Photo: Hallie Leo
Ilana Silverstein, Elisah Huynh and Kimberly Jin, T.H. Chan School of Medicine Class of 2026 students at UMass Chan Medical School, have matched into ophthalmology residency programs at the University of Oklahoma’s Dean McGee Eye Institute, UMass Chan and Scheie Eye Institute at the University of Pennsylvania, respectively.
“I’m proud to represent UMass Chan as I begin my residency,” said Silverstein. “I love that ophthalmology is deeply hands-on. I’m drawn to the combination of thoughtful problem-solving with precise microsurgery, and the tangible impact on a patient’s quality of life.”
Silverstein studied molecular and cell biology as an undergrad at UC Berkeley and worked as an ophthalmic technician before medical school. Originally from Northern California, she will be moving to Oklahoma for her residency.
“I’m looking forward to joining the University of Oklahoma’s Dean McGee Eye Institute and growing into a confident, well-rounded ophthalmologist,” said Silverstein. “Seeing how quickly vision care can change someone’s daily life helped clarify the kind of doctor I wanted to become.”
Huynh, of Palmer, Massachusetts, is staying in Worcester for her residency at UMass Chan. A UMass Amherst graduate and alumna of UMass Chan’s Baccalaureate MD Pathway Program, she became interested in medicine after her grandmother was diagnosed with cancer.
“I’m thrilled to continue my journey at UMass Chan, a place where I’ve learned so much and have truly come to love the community,” said Huynh, a student in UMass Chan’s Population-based Urban and Rural Community Health track.
“It’s an incredible privilege to care for a function as fundamental as vision, and the weight of this reminds me to continually strive for excellence and seek growth.”
“I am committed to health equity and public health and I love having a direct impact in improving patients’ vision,” said Huynh. “I’m excited about ophthalmology because of the opportunity to integrate AI and technology, particularly to improve patient outcomes in areas like diabetic retinopathy screening.”
Jin grew up in Berlin, Massachusetts, and is headed to Pennsylvania for her residency. A biology major at Georgetown University, Jin fell in love with ophthalmology while conducting eye exams during her clinical rotations.
“Each time I sit at the slit lamp [a microscope with a bright light used during eye exams], I feel a spark of excitement,” said Jin. “In asymptomatic eyes, I’ve seen raging inflammation, retinal detachments and even an unidentifiable foreign body that looked like a fleck of pencil graphite. Ophthalmologists make eye exams look easy, but as a student, I’m always amazed by how much there is to see and learn.”
“It’s an incredible privilege to care for a function as fundamental as vision, and the weight of this reminds me to continually strive for excellence and seek growth”, Jin said.
While seven members of the Class of 2026 have already matched, the remaining fourth-year medical students at UMass Chan and other graduating medical students nationwide will open National Resident Matching Program general match envelopes on Friday, March 20, to learn where they’ll undertake their residencies. UMass Chan will livestream its Match Day event on YouTube and Facebook beginning at 11:15 a.m.
