From Match Day to Marriage: Two Medical Students Build a Life Together at the College of Medicine – Phoenix

When Adina Greene, MD arrived at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix, she already knew medicine was her calling. Growing up in San Jose, California, she had long been fascinated by science and patient care, even choosing Elizabeth Blackwell — the first woman to earn a medical degree in the United States — for a first-grade school project years before she ever stepped into a medical education setting.

Michael “Mike” Stickels, MD, meanwhile, found his path to medicine through personal experience. After breaking his elbow twice in eighth grade, he spent months around orthopedic specialists and was drawn to both the technical side of medicine and the physician-patient relationship.

Little did they know, their paths would cross at a pool party.

“There’s kind of a tradition where the second years host a pool party for the first years,” Dr. Stickels said. “I remember talking to Adina for so long that eventually I looked at my watch and thought, ‘I should probably go meet some other people.’”

The two continued talking long after the event ended. Within days, Dr. Greene offered to show him around downtown Phoenix, including some favorite spots near Roosevelt Row. Their first date quickly turned into study dates and eventually a partnership that would carry them through the challenges of medical school together.

Today, Dr. Greene is a dermatology resident at HonorHealth in Phoenix after graduating from the College of Medicine – Phoenix in 2025, while Dr. Stickels is preparing to begin his orthopedic surgery residency at Banner – University Medical Center in Phoenix after graduating on May 11, 2026. 

For both students, medicine was never simply about academics.

Dr. Greene attended the University of California (UC) Berkeley for her undergraduate degree and initially planned to pursue research focused on aging and neurodegenerative diseases after witnessing her grandfather’s experience with dementia. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, a hiring freeze changed her plans and led her to work at a private dermatology practice in the Bay Area.

“I completely fell in love with it,” Dr. Greene said. “I appreciated that I could take care of a wide range of individuals from children to young women and even older adults. Every day was different filled with conversation, pattern-recognition and procedures, and I loved the long-term relationships with patients.”

Mentorship also played a defining role in her career path. Physicians encouraged her to pursue dermatology despite its competitiveness, advice that ultimately helped guide her toward residency in Phoenix.

Dr. Stickels’ path to orthopedic surgery developed more gradually. While studying for his undergraduate degree at UC Davis, he volunteered at a pediatric surgery center where he watched children recover over time from serious illnesses and injuries.

“Seeing patients go from very sick or injured to thriving again really showed me what medicine had to offer,” he said.

Despite pursuing different specialties, they both share a desire for long-term patient care.

As their relationship deepened, so did the demands of balancing medical school, clinical rotations and residency applications. Yet, they both emphasize sharing the experience with another medical student made the challenges easier to manage.

“One of the understated things that was really important is that we were both medical students, so we understood each other’s work-life balance challenges,” Dr. Stickels said. “There’s an implicit understanding of what this process requires.”

Dr. Greene agreed, noting that having a partner in medicine created a built-in support system during some of the most stressful years of their lives.

“You don’t have to explain what clinical rotations are like or the pressure of residency applications and Match Day,” she said. “You already understand each other’s world.”

In July 2025, the couple became engaged.

Still, the logistics were not always easy. Away rotations, residency applications and career planning required constant communication and sacrifice. Because Dr. Greene graduated a year earlier, the couple was unable to participate in a traditional couples’ match process, making Dr. Stickels’ residency decisions especially significant. By the time Match Day arrived in March 2026, the stakes felt deeply personal.

“There are only a handful of orthopedic surgery spots in Phoenix,” Dr. Greene said. “I was incredibly nervous.”

Dr. Stickels remembers opening his Match Day announcement and immediately feeling relief after learning he would remain in Phoenix.

“The best word I could describe was ‘relief,’” he said. “Later that day it finally hit me: I get to stay here with my fiancée.”

Dr. Greene, standing beside him during the celebration, remembers seeing the result before he did.

“I started celebrating a second before Mike because I read it faster,” she said, laughing. “I was just so proud of him.”

The couple says the caring culture at the College of Medicine – Phoenix played a major role in both their relationship and their success.

“We’ve made such a strong community here,” Dr. Greene said. “The culture is so supportive, collaborative and genuine.”

Both will include close friends they made from medical school in their wedding party when they marry in spring 2027.

The pair also credit Arizona itself for helping shape their experience together. Between demanding schedules, they found time to travel throughout the state — visiting Sedona, Prescott, Jerome and Flagstaff — while hiking became one of their favorite shared activities.

Looking ahead, both hope to continue building their careers — and lives — in Phoenix. While dermatology and orthopedic surgery may not overlap often professionally, Dr. Greene jokes that he has already helped her review orthopedic anatomy for wound care clinic cases.

“He gave me an ortho crash course in one night,” she said.

As they prepare for residency and marriage, the couple hopes their story encourages current and prospective medical students to embrace both mentorship and balance.

“Nothing that’s worth having comes easy,” Dr. Stickels said. “Whether it’s medical school or relationships, it all comes back to effort.”

Dr. Greene encourages students to give themselves grace during the process and to prioritize both mental health and meaningful relationships.

“There will always be more studying to do,” she said. “You have to make time for your support system and the people who matter to you.”

Together, their journey reflects more than a love story. It is also a story about community, commitment and finding partnership in one of life’s most demanding career paths.