Andrew Dunbar, a fourth-year medical student at the UK College of Medicine-Lexington Campus, is looking forward to his future career in pediatrics. After Match Day this year, he is also looking forward to completing residency in the same city as his fiancé, Alex Voelker, a fourth-year student at the college’s Northern Kentucky Campus.
Despite the distance between them, two medical students found their match at the UK College of Medicine—in more ways than one.
The couple met during their first year on campus when Dunbar’s longtime friend, who is also a medical student at the Northern Kentucky Campus, hosted a Halloween party for his classmates and invited Dunbar to tag along.
“We talked all night in the tiny kitchen of that apartment and exchanged numbers the next day. We haven't gone a day without talking since,” shared Voelker.
After three years of living in separate cities, Dunbar and Voelker have matched together at the University of Louisville School of Medicine. The couple matched into pediatrics and child neurology, respectively.
“I matched pediatrics because I love the teaching aspect of it, helping patients and their parents learn,” shared Dunbar. “I love the energy that working with kids gives me and can't wait to gain even more skills and knowledge to change kids and parents alike for the better."
Voelker shares that sentiment, noting “I am looking forward to being able to work in pediatrics full time, getting married and starting a family, and just continuing to learn and grow as a person.”
Match Day was celebrated on March 15, 2024, across all four UK College of Medicine campuses: Bowling Green, Lexington, Morehead, and Northern Kentucky. 192 students entered some type of match, with nearly 40% of the class remaining in Kentucky to Kentucky their training. Read more about Match Day 2024 here.