A couples’ match journey: How a DO graduate and a Caribbean medical school graduate matched together

Couple Jonah Zeitlin, DO, and Samantha Gerstman, MD, each took unique, yet intersecting journeys. Their stories, as told on my D.O. or Do Not podcast, highlight the challenges, decisions and personal reflections that shape the path to becoming a physician. They both grew up in the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut and went to school at Binghamton University in New York. They met and began their relationship as study partners, then a blossoming romance lead to their inseparability. 

When it came to choosing a medical school, they each had different paths in mind to reach their respective end goals. Dr. Zeitlin wanted to pursue osteopathic medicine at New York Institute of Technology—College of Osteopathic Medicine, and Dr. Gerstman was headed to the Caribbean to attend St. George’s University (SGU). Ultimately, they pursued a couples match with Dr. Zeitlin obtaining an otolaryngology (ENT) residency and Dr. Gerstman matching into pediatrics, allowing them to be reunited in Michigan for the next five years.

Their interview below, transcribed from the podcast and edited for The DO, highlights some of the key differences between the education at an American osteopathic medical school and the education at a medical school in the Caribbean.

Dr. Zeitlin, did you perceive any differences between your preclinical years at NYIT and Dr. Gerstman’s at SGU?

In terms of perceived differences that were apparent right away, there was a lot more in-person training at SGU. Since the pandemic, NYIT has gone to an asynchronous online curriculum, meaning that the professors record the lectures, post them and then you have the opportunity to watch them on your own time.

In the first semester, we had two hours of anatomy a week, four hours of osteopathic manipulative medicine a week and a two-hour per week course called “Doctor-patient relationship,” where we learned how to take a history and perform physicals. Sprinkled in, we’d have case-based learning, as well as peer instruction, where you answer multiple choice questions in a group.

Dr. Gerstman, how was your preclinical training at SGU?

I agree that we had very different experiences the first two years. I think that SGU was very immersive—living on an island with nobody from home and nobody that I knew before made it kind of sink or swim. We had four to five hours of in-person lecture responsibilities a day. If you need someone to hold you accountable, SGU is a good place—missing more than 20% of the classes results in a failing grade, requiring you to repeat the term.

Dr. Gerstman, tell us about what happened when you returned to the U.S.

After the first two years, students come back to the U.S. and study on their own for an exam called the Comprehensive Basic Science Examination (CBSE) that SGU has us take after term five. If you don’t pass the CBSE, you’re not allowed to even register for the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1. 

After I passed [the exam], I decided I wanted to stay in New Jersey with my family for most of my rotations. I was luckily able to get my first choice of hospital at Jersey Shore University Medical Center—I wanted to be at one hospital where you do all your core rotations and it worked out for me, but I know a lot of people who didn’t get into the hospital they wanted (or even the state they wanted).

Dr. Zeitlin, can you comment on your clinical experience?

Options for NYIT for core rotations were Nassau University Medical Center and Good Samaritan Hospital, along with a few other places in Brooklyn and Queens. There is a second option where you can do regional rotations, building out a schedule where you’re doing internal medicine at hospital A, psychiatry at hospital B, surgery at hospital C, etc.—both have their pros and cons. 

A pro of being in one place is that you can make yourself part of the community there. If you get a place to live near the hospital, you can kind of embed yourself more with the program you might be interested in. For me, that meant even though there was no ENT residency program, if I had extra time, I could sneak away to the ENT clinic and spend time seeing patients with an attending.

There are also benefits to choosing to do a regional plan for rotations. Theoretically, you could build a stronger schedule. For example, if the psychology rotation is great at one hospital, you could do it there. Surgery could be done at a different hospital, one that you know is really great in that department.

Ultimately, I landed at Nassau University Medical Center, close to home, and when I took a close look at their match lists, they did take a lot of students from NYITCOM. 

Dr. Gerstman, did you use Visiting Student Learning Opportunities (VSLO) to set up some of your elective rotations?

Caribbean graduates are not currently eligible to use VSLO. We’re not American medical students, and there were many, many restrictions. I sent countless emails putting myself out there to try. I got rejected from a lot of places that weren’t SGU-affiliated. 

SGU gives you a list of hospitals that they’re affiliated with, and some of these allow rotations in certain specialties. I reached out to SGU asking if they could help me set up something in New Jersey. They said, “you’re either going to Brooklyn or Miami.” So I called Jonah, and I said, “We’re going to Miami for a month!”

In the end, it was a great experience. I got to see a Miami hospital with a lot of Spanish speakers. I did a lot of listening to patients and hearing them decide why they don’t want to take the doctor’s advice. 

I spent most of my time during fourth year in New Jersey, commuting from home so I could save up money and check out the hospitals in the tri-state area, in case Jonah and I matched in New York, New Jersey or Philadelphia. I had a great fourth year. It definitely wasn’t easy for me—I worked a lot of hours, a lot of weekends and some nights, but I wouldn’t change anything about the rotations I chose.

Dr. Zeitlin, how were your away rotations?

It was amazing to see Sammy get rejected from so many rotations as a Caribbean graduate, especially at places where half their resident class were students from St. George’s. That was certainly disheartening along the way. But for myself, when you’re applying to a specialty that’s rather small, whether it be ENT or orthopedics or dermatology, you really want to consider where you’re doing your away rotations.

Dr. Zeitlin, how was the couples’ match process for you?

The couples match is a super complicated process. Our NYIT advisor was there for us, and she hosted couples match zoom meetings where 20 students from NYITCOM attended to talk about strategy and how to speak about the couples match in interviews. Our advisor was kind enough to welcome Sammy to all of those meetings, despite the fact that she is from a different school.

Dr. Gerstman, was your experience similar?

I didn’t receive any advice from SGU. I also didn’t let them know that I was a couples match until I sent them a picture and they posted it on their Instagram. I’m sure I could have asked my advisor about it. But I had Jonah as my advisor, and he had advice from NYITCOM.

Creating the path that fits your needs

At a critical moment in their training, Dr. Zeitlin and Dr. Gerstman received great guidance from NYITCOM that helped them achieve a successful couples’ match.

Together, Dr. Zeitlin and Dr. Gerstman found that NYITCOM offered more flexibility and autonomy to its medical students, while SGU provided a highly structured, immersive and community-driven experience. There was also more versatility from NYITCOM when it came to rotations—more options were available from that route than from SGU. However, in a tropical destination like the Caribbean, there are the added benefits of getting to live and learn in a new, beautiful locale, while being introduced to various cultures and ways of thinking that will likely be beneficial when it comes time to treat patients.

Both styles of instruction have unique challenges and benefits, and the best fit depends on the student’s learning style and personal circumstances. For those on the path to medical school, Drs. Zeitlin and Gerstman recommend keeping your end goal in mind when considering what path to take toward becoming a physician. Not every path is right for everyone, and it’s key to find the one that fits best for your goals. Dr. Zeitlin and Dr. Gerstman encourage premeds to do their own research as well as they go about exploring options.

To listen to the full interview, please check out the podcast.

Related reading:

DOs share their top Match tips from the past year

How to soften red flags on your ERAS application