Two McAllen siblings were among the 50 UTRGV School of Medicine students who found out where they will be working from across the country to begin practicing their craft, hands-on.

Patrick and Macaulay Ojeaga participated in their school’s Match Day event where students open their residency letters to find out what residency program they matched to.

The Ojeaga brothers began studying at UTRGV’s school of Medicine in 2017 and are getting ready for the next chapter of their lives.

Patrick is going into orthopedic surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, and Macaulay was matched with the University of Kansas in Missouri. 

The coronavirus pandemic only added to the challenges the brothers had to overcome to get here. 

"It was tough for us,” Macaulay said. “We were pulled from our rotations and everyone was kind of unsure with what was going to go on for the next few months so it was nice to have my brothers, my friends around and we just hung together and stuck together to get through it."

160 other medical schools across the country participated in Friday’s Match Day event. Dr. John Krouse, the dean of UTRGV's School of Medicine, said the event served as a testament to the dedication of the student's willingness to do their best for their patients.

"The students have chosen a career in which they are going to be helping people,” Krouse said. “The pandemic really taught them how to be compassionate physicians."

The Ojeaga brothers will be working with their respective regency programs for about three to five years.

Medical students, starting with college, spend about 11 to 16 years of education, including hands-on experience. Some residency programs require students to spend anytime between three to five years of hands-on experience.

Patrick Ojeaga is also currently a UT student regent, appointed by Texas Governor Greg Abbott. You can click here to learn more.