A hockey rink, diesel truck maintenance, a welding shop and an anatomy lab might not seem like obvious stops on the road to orthopedic surgery. For Charles Marchese, DO, a 2026 graduate of the Kansas City University (KCU) College of Osteopathic Medicine (COM), they were.
Sitting at the kitchen table with his wife and mother on Match Day, Marchese opened an email that would determine where he would spend the next five years of his medical training.
He matched through the KCU-GME Consortium in orthopedic surgery at Research Medical Center with HCA Midwest Health. The result meant Marchese and his wife could remain in Kansas City, a community they had grown to love after moving from Colorado for medical school. It also meant he would train at a program he had spent years getting to know through education sessions and clinical rotations.
But getting to that moment was anything but a straight path.
Growing up in Colorado, Marchese hoped to play Division I hockey. Two hip surgeries during high school ended those plans and introduced him to medicine in a personal way.
Before one surgery, his orthopedic surgeon asked why he liked being a hockey goalie. Marchese explained that he liked being the team's last line of defense. The surgeon drew a parallel to his own role.
“He said, ‘Well, let me be your goalie here. We'll get you back on the ice.’”
At the University of Northern Colorado, an advisor encouraged him to try biology. He found a subject he enjoyed, completed a master's degree in biomedical sciences and began building a path toward medical school.
Along the way, he discovered welding and a love of working with his hands. He enjoyed the challenge of repairing everything from steel pans to heavy-duty trucks and seeing the immediate results of his work.
“Being able to physically fix one of our trucks and get it back on the road right away was really a lot more rewarding than I thought it would be,” he said.
He would find that same satisfaction in orthopedic surgery.
Marchese’s interest in the Fellowship in Clinical Anatomy began even before starting medical school. He completed the 11-month program between his second and third years, deepening his knowledge of anatomy, working with first-year students, participating in research and building relationships with faculty and fellow students.
He also discovered that teaching came naturally to him.
“During my hockey career, I was always trying to mentor younger kids on the ice,” he said. “The anatomy fellowship was another way for me to scratch that teaching and mentorship itch.”
As a member of the first class to participate in the Surgical Skills Honors Track made available through the fellowship, Marchese also gained additional experience that would prove valuable as he explored surgical specialties.
By the time he reached his clinical rotations, orthopedic surgery had emerged as the clear choice.
The specialty offered the combination he was looking for: working with his hands, solving tangible problems and helping patients get back on their feet.
“You get someone that comes in with a broken hip or chronic pain from arthritis, and 30 minutes after they wake up from surgery, they’re getting back on their feet," he said. "That’s what gets them stronger and back to living their life.”
For students like Marchese, that preparation begins well before Match Day. Through hands-on clinical experiences, specialty exploration, mentorship and various opportunities such as the Surgical Skills Honors Track, KCU students build the skills and experience needed to pursue the specialties they want. A total of 81.7 percent of KCU-COM Class of 2026 graduates matched into their top-choice specialty.
Looking back, he said the achievement still feels somewhat surreal.
“Just having found my purpose and being able to accomplish what I set out to do," Marchese said. "It's such an amazing feeling.”
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