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McGovern Medical School Class of 2025 students are ready for Match Day

On Friday, March 21, more than 200 students at McGovern Medical School will find out where they will take the next step in their careers as physicians. (Photo by UTHealth Houston)
On Friday, March 21, more than 200 students at McGovern Medical School will find out where they will take the next step in their careers as physicians. (Photo by UTHealth Houston)

From personal tragedy to volunteer work to a classmate’s enlightening speech, they were inspired by different events onto a common pathway that will lead to a career in medicine. On Friday, March 21, these students are among more than 200 fellow classmates at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston who will take the next step during Match Day.

The fourth-year students will assemble at the medical school’s Webber Plaza to receive and simultaneously open envelopes at 11 a.m. CST. At that time, they, along with thousands of other medical students across the U.S., will discover the residency training programs to which they have been matched. The event is coordinated by the National Resident Matching Program®.

Here are some of the many faces of the Class of 2025 who will be our next generation of physicians.

Dillon Humpal
Dillon Humpal

Dillon Humpal

From a young age, Dillon was interested in medicine — his father was a physical therapist and his mother helped run his clinic. But his biggest motivation to become a doctor occurred after he was injured in a tragic plane crash that took the life of his mom and put his younger sister in a battle to survive.

When Dillon was 13, the plane carrying him and his family to a winter holiday crashed. The tragedy claimed the life of their mother, Gaby. Dillon's younger sister, Sara, was severely injured and spent the next 10 days in intensive care. Dillon, his dad, Scott, and his brother, Tad, were all treated for injuries, from spinal fractures and a broken ankle to neck pain. When stable enough to travel, the family returned to their hometown of Corpus Christi and sought care from community doctors. Ten months later, he unexpectedly lost his brother. That was when Dillon began paying attention to the field of health care.

"We were taken under the care of some really great doctors in our community that not only helped us heal physically, but emotionally as well," Dillon said. "After the crash and losing Tad, I couldn't stop thinking about ways to give back, and there's so much good that can be done in health care."

Dillon went on to attend Texas A&M University, where he studied biomedical sciences with a certificate in medical Spanish, inspired by his mom, who was from Monterrey, Mexico, and taught him Spanish as his first language. In 2021, he married his high school sweetheart, Anna, and when deciding where he wanted to go to medical school, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston just stood out.

In the future, Dillon, 26, envisions himself working as an orthopedic surgeon in his hometown of Corpus Christi, giving back to his community, and carrying on the legacy of his mother and brother through their family nonprofit, the Gaby and Tad Humpal Foundation.

Elizabeth Rodriguez
Elizabeth Rodriguez

Elizabeth Rodriguez

On the same day Elizabeth Rodriguez started high school, her father began chemotherapy for a rare cancer. She didn’t think he would be alive to attend her quinceañera, let alone watch her open the letter that will define the next several years of her life.

She witnessed her father grapple with the uncertainty of cancer, watching doctors often reduce him to a cluster of symptoms, without empathy and connection. To Elizabeth, those values became just as important as her clinical knowledge.

“I want to be a more empathetic physician than those my father had, prioritizing caring for people as human beings first,” said Elizabeth, now 27. “Ultimately, I hope to support patients with unique experiences, like my father’s experience as a young adult with cancer.”

Elizabeth’s interest in the personal, emotional reality of illness shaped her path through medical school: As an Albert Schweitzer Fellow, she watched her spina bifida patients enjoy playing wheelchair tennis. As a student on her internal medicine clerkships, she learned about holistic medicine from Carissa Huq, MD, and Karthik Bhandari, MD, who discussed nonmedical obstacles patients face during hospitalization and barriers to their successful discharge. She helped initiate McGovern Medical School’s service-learning program, which allows students to engage in community-facing service via Houston organizations addressing social drivers of health — whether that’s interacting with homeless LGBTQ youth or postpartum mothers in the hospital.

“I’m proud to expose colleagues to the diverse populations that they will serve,” Elizabeth said. “It will make them more well-rounded as physicians and human beings.”

Inside her Match Day envelope, Elizabeth hopes to see McGovern Medical School’s Internal Medicine-Pediatrics combined residency program. She aspires to eventually care for adolescents and young adults during cancer treatment and survivorship, taking a holistic approach to their care.

The first in her family to attend medical school, Elizabeth wants to pave the way for her sisters and other Latina women. Her sisters will join the rest of Elizabeth’s family, including her father, to celebrate as she matches into the next step of her life.

“I’m here,” Elizabeth said. “I made it.”

Jacob Urbina
Jacob Urbina

Jacob Urbina

When Jacob Urbina, 25, lost his right index finger nine years ago while removing debris during volunteer flood relief efforts in Palestine, Texas, he thought his life as he knew it was over. And it was. He just never expected it to lead to everything positive in his life afterward.

While the immediate effects were devastating — he couldn’t play the clarinet in his high school band in Elkhart, sign his name, or play the guitar — he made the decision to not let it hold him back.

“It was the best thing that happened to me,” he said. Jacob took up playing the bass clarinet, where he could adapt to nine fingers, and won state honors. When told his insurance company wouldn’t cover a prosthetic, he used his computer science knowledge to design and print his own.

That led to an interest in biomedical engineering and he graduated from the Cockrell School of Engineering with high honors at The University of Texas at Austin. While there, he was president of e-NABLE, a student organization that prints 3D prosthetic limbs for children free of charge. An experience with that group made Jacob realize that he wanted to do more than just make prosthetics — he wanted to treat the people who would wear them.

“I received an email from the mom of a little girl with a hand difference and she said her daughter wanted her prosthesis to be bright pink,” Jacob said. “When I gave it to her, this little 4-year-old said, “I can shake your hand now!’ Had I not gone through my amputation, this person’s life would not have been changed, at least for a brief time.”

His goal is to become a physiatrist, creating unique treatment plans for people with differences in physical function, so he is hoping to match with a physical medicine and rehabilitation residency.

The Saturday before Match Day, he married Medha Raghavendra, MA, a speech language pathologist at TIRR Memorial Hermann, where he did his student rotations. It’s one more good thing that came after becoming an amputee.

Jeffrey Mayo
Jeffrey Mayo

Jeffrey Mayo

From the moment he stepped into McGovern Medical School, Jeffrey Mayo, 32, knew he was in the right place. The rigorous academic environment and hands-on experience provided him with invaluable medical training, but it was the human side of medicine that left the deepest impression.

“More than anything, my time at McGovern has given me a deep sense of humility,” Jeffrey said. “Interacting with patients, hearing their stories, witnessing their resilience, and facing the limits of medicine have taught me to approach each encounter with gratitude.”

Outside of medicine, Jeffrey has found strength and discipline through boxing. Originally from Port Arthur, Texas, he turned to the sport as a way to connect with his new community in Houston. He later became a coach, working with young athletes in the city’s Third Ward, helping them develop skills inside and outside the ring.

“Boxing taught me that preparation is everything,” he said. “Just as training shows in the ring, preparation in medicine defines how well I care for patients. That mindset drives me to always put my best foot forward, whether in the clinic or the hospital.”

As Match Day approaches, Jeffrey embraces the uncertainty of his next destination with optimism and excitement. Whether he stays in Houston or moves to a new city, he’s ready to embark on this next chapter alongside his wife.

“Staying in Houston would keep us close to family, providing a strong support system, while moving would offer the chance to experience a new place together,” he said. “Either way, I’m excited for wherever I match.”

For Jeffrey, the next chapter of his life is unwritten, but his dedication to medicine, service, and community is certain. Whether in Houston or beyond, he is ready to step into his future — one patient, one fight, and one step at a time.

Katrina Caszatt
Katrina Caszatt

Katrina Caszatt

As a child, Katrina Caszatt remembers being asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Her answer was always the same, “A doctor.” By the time she reached high school, she enrolled in a research program that reinforced her passion for caring for others, and she knew — medicine was her calling.  

Now 25, Katrina will get to live out her dream. In a few short months she will start her family medicine residency at the Eglin Air Force Base in western Florida. Unlike their civilian counterparts, students pursuing careers in military medicine receive their assignments months ahead of time.

“I grew up in an Air Force family with pilots all around me,” she said. “I am going into family medicine, but I will eventually be a practicing flight doctor. It’s a personal passion for me and I’m super excited about it.” 

Throughout her years at McGovern Medical School, Katrina was part of the Military Medical Student Association, a program aimed at helping other military medicine students navigate both the military and medical school. She also spent time volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House Charities.

“I had a lot of incredible mentors in my life, but I owe a big thank you to my sister,” Katrina said. “My sister is a pilot in the Air Force, and she paved the way for women like me. She was my biggest mentor in life and showed me that I could do anything I wanted. I’m so thankful for my time here at McGovern. I met a lot of my best friends here and I am so excited to see where they are matching. We are bringing some great physicians to the workforce, so thank you, McGovern Medical School.”

Madeline Guy
Madeline Guy

Madeline Guy

On a Saturday morning in her junior year of high school, Madeline Guy, 26, from San Antonio, attended a speech and debate tournament that would shape her career trajectory. With a passion for science and a love of interpersonal connection, her path as a future physician was made clear.

“One of the events is called original oratory. A speech from a classmate of mine was about the shortage of bilingual physicians in the country,” Madeline said. “At that moment, I knew I wanted to become a Spanish-speaking physician.”

This newfound passion led her to Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, for her undergraduate degree, where she double-majored in Medicine, Health, and Society as well as in Spanish.

Outside the classroom, Madeline traveled abroad to the Dominican Republic on medical service trips, where she and her colleagues performed physical exams and vision assessments for children. 

After completing her undergraduate degree, Madeline decided to focus her attention on pediatrics as a student at McGovern Medical School. “I always really liked kids,” Madeline said. “Especially when addressing social determinants of health, it felt logical that the best time to intervene was, put simply, at the beginning.”

She was drawn to the acuity of an inpatient setting, especially during her critical care rotation in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). “Right now, I am quite interested in intensive care and potentially pursuing a career in PICU, but I am incredibly open to whatever career path residency training may reveal,” Madeline said.

Karla Madrigal
Karla Madrigal

Karla Madrigal

Health care and medicine have been in Karla Madrigal’s field of vision since she was a child. A graduate of The University of Texas at San Antonio, she remembers constantly traveling through the city’s medical center growing up and interacting with uninsured and underinsured patient populations through community service. 

Karla, 25, developed her passion for health care policy and legislation, along with dermatology, through her volunteer work. Now, she hopes to continue it through a dermatology residency. 

“I want to increase health care awareness and education,” she said. “I’ve met a lot of individuals that didn't really know about the field of dermatology. It’s been nice to see patients' reactions when they tell me about something that was bothering them on their skin and now know that they can see a dermatologist. There is so much opportunity for growth within the field, and we really need more physicians sitting at the legislative table to enact health care change.”

Karla was drawn to McGovern Medical School after completing a summer internship through the Summer Health Professions Education Program. She met the faculty and formed mentoring relationships with professors, including Asia Bright, PhD, who helped her study and apply to medical school. She has also served as the co-director for the Southwest region of the Latino Medical Student Association, an organization focused on scholarships, professional development, networking, and mentorship for Hispanic and Latino medical students. 

Panayiotis Kontoyiannis
Panayiotis Kontoyiannisl

Panayiotis Kontoyiannis and Camila Ayerbe

Panayiotis “Panos” Kontoyiannis, 26, is a first-generation Greek American whose father came to the U.S. for a residency in infectious diseases. Camila Ayerbe, 26, was born in Colombia and came to this country at an early age when her mother’s job with HP Inc. was transferred here.

McGovern Medical School, particularly an oncology student group, brought them together in their sophomore year and they began dating and studying together, pushing each other to be better students.

“We share a lot of the same values,” Camila said. “We’re very similar, very family-oriented, and the most important part is that he loved my dog.”

Now they have entered Match Day together as a couple with the hope that they will spend their residencies near each other, if not in the same place.

Panos was born and raised in Bellaire while Camila grew up in Klein. He decided to pursue medicine after volunteering at a camp for children with cancer and later attended Rice University, where he graduated with a degree in biochemistry and cell biology while minoring in medical humanities. She grew up translating for her father and saw firsthand the struggles immigrants can face navigating the health care system. She graduated with a degree in biochemistry from UT Austin, minoring in business.

Camila Ayerbe
Camila Ayerbe

Both said Gabriel Aisenberg, MD, professor of internal medicine, has been one of their biggest mentors during their time at McGovern Medical School. Panos also praised Mary Horton, PhD, MPH, MA, assistant professor and director of the Medical Student Research Office, as a great advocate. Camila said Mark Farnie, MD, professor of internal medicine-pediatrics, has also been an invaluable mentor for her.

Panos was drawn to the HOMES (Houston Outreach Medicine Education and Social Services) Clinic and now serves as executive director of clinic operations. The free clinic, run by student volunteers under faculty direction, serves people experiencing unstable housing in Houston.

“I got involved early and saw the disparities we have in our city, particularly as they relate to health outcomes,” said Panos, who received the Toshi Nikaidoh Service Award from the UTHealth Houston Student InterCouncil and an Albert Schweitzer Fellowship. “My goal is to match in internal medicine and to continue to work with underserved communities.”

Camila has chosen internal medicine-pediatrics for her residency. “This allows me to do both adult and pediatric medicine. I love both patient populations and because I like to work with vulnerable patients, pediatrics is best for that,” said Camila, who is in the Gold Humanism Honor Society and the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society at McGovern Medical School. 

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