Recent UNE COM alum appointed to board of directors of National Residency Match Program

Just two years after going through The Match, recent UNE College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNE COM) graduate Melissa Mariano, D.O. ’21, has been appointed to the board of directors for the very organization that placed her into residency. 

Mariano has been appointed to the board of the National Residency Match Program (NRMP), the organization that matches medical trainees into residencies and graduate medical education opportunities such as fellowships and other advanced training programs. 

UNE’s medical graduates have long boasted an exceptionally high match rate. In 2023, 98.2% of UNE COM graduates matched to residencies in 15 specialties, far higher than the average for allopathic medical schools (93.7%) and other osteopathic medical schools (91.6%)

Mariano is an internal medicine resident physician at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Among her various leadership roles, she has served as a site liaison for Maine General Medical Center’s Clinical Campus, where she acted as a facilitator and student ambassador between the Office of Clinical Education and then third-year students at the College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Additionally, Mariano was elected as the Class of 2021 vice president of UNE COM’s Student Government Association. In 2021, she was honored with the Sauter Award of Graduate with Distinction, sponsored by the UNE COM Dean’s Office, for her demonstrated commitment to patient compassion and care. The award recognizes a member of the senior class whom the faculty would choose to be their family physician.

Mariano is one of only three osteopaths currently sitting on the NRMP’s board — there is one senior D.O. as well as an osteopathic medical student, making her the only resident D.O. physician to hold the post. She began her two-year term on July 1. We sat down with Mariano to talk about her new role and how UNE COM prepared her for the excitement and pressures of medical residency. 

Tell us about yourself. How did you discover UNE’s College of Osteopathic Medicine?

I grew up in Asheville, North Carolina, and received my undergraduate degree from Middlebury College in Vermont, where I studied global health and the pre-medicine curriculum, but my major was actually German. I took some time away from the health sciences to focus on liberal arts. 

After graduation, I moved east to Portland, where I started working in a few research roles. I landed eventually at Maine Medical Center in a research coordinator role working in oncology clinical trials. At that time, I had a really excellent experience learning about medicine, having the opportunity to shadow physicians, and learning more about working professionally. I learned that UNE COM was just down the road, so I started by taking some online courses in anatomy and physiology and then applied to study medicine. I was very grateful and excited when I was ultimately accepted. So, three years after I graduated from college, I matriculated into UNE COM. I had some nice time to explore the world before diving into medicine.

Tell us about your residency at Mount Auburn Hospital. What does a day look like for you?

I'm now in my third year of residency, and I’m technically a senior resident, which is wonderful. It’s crazy how quickly it’s gone by! But it’s going very well. I think with residency, no matter what specialty, you're undergoing a significant challenge, so it’s a very difficult but also very rewarding experience. This program has been very nurturing for me.

In our program, we see a lot of really classic medical cases, but we are also exposed to higher-level procedures and specialty cases, as well. Having the opportunity to shadow and work with specialists has helped me become more confident in what I enjoy within medicine, which for me, is oncology. I've had the opportunity to work closely with our oncologists to do inpatient consultations and work in their clinic. I’m also exploring the role of palliative care. I find these conversations about goals of care to be particularly meaningful and rewarding.

What are your goals for the remainder of residency and beyond? 

My goal is to apply for a fellowship in hematology oncology, but I would also like to pursue advanced training in palliative care. There are new pilot programs that combine both programs into one, which I am very interested in applying for. After my third year of medical residency, I will complete a chief year. During that time, I will be applying for fellowship. I look forward to the opportunity for more dedicated teaching time, advocacy for residents, and participation in program leadership. 

Down the line, I see myself in academic medicine, but I am also interested in hospital administration. So right now, my interests remain very broad, and I'm excited to continue exploring various career paths. 

Oncology can be taxing for both patients and providers. How did UNE COM prepare you for such a heavy field of work?

One of the most valuable lessons from my UNE COM training was based on the foundational osteopathic principles: considering each patient as a whole integrated system of parts. It is so important to consider how all the physical, mental, and social aspects of a person affect health outcomes and the disease process that we're seeing. In the fields of oncology and palliative care, I appreciate that you're not only focusing on one organ system or one problem, but you’re also really thinking about the person as a whole. 

In oncology, you're thinking about a patient’s cancer process and thinking about how you can treat that, but the treatments are often variable, intense, and can have significant impacts on a patient's quality of life. It’s important to consider, “What is most important for this person?” and meeting them where they’re at by listening to their values and priorities.

Training at UNE COM provided me with a strong set of foundational skills to really take a step back and consider each patient and how they fit into their own environment and then empowering them to make the best decisions for their medical care.  

You were recently appointed to the board of directors for the National Residency Match Program. As someone who recently went through The Match, yourself, what does that mean for you?

Going through The Match is highly intimidating and stressful. Now, having the opportunity to sit at the table as an advocate for students and applicants brings me a lot of joy. Medical students and residents are well-represented on the board and are kindly referred to as the “learners.” Despite my short tenure thus far, I’ve found that our perspectives are highly valued; we are invited to speak throughout the meetings and our opinions are held in as much esteem as the senior members. 

What are some of your core responsibilities as a board member?

Our primary responsibilities are to provide oversight and strategic planning for the NRMP’s mission. The organization aims to match health care professionals to graduate medical education and advanced training programs through a process that is fair, equitable, efficient, transparent, and reliable. It also provides meaningful and accessible match data and analysis to stakeholders in the Match process. Essentially, our role is to explore new strategic goals and initiatives with the aim of improving the transition to residency and advanced medical training programs.    

You must be very excited.

Absolutely! I have felt very supported and encouraged to participate in these exciting conversations from the first meeting that I attended. Already, this has been such a rewarding experience. I’m inspired by the thoughtful commentary and genuine commitment fellow board members demonstrate to doing right by Match participants, both applicants and programs.

How did your extracurricular experiences at UNE prepare you for the work you’re doing with NRMP?

Being part of the student government at UNE really helped me gain perspective on the common issues students are facing, particularly with my own class as we endured the peak of the COVID pandemic. There were a lot of really good lessons learned at our institution that also reflected many of the concerns across the country. The leadership opportunities that I had at UNE prepared me to understand those larger concerns. Now in this role with NRMP at a national level, I feel equipped to think about more diverse student perspectives, and it’s all thanks to the opportunities I had to engage closely with classmates and UNE COM administration about creating the best opportunities and experiences for us as a class.

Is there anything else you want to say? 

I am immensely grateful for this opportunity to lean into a leadership role at the national level. I was inspired to apply for the NRMP role by my close friend and classmate, Maria Jones, D.O. ’21. Already in our first year, she was heavily involved in local and national leadership roles. Her ability to engage so enthusiastically in her various roles while learning how to become a great doctor inspired me. It’s an honor to be able to contribute to the NRMP while going through medical training and the Match process.