‘Teammates’: Twin brothers graduate from KU medical school together

Like many siblings, Andrew and Benjamin Jones had their share of antagonisms. But both twins can recall a turning point when they were about 10 or 11. Their father, attempting to assuage the boys’ latest argument, sat them down and told them, “You know, you’ll get a lot further as teammates than by competing against each other.”

This spring, the Jones twins are graduating from the University of Kansas School of Medicine — together.

“That just always continued to be in our minds: being teammates, supporting each other, making each other better. And now we’re best friends,” Benjamin said.

“We really kind of melded into a combined force,” Andrew said.

The Joneses are among 198 students earning Doctor of Medicine degrees from KU School of Medicine this year. Graduates from the schools of Medicine, Nursing and Health Professions at KU will celebrate the milestone with hooding and recognition ceremonies on May 17 in Kansas City and at KU’s university-wide commencement May 18 in Lawrence.

The brothers hail from Cincinnati, Ohio, and they earned their undergraduate degrees at the University of Missouri. They’ve been roommates their entire lives, but after graduation they will go separate ways.

Andrew will move to Omaha, Nebraska, for a residency in pathology at Creighton University. Benjamin will stay at KU Medical Center for his residency in internal medicine. He plans to specialize in gastroenterology.

Again, they credit their parents for preparing them, by teaching them not only how to be good brothers but also how to be independent, Andrew said. “Obviously we will stay connected because we’re best friends, but it will be a good way for us to reach a new starting point. We know we’re both going to grow from it.”

Benjamin added that even being together for their four years of medical school seemed like borrowed time. “It’s the nature of the profession we chose. The further along you go, the less likely it is that you’ll end up in the same place.”

The brothers are not entirely new to their chosen profession. Their father is a gastroenterologist, and their grandfather was a urologist. Benjamin said they’re especially proud that soon they’ll be third-generation African American physicians, and they hope that sharing their experience will help inspire the next generation of physicians.

Benjamin has known he wanted to be a doctor since he was a small child, when he held a stethoscope to family members’ hearts for fun. He remembers people saying things like, “Your dad takes great care of me” or “He’s a great member of our team and we love working with him.” That was inspiring, he said, and he knew that someday he’d like to make that kind of an impact. Benjamin said graduating and beginning his medical career is “like a dream come true.”

While Andrew, too, was inspired by his dad, his undergraduate experience ultimately led him to study medicine. He was working in a lab researching fruit flies, honing his skills inspecting and taking images of them under a microscope, when at the suggestion of his principal investigator, he began shadowing a pathologist and realized, “This is something I could absolutely see myself doing.” Unsurprisingly, he said, he became particularly interested in gastrointestinal pathology.

The brothers have conducted gastric cancer research together for the past three years, presenting at school-based and national conferences. They both served on the board of KU’s chapter of the Student National Medical Association, an organization addressing the needs of underserved communities. Benjamin also is a member of the Gold Humanism Honor Society.

Making it through medical school required growing their confidence, the twins agreed. They said they’ve learned to believe in themselves, their abilities and their hard work.

Benjamin said their whole family is grateful for the KU Medical Center community. “They’ve embraced both of us and have made things really special for us to be able to go through this together. We’ll always be proud alumni.”