Stony Brook medical students open the envelope that reveals their hospital residency
Stony Brook medical school couple Ali Kidwai, left, and Emilia Rakhamimova at the university's hospital match day on Friday. Kidwai is going to Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan and Rakhamimova to Yale New Haven Hospital. Credit: Newsday/Drew Singh
Emilia Rakhamimova and Ali Kidwai started dating during their first year studying in the library at Stony Brook University’s Renaissance School of Medicine.
Nearly eight years later, they waited with more than 100 other medical students to find out which hospital they would be assigned. Surrounded by classmates, family and faculty, the med students counted down until noon Friday in Stony Brook’s Bauman Center, where they joined 40,000 students nationwide, including NYU Langone, waiting to simultaneously open envelopes saying where they would start their residencies as new doctors.
With popping confetti, Rakhamimova, 30, and Kidwai, 28, matched high on their priority lists, with Rakhamimova going to perform anesthesia at Yale New Haven Hospital in Connecticut and Kidwai going to Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan for internal medicine. Rakhamimova had wanted to be a doctor since immigrating to Brooklyn from Azerbaijan when she was 8 years old.
"We’re really happy. We were really nervous about it. A couple’s match is hard to process but we both ended up in the Northeast," Rakhamimova said. "It means so much to us. I know going through medical school with my best friend has meant the world to me and always having someone by your side. Now we get to do the same thing for our four-year residencies."
Dr. Peter Igarashi, dean for the medical school, recalled almost going unmatched when he graduated medical school. But he told the graduating students the relationships they make in their careers would help them succeed. This year’s class graduated 131 students, including 18 who will join Stony Brook University Hospital. More than half the school’s students are assigned in New York State, Igarashi said.
"Stony Brook University's medical school is very proud of all of our graduates, no matter where they end up," Igarashi said. "This is very important for fulfilling the school and the university's mission of service to Suffolk County."
Austin Young, 24, of Lake Grove, will continue to serve as a doctor for his hometown communities on Long Island, planning to be a resident at Northwell's Long Island Jewish Medical Center. Young graduated from Centereach High School and finished his bachelor’s in three years at SUNY Old Westbury.
"Coming from Long Island and growing up here, having my family nearby is going to be amazing," Young said. "It's a testament to all the hard work that we put in. Ever since school, college and medical school, this was seven years of hard work, and it all comes down to this."
Ashna Raiker, 25, waited with anticipation Friday, hoping to get her first choice at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan. Minutes later her envelope revealed her match to Mount Sinai where she will be a vascular surgeon.
"This is life-changing to be at a program so highly sought after since each program has such limited spots," Raiker said. "It encompasses more than I could hope for. I can’t believe I'm going to be a surgeon!"
Emilia Rakhamimova and Ali Kidwai started dating during their first year studying in the library at Stony Brook University’s Renaissance School of Medicine.
Nearly eight years later, they waited with more than 100 other medical students to find out which hospital they would be assigned. Surrounded by classmates, family and faculty, the med students counted down until noon Friday in Stony Brook’s Bauman Center, where they joined 40,000 students nationwide, including NYU Langone, waiting to simultaneously open envelopes saying where they would start their residencies as new doctors.
With popping confetti, Rakhamimova, 30, and Kidwai, 28, matched high on their priority lists, with Rakhamimova going to perform anesthesia at Yale New Haven Hospital in Connecticut and Kidwai going to Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan for internal medicine. Rakhamimova had wanted to be a doctor since immigrating to Brooklyn from Azerbaijan when she was 8 years old.
"We’re really happy. We were really nervous about it. A couple’s match is hard to process but we both ended up in the Northeast," Rakhamimova said. "It means so much to us. I know going through medical school with my best friend has meant the world to me and always having someone by your side. Now we get to do the same thing for our four-year residencies."
Ashna Raiker, originally from California, holds up a sign of what field she is pursuing and where her residency training will be at Stony Brook University's match day on Friday. Credit: Newsday/Drew Singh
Dr. Peter Igarashi, dean for the medical school, recalled almost going unmatched when he graduated medical school. But he told the graduating students the relationships they make in their careers would help them succeed. This year’s class graduated 131 students, including 18 who will join Stony Brook University Hospital. More than half the school’s students are assigned in New York State, Igarashi said.
"Stony Brook University's medical school is very proud of all of our graduates, no matter where they end up," Igarashi said. "This is very important for fulfilling the school and the university's mission of service to Suffolk County."
Alaba Danagogo, originally from Nigeria, holds up a sign with her hospital match day information at Stony Brook University on Friday. Credit: Newsday/Drew Singh
Austin Young, 24, of Lake Grove, will continue to serve as a doctor for his hometown communities on Long Island, planning to be a resident at Northwell's Long Island Jewish Medical Center. Young graduated from Centereach High School and finished his bachelor’s in three years at SUNY Old Westbury.
"Coming from Long Island and growing up here, having my family nearby is going to be amazing," Young said. "It's a testament to all the hard work that we put in. Ever since school, college and medical school, this was seven years of hard work, and it all comes down to this."
Ashna Raiker, 25, waited with anticipation Friday, hoping to get her first choice at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan. Minutes later her envelope revealed her match to Mount Sinai where she will be a vascular surgeon.
"This is life-changing to be at a program so highly sought after since each program has such limited spots," Raiker said. "It encompasses more than I could hope for. I can’t believe I'm going to be a surgeon!"
John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.
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