Acceptance letters into competitive ophthalmology residency programs were a welcome sight for four T.H. Chan School of Medicine students. Sean Teebagy matched at UMass Chan Medical School; Jessica Eskander at Brown University; Sean Doherty at Albany Medical College; and Evan Bilsbury at New York Eye & Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai.
Born and raised in Central Massachusetts, Teebagy earned his degree in psychology at the College of the Holy Cross. He’s looking forward to treating local patients with a global perspective.
“I feel very fortunate to be staying home at UMass ophthalmology,” said Teebagy. “I chose UMass Chan because it is a relatively new program that needs resident input to continue its mission of caring for the people of Worcester County. For me, medicine is the blend of science, technology and empathy to help individuals access their life. Improving vision allows me to fully practice each aspect of medicine.”
Eskander is a Coptic American who has lived in Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. A Brown University graduate, she’s excited to return to her alma mater for residency.
“My fiancé and I are ‘couples coordinating’ because a formal couples match wasn’t possible with our separate match systems,” said Eskander. “We met at Brown during my last year of undergrad and his first year of medical school, so Brown holds extra special meaning to us.”
Eskander became interested in medicine while serving as an Arabic interpreter for her grandfather during a urology appointment. She later shadowed an ophthalmologist.
“I’m blessed and humbled to match to my ophthalmology residency,” she said. “My hope as an ophthalmologist is to take care of my patients’ vision with humility, skill and compassion.”
Doherty grew up in Mansfield and studied psychology with a concentration in neuroscience at UMass Amherst. His interest in medicine was inspired by his mother, a pediatric nurse.
“I feel fortunate to have matched at Albany Medical College for residency and I can’t wait to start the next chapter in my training,” said Doherty. “I was very impressed by the clinical and surgical training provided at AMC, and my wife Helen and I are happy to be able to live close to family.”
Doherty recalls shadowing a retina specialist more than a decade ago and falling in love with ophthalmology.
“I look forward to a career in this rapidly advancing field, helping to preserve people’s sight,” he said.
Hailing from Bel Air, Maryland, Bilsbury gained his first clinical experience as a medical scribe on the Upper West Side of New York, which affirmed his passion for medicine. He studied biology and psychology with a minor in chemistry at Penn State University.
“Matching in New York—the same city where I had my first clinical experience—feels like coming full circle,” said Bilsbury. “New York Eye & Ear was my number one choice and it’s in the city where my wife Marina lives.”
Bilsbury added, “Ophthalmology fascinates me because it combines intricate surgical skills and engaging physical exam with the forefront of technological advancements in medicine. The ability to restore or improve vision offers a tangible and profound benefit to patients' quality of life.”Graduating medical students taking part in the National Resident Matching Program learn where they will begin their medical careers on March 15, on what is known as Match Day.
UMass Chan will livestream its Match Day program on YouTube and Facebook beginning at 11:15 a.m.
