Indeed, given his background, Columbo, the son of a carpenter and stay-at-home mom, seemed more likely to wield a nail gun than a scalpel. Watch video
WORCESTER – Jesse Columbo, registered nurse, ripped open the envelope and read the letter.
“Yessss! It’s Dartmouth,” he said.
The hugging, hand-shaking and high-fiving started moments later as friends, family and teachers congratulated the 28-year-old Belchertown resident on the start of his career as a vascular surgeon.
At the University of Massachusetts Medical School Friday, Columbo was one of 118 graduating students receiving appointments for their hospital training programs.
In a ritual known as "match day", envelopes are passed out to each student, then opened all at once to heighten the drama.
Colombo won the only residency for vascular surgery offered by the prestigious Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in New Hampshire, the best possible outcome for him.
Conveniently, his girlfriend, Shannon Campbell, works as a nurse there.
She was the first to hug Columbo, followed by his sister Julie and two nieces; meanwhile, dozens of other celebrations swirled around them.
“You have no idea how happy I am right now,” he said.
“This is a culmination of everything I’ve been working for; exactly what I wanted to do, exactly where I wanted to do it; I couldn’t be happier.”
For Columbo – who was homeshcooled and the first in his family to attend college – the very idea of becoming a vascular surgeon seemed far-fetched growing up.
Indeed, given his background, Columbo, the son of a carpenter and stay-at-home mom, seemed more likely to wield a nail gun than a scalpel.
From ages 8 to 16, he spent summers helping his father Joseph build houses. He was a quick learner, with a flair for carpentry, his father recalled.
But while shingling a roof one afternoon, Columbo made his first career decision .
“It was a 100 degrees. I came down and told my dad: I can’t do this anymore,” he said.
“He said it was the best news he’d ever heard,” Colombo said.
Several years later, Columbo embarked on a medical career – immersing himself in a nurse training program at Springfield Technical Community College. After earning a nursing degree, he landed a job at Baystate Medical Center, working with patients before and after surgery.
The idea of becoming a surgeon eventually appealed to him, leading to his enrollment at Elms College in Chicopee for a pre-med degree.
Still working as a nurse at Baystate, he was accepted at University of Massachusetts Medical School, and began splitting his time between hospitals.
As his parents recall it, the traits that were so obvious in their son growing up – discipline, test-taking skills and a near photographic memory – paid off in medical school.
By noon Friday, Columbo’s poise was being severely tested as the suspense built.
“I want to know where I’m going. I want to know where I have to move to,” he said.
When he finally opened the letter, there was a short message: “Congratulations, vascular surgery at Dartmouth-Hitchcock, New Hampshire.”
“This is just the start,” a jubilant Columbo said as his niece, Heather Columbo, 12, draped herself around him.
“But I couldn’t be happier,” he added.
Later, as he posed for photos, someone asked the Columbo where he was going.
“I’m going to Disney World,” he said.
“I’ve always wanted to say that; that was awesome.”