Twin residents Kyle and Kendall Lewis, MD, matched in the JPS Health Network Family Medicine Residency program. Though wearing matching clothes as kids wasn't their preference, they said this was an opportunity worth matching for.
The doctors grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana, and attended Louisiana State University. Going into medicine wasn't their initial goal, but they found a passion that fostered their commitment to helping others and mentoring young athletes.
"After graduating with our undergraduate degree, we started working at an urgent care in an area of New Orleans lacking resources. The urgent care was run by a black male physician who took us under his wing and showed us the value of practicing medicine and staying actively engaged in the community," Dr. Kendall Lewis said. "That is a big part of why I wanted to study medicine. I want to make an impact inside the hospital and clinics and be engaged in the community."
I'm proud to be a part of the JPS Family Medicine Program. To start interacting with the community and to grow as a physician excites me. It will be special, not only because my brother is here, but because the JPS model, principles, and values resonate with us so well.
JPS is known for being one of the country's best Family Medicine Residency programs, so seeing that, paired with the familiar feeling of a facility they experienced growing up, helped them decide where to continue their education.
"I chose JPS because of the patient population and the opportunity to be a life-long learner," Dr. Kyle Lewis said. “It also reminds me of a hospital back home called ‘Charity Hospital.’ It has closed down, but it was a safety-net hospital like JPS. I remember people would be so grateful for that hospital, and if you were a doctor or nurse or got your training at the hospital, you were considered a person who knew what you were doing. So, it excites me to ingrain myself into the JPS community and get an education similar to that."
Additionally, the fact that JPS offers a Sports Medicine Fellowship caught their attention. As former athletes, the twins believe that becoming sports medicine doctors will help them inspire children who share their backgrounds and emphasize the importance of representation. They want them to know that they can achieve anything they set their minds to.
"We both want to pursue sports medicine in the future," Dr. Kendall Lewis said. "In medical school, I worked with family physicians who were trained in sports medicine. Being able to work with student athletes can help establish that mentorship and expose them to people who look like them in a healthcare setting."
When they entered medical school, they didn't plan on staying together during residency because they were still trying to figure out which specialty suited them best. However, once they decided to pursue family medicine, they realized that staying together would be beneficial. Since they had found it helpful to be together during medical school, they decided to couple match and ended up at JPS on their path to becoming practicing physicians.
"It means the world to me to match at JPS with my brother because not only is he my twin, he is my best friend," Dr. Kendall Lewis said. "We've gone through this entire journey together, and to be matched in such a great program like JPS is a true blessing."
The twins are thankful for the chance to pursue their education at JPS. They aim to gain more knowledge about the patient population and contribute a fresh perspective toward patient care.
"I'm proud to be a part of the JPS Family Medicine Program," Dr. Kyle Lewis said. “To start interacting with the community and to grow as a physician excites me. It will be special, not only because my brother is here, but because the JPS model, principles, and values resonate with us so well."