Twins graduate from medicine on same day

Identical twins, who just turned 24, were stoked to be graduating on the same day, with degrees in medicine and plans to specialise in surgery.

Graduating from Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland on 10 December, Greta and Leah Slykerman are unsurprised they ended up on the same career trajectory, as they have similar personalities and interests.

They say being at medical school at the same time has been positive because they have been able to support each other through a demanding course of study.

“It's quite different from other university degrees, in the way it's structured. So, I think it's been a huge plus – having a shared experience,” Leah says.

The twins are close and talk to each other every day even when they are in different cities.

“We tend to chat rubbish for a little bit most days,” says Greta.

There has been identity confusion, especially in the first year of medicine when fellow students initially thought there was only one student rather than two.

“We had an exam around our birthday and someone posted on our class social page, ‘I don't know what's going to be harder, the exam or figuring out which twin is which to wish them happy birthday’,” says Greta.

However, mostly they were studying apart, living in different centres and interning in different hospitals and general practices.

There was one exception, however, when they were both at Te Toka Tumai, Auckland Hospital for a couple of weeks in year five, although it worked to their advantage.

The group of students were organised alphabetically into teams, so the twins were on the same team on the surgical runs.

“We were both wearing scrubs with a scrub cap, so virtually indistinguishable, which we had a lot of fun with.

“No one could really tell which one of us was in the operating theatre at any given time.

“I think we just both looked studious, because I don't think they could really tell which one was showing up. We were both everywhere all at once.”

Even so, Greta says she will be trying to avoid working at the same hospital in future to avoid mix-ups.

There have been other cases of mistaken identity, too, especially in hospitals where they have both been on placements at different times, such as Waikato.

“Sometimes people come up, especially when I started, to say ‘hello’ and ask how I'm doing. Never seen this person before in my life,” says Leah.

“You get quite good at just going with it, because otherwise you come across as rude.”

Greta says she has got used to it. “If someone comes up to me acting like they know me, either I've met them and forgotten, or, more likely, they've met Leah. So I’m just nice to everybody.”

To Leah, she says: “I'm really glad to have your reputation.”

The pair have enjoyed their training, especially living in different centres and towns around the North Island. After graduation though, they are excited to be starting work as doctors.

Greta says, while the work was good, even without any pay, a salary will be a relief, especially after expensive overseas placements: ten weeks in Amsterdam for Greta and Bristol in the UK for Leah.

The placements were a highlight of their study, especially as they focused on specialties that interest them: Greta on ear, nose and throat surgery and Leah on orthopaedics.

The twins following in the footsteps of their mum, Dr Rebecca Slykerman, a senior lecturer in the School of Psychological Medicine.

Their father also has degrees in engineering and commerce, so they had a sense from early on they would be going to University following school at Carmel College on Auckland’s North Shore.

Their mother says it’s nice to see the twins looking forward to careers in medicine, despite the demands of working in a busy health system.

The promise of what the profession offers and the diverse directions it can take people has been a driver for the twins, Rebecca says.

“It’s a nice opportunity to have a career where they will be engaged and interested life-long.”

The Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences holds a graduation ceremony in December so students going into the health professions can start internships and/or work in the New Year.