Alumni Spotlight: Dr. Roshan Uruthirakumar
Meet Roshan, a Trinity School of Medicine graduate who matched at his first-choice residency program in Pediatrics at Johns Hopkins Hospital. From day one, Roshan felt confident stepping into the role of a physician—thanks in large part to the strong clinical foundation and student autonomy he experienced at Trinity. Now at Hopkins, he’s not only applying those skills in a demanding pediatric oncology rotation but also embracing the culture of continuous learning, teaching, and leadership that defines the institution.
At one of the nation’s most prestigious residency programs, Roshan has already begun making his mark by mentoring medical students and contributing to the residency program’s collaborative environment. He credits Trinity for preparing him not just academically, but also for fostering the independence, initiative, and confidence that continue to guide him in one of the nation’s most respected and growth-oriented medical communities.
How well do you think Trinity prepared you for residency? I believe Trinity prepared me well for residency. While there’s always a natural challenge in transitioning from medical student to physician, I felt confident seeing patients thanks to the strong clinical experience I gained at Trinity. My residency program also eases you in—on the first day, you're essentially stepping into a role similar to that of a medical student. Even so, I felt comfortable starting in pediatric oncology and seeing my own patients, despite its highly specialized nature.
How has the transition from medical school to residency been for you? Making the transition from medical student to physician requires a major mindset shift. In the beginning, I found myself hesitating to even introduce myself as a doctor until patients asked. Fortunately, the attendings have been very supportive and allow for a good degree of autonomy. I’ll present my plan after seeing a patient, and they often respond with encouragement. It really comes down to adjusting to that new role, and I know it’ll take time and continued clinical experience to fully grow into it and build rapport.
What has been the most surprising thing about residency so far? One thing that surprised me was how much residency still feels like an extension of medical school. It’s very much an educational program, which I didn’t fully expect going in. Another aspect I hadn’t anticipated was the extent to which residents are expected to be educators. We underwent rigorous training on how to teach medical students as a core part of our role. I knew teaching was involved, but I didn’t realize how central it would be.
It’s funny looking back to my fourth year at Trinity, when I did an elective at Johns Hopkins. Electives can feel like auditions, so I was doing everything I could to stand out and impress the residents. Now, I’m on the other side, working with medical students who are in that exact position. And in many ways, I learn from them too. There’s a strong culture of teaching and learning here, which I really value. Education always comes first, even before the day-to-day clinical work—that’s a big part of why I love being at Johns Hopkins.
What’s a typical day like as a Pediatric Resident? I was initially placed on an outpatient oncology elective. I usually arrive around 7:30 AM, review the schedule, and choose the patients I want to see in the morning, typically alongside a fellow or attending. A lot of my learning comes through close interaction with senior residents and fellows, which has been incredibly helpful.
Each day begins with a morning report where we discuss interesting or complex cases. At lunchtime, we attend a conference—Johns Hopkins holds these four days a week, which is different than other programs that dedicate a half-day a week to didactics. The added bonus is that lunch is provided, and during that hour, we forward all pagers to the chief residents so we can focus. Afternoons are spent seeing more patients or handling consults.
I usually finish around 6 PM, then head home, work out, and spend some time working on Pulse, a professional networking platform for medical students and physicians that I co‑created and is currently in testing. In pediatrics, we also have a half-day each week dedicated to a continuity clinic, where we manage our own panel of patients as their primary care provider throughout all three years. Once I transition to inpatient rotations, the schedule will shift—I’ll be starting earlier and staying later.
What skills from your time at Trinity have been most useful? The clinical skills I gained while at Trinity have definitely been the most helpful. The preceptors, Dr. Lomboy and Dr. Das, were insistent on having students come up with their own plan and chart it out. There’s a lot of charting we’re doing here, so having had that experience has made me more comfortable and efficient with charting. All the attendings are also really big on having new residents come up with their plan because we’re doctors at the end of the day, so we should be thinking like one. Having those experiences and that confidence from back then has really helped me.
Being part of SGA and being involved with things like the curriculum committee at Trinity has prepared me educationally. A huge culture here is education and teaching, so being able to teach med students and co-residents is a really important aspect of being at Johns Hopkins. There are also a lot of leadership opportunities here, and we’re already thinking of quality improvement and house council, which is like SGA. I’ve felt a lot of comfort doing that because I’ve done that a lot back at Trinity. It’s allowed me to embark on what I want to at Johns Hopkins. For example, we do this shift call admitting internship where you’re handling all admissions, and we’re kind of just thrown into it. I made a document outlining all the steps one should be taking to do an admission, and I sent it to my chief residents. This is something I would’ve done at Trinity. A lot of the educational thought processes that I got at Trinity are already being applied here.
What advice would you give someone choosing a residency program now? The most important advice I’d give to anyone choosing a residency program is to really understand the culture—and choose one that resonates with you. No matter where you go, residency will be demanding. You’ll work long hours, it will be tough, and the compensation won’t reflect the effort you put in. That’s why being in a place where you genuinely connect with the culture is so important—because you’re essentially immersed in it 24/7. You want to be somewhere that supports you, not just clinically but personally and professionally.
Take Johns Hopkins, for example. Yes, it has a prestigious name, but what stood out to me wasn’t a culture of self-congratulation. Instead, I consistently heard, “This is where we need to improve.” That mindset—one of authenticity and continuous growth—really resonated with me. During orientation, a significant focus was placed on the history of Hopkins, including some of the institution’s negative impacts on the surrounding community, and what’s being done to address those issues. That level of honesty and commitment to improvement made a deep impression on me.
There’s also a strong sense of community and support here. Recently, I needed to request time off to attend my best friend’s wedding, which happens to fall during a tough period for scheduling vacation. I felt completely comfortable reaching out to my superiors, and they’ve been helping me find a solution. That kind of environment—where people look out for one another—has confirmed for me that I chose the right place.
What was your favorite thing about Trinity School of Medicine while you were attending?
That’s a tough question because there were a lot of things I appreciated about Trinity. But if I had to choose, I’d say my favorite aspect was the level of autonomy we had as students and how open the administration was to feedback and change. I’ve always had strong opinions and ideas about how things could be improved, and every time I voiced them—whether to fellow students, faculty, or even the deans—I was met with encouragement rather than resistance. That kind of openness is something I really value.
It’s also something that translates well to Hopkins. Everyone here is not only a leader in their field but also someone who’s action-oriented. Being at Hopkins as only the third IMG from Trinity has been a big confidence booster for me. It’s allowed me to earn respect and feel like I truly belong. I don’t think I would’ve had that same level of student autonomy at a Canadian medical school, and that experience helped shape me into the leader I am today—something I take very seriously.
Click here to read Roshan’s student spotlight and learn more about his medical student experience while at Trinity.
If you’re interested in learning how Trinity can support your dream of becoming a doctor, we invite you to reach out to our admissions team today! Contact us here.
