Congratulations to Matthew Miracle on this monumental occasion of his graduation from the University of Louisville School of Medicine! His hard work and dedication have paid off, and we are proud of all he has accomplished.

As a non-traditional medical student, Miracle overcame many challenges to reach this milestone in his life. As a former musician, he didn’t have any science-related background to speak of; the last biology class he had taken was years prior and he hadn’t had a chemistry class since high school. “I wanted to find a career where I could use some of the skills I’d gained through my experiences in business, the arts, and technology, and medicine seemed like the perfect place to do that,” said Miracle.

Switching from music to medicine was a challenge, but Miracle’s philosophy was always that if he could learn to be great at one thing, he could apply that same dedication and work ethic to become the excellent physician that his future patients deserve. Fortunately, the Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Med program at the University of Louisville is designed with career changers, like Miracle, in mind. The program guided him through the process of prerequisite coursework and applying to medical school.

Being a father of three added an extra layer of complexity to medical school but Miracle managed it with grace. During the pandemic, he had to balance his own classes with assisting his oldest in their virtual school. There were evenings during his clinical years that he had to FaceTime with his family at bedtime and then leave the house the next morning before his kids were awake. He credits his wife for being his rock during this time and getting his children involved in fun activities as much as possible.

Miracle’s advice to other non-traditional students is invaluable. “It's easy to get overwhelmed by the amount of work and information to learn but thinking of medical school as a new job helped a lot,” said Miracle. “I tried to be efficient and get my studying done during my childrens’ school day so that when they came home, I was able to put my work aside and spend the evening with my family. Time with your family is precious, so protect your weekends from work as much as you can and turn the usually boring trip to Costco into a way to get extra time with your family.”

As a medical student, Miracle had opportunities to participate in clinical activities and procedures that he would never have expected medical students could be part of and helped to push him outside of his comfort zone to become a better physician. “The faculty were some of the most invested in their students' education that I have seen in all my years of education,” said Miracle, reflecting on his time at UofL. “From the pre-clinical classroom teachers to the clinical physician faculty, I have always felt supported throughout an incredibly stressful process.”

Once again, congratulations to Matthew Miracle on his graduation from the University of Louisville School of Medicine. His achievements will undoubtedly inspire future medical students, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors. Miracle will be continuing his medical career as a resident in Family Medicine at the University of Virginia.