Justine Lazatin, DO ‘20
Where did you match?
I matched into my number one program, the Harvard South Shore Psychiatry Residency.
What factors went into selecting your residency choices?
When applying for residency, I took advantage of UNE COM’s rich alumni network and prioritized programs where UNE COM alumni have trained in the past, utilizing the “Alumni Mentors by Specialty” document that the Clinical Education department provided us. I’ve been active in the Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA) throughout my four years of medical education, so it was important to me to train within a program that recognizes and values my distinct identity as a future Osteopathic physician.
What drew you towards your particular specialty?
I enjoyed my lectures in Psychiatry as a second-year student, and supplemented these didactics with clinical experiences (accompanying Dr. Ryan Smith, DO at his outpatient clinic in Calais, ME). However, my robust clinical experiences during my third-year Psychiatry clerkship at Maine General Medical Center really solidified my specialty choice. Like most things we do in medicine, the patients are at the center of my motivations for ultimately choosing a career in Psychiatry. I view the practice of Psychiatry as a true gift: to be trusted with patients’ stories of past traumas, confessions of substance addiction kept secret even from their closest loved ones, and patients’ experiences of their own invisible realities.
Where did you set-up to learn your Match Day results? Were you able to be with any friends or family?
I celebrated my Match Day in Maine surrounded by my fiancé, immediate family, and best friend, Marissa Lown, DO, who was also in Maine completing rotations and celebrating Match Day. We projected UNE COM’s virtual celebration on the TV, which made us feel connected to the larger UNE COM community.
How nervous were you on Match Day waiting for the clock to strike 12:00 PM?
SO NERVOUS!!!!! I was refreshing my Inbox every few seconds waiting for my Match email to arrive!
What were your initial reactions when you learned your results? How did you share them?
My reactions were: disbelief, relief, and the most happiness I’ve ever felt in my life (in that order). My dad was standing next to me as I opened my results, so we read the email together silently. I remember just staring at him (once we both had mentally processed my results) for what felt like forever. He shouted, “She’s going to Harvard!” and we all toasted with champagne to celebrate the news.
What excites you about your residency program?
The Harvard South Shore philosophy is unique in that it recognizes that “graduating physicians need strong training not only in the fundamentals of Psychiatry, psychotherapy, and pharmacology, but also in research literacy, teaching skills, and leadership development.” I am most looking forward to this kind of full-spectrum (clinical, academic, and personal) growth in this next stage of my medical learning.