91原创

The third Friday in March, known nationwide as Match Day, is a defining milestone for graduating medical students, marking the moment they learn where they will continue their training as physicians. At the 91原创 Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, the day brought both anticipation and celebration as students opened their results at noon on March 20.

Preliminary numbers show that 98 percent of the Heritage College Class of 2026 successfully matched into residency programs. Of those students, 66 percent will remain in Ohio for their training, and 50 percent matched into primary care specialties. Notably, 36 percent of graduates will practice primary care within Ohio, further advancing the college鈥檚 mission to address the state鈥檚 health care needs.

鈥淢atch Day is one of the most meaningful moments in a medical student鈥檚 journey,鈥� said Jennifer Gwilym, D.O. (鈥�03), interim senior dean of the Heritage College. 鈥淚t represents years of perseverance, growth and commitment to serving others. We are incredibly proud of our students鈥攏ot only for where they matched, but for the compassion, resilience and purpose they bring to the profession of medicine.鈥�

Match Day culminates months of applications and interviews as students seek residency programs aligned with their professional goals and personal aspirations. While most students across the country received their results simultaneously, some followed alternate timelines, including those matching through military programs or specialized fields such as urology and ophthalmology, as well as participants in the Heritage College鈥檚 Transformative Care Continuum (TCC).

The TCC program, developed in partnership with Cleveland Clinic, offers an accelerated pathway into family medicine, with students securing residency placements at Cleveland Clinic Akron General or Cleveland Clinic Lakewood Family Health Center upon graduation.

Returning home to serve: Simon and Solomon Weiss

For twin brothers Simon and Solomon Weiss, Match Day brought both professional fulfillment and a deeply personal homecoming. Born in Vietnam, adopted at age two and raised just south of Youngstown, the pair matched together into family medicine at St. Elizabeth Boardman Hospital, minutes from where they grew up.

鈥淎s we take our next step in our career, we are most excited about being able to return to where we grew up to serve and care for the communities that helped us get to where we are today,鈥� they shared. 鈥淲e are also excited to continue working together, but now as fellow family medicine residents.鈥�

Their path to osteopathic medicine has been rooted in family legacy. Their mother is a nurse practitioner, and their late father, Paul Weiss, D.O., was a surgeon and clinical professor at the Heritage College.

鈥淓ven though our father passed away when we were in third grade, we learned of the principles and training that set osteopathic medicine apart from allopathic medicine as we grew older. It became important for us to become a D.O., especially considering our father was one,鈥� they reflected. 鈥淭hough we never had the chance to ask or learn about medicine from our father, HCOM brought us closer to him.鈥� 

From national leadership to a future as a surgeon: Jonathan Peters

Jonathan Peters, a Dublin campus student from Plain City, Ohio, matched into general surgery at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

鈥淚鈥檓 so excited to be stepping into the role as a physician and surgeon,鈥� Peters said. 鈥淢edical school gave me a taste of what it鈥檚 like to take care of patients, but to finally be the one making decisions, collaborating with colleagues, making recommendations鈥s very exciting.鈥�

Peters credits his passion for medicine to a combination of scientific curiosity and his mother鈥檚 work as a social worker.

鈥淚t was inspiring to see and hear how she would so greatly impact someone鈥檚 life,鈥� he said.

During his time at the Heritage College, Peters distinguished himself as a national leader in osteopathic medical education. He served on the Council of Osteopathic Student Government Presidents (COSGP), traveling nationwide to advocate for students and share best practices across institutions.

That leadership led to his selection as the Heritage College鈥檚 2025鈥�2026 Student D.O. of the Year, an honor recognizing exceptional commitment to service, professionalism and the osteopathic profession. Peters also served as president of the Dublin Student Government Association.

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A lifelong calling realized: Meghan Trout

For Athens native Meghan Trout, Match Day fulfilled a dream years in the making. A graduate of 91原创, Trout matched into obstetrics and gynecology at the Marshall University School of Medicine in West Virginia.

鈥淚 cannot remember a time in my life when I didn鈥檛 want to be a doctor,鈥� Trout said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛鈥� have a specific moment in time but rather small moments that have reassured me that I was on the right path. The first time I delivered a baby, I knew I was doing exactly what I was meant to be doing.鈥�

Continuing a mission to serve Ohio

Each year, Match Day underscores the Heritage College鈥檚 longstanding commitment to training physicians who will serve communities across Ohio and beyond鈥攑articularly in primary care fields where the need remains greatest.

鈥淎s our students take this next step, they carry forward the values of osteopathic medicine鈥攖reating the whole person, serving with empathy and improving the health of communities,鈥� Gwilym said. 鈥淲e are excited to see the impact they will make.鈥�