are spread out across more than 20 states.
Matt Caron is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at mcaron@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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