VCU news

By Grace McOmber
School of Medicine

Next week, graduating medical students across the U.S. will find out where they will begin their residency training. While most fourth-year medical students are anxiously awaiting the envelopes they’ll open on March 21, a select few already know where they’re headed this summer. 

Aspiring ophthalmologists and urologists apply to residency programs through the San Francisco Matching Program and the American Urological Association Matching Program, respectively. These systems are separate from the National Resident Matching Program and applicants get their match results in early February, nearly two months earlier than other specialties. 

Last month, these four Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine students joined the school’s students on military scholarships in knowing where they will continue their training and begin their careers as doctors.

Elizabeth Ransone, Ophthalmology 

Medicine wasn’t always the plan for Elizabeth Ransone. Having grown up with two physician parents in Mathews County, Virginia, a quaint Chesapeake Bay community, a rebellious streak initially led her away from considering medicine as a career. 

“We were always getting stopped in the grocery store. Everyone knows you when you’re a doctor in a small town,” Ransone said. “I always thought I was going to be different from my parents, but here I am now.” 

Ransone’s first career was as microbiologist, but she missed human interaction while working in the lab. In seeking a way to combine her love of science and desire to build community, Ransone reconsidered medicine, a choice she said ended up being the correct one. 

During her first year at VCU, an opportunity to shadow Evan Silverstein, M.D., a pediatric ophthalmologist at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU and associate professor in the Department of Ophthalmology, sold Ransone on pursuing the specialty. 

“Something I really appreciate about VCU is that they give their students the space to try new things and explore specialties, even before clinical rotations,” Ransone said. “I feel very prepared for residency because I was able to get so much early exposure.” 

Ransone is joining the ophthalmology residency program at Wills Eye Hospital at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. There, she is excited to learn about the different specialties within the field, with a specific interest in pediatric ophthalmology. After residency, she hopes to return to VCU and provide care to Central Virginians. 

“Vision is one of those things where if there’s an issue in childhood that doesn’t get addressed, it can really impact the rest of that person’s life,” Ransone said. “There’s a real need for ophthalmologists that can screen for those issues early on.”

William Raynor, Ophthalmology 

Sports and science have always held a special place in William Raynor’s heart. But during his first year in undergrad at North Carolina State University, he had to make a tough decision –– continue playing Division I baseball or pursue a career in medicine. 

“I was straddling these two worlds and had to make a choice, because they are both very demanding,” Raynor said. “It was an easy choice because I love medicine, but it was also a hard one because I’d played baseball my whole life. In the end, I knew that I could make a bigger impact on my community as a doctor.” 

After working closely with two pediatric vitreoretinal surgeons at Duke University during his gap years, Raynor described himself as “putting the blinders on” in his pursuit of ophthalmology.  

“Seeing these doctors shepherd families through these hard situations just shot me down the path to ophthalmology since the beginning,” Raynor said. “Other specialties were interesting, but nothing compared for me.” 

Raynor matched into the ophthalmology residency program at Prisma Health/University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia, meaning he will return to a region of the country he already knows. Originally from Benson, North Carolina, a town of approximately 4,400 people, Raynor is motivated to give back to rural communities like the one he grew up in. He hopes to open his own practice after residency and provide care to those who may otherwise not have access to it.

“There’s a lot of primary care facilities where I grew up that didn’t have access to tertiary care because of geographic barriers,” Raynor said. “I’m really hoping to fill in some of those gaps and make sure these families can get the help they need early on.”

Haniu Ren, Ophthalmology 

One word that Haniu Ren would use to describe the Class of 2025? Supportive. 

“There are some stereotypes about medical students being cutthroat and overly competitive, but I really didn’t experience that,” Ren said. “I always felt like I had someone in my corner or someone that I could reach out to. We all want the best for each other.” 

That support, Ren said, helped him get through the most demanding parts of medical school and ultimately match into the ophthalmology residency program at the UTHealth at the University of Texas Houston.  

As a lifelong city-dweller originally from Boston, Ren enjoys working with large patient populations and is excited to continue his training in a major metropolitan area. Ren particularly enjoys the cutting-edge nature of ophthalmic surgeries, like the use of lasers in retinal surgeries and minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS), two subspecialties he is considering pursuing after residency. 

“The technology is really cool to work with and amazing to see in person,” Ren said. “I think anyone that is into tech and the advancement of it should consider ophthalmology as a specialty.” 

While honing his skills and exploring what ophthalmology has to offer, Ren said he is also excited to assume the role of mentor and help guide those earlier in their medical education. He credits his interest in ophthalmology to working as an ophthalmic technician during his gap years. 

“I wouldn’t be where I am now without my mentors, and I want to pass that along to the next group of medical students,” Ren said. “It’s also a great way to keep learning, because having to teach something to someone is a test of what you know.”

Julia Smolen, Urology 

Like many medical students, Julia Smolen began her first year with little idea of what she wanted to specialize in. She already had a knack for surgery, and when she joined a lab in the Division of Urology after her first year, things began to click into place. 

“I like that I can directly impact patients,” Smolen said. “With urology, you get to spend a lot of time with patients as well. It's a good balance of surgical interventions and continuity of care.” 

For Smolen, matching into VCU’s urology residency program means beginning her career at the same institution that sparked her initial interest in the field, and joining other residents that she is looking forward to calling her peers. 

“I’m excited to transition from the student role to resident role,” Smolen said. “I've grown so much with them by my side, and they’ve just been supportive during the match process.” 

In addition to joining her friends in the residency program, Smolen said she is excited to work with a familiar patient population, hone her surgical skills and explore subspecialties over the next five years. 

“In medical school, we only really get to touch the surface of a bunch of different specialties,” Smolen said. “There are so many layers of care to learn about.”

This story was originally published on the School of Medicine’s website.