Nissi Eneyo, MD ’20 and Kevin Ceballos, MD ’20
“We met the evening of the White Coat Ceremony our first semester and have been together ever since!”
Carroll R. “Rudy” Smith III, MD ’13, and Silvia Pereira-Smith, MD ’12
“AUC brought two people who likely would have never met together for the first time. We first met under the bright fluorescent lights of the anatomy lab, but it wasn't until the 5th semester party that we really hit it off!
While in SXM, we loved going to Red Piano, ESPN sports bar, and the Westin for dates. While at NUMC for clinicals, we would often take the train into the city to see shows/try different restaurants.”
Jeff Howland, MD ’15 and Whitney Vedella, MD ’15
“Whitney and I met on campus during her first semester and my second semester. I was one of the tutors for MCB and we met during our tutoring sessions. Sparks flew when we met and continued through clinicals. Our first date was at Skip Jacks in the island, we did our rotations together in New York, and I proposed to Whitney in Paris when she was doing clerkships in England.” The two were married at Dreams Beach Bar on the French side of the island."
Justin Becker, MD ’21 and Heather Langner, MD ’21
“Our first day of medical school was spent going through Hurricane Irma but we didn’t actually meet until we got to Preston, where we wound up living in adjacent buildings at Trinity Hall. The 90s room at Switch in Preston was definitely instrumental in our relationship, and we also took a post midterm trip to Edinburgh in our first semester. We returned about two years later and that’s when I asked her to marry me! Wedding is set for May right between Match and Graduation!”
Brandie LaSala (Baker), MD ’10, and Greg LaSala, MD ’10
“I was a semester ahead and the tutor for pathology. Greg took me out to dinner in St. Martin on my 23rd birthday (13 years ago), and we've been together ever since!”
Melinda Wang, MD ’20, and Andrew Talon, MD ’19
Melinda and Andrew first met on the island, but Andrew was a year ahead. She was studying for a final exam in Building 2, and he gave her some words of encouragement. They became friends and stayed in touch after he left the island. They reunited in person during rotations in Bakersfield, California, and started officially dating. Andrew matched into his #1 internal medicine program and Melinda matched there the year after. This year, he officially proposed!
Hailey Tarleton, MD ’18 and Christopher Yaslik, MD ’18
“We met and started dating our first semester in St. Maarten. From studying in the auditorium, taking study breaks/walks, and beach/island hopping on the weekends... we were pretty inseparable from day one. We scheduled all of our clinical rotations together. We got engaged over Niagara Falls on Easter weekend in 2017 while we were living in Michigan for our 3rd year. We got married and graduated medical school for the following year just before couples matching into my hometown program at Baton Rouge General. We graduate from residency in a few months and just recently signed to stay on as hospitalists at our current hospital.”
Nicole DiTommaso, Class of 2022, and Christopher Logan Taylor, Class of 2022
“We met in anatomy lab where Logan was one of our TAs. Later, we became head TAs together and the rest is history! We are finished up on the island and studied for Step together, and we’re currently in our rotations in the Bronx. Last weekend he proposed – AUC brought us together and we are so grateful!
Nicole Woodel Shoener, MD ’16, and Austin Shoener, MD ’17
“Austin is from Florida and I am from California – without AUC, we never would have found one another. I was the head teaching assistant for the anatomy dry lab, which is where we met. We joke with our friends and family saying we met over a dead body. Ever since December 2013, we have been inseparable. We have become each other’s travel buddy and have seen much of the world thanks to AUC!”
Faraz Rahman, MD ’21 and Udanie Hewapathirana, MD ’21
“We first became close during and after Hurricane Irma. In the corner of the Aud, we huddled with our group of 8 friends ("Aud corner crew") through the storm. Fast forward a few weeks, and our group reunited in Preston, UK. During that semester, our group held each other up, kept each other accountable, and studied hard. At the end of 4th semester, we were the only two of our group who remained in the UK. In a lot of ways, it seemed like we were put together. We handled every other challenge that came our way.”
Amy Jaeger, MD ’14, and Jonathan Ernst, MD ’14
“We met on the first day of medical school; just a girl from Canada and a Wisconsin boy. He asked me to join his team for the weekend volleyball tournament and we have been inseparable ever since. We got married in 2014 on St. Maarten during our time there for graduation!”
Krystal Baker, MD ’10, and Zach Baker, MD ’09
“We met at my first semester White Coat party. We hit it off immediately, and the next week he walked into the Anatomy lab as the head TA. Needless to say, he spent a lot of time helping with dissections at my table all semester!”
Alyssa Pagliere Osan, MD ’14 and Christopher Osan, MD ’14
“We met on the island in 2010. Started dating/studying together May 2011, engaged after taking Step 1 March 2012, married after surgery rotation October 2013, first child born last year of residency October 2016!”
Savreet Kaur, MD ’14, and Chukwudi Mbagwu, MD ’14
“We met during orientation week. He held the door open for me, we walked together, we realized we were staying close to each other in the dorms and that we were both California kids. We exchanged phone numbers to get a class together as soon as possible. From there on, we had all our classes together, did residency in the same state and married, now 10 years into our relationship with 1 baby!”
Amanda M. Stahl, MD ’07, and Ryan M. Walker, MD ’07
“We spotted each other at the White Coat Ceremony in September 2002, finally spoke to each other at our first AMSA meeting, and the rest is history. We got engaged on July 16th, 2003 at the Cliffhanger restaurant by the water. We picked a wedding date of the 22nd because Ryan was born on 2/22, and I was born AT 2:22pm. It was meant to be! We have had countless adventures together for the past 19 years.”
Patrick Bonilla, MD ’18 and Austin McEvoy, MD ’19
“We met while Austin was going through her 3rd year clinical rotations and I was doing my OB/GYN Sub-I. Although we were on the island at the same time, we never got a chance to meet. As we got to know each other, there was an instant connection. We were ready for a relationship apart from each other due to the uncertainty of where we would match, but fate allowed us to match in the same institution as future obstetrician gynecologists. It’s a blessing to go through residency with the person you love. 3 years together and many more to come.”
Aleesa Fedt, MD ’18, and James Abdo, MD ’18
"On our way to begin school, we actually sat across from each other on the plane from Charlotte to Sint Maarten. Through AUC we were able to get clinical rotations together and successfully couples match together at our top choice program close to home. In May, six years after meeting, we will be getting married!"
Margaret (Maggie) Steiner Grillo, MD ’17, and Matthew Grillo, MD ’16
"Matt and I met on the island, but didn’t start dating until we were doing clinical rotations in New York. We got married in 2019 surrounded by many friends from AUC. We now live in New York with our SXM rescue dog, named Mullet, and have a baby on the way!"
