Med School Sweethearts Come Full Circle, Tie the Knot at VUSM
Eskind Biomedical Library is a building that wears many hats. Beyond just a library, it’s a classroom, a gathering space, a historical archive, and a place where administrative magic happens. But EBL became something else entirely when engaged M4s Simone and Thomas Ueland asked Senior Associate Dean for Medical Student and Alumni Affairs Amy Fleming if she could legally marry them ahead of their May wedding in preparation for commencement and residency.
On Valentine’s Day, EBL turned into a wedding venue.
In the days leading up to saying “I do,’ the couple reflected on their intertwined relationship and medical school journeys, the Couples Match process, and their excitement to get married in the place where it all began.
Let’s start from the beginning! How did you meet and when?
S: We met at Shade Tree Clinic, which is our student-run free clinic. I’m in the MSTP (Medical Scientist Training Program), so I was in the first year of my PhD, and Thomas was an M1. I was the executive director of Shade Tree at the time, and Thomas was a PAP (Patient Assistance Program) volunteer, which is the role that signs our patients up for medications from pharmaceutical companies. Typically, we abbreviate this role by saying each of the letters individually, but he came into the clinic one day and said, “Hey, I’m here for pap!” And I was like, “You’re here for a what?” And that was the first time we met.
T: Essentially, I asked her for a pap smear. The rest is history!
HA! Who knew it would lead to this? So, when did you two start dating? Who asked who?
T: I would say we got to know each other more throughout the first year, obviously through Shade Tree because Simone was there all the time and I helped out as a PAP volunteer, but also through soccer. Simone was very plugged into the soccer community in Nashville, and so it was something that we were able to do together whether it was playing in adult leagues or pickup games around town.
The following summer, we made a friendly wager to see who was going to score more goals in our soccer league. I ended up winning the bet, and instead of doing the punishment, I said she could go on a date with me instead.
S: I think I let him score more goals in that game. 
Both being med students, what was it like having a partner going through the same thing you were?
T: I think it’s huge. Medical school is a transformative experience; you get to be a part of some truly special moments and meet a lot of incredible people, but it can also be demanding with limited flexibility at times. It’s so nice when your partner understands that piece, and we’re able to lift each other up when the day just doesn’t go our way. I think it also puts more importance on the time that you do have together and making sure that it really is quality time.
S: Having a partner who gets it has been so nice! Grad school and med school are both fun, but sometimes it can be really hard emotionally, mentally and physically, so it was really nice to have somebody who understood that and was always there for me at home to help me through it. Also, as Tom said, our schedules are weird, so it’s really nice to have somebody who gets that, and we make the most of the time that we have together.
But honestly, even more important than any of that is finding the right person and I am incredibly fortunate to have Thomas because he is the most kind, supportive and selfless partner. Just to give an example, when I was on my orthopedic Sub Internship (sub-I) here for a trauma, I was getting in at like 2:30 in the morning, and Tom shifted his whole schedule so that we could go to sleep and wake up at the same time because he knew that would make me happy. It’s the small things like that that make the long hours in the hospital a little easier.
Simone you applied into orthopedic surgery and Thomas you applied for general surgery. So for you two, what has the couples match process looked like?
S: Couples Match is a really unique application process, and we were very intentional about the whole thing from pretty early on. Even in terms of picking where I did my away rotations and picking what schools we were going to apply to because the signaling process changed the game. We had to be really strategic about which schools we wanted to apply to, what cities we were picking, and where we were going to want to live.
I think another part that’s been really important about the Couples Match process is just being really honest about what your priorities are. For us, it’s of the utmost importance to be in the same area, and so we made our rank list accordingly. But everybody has different priorities and different things that they have to consider, so there are almost infinite ways you can make your rank list, and it’s just a matter of sorting that out as a team.
And when looking at programs, what are those core priorities?
T: There are tons of factors that people talk about, but I think the quality of clinical training and a supportive culture were at the top for us. Simone is a rock star in the research world, so being able to support her unique academic skillset was also in play. At the end of the day, I think it’s about finding the right people. It’s going to be such a crucial time for our personal and professional growth and having co-residents or mentors that we really enjoy working alongside is huge.
S: Tom hit the nail on the head. You can become a great doctor at a lot of different places, and obviously, it’s important for us that they have good general surgery and orthopedic surgery programs, but I think when we have been making our list, what’s been equally important to us is the fit of the program. Residency is a very demanding time, so finding a program that feels like home is what we’re looking for. And along with that, it’s important to us to be able to start a family in residency, so finding programs that support that has been a priority, too.
Transitioning from one big life change to another, you two are getting married in just a few short days! How did the proposal happen? Simone, were you surprised?
T: We got engaged this past fall in between Simone’s away rotations (clinical rotations at other schools), so there was a limited time window to squeeze it in. But we went to Leiper’s Fork, which has a rural village-type feel and has been a favorite for us when we want to get out of Nashville on a day trip. We also recruited one of Simone’s good friends to be in on it with a “winery and massage” day while I was getting things set up.
S: Tom had gotten an Airbnb in this nice woodsy area and decorated it with rose petals and candles. And then out back, there were a lot of pictures and things that were meaningful to us from our relationship over the last three-and-a-half to four years. And our dogs were there!
In terms of being surprised, the interesting thing about Couples Match is that you have to have those conversations about how serious the relationship is really early on. I think we both kind of always knew that this was special and that this was going to be the path of our relationship, so I was never surprised that we were going to get engaged, I just didn’t know how it was going to happen.
I know this Friday is only legally your wedding day and you have another celebration planned in May, but the Medical Student Affairs team is obviously planning to go all out. What are you expecting?
T: I have no idea what to expect! I think it really speaks to the family-like culture that we’ve been lucky to be a part of at VUSM. Everyone is insanely busy, but they go above and beyond to look out for students here and I think this is just one example of that.
S: It’s very special to us. I’ve known Dean Fleming for a long time since I’ve been here for 6+ years, and I was also heavily involved in the AAMC, so she has been a very close mentor of mine, and it’s really meaningful to be able to have her be the one that ordains our wedding in the place where our story began.