Photo: Hallie Leo
Justin Nguyen and Cedrick Chiu, T.H. Chan School of Medicine students in UMass Chan Medical School’s Class of 2026, have successfully matched into urology residency programs at the University of California Davis and Washington University School of Medicine, respectively.
“I love that urology is able to address such a diverse spectrum of issues and achieve meaningful results for patients” said Nguyen, who majored in human biology and society as an undergrad at UCLA and hails from Los Angeles County. “From treating cancer to improving quality of life, urology has a bit of everything.”
A student in UMass Chan’s Population-based Urban and Rural Community Health (PURCH) track, Nguyen rotated at UC Davis before matching there and looks forward to learning robotics in urologic surgery. He initially became interested in medicine as a way to do something meaningful and uplifting for his community. He comes from a family of Vietnamese immigrants and is the first in his family to pursue medicine. He’s keeping his match result a surprise to his parents, who will be attending UMass Chan’s Match Day celebration along with his fiancée and fellow PURCH classmate Rose Cohen-Sandler, who will be matching in OB/GYN.
Chiu, who grew up in San Diego, is moving to St. Louis for his residency. He said he’s excited to develop his operative and technical skills, train in state-of-the-art robotic and microsurgical techniques, and care for a diverse patient population in a new cultural setting.
“I want to be the person patients rely on during uncertain moments and complex decisions. Surgery allows me to build trust and act on it in a tangible way,” said Chiu, who double majored in biology and sociology as an undergrad at Boston College. “UMass Chan, especially the urology program, had a huge impact on how I developed as a future physician. Faculty took the time to teach how and why, consistently encouraging me to ask questions, take initiative and think critically rather than just following patterns. Having mentors who trusted me with responsibility and invested in my development prepared me to take my next step into residency.”
Chiu is a member of the U.S. Navy who will be promoted from ensign to lieutenant ahead of graduation in May. He matched to his top choice civilian urology residency.
“Growing up, I always knew I wanted to serve in the Navy, and this path means a lot to me because it allows me to train at a high level while staying committed to serving service members and veterans,” said Chiu, the co-creator of UMass Chan’s Military Medicine and VA interest group. “I’m excited to continue growing as a physician and carry that commitment throughout my career.”
The National Resident Matching Program general match is Friday, March 20. On that day, graduating medical students at UMass Chan and nationwide will simultaneously open envelopes to discover where they will serve their residencies. UMass Chan’s Match Day event will be streamed on YouTube and Facebook beginning at 11:15 a.m.
