Four students from the MD Class of 2025 learn where they will be headed for residency training after a successful Military Match

WMed Military Match - MD Class of 2025
The four students from the MD Class of 2025 who took part in the Military Match were, from left to right, Campbell Brown, Logan Spooner, Greg Olsen, and Niko Nickson.

When the call came on the afternoon of December 11, a smile stretched across M4 Campbell Brown’s face as he gathered his family near him so they could hear the voice – and the news – on the other end of the line.

And then, after he learned where he would be headed for his residency training with the U.S. Army, Brown and his girlfriend, Britney Ratliff, embraced and smiles and the sounds of cheers filled the café at the W.E. Upjohn M.D. Campus.

“My heart skipped a beat,” said Brown, who was one of four students from the MD Class of 2025 to take part in the Military Match on December 11, 2024. “Every emotion that could have gone through me happened in that instant. It was a cool experience.”

Brown, along with his classmates Niko Nickson, Greg Olsen, and Logan Spooner, participated in the Military Match on December 11. The four students represent the largest cohort from any WMed class to be a part of the Military Match, which is held a whole three months before the traditional Match Day for other fourth-year medical students.

Brown, whose father and grandfather both served in the U.S. Army, matched into his top choice – Emergency Medicine at Madigan Army Medical Center in Fort Lewis, Washington.

A Michigan native and alumnus of Central Michigan University, Brown said he is looking forward to the next step he will take as a young and aspiring physician, excited to explore another part of the country and for the opportunity to be a part of a top-notch program for the next three years.

M4 Campbell Brown at Military Match Day - December 11, 2024
M4 Campbell Brown celebrated with his girlfriend and mother, as well as his fellow classmates and WMed faculty and staff on December 11, 2024, at the W.E. Upjohn M.D. Campus after he learned he had matched into Emergency Medicine with the U.S. Army at Madigan Army Medical Center.

“This is what I want to do,” Brown said. “I really wanted to serve my country in some way at some point and this really felt like the best way to do it.”

Brown, Nickson, Olsen, and Spooner are each recipients of scholarships from the F. Edward Hébert Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship Program and currently hold the rank of second lieutenant in their respective branches. The scholarships cover medical school tuition and fees, and provide a monthly living stipend.

Like Brown, Nickson’s father and grandfather served in the Army. When he graduates from WMed in May, Nickson will begin his residency training in Pediatrics with the U.S. Air Force and the San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium (SAUSHEC) at Joint Base San Antonio in Texas, which was his top choice in the Military Match.

“I’ve always had a lot of respect for what our service members do and the sacrifices they make to serve our country,” said Nickson, a Michigan native and alumnus of Kalamazoo College. “I’m excited to have this opportunity to serve my country and pursue a career in medicine. It’s a really good fit for me.”

Nickson said he’s excited about the opportunities that await him in the Air Force, including the chance to be a part of missions with the Air Force’s Critical Care Air Transport Teams (CCATT). He’s also hopeful that after his three years of residency training, he will get the chance to complete a pediatric critical care fellowship.

MD Class of 2025 Military Match Day - December 11, 2024
WMed held a special event in the cafe at the W.E. Upjohn M.D. Campus on December 11, 2024, for the four students from the MD Class of 2025 who took part in the Military Match.

“This summer, I really got the sense that the residency is close-knit and like a family,” Nickson said. “It’s just really exciting and it feels good to be able to maintain those relationships and in a couple of months I’ll get to join a program I really wanted to join.”

Meanwhile, Spooner matched into Pediatrics with the U.S. Army and, like Brown, will be headed to Madigan Army Medical Center. Olsen matched into his top choice – Internal Medicine with the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson Medical Center in Dayton, Ohio.

“Pure elation,” Olsen said of his reaction when he received the news about where he will be headed after his time at WMed. “It was hard to describe and there was this huge relief and huge excitement. I was thrilled.”

As an undergraduate student, Olsen was a member of the ROTC program at Michigan State University. It was during that time in East Lansing that he applied for – and was awarded – a HPSP scholarship.

Originally, Olsen said he hoped to complete his residency training in Emergency Medicine but that changed as he fell in love with Internal Medicine during his time in Kalamazoo.

“I think it’s the integration of all parts of medicine,” he said of the specialty. “You get the broadest view of the physiology and biology and you get to apply it to your patients. It’s a perfect balance of cerebral synergistic medicine and interpersonal relationships.”

Like his classmates, Olsen said he is excited for what awaits him in his residency training with the military.

“I love the people and I love the program,” said Olsen, a native of Coloma, Michigan. “The culture is one of mutual respect and collaboration and the training is nothing short of prolific.”