The wait is almost over for the medical students who will soon graduate from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Matching is a rite of passage for graduating medical students- who will advance to a three- to seven-year residency program, getting hands-on experience in a specific discipline.

Meet some of our outstanding medical students as they eagerly await news of where they will match:

Sabah Khan

Where is your hometown?

Baltimore, Md.

What made you want to enter into the medical field?

Through shadowing and research opportunities in undergrad, I gained an appreciation for how personal life challenges — ranging from finances and relationships to addiction and mental health — can manifest themselves as physiologic health complaints, particularly among the underserved inner-city population. It was then that I knew I wanted to take a leading role in helping others take control of their health, and I wanted to do this through a holistic approach by understanding both the pathophysiology and social determinants of disease.

Why did you choose the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine?

I chose Johns Hopkins for the opportunity to train in a world-renowned academic medical center located in a socioeconomically and clinically diverse city that I call home. I completed a year of research at Hopkins between undergrad and med school, and the medical students and faculty I met during that year made me confident that not only would I have the opportunity to learn from leading faculty members and truly selfless mentors, but I would also be able to serve the community that has continued to serve me and my family.

What is your focus area of study?

Family medicine, with a specific interest in promoting health literacy.

What has been your best/most memorable experience while at Hopkins?

I had the opportunity to be a part of the first Client Policy Town Hall meeting at Health Care for the Homeless through an advocacy experience during one of my rotations.

What would you most like to be remembered for?

I’d like to be remembered for being the first of any generation on both sides of my family to pursue medicine. As a first-generation college student and as the first female in my family to enter an academic profession, I hope to be remembered for setting a new tradition of pursuing your academic goals and for fulfilling my parents’ sacrifices of immigrating to this country to provide us with greater opportunities to reach our potential.

What are your plans for the future?

I intend to pursue a career in primary care and fulfill my passion for disease prevention and management through meaningful, long-term relationships with a clinically and demographically diverse patient population. I envision myself fulfilling a leadership role as a clinician and educator both by empowering my patients with the information and resources they need to optimize health outcomes, and by serving as a mentor to future pre-med and medical students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds who may be questioning their abilities to achieve their goals. Additionally, I hope to use my platform as a future family physician to advocate for the importance of adequate primary care education and clinical experiences in the medical school curriculum.

Tell us something interesting about yourself that makes you unique.

Since Baltimore is my hometown, I have lived at home with my family of six all throughout undergrad and medical school. As the eldest with three younger brothers who are huge sports fans, there was never a dull moment while studying. One of my brothers is also now in med school at the University of Maryland, so the both of us commute from home to our respective schools in the city. I also held a side job as a substitute teacher for Baltimore County Public Schools while in med school. Through substitute teaching, I have had the opportunity to work with children from all backgrounds, including students requiring Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), 504 plans and behavioral management support. Interestingly enough, I got to stand on the other side of the classroom as a substitute for one of my own elementary school teachers!

Sabah Matched at Overlook Hospital-NJ.

JP Senter

Where is your hometown?

My hometown is Fort Worth, Texas. 

What made you want to enter into the medical field?
I come from a family of doctors and nurses, and ironically, I did not want to join the medical field for a long time. I wanted to be different. However, I was inevitably drawn to the stories that my parents told and the relationships they built with their patients, as well as the captivating science of anatomy and physiology. On the one hand, I love learning the science of medicine, but on the other hand, I find that helping others and serving them in their greatest moments of need is the most fascinating part of this profession. I could not imagine doing anything else. 

Why did you choose the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine?
I loved the people that I met when I was initially visiting the campus, and my classmates have since become some of my most treasured friends. I also knew that the clinical training here would be unparalleled, and looking back now, I have been so rewarded by the level of training and education I have received from some of the most stellar professors and physicians. I also love Baltimore, and this charming city has certainly become a familiar friend over the past several years that I have been here. Charm City will forever be a home to me. 

What is your focus area of study?
I am going into pediatrics, with a plan to pursue fellowship training in a pediatric subspecialty after residency. 

What has been your best/most memorable experience while at Hopkins?
After being in Baltimore for six years now, I have much to be thankful for. One of my most memorable experiences has been working with the local Latinx population in Baltimore. I volunteered as an English as a Second Language (ESL) tutor during my first two years of medical school, and during my M.P.H. year I spent a significant amount of time studying the immigrant adolescent population in the city. I also obtained certification to be a Spanish-language provider in the hospital, and my most cherished memories on the wards have been communicating with and helping those patients for whom I am the only available Spanish-speaking provider. From newborns to great-grandparents, from appendicitis to zoonotic infections, I feel so fortunate to have worked with these patients and to have served as a vital conduit of communication between them and the rest of the team.  

What would you most like to be remembered for?
My creativity and my kindness. These are the two characteristics I work hardest to cultivate, and they have certainly helped maintain my resilience throughout the ups and downs of medical school.

What are your plans for the future?
As I mentioned above, I would like to pursue fellowship training in a pediatric subspecialty after residency. I have not yet decided what field, but my research interests are in public and school-based health approaches to children with chronic health conditions and special health care needs, with an interest in special populations such as immigrants and refugees. Other future goals I have: visit all 50 states and all seven continents, learn American Sign Language, swim with whale sharks, go skydiving, take up pottery, run a half-marathon and publish a novel. If I could do just one of those, I would be happy.

Tell us something interesting about yourself that makes you unique. 
I love the creative arts, and I am passionate about photography and poetry. As a second year medical student, I spent a year composing a photography and poetry performance that showcased the experience of patients in oncology and reconstructive surgery units throughout the hospital. The final piece was displayed and performed at the medical school in front of a large audience and is perhaps one of my proudest achievements of medical school. I hope to continue work like this in the future, using photography and creative writing to tell stories about patients in unique and nontraditional ways. 

JP matched at Childrens Hospital-Philadelphia-PA.