How to Navigate Couples Match for Residency

Apr 7, 2026 | Featured, School

Two couples who met at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Ayman Mohammad and Morgan Steelman (left), and Jiwoo Park and Daniel Kwon (right), at Match Day, March 20, 2026.

It began with a shared connection: Jiwoo Park and Daniel Kwon, students at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, met on the second day of orientation. When Ms. Park introduced herself as being from Colorado, her classmates told her she “had to meet Daniel,” who is also Korean American and from Colorado.

They learned they shared almost parallel lives: both grew up in the suburbs of Denver, and worked in biotech and pharmaceutical firms during their gap years. Ms. Park and Mr. Kwon soon started dating.

When it came to the point where they had to plan for where they wanted to do their residency training, Ms. Park and Mr. Kwon knew they wanted to match to programs that would allow them to stay together, a process informally known as Couples Match.

“The National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) Match is already a complicated algorithm, and attempting Couples Match is more complicated,” says Valerie Parkas, MD, Senior Associate Dean for Admissions and Recruitment at the Icahn School of Medicine. “The students have to put down on their rank list every possible combination of their programs. They need to think through factors that impact career decisions while considering their partner’s preferences also.”

Ms. Park and Mr. Kwon were not the only couple from the Class of 2026 navigating Couples Match. Morgan Steelman and Ayman Mohammad, too, had a romance that blossomed in medical school. They met on the first day, were in the same learning community, and quickly became close friends.

“By the spring of MS1 (first year of medical school), we were spending more time studying together on the 13th floor of the Annenberg building and playing a lot of ping pong in the student lounge,” says Mr. Mohammad. “We shared the same friend group, and it was obvious to them that we really loved each other before we even realized it ourselves!”

Valerie Parkas, MD, Senior Associate Dean for Admissions and Recruitment at the Icahn School of Medicine, speaking at Match Day on March 20, 2026, and giving the students a toast.

It was Match Day, March 20, when graduating medical students across the country learned where they would be placed for their residency. With bated breath, Ms. Park and Mr. Kwon, and Ms. Steelman and Mr. Mohammad, tore open their envelopes. Both couples were elated: Ms. Park and Mr. Kwon matched to The Mount Sinai Hospital—OB/GYN and plastic surgery, respectively—and Ms. Steelman and Mr. Mohammad to Massachusetts General Hospital—both in internal medicine.

Interestingly, the Class of 2026 saw more students participating in Couples Match than in prior years, remarks Dr. Parkas. “A constellation of factors somehow landed all these folks in one class! But we as advisors are ready to help them succeed together as partners in their next step of their medical and science careers,” she says.

What does it take to successfully navigate the NRMP Match as a couple? Dr. Parkas and the two graduating couples share their stories, tips, and advice.

Start thinking about Couples Match early

“We started thinking about couples matching together pretty early in the process, probably in the summer before residency applications were due,” says Ms. Park. “We’ve always supported each other in aiming high and chasing after our career goals, and we quickly realized that we wanted to stay close to each other throughout residency—which we anticipate will be some of the most challenging years of our medical training.”

Early communication and planning are key to both strong relationships and a successful Couples Match, says Dr. Parkas. This helps them not only decide where to apply, but also where they need to do “away electives”—fourth-year medical school clinical rotations at other institutions.

That conversation about planning looks different for every couple. “We never had a formal conversation about Couples Matching,” says Ms. Steelman. “However, we knew we wanted to be together beyond medical school and we were very upfront with the residency programs we were interested in. It was very fun to finally share with faculty that we were Couples Matching.”

A successful Couples Match might require compromises

Ideally, a successful match for couples sees both graduates placed in the same institution, or at the very least, institutions within the same city.

“We decided to apply to mostly the same programs and tried to cluster programs in big cities like New York City and Los Angeles to maximize our chances of overlapping interview invites,” say Ms. Park and Mr. Kwon.

“Even though we’re both in internal medicine, share similar values, and were looking for many of the same qualities in a program, there were still differences,” Ms. Steelman and Mr. Mohammad note. “As we moved further down our rank list, we had to seriously consider what kinds of professional compromises we might be willing to make for each other, which was not always easy.”

Ms. Park and Mr. Kwon both matched to The Mount Sinai Hospital—OB/GYN and plastic surgery, respectively. “We couldn’t be more excited!” says Mr. Kwon. “Throughout the entire application process, Mount Sinai has consistently been our number one program, and we’re both so grateful that we get to train here.”

“One piece of advice that really stayed with us came from a close friend: ‘It’s a gift to give your partner permission to put themselves first.’ That perspective helped us approach the process with more clarity and generosity,” add Ms. Steelman and Mr. Mohammad.

Applying to areas with multiple programs that are within reasonable commuting distances, strategizing where both partners will do away electives, as well as program signals (an option to express of interest in a program) will increase the chances of being near each other, says Dr. Parkas.

In addition, couples need to discuss if they’re willing to be in programs close to each other, but not in the same city, such as in New York City and Philadelphia, or Boston and Providence, she notes.

Leverage all resources at your disposal

“Your career and specialty advisors will be some of the best help you will have to navigate Couples Match,” says Dr. Parkas. At the Icahn School of Medicine, students can also seek out the Career and Professional Development leadership and the Office for Student Affairs. “The team meets with every couple together as they prepare for applying and as they rank their programs.”

Additionally, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) has good resources, and things like Google Maps, Amtrak, and airport accessibility might even factor in should couples need to be flexible about making distances work, she adds.

“Katherine T Chen, MD, MPH, Vice Chair of Education in the OB/GYN department at Mount Sinai, was such an instrumental part of our journey—we couldn’t be more thankful,” says Ms. Park. “She was there to guide us through the entire process, checking in regularly and advocating for us as much as she could. Dr. Parkas was also such a great sounding board and mentor; she checked in regularly and made sure that we felt incredibly supported.”

“The most helpful resource for us was connecting with other couples who had already gone through the process, especially those at programs we were considering,” says Mr. Mohammad. “They told us how to best advocate for each other during interviews. Our faculty made sure we were being honest with each other and ourselves about our individual and shared goals.”

Don’t stress too much

After all, just making it through medical school as a couple to get to the point of Couples Match planning is a testament to a strong relationship. Focus on what makes the relationship special, and the pieces of the puzzle will fall in place.

“I’m truly so grateful that we got to go through medical school together,” says Mr. Kwon. “It was like having a study buddy, support system, and partner in crime, all in one person. In our preclinical years, it was so nice going through each course at the same time, truly being able to study hand in hand. Once we started clinical rotations and sub-internships in our respective specialties, it was so fun and fulfilling to be able to share stories from our day with one another over dinner.”

Ms. Steelman and Mr. Mohammad matched to Massachusetts General Hospital—both in internal medicine, with Ms. Steelman in the Primary Care track. “We’re elated, honored, and grateful!” says Ms. Steelman. “MGH was our number one choice. We think it is an amazing fit for both of us.”

In her years advising students at the Icahn School of Medicine, Dr. Parkas sees a similarity on what makes medical school romances work, and ultimately successful Couples Matches. “While I’m not sure I’m an expert on romance at medical school—I met my husband when we were residents and interns together—it seems what works for med school romance is the same as what improves any other romance: kindness, communication, humor… and talk about things outside of medicine!”

“Every relationship is different, so it’s important to be honest with yourself and your partner about what you want in this next chapter,” says Ms. Steelman. “It’s also worth acknowledging that the process can be exhausting, with so many hypotheticals to consider. Even though we ultimately matched at our top choice, we’re grateful we worked through those decisions together because it made our relationship stronger.”

Sparking an Interest in Science and Medicine in Youths

Updated on Apr 3, 2026 | Community Outreach, Featured, School

Sparking an Interest in Science and Medicine in Youths

It can never be too early to get children interested in the fields of science, medicine, and health care, says Kenya Townsend, Director of the Center for Excellence in Youth Education (CEYE) at Mount Sinai. That has been the mission of the program since its founding in the 1960s: helping students in New York City prepare for careers in science, technology, engineering, and medicine (STEM).

And what better way for students to learn about what it’s like to work in research and health care than hands-on learning in an academic hospital? One recent initiative from CEYE had middle-school students from Riverdale Country School in the Bronx attend an immersive three-day program at Mount Sinai’s campus in East Harlem on Monday, March 16, where they learned what being a health care professional and researcher entails.

Eighth graders from the Riverdale Country School visiting at The Mount Sinai Hospital campus, March 16, 2026.

The event was jointly supported by the BioMedical Engineering and Imaging Institute (BMEII), part of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and by the Talent Development and Learning division of the Mount Sinai Health System.

“I was able to deepen my understanding of different aspects of medicine,” says Athena Pearson, an eighth-grade student. “It was really interesting to see actual people in the field come and teach us about their jobs and what they do.”

“I loved how many different things we were able to cover in such a short amount of time,” says Lily Lappas, also in eighth grade.

The eighth-graders donned lab coats and toured research labs, saw magnetic resonance imaging machines in action, learned to code, and more.

“Everything we’ve been learning is very relevant, about stuff that could happen in our lives, and I’ve always been interested in medicine, so I think it was really nice for me to get a little bit of background information before heading into high school,” says Lily.

Kenya Townsend, Director of the Center for Excellence in Youth Education (CEYE) at Mount Sinai (center), introducing the three-day curriculum to the students of Riverdale Country School.

Ms. Townsend and two instructors who participated in the Riverdale Country School visit share their thoughts on what motivates them to inspire young school children to have a passion for health and science.

What was teaching in this program like?

“It was a very meaningful experience,” says Yun Soung Kim, PhD, Assistant Professor of Diagnostic, Molecular and Interventional Radiology at BMEII. Dr. Kim, who participated in a CEYE program for the first time, conducted a MakerSpace session—a collaborative workspace for learning and discovery—in which students learned to measure materials, got hands-on with mixing silicone rubber, and learned to record electromyogram signals.

For Dr. Kim, meeting the students brought back memories of when he was younger and would sit in class full of questions, always asking why and what if: “Their curiosity was a powerful reminder that this mindset should not fade once you become a scientist, engineer, or educator.”

Meeting the students brought back memories of when he was younger and would sit in class full of questions, says Yun Soung Kim, PhD, Assistant Professor of Diagnostic, Molecular and Interventional Radiology at BMEII, who participated in a CEYE program for the first time.

In Dr. Kim’s session, students learned about smart patches that can record health vitals, mixed silicone rubber, and learned to record electromyogram signals.
CEYE programs provide hands on, real world training that allows youth to engage in spaces not typically accessible to high school students. The programs are credit bearing and recognized by the New York City public schools as part of the students’ science experience.

“The kids asked really great questions. Some of them answered some of my questions in a very impressive way,” says Tamiesha Frempong, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai, who has participated in CEYE programs for more than a decade. Dr. Frempong led a course on the eye, its anatomy, eye health, and diseases. “It’s always really fun.”

CEYE has evolved over its many decades. It serves more than 500 students annually and continues to grow, notes Ms. Townsend. Its programs are now credit-bearing at New York City public schools and are reflected on students’ transcripts as part of their science experience.

“Through our partners and students, we have learned that while students seek out these opportunities to shape their career trajectories, we also rely on them to share what they need—and to return and give back to the next generation of future scientists and medical professionals,” says Ms. Townsend.

What motivates you to be part of CEYE?

“One thing I often say is that once you are in CEYE, you become family,” notes Ms. Townsend. “Community has therefore been a consistent theme for us—and that matters, because strong support systems are one of the most critical factors in student success in STEM. Our students are mentored not only by Mount Sinai faculty, but also by CEYE alumni who return, eager to give back in meaningful ways.”

That mission resonates with Dr. Frempong, who adds that exposure gets students to think about health and science in ways they’ve never thought before.

The eye, for example, is something one might not learn very much about normally, says Dr. Frempong. “I actually thought it was dumb to go to medical school and become an eye doctor until I learned about ophthalmology in medical school,” she remarks. Early exposure to specialties is not only helpful for helping students think about their careers, but also helps with awareness about their health too.

“We know there are so many things about the eye that can impact diabetes, stroke, preventable blindness—they can use it to benefit themselves, their parents, their grandparents. It’s education, it’s exposure, it’s getting kids excited about medicine and the eye in particular,” says Dr. Frempong.

The mission of CEYE to inspire a future generation of doctors and scientists is what brings her back, says Tamiesha Frempong, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai, who has participated in CEYE programs for more than a decade.
Dr. Frempong taught a course on eye anatomy, eye health, and its diseases. CEYE programs are an opportunity for students to think about certain specialties they might not ordinarily be exposed to. “I actually thought it was dumb to go to medical school and become an eye doctor until I learned about ophthalmology in medical school,” she says.
Students were also introduced to other topics that would be helpful for entering STEM careers. Xueyan Mei, PhD, Assistant Professor of Diagnostic, Molecular and Interventional Radiology in the Windreich Department of Artificial Intelligence and Human Health, led an introductory coding lesson.
As the Riverdale Country School students toured the hospital campus, they got to see health care professionals in action, such as how magnetic resonance imaging works and is carried out.
Students also got to see research in action, as Abraham Teunissen, PhD, Assistant Professor of Diagnostic, Molecular and Interventional Radiology, and Instructor at the Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Institute (left), gave a tour of the labs.

For Dr. Kim, the CEYE program was an opportunity to communicate science to the broader public as a researcher. “I have always found it rewarding to share my work with people outside my field,” he says. “I was excited to see how students at that age and stage of learning would respond to the work we do in the lab. I also viewed it as a valuable opportunity to reflect on how to explain complex ideas in a way that is clear, engaging, and meaningful.”

What do you hope CEYE programs can achieve?

The Center prepares students to succeed in health, science, and other professional pathways and to contribute to a more equitable future. “Getting young people interested in STEM is an investment in our future workforce,” says Ms. Townsend. “It fosters innovation, expands opportunities for those who need them most, and helps shape students’ identities while building their confidence.”

CEYE also creates opportunities for students to network with professionals whom they can continue to connect with beyond their time in the Center’s programs.

Representation in medicine influences health outcomes, says Dr. Frempong. The more diverse groups of kids CEYE can reach, the better it bodes for the future of medicine.

Dr. Frempong (center) with the students from the Riverdale Country School.

“They’re going to be our doctors, so [in a way] I’m kind of looking out for myself,” she laughs. “I’m looking to make sure we have knowledgeable, compassionate, passionate people to take care of all of us.”

Dr. Kim hopes he can help the students see that science and engineering are not just classroom subjects but fields that can directly shape human health and patient care: “I found myself wondering whether, for some of them, this visit might become one of the moments that helps shape what they choose to study in the future,” he says.

Match Day 2026: The Next Step Toward Driving Change

Updated on Mar 31, 2026 | Featured, School

Each student at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has their own personal story about what led them to want to become doctors and researchers, but they share a common vision: to improve health care as we currently know it.

For this year’s graduating students, the next step on that journey began with Match Day, when they learned where they will be placed to continue their residency training. On Friday, March 20, 138 students gathered at 583 Park Avenue to receive their placements to training programs in 20 different specialties across the country.

“I hope to see meaningful progress in reducing disparities in access to care,” says Michelle Tran, who is graduating with an MD/PhD and will be continuing her training in internal medicine at the University of California San Diego. “Throughout my training in New York City, I’ve become more aware of the many different types of structural and social barriers that patients face.”

The outgoing class is going into prestigious programs across the nation, including those at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, and Massachusetts General Hospital, to name a few.

More than a third of the class—55 students—will advance their training at the Mount Sinai Health System.

Icahn School of Medicine Class of 2026 Top Residency Matches by Specialty

Specialty Number of Matches
Internal Medicine 34
Anesthesiology 16
Psychiatry 11
OB-GYN 9
Click to read more as three graduating students share what drove them to enter the medical profession, insights into their time at the Icahn School of Medicine, and how they envision being able to drive meaningful change in health care as doctors and researchers.

Juan Arroyave Villada

Matched to: Urology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School

What inspired you to enter the field of medicine?

My father is definitely my biggest inspiration in medicine in general. His work as a physician working with HIV patients was always something I admired. Specifically with regard to my interest in urology, my dad’s passing from kidney cancer opened my eyes to the field of urology.

Today I feel inspired to hopefully one day be able to help patients like my father through tough cancer diagnoses and be able to offer the curative solutions that can be offered at early stages.

What were your years like at the Icahn School of Medicine?

I learned that it takes a village to get through the journey, and I’m really grateful to have made it.

M3 (the third year) can be an isolating year, since you are constantly switching rotations and specialties. Dealing with that isolation can be challenging since all of your friends are also on different schedules and even in different places.

I think what helped me navigate this situation the best was being very intentional about keeping relationships going, even if it was just having a simple FaceTime with a friend or studying virtually with someone. I will miss the close relationships that I have with my friends and learning as a medical student.

What change do you hope to achieve as you progress in your medical career?

I hope to improve patient education for vulnerable communities, especially in urology, where there is still a lot of stigma for men to do their preventive screening.

“I am feeling really happy. I’m excited about this next chapter and hopeful that I can continue to grow as a physician. I’m excited to be more hands-on and hope to become a robotic surgeon one day.”

Katharine (Kat) Holmes

Matched to: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Mount Sinai

What inspired you to enter the field of medicine?

My path toward medicine was shaped by my years as a competitive fencer. Even as an athlete, I knew I wanted to eventually serve athletes the way the physicians at Mount Sinai served me, helping future generations reach their potential just as those doctors helped me reach mine.

That aspiration came into sharp focus when I was 15 and suffered my first significant injury—a sprained ankle that sidelined me for a week. That experience was my first real encounter with sports medicine, and I remember thinking: I want to be one of them. From that moment on, the goal never wavered.

What were your years like at the Icahn School of Medicine?

I started at the Icahn School of Medicine three days after I got back from the Tokyo Olympics and did not miss a beat in regard to training or competing. I then qualified for the 2024 Olympic Games during my first two years of medical school. I traveled across the country and around the world during my first two years of medical school, training between two to six hours every day while balancing my studies.

It was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. But I watched every lecture and never missed a practice or tournament. At the end of the day it really came down to organization. I would wake up every morning and ask myself, “What do I need to do today to pass the next exam and what do I need to do today to get myself ready for my next competition?” I had endless checklists, calendars, and planners. I worked on planes and took exams in between matches at World Cups.

In all honesty, I did not sleep for those two years and, looking back, qualifying for the Olympics while being in medical school seems impossible. I cannot believe that I managed to balance all of it, but somehow, I did! It took every ounce of focus, persistence, and determination that I had. But I guess when you want something badly enough, you are willing to go to any lengths to achieve them.

What change do you hope to achieve as you progress in your medical career?

I see myself contributing to change in health care, particularly at the intersection of sports medicine and research.

The U.S. Olympic Team is composed of some of the most accomplished athletes in the world, supported by world-class Olympic Training Centers, physicians, and sports scientists. Despite these incredible resources, there is still a surprising lack of research leveraging this unique environment.

This is something I’ve been especially motivated to address within fencing. As a smaller and historically under-studied sport, fencing presents a significant opportunity to better understand athlete performance, injury prevention, and training optimization. Through my own work, I’ve aimed to utilize the resources of USA Fencing and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee to contribute to this growing body of knowledge.

Looking ahead, I hope to expand this model to other similarly under-studied sports. By helping these programs more effectively use the resources available to them, we can improve athlete care, advance performance science, and ultimately support the long-term health and success of athletes across a wider range of disciplines.

“Mount Sinai has always been my dream. It’s USA Fencing’s partner hospital, so from the beginning my goal was to attend Mount Sinai for medical school, match there for residency, and hopefully continue to a Sports Medicine fellowship. I hope to one day serve as a physician for Team USA at the Olympic Games and ultimately stay on as an attending physician at Mount Sinai.”

 

Michelle Tran

Matched to: Internal Medicine on the Physician-Scientist Track Program, followed by a guaranteed Hematology/Oncology fellowship, at University of California San Diego

What inspired you to enter the field of medicine?

I was drawn to medicine through both personal experience and a deep sense of curiosity shaped by my early exposure to science. Growing up in a family where my parents and maternal grandparents were scientists and engineers, I developed a strong interest in understanding how the natural world works.

That curiosity took on a more personal meaning when my grandfather was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Watching him navigate his illness, and witnessing its impact on our family, was a formative experience that drew me toward hematology/oncology.

At the same time, my paternal family’s experience as refugees from the Vietnam War, navigating language barriers and socioeconomic challenges, deepened my awareness of the obstacles many patients face and continues to shape my commitment to caring for diverse and underserved communities.

What were your years like at the Icahn School of Medicine?

One of the most challenging aspects of my time at the Icahn School of Medicine was navigating the uncertainty inherent to research during my PhD years. There were periods when experiments didn’t work as expected or when the data were difficult to interpret, which can be discouraging when progress feels slow.

This was especially true during the early stages of the project that ultimately became my published paper in Cancer Discovery—of which I was first author—where initial findings raised more questions than answers. I overcame these challenges by leaning on mentorship and by shifting my mindset: learning to view unexpected results not as setbacks, but as opportunities to refine the question and think more deeply about biology.

Over time, this experience taught me how to sit with uncertainty, remain persistent, and trust the process. It ultimately made me a more resilient and thoughtful scientist, and it’s a perspective I will carry forward as I continue training as a physician-scientist.

Something I learned, which surprised me, was how important it became for me to stay connected to the communities I care about, even during the most demanding periods of my training. During the spike in xenophobia and anti-Asian hate during the COVID-19 pandemic, I cofounded Soar Over Hate, which evolved into a 501(c)3 nonprofit focused on combating anti-Asian hate and expanding access to safety resources for vulnerable communities.

Balancing this work alongside clinical rotations and PhD research, there were many moments where things felt uncertain or overwhelming. Staying engaged in this work grounded me and gave my training a deeper sense of purpose. That perspective continues to shape how I approach both patient care and scientific discovery.

What change do you hope to achieve as you progress in your medical career?

As I continue my training, I hope to contribute to change in health care through both clinical care and research. As a future physician-scientist in hematology/oncology, I’m particularly interested in improving how we understand and treat cancer by bridging mechanistic insights with patient care. I hope to help advance more precise and effective therapies, by addressing why patients respond differently to treatment.

I’m motivated by the opportunity to better understand why some patients respond to therapy while others do not, and to translate those insights into more effective and personalized treatments that can meaningfully improve patients’ lives.

More broadly, I hope to see meaningful progress in reducing disparities in access to care. Throughout my training in New York City, I’ve become more aware of the many different types of structural and social barriers that patients face. I hope to be part of efforts that make care more equitable, accessible, and responsive to the needs of diverse communities.

“I’m immensely grateful and excited to have matched at UC San Diego. It’s a program that strongly aligns with both my clinical and research interests, and I’m especially looking forward to returning to Southern California to be closer to my family. At the same time, it’s bittersweet to leave the Mount Sinai community, which has been such an important part of my growth over the past eight years of my MD/PhD training.”

Advancing Toward Medicine: How Mount Sinai’s MSBS Program Is Shaping a Path to a Physician-Scientist Career

Updated on Mar 31, 2026 | Featured, School

“Mount Sinai offered the opportunity to grow as both a scientist and a future physician while being part of a community deeply committed to patient care,” says Alexander Forrest, a first-year student in the Master of Science in Biomedical Science program. “And as a New Yorker at heart, it felt like the right place for me both professionally and personally.”

Alexander Forrest is a first-year student in Track 1 of the Master of Science in Biomedical Science program at the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai with a concentration in Immunology.

In this Q&A, he discusses how the mentorship, community engagement, and translational research at Mount Sinai are building the foundation for his future career as a physician-scientist.

“Mount Sinai offered the opportunity to grow as both a scientist and a future physician while being part of a community deeply committed to patient care,” he says. “And as a New Yorker at heart, it felt like the right place for me both professionally and personally.”

What is your academic and career background?

I graduated from Hunter College in 2023, where I majored in biochemistry. During my time there, my professors emphasized the importance of research in deepening our understanding of biological systems. This led me to participate in several summer research programs, where I developed both technical skills and a strong foundation in asking and answering scientific questions. I also served as a neuroscience instructor for high school seniors. I later returned to one of my summer programs as a research mentor, which deepened my interest in both science and education. After graduating, I worked as a research technician at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, studying metabolic pathways in thyroid cancer.

What first attracted you to this field?

I grew up primarily in the Caribbean, on the island of Antigua, where research and laboratory science were not always widely visible career paths. I’ve always been driven by curiosity and a desire to understand how things work. Additionally, seeing family members navigate illness motivated my interest in contributing to the development of new treatments and cures. Over time, through my experiences in research, I realized that this was something I could see myself pursuing long-term.

Why did you choose to study at Mount Sinai?

During my gap years, I was looking for an environment where I could take greater ownership of my work while also gaining more exposure to clinical care and community engagement. At the same time, I wanted to be in a place pushing forward impactful, translational research. Mount Sinai stood out as a place where all these elements intersect. It offered the opportunity to grow as both a scientist and a future physician while being part of a community deeply committed to patient care. And as a New Yorker at heart, it felt like the right place for me both professionally and personally.

Who are your mentors, and what is the focus of your research?

At Mount Sinai, I work under the mentorship of Brian Brown, PhD, alongside Alessia Baccarini, PhD, and Xiao Han, PhD. The lab environment is highly collaborative and driven by a shared commitment to tackling complex biological questions. Our research focuses on understanding how the immune system influences the proliferation and persistence of ovarian cancer, with the goal of developing therapeutic strategies to overcome immune evasion.

What has been your greatest accomplishment in the program so far?

One of my biggest accomplishments has been successfully transitioning back into an academic environment after time away from school. Beyond that, I serve as co-chair of Access to Care Team Resources within the East Harlem Health Outreach Partnership, where I help address barriers to care for patients, including transportation and food access. This work has been especially meaningful, as it allows me to directly support patients navigating the health care system. I also had the opportunity to speak with high school students about careers in science earlier this year, which was a full-circle moment given my own path.

How have the resources at Mount Sinai contributed to your success in the program?

Mount Sinai provides an incredibly supportive environment, both academically and personally. The administration has been helpful in navigating the program, and my lab has been a major source of mentorship and growth. Equally important is the sense of community among students and trainees. There’s a shared drive to succeed, but also a genuine willingness to support one another. That balance has made a big difference in my experience here.

What are your plans after you complete your MSBS?

After completing the program, I plan to apply to medical school, with a particular interest in MD/PhD programs. I hope to build on the skills I’ve developed at Mount Sinai to become a physician-scientist who can bridge patient care and research, contributing to both improved treatments and a deeper

Learn more about the Master of Science in Biomedical Science (MSBS) program

Getting a Head Start With AI at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Mar 2, 2026 | Artificial Intelligence, Featured, Research, School

Alvira Tyagi is a first-year medical student at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She was part of a research team examining the limitations of ChatGPT Health in a study, which had findings published in Nature Medicine.

Most first-year medical students spend their time mastering anatomy, memorizing biochemical pathways, and adjusting to the pace of clinical training. For Alvira Tyagi, that first year coincided with an opportunity to understand the rapid transformation in how patients seek health information with AI tools.

“In January, OpenAI launched ChatGPT Health, and I was immediately curious as to how people were using it,” she says. ChatGPT Health is a service dedicated to answering health and wellness questions, with options to connect to medical records and wellness apps.

Within weeks of launch, OpenAI reported that more than 40 million people were using ChatGPT Health daily. “In a single day, this tool was engaging far more people than many major hospital systems see annually,” Ms. Tyagi notes. And barely into her first full year of medical training, Ms. Tyagi became involved in a study to examine the reliability of such AI tools for health recommendations, under the mentorship of Ashwin Ramaswamy, MD, an instructor in the Department of Urology.

“We set out to test how well ChatGPT Health handles clinical urgency—specifically, whether it steers users with serious symptoms toward emergency care,” she says. The research team, comprising several physicians and members from Mount Sinai’s Windreich Department of AI and Human Health (AIHH), conducted a study in which they posed clinical scenarios to ChatGPT Health and gauged how it triaged them, compared to gold-standard decisions from physicians following medical society recommendations.

ChatGPT Health, launched in January 2026, is a service on ChatGPT that lets users ask questions about health and wellness. In addition to asking the chatbot questions, users can also sync wearables to it or even upload lab results and ask it to explain the results.

The team found that textbook emergencies were correctly triaged. However, more than half of true emergencies were under-triaged, and the service’s suicide crisis safety alerts were inconsistent and lacking. The full findings, in an article with Ms. Tyagi as the second author, were published as “ChatGPT Health performance in a structured test of triage recommendations” in Nature Medicine in February.

“I did not expect to be involved in AI-driven health care research so early as a student,” says Ms. Tyagi. “Being part of work that could directly impact patient outcomes has been incredibly meaningful.” Read on to learn how she began working at the intersection of AI and health care, and the importance for students to be familiar with this rapidly evolving field.

How did this research project get started?

It started with me shadowing Dr. Ramaswamy in the Urology Department. In-between surgeries, we talked about our interests in AI in health care, and I learned we had a robust department at Mount Sinai that focused on AI and research. We continued having conversations about AI in health care, and when OpenAI released ChatGPT Health, the discussions intensified. Immediately, we were texting about the implications of this tool, which coalesced into the idea of a study to examine it. The project started out with the two of us, but with the help of leadership from AIHH, and other physicians, we managed to find collaborators and were able to begin the study quickly.

What was it like being on the research project as a student?

At first, I was intimidated. I was a first-year student working alongside physicians with far more experience in AI and clinical medicine than I had. It took some time to realize that I didn’t need to match their background to contribute meaningfully. I brought a different perspective. I could think through how someone my age would realistically use a tool like ChatGPT Health—how we’d phrase questions, what we might take at face value, and where misunderstandings could happen.

That lens helped us step outside a purely clinical viewpoint. We knew we needed to move quickly. From its release, ChatGPT Health was already being widely used, and we felt a responsibility to evaluate it while people were actively using it. We completed the data collection within two weeks because we wanted to better understand its safety profile and identify any potential limitations as early as possible. Our goal was not to diminish the value of AI in health care, but to approach it thoughtfully by examining where it performs well and where caution may be warranted.

I have always enjoyed writing, whether for leisure or through my work with my undergraduate newspapers—so it naturally became a larger part of my role in the project. In addition to contributing to data collection, I took on significant responsibility for drafting and editing the manuscript. This involved many late nights and multiple rounds of revisions, but I valued that process. Given that the tool was already being widely used, it was essential that we communicate our findings clearly, accurately, and with appropriate nuance.

I was genuinely excited to be part of the project, especially as a student stepping into the world of AI research for the first time. At the same time, I felt a deep sense of responsibility. I wanted to contribute meaningfully alongside experienced researchers, and I was acutely aware that our findings could influence how people understand and use this technology. That awareness pushed us to be especially rigorous. We carefully crafted our prompts and clinical scenarios to be as comprehensive and realistic as possible.

Was it hard balancing school work and being on this project?

My school work always came first, and I was careful to keep that as my priority. Because of that, much of the research work happened in the evenings. It could be demanding at times, but I truly enjoyed it. Being part of a project that was unfolding in real time, and working alongside people who made the process engaging and collaborative, felt energizing rather than exhausting.

What also made this project so meaningful was that it never felt disconnected from my education. It was a different kind of learning: hands-on, fast-paced, and collaborative. There was constant progress and discussion, and that experience offered something you simply cannot replicate in a classroom. The structure of the medical education program at the Icahn School of Medicine also helped tremendously. The flexibility and autonomy built into our curriculum made it possible to take on a project like this while staying on track academically. In the end, it was demanding, but it resulted in work I am genuinely proud of.

Should students be thinking about AI more?

As medical students, we’re trained to understand clinical systems and patient care. It can be easy to view AI as something reserved for computer science experts and engineers, and that it’s separate from us and the work we do as clinicians. But that is becoming less and less true by the day. Patients now have direct access to AI technology, and many will go to doctor appointments having already used them to research symptoms or interpret medical information. At the same time, in our current health care system, patients may wait months to see a physician. In that gap, AI tools can function as a kind of interim resource—offering information, reassurance, or sometimes misinformation—before a patient ever steps into a clinic.

Because of this, it falls on us as future doctors to understand these AI health care technologies before patients come to see us. Understanding and discussing the AI-generated information a patient has already seen may soon become a routine part of taking a patient history. We cannot effectively counsel patients about tools they are using if we do not understand how those tools work, what their limitations are, and where they may fall short. As part of a generation of physicians training alongside these technologies, we have a responsibility not only to react to AI’s presence in medicine, but to engage with it thoughtfully and proactively.

What advice do you have for students who are interested in AI research?

For students who are not sure whether they can even get started, you absolutely can. You don’t need to be an engineer or have years of technical experience to contribute meaningfully. AI research, especially in health care, needs people who can think critically, ask good questions, and communicate clearly. Then, for those who aren’t sure how to get started, start having conversations—with classmates, professors, and doctors. A simple conversation in between patient cases is what transformed my shadowing experience at the Urology Department into this research project. There are so many talented scientists and faculty at Mount Sinai, and simply engaging with them by asking questions, sharing your interests, and expressing curiosity, can open doors.

Sometimes all it takes is one thoughtful conversation to set something much larger in motion. Being open to opportunities and willing to learn really makes a difference. I had never done AI research before this project, so stepping into it required me to get comfortable with not knowing everything. But I came to understand that AI is developing so quickly that no one has it completely figured out. Even people with years of experience are still asking questions and adjusting as the field evolves. That realization made it feel less about being an expert and more about being engaged. You don’t have to start with deep technical knowledge; you just have to be willing to listen, learn, and contribute where you can. In a space that’s changing this fast, humility and curiosity go a long way.

How An Interest in Cardiothoracic Surgery Is Shaping Caroline Tavolacci’s Path as a Surgeon-Scientist at Mount Sinai

Updated on Feb 17, 2026 | Featured, Research, School

Sooyun Caroline Tavolacci, MD, MSCR, with her mentor, Anelechi Anyanwu, MD

Sooyun Caroline Tavolacci, MD, MSCR, is a third-year PhD student in the Clinical Research Program at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and a surgeon-scientist in training. Her dissertation research focuses on heart transplantation outcomes, specifically evaluating beating heart transplantation using ex-vivo heart perfusion and its impact on donor pool expansion, under the mentorship of Anelechi Anyanwu, MD, Professor and Vice Chair, Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, and Natalia Egorova, PhD, Professor, Department of Population Health and Science.

In parallel with her doctoral training, Dr. Tavolacci works as a clinical research coordinator in the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery at The Mount Sinai Hospital, Clinical Research Office, which is led by Julie Swain, MD, Professor and Vice Chair of the Department.

Having progressed from an international master’s student to a PhD candidate and hospital employee, she reflects on five years of training marked by perseverance, balance, and growth across research, work, and life.

Her interest in medicine began early, sparked by seeing the Jarvik-7 artificial heart in a school textbook. She was fascinated by the idea of replacing a vital organ, the multidisciplinary care behind it, and the trust required between patients and surgeons.

“What I liked most during my two years of research training at the Icahn School of Medicine was that I could apply what I learned in the classroom right away in real-world settings.” -Sooyun Caroline Tavolacci, MD, MSCR

 

Cardiothoracic surgery has since become her lifelong passion. She completed six years of medical school in South Korea, followed by a cardiovascular surgery sub-internship in Brescia, Italy. After graduating from medical school, and realizing that she lacked experience in clinical research, she sought a program that bridged scientific research and clinical practice, leading her to Mount Sinai’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.

“The Icahn School of Medicine is unique as a pioneering model for a medical school grown directly from a hospital, not a university” she says. “The rich clinical environment, combined with strong multidisciplinary faculty, makes it ideal for studying clinical research.”

In 2021, in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, she entered the Master of Science in Clinical Research (MSCR) program at the Icahn School of Medicine while working on an NIH-funded study examining the serological response to the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in lung cancer patients led by Fred Hirsch, MD, PhD, Professor and Director, Center of Excellence for Thoracic Oncology, The Tisch Cancer Institute. She described this experience as firsthand exposure to bench-to-bedside translational research. Her days began in the lung cancer clinic at the Institute and ended in the Biorepository and Pathology CoRE laboratories.

“Weekly meetings involved thoracic oncologists, thoracic surgeons, pathologists, virologists, immunologists, biostatisticians, and radiologists. This multidisciplinary collaboration and exposure to different perspectives taught me how to approach team science in research,” she says.

Dr. Tavolacci completed her master’s thesis, in which she investigated the mechanisms underlying sex-based differences in immunotherapy response in lung cancer, with Dr. Hirsch and co-mentor Rajwanth Veluswamy, MD, MSCR, a former faculty member of the Icahn School of Medicine and a graduate of the MSCR program. She presented her work at national and international meetings and published her several peer-reviewed articles during her master’s program.

“What I liked most during my two years of research training at the Icahn School of Medicine was that I could apply what I learned in the classroom right away in real-world settings,” she says. “I was extremely satisfied with the coursework and the quality of education I received.”

After completing her MSCR in June 2023, she decided to continue her research education and was accepted into the PhD in Clinical Research program.

“I developed a strong interest in biostatistics during my master’s program,” she says. “My experience was primarily in thoracic oncology, with a focus on lung cancer; however, I wanted dedicated time to learn outcomes research in cardiovascular surgery.”

After her acceptance into the PhD program, she faced significant financial hardship due to a loss in her family and visa restrictions that limited her ability to secure a job at The Mount Sinai Hospital at that time.

She considered returning to South Korea or continuing her academic journey in the United States, but instead reached out for help. In recognition of her academic excellence, she received Emergency Fund support from the Office of Postdoctoral and Student Affairs at the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and continued her work-study program through Westchester Medical Center in New York State. During this time, she completed her PhD coursework and conducted heart failure and transplant outcomes research under the mentorship of Suguru Ohira, MD, PhD, Cardiac Surgeon at Hartford HealthCare. This included large database analyses using the United Network for Organ Sharing registry.

Now Dr. Tavolacci balances her dissertation research with her role as a research coordinator in the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery at Mount Sinai. She credits the Icahn School of Medicine’s hospital-based model for naturally generating research questions through close interaction with surgeons, fellows, and residents.

“The clinical exposure I gain every day as a research coordinator helps me understand why these variables scientifically matter in clinical trials and studies, and it directly shapes my academic research,” she says. “With my master’s and PhD training in clinical research, I have a strong understanding of research methodology, such as study design, logistics, objectives and hypotheses, and analysis planning. This foundation is incredibly helpful in performing my role. It is a humbling experience to care for patients and to advocate for advancements in clinical research.”

Dr. Tavolacci frequently mentors prospective international applicants, particularly those navigating funding challenges in the PhD in Clinical Research program. She receives emails and LinkedIn messages from many people interested in clinical research asking how to find a mentor, identify research topics, and secure funding.

“It is challenging, and sometimes being equivalent as an international student is not enough—you have to be better to get noticed. However, people who have been through similar processes recognize your strengths.” She strives to do the same for prospective applicants by sharing her honest journey as an international student.

Dr. Tavolacci recalls what her PhD mentor, Dr. Anyanwu, said during their first meeting: “See how far you have come.” She carries this message with her whenever she faces difficulties or setbacks, using it as a reminder to keep moving forward.

In 2026, Dr. Tavolacci will present her doctoral research at various national meetings within the cardiothoracic surgery community. Throughout her academic journey, she has learned that research comes with many practical challenges. What has been most helpful to her is maintaining concentration and focus to push projects forward and see them through to completion. What she learned the hard way is that everything takes time and effort, and that there are many failures behind every achievement in academia.

Dr. Tavolacci will complete her PhD in two years and plans to enter cardiothoracic surgery residency. Her training will allow her to practice surgery while designing and conducting clinical studies and trials. Her ultimate goal is to become a surgeon-scientist.

Learn more about the Clinical Research Education Program at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai