Army 2nd Lt. Lauren Merchant remembers beginning her first year as a student doctor at the Campbell University Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine (CUSOM).
Almost four years ago, she says, thinking back. Her words tinged with a sense of disbelief.
Merchant remembers thinking about her career as a military doctor and about earning a promotion to captain. She, too, thought a lot about her medical residency, the next step on a long journey.
About Military Match Day, which this year came Dec. 10.
Merchant will join eight of her military classmates who begin their residencies after graduating this coming spring as osteopathic physicians.
“Medical students dream of this day (Military Match Day), as it is one of the most pivotal moments in our medical career,” Merchant says. “I cannot believe this day has finally come. I feel like it was just yesterday that I was starting my first year at Campbell.”
Civilian student doctors learn their residency placement through the National Resident Matching Program in a universal “Match Day” event, which is March 20, 2026.
Already part of the Health Professions Scholarship Program, applicants for a military residency apply to specific locations and rank their desired specialties. While in med school, student doctors complete military “audition rotations,” and their performance factors into a decision by Joint Service Graduate Medical Education Selection Board, which releases results in December, according to thedo.osteopathic.org
Campbell and its military neighbors have a strong bond.
“The faculty at CUSOM are well aware of our proximity to military communities, trainees and families, said Dr. Amanda Baright, chair of Surgery and interim assistant dean of Postgraduate Affairs.
“It’s not just our students, but also their spouses or relatives who have served our country through military service.
“We are honored to be a part of their early training in medical school, and each of our nine students who have matched into military training have worked hard,” Baright says. “From admissions to graduation, I believe CUSOM is one of the most supportive medical schools for future military physicians, and we are so proud of our military graduates.”
Dr. David L. Tolentino too, is quite proud of Campbell’s osteopathic medical students who choose military medicine.
“Their decision speaks to a remarkable sense of duty — not only to their future patients but to serving our nation,” says Tolentino, interim CUSOM dean and chief academic officer.
“Watching them grow into compassionate, skilled osteopathic physicians while preparing to serve those who serve us is nothing short of inspiring,” he says. “They represent the best of CUSOM’s mission, and I am honored to support them as they start to enter this next chapter of service and care.”
Merchant will serve her three-year residency in Internal Medicine at Womack Army Medical Center on Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, her first choice.
“I am grateful that Campbell prepared me so well and has supported me throughout my four years of medical school,” Merchant says. “I am now looking forward to our military graduation on May 6, where I will be promoted from second lieutenant to captain. I am so honored to help the soldiers and families of the United States Army through my medical training. I know I made the best decision for my career.”
Navy Ensign Jennifer Vasquez, who will be promoted to lieutenant before her residency, matched into Obstetrics and Gynecology with the U.S. Navy at Naval Medical Center, San Diego, her top choice.
“I am especially excited to begin residency in San Diego, a vibrant and diverse area, and to train at NMC San Diego alongside a mission-driven community of physicians and trainees,” Vasquez says. “I look forward to training in an environment that emphasizes teamwork, leadership and service while caring for military members and their families.”
Vasquez says CUSOM’s strong clinical foundation, early hands-on learning and emphasis on whole-person care prepared her well. The med school, she says, fostered professionalism, adaptability and teamwork.
“Through my clinical rotations, I learned how to function effectively in fast-paced clinical settings and how to care for patients with compassion and cultural humility,” she says. “These experiences closely align with the values of military medicine and have given me confidence as I transition into residency.”
Air Force 2nd Lt. Christina Hardin will leave North Carolina for Nebraska, matching in Family Medicine at Offutt Air Force Base near Omaha, her first pick.
“I am thankful to have matched at a wonderful program that provides well-rounded training, from Pediatrics to Women’s Health to Geriatrics, and I am looking forward to working with a great team that truly cares for their patients and for each other,” Hardin says.
Her goal, Hardin says, is becoming a compassionate Family Medicine physician, who cares for servicewomen, servicemen and their families — “through the hardest days, the happiest days and everything in-between.”
“From the beginning of my commitment to joining the Air Force, CUSOM has been supportive,” she says. “The prior dean, Dr. Brian Kessler, even came to my commissioning ceremony held on the campus to share his congratulations and support.
“I am thankful to CUSOM for how they have prepared me both academically but also by providing examples of physicians who treat their patients like family.”