MATCH: Ross Graduate Seizes Opportunity with Open Arms

Atul Bali, MD (Ross ’16) said that when Ross University School of Medicine offered him a spot he “seized the opportunity with open arms.” Dr. Bali, 25, has now obtained a residency in Internal Medicine. On Friday, March 17 he will learn where he matched. He received 33 offers for interviews, accepted 18 of those offers, and then ultimately ranked 15 programs.
Why did he choose Ross? He related that, “The program at Ross is one which I was familiar with having known several close family friends that graduated from the school.” As an undergraduate at the University of California, Irvine, he was a collegiate athlete and as a consequence, he said his GPA “was just a tad bit lower than required for acceptance into a US MD program.”

A native of Modesto, in Northern California, Dr. Bali is interested in cardiology, a fellowship of Internal Medicine. “I'm interested in cardiology, with further subspecialty training in interventional cardiology with a specific interest in structural heart disease interventions,” he said. “I find that specialties that are fundamentally rooted in physiology appeal to me greatly,” he said. “Furthermore, cardiac diagnoses can be quickly made from a physical exam which is considered to be a dying art in modern medicine. I really enjoy that cardiology still has strong foundations with the physical exam. Lastly cardiology is the only field where the practitioner admits his or her own patient, interprets the radiology themselves and if need be, the cardiologist can perform minimally invasive yet life-saving procedures. It’s a beautiful union of all aspects of medicine. ”

About his time spent on the Dominica campus Dr. Bali said, “I found it to be a brilliant experience and am planning a trip back soon. It was wonderful. I could not have chosen a more serene and simple location to begin my medical career. There were no distractions and one can completely immerse oneself in studies and the purity of nature.” He noted that, “The Salybia Mission Project was a big part of my experience on island. I have always been one for public service and to be able to give back to the indigenous folk who so graciously accepted us as part of the Dominican community was very fulfilling.”