Meet three AUC grads and first-year residents who, after going international for medical school, have returned to practice in or near their hometown.
Joshua Brougher, MD ‘16
Hometown: Columbus, IN
Residency: Family Medicine, St. Vincent Hospital – Indianapolis
It’s easy to see why Josh Brougher, MD ’16, describes himself as a “nontraditional” med student: Before coming to AUC, he had worked in finance, served as a Spanish interpreter, and taken on a managerial role at a plastics manufacturer. Moving to Sint Maarten and attending AUC was a new kind of adventure for Dr. Brougher. During his clinical rotations, he enjoyed having the opportunity to experience health care in different regions, including New York, Washington D.C., and his own hometown in Indiana. His favorite? Indiana, hands down.
“I feel blessed to have traveled to many different parts of the world, but Indiana has always been home for me,” said Dr. Brougher. Having matched into a family medicine residency at St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis—just over an hour from his hometown of Columbus—he’s happy to still be part of the close-knit community where he grew up. “Hoosier hospitality is alive and well!”
Sharika Kumar, MD ‘16
Hometown: Dallas, TX
Residency: Family Medicine, University of Texas – Southwestern (Dallas)
Born and raised in Dallas, Sharika Kumar, MD ‘16 was excited to match into UT Southwestern’s family medicine residency, not only for the program’s strong reputation, but also for its proximity to home.
When Dr. Kumar moved to Sint Maarten to begin medical school, it was the first time she had lived outside of Dallas. The prospect was a little daunting, but she was drawn to AUC’s smaller class sizes and the developed island location. During her clinical rotations, she took the opportunity to do a surgery rotation in London and was able to take weekend trips to Edinborough, Amsterdam and other destinations. But Dr. Kumar’s most memorable experience from AUC has been the friendships she made—which have stood the test of time and distance.
“Even though we’re all doing residencies in different states, we still talk daily and make time to see each other,” Dr. Kumar said. “That bond will be there forever.”
Brandon Vick, MD ‘16
Hometown: Van Buren, AR
Residency: Family Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Regional Programs – Fort Smith, AR
Back when Brandon Vick, MD ‘16 was shadowing physicians and starting med school applications, he happened to meet an AUC alumna at UAMS Fort Smith, who recommended that he consider AUC. Five years later, Dr. Vick is back in that very same hospital, achieving his goal of completing his family medicine residency back home.
His return home comes after a whirlwind of clinical rotations: psychiatry in Louisiana, family medicine in Montana, wilderness medicine in Virginia, and 10 months at Epsom Hospital near London, to name a few.
“I loved it—I got exposed to so many different perspectives on medicine across the U.S. and the U.K.,” said Dr. Vick. “But out of all those places, I didn’t find a single place that I liked as much as home. I’m really fortunate that my hometown has a family medicine residency and that I was able to earn a position there. It all worked out perfectly.”
