Alumni | Arts and Sciences | NewsMarch 25, 2026

UAFS Alumni Celebrate Match Day at ARCOM

Written By: Ian Silvester

Five graduates from the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith celebrated the end of medical school and their transition to a residency program following Match Day at the Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine(ARCOM) on March 20. 

The emotional event witnessed 126 students learning where they will spend the next few years training in their respective residency programs. Among them were the five UAFS alumni, Vi Le, ‘19, Luis Murcia, ‘19, Danielle (Randolph) Hudman, ‘22, Niko Tagle, ‘21, and Emily (Canada) Harris, ‘19. 

Before Match Day, the UAFS grads took a moment to reflect on their journey and the role UAFS played. From community to experiences and rigorous classes, each alumnus was grateful for what UAFS provided. 

“My time at UAFS really helped me hone my skills to better prepare me for my time in medical school,” Hudman said. 

While at UAFS, she studied biochemistry and was a Myles Friedman Honors Student. She cited classes and experiences outside the classroom, along with a personal connection to medicine, as reasons for pursuing family medicine as an obstetrician. 

“I grew up in the hospital because my mother was an emergency room nurse in a critical access hospital in Waldron, so I knew medicine was always the end goal for me,” she said. “I fell in love with working with uninsured patients at the Good Samaritan Clinic and delivering babies in Monticello.” 

Hudman matched with Family Medicine at Cahaba Rural at Centreville in Alabama, where she will be part of their obstetrics fellowship. 

Family was also a reason for Murcia to pursue a career in medicine. His mom struggled to manage her diabetes due to a language barrier, leading him to want to find a way to be an advocate for her and others facing similar obstacles. 

As a first-generation student, Murcia faced challenges but credited his professors for helping him along the way and encouraging him to follow his passion. Murcia matched in general surgery at Medical City-Plano in Texas. 

Medical school comes with a lot of studying, and Army medic Tagle said UAFS and the military had him more than prepared for the workload. As a double major (biology and chemistry) at UAFS, Tagle said he always knew he wanted to be a doctor and gained the study habits he needed while at UAFS. 

He received credit at UAFS from his training as an Army medic during his advanced individual training. While at UAFS, he was involved in the Army ROTC and graduated as a commissioned Army Officer in the Arkansas Army National Guard. 

Tagle and his family will remain in Fort Smith, where he matched with Mercy in family medicine. 

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• Graduate School
• Match Day
• Alumni