A Bruin Love Story: Darwin and Jennifer Gutierrez

Two Students Focused on Med School—Not Dating 

DGSOM 2025 graduates Darwin and Jennifer (Jenn) Gutierrez—no relation—started dating during their first year as med students. 

They both agree it was the least convenient time for romance. 

"When I met Jenn, I really wasn't looking for anyone or anything," Darwin says. 

Navigating life as a first-year med student in a new city kept him too busy for dating. 

Jenn had similar feelings, topped with some anxiety.  

"I didn't want to lead him on, but I really liked hanging out with him," she explains.

Despite these initial reservations, Darwin and Jenn eventually got and stayed together. They finished medical school as a committed couple. 

So how exactly did two med students equally romance-reluctant during their first year end up partnered by graduation? 

Darwin offers a poetic explanation. 

"It was by happenstance that we ran into each other, got to know each other, and ended up where we are today," he says. "I think it's true that you'll find something when you're not looking for it." 

It took Darwin and Jenn more than one chance encounter to recognize something special growing between them. 

The Other Gutierrez Meets the Other Gutierrez 

Darwin and Jenn first ran into each other at a party. 

Darwin noticed Jenn from across the room. He approached, thinking he had the perfect icebreaker in his pocket. 

"You're the other Gutierrez," he said. 

"No, you're the other Gutierrez," Jenn responded without hesitation. 

Both Gutierrezes felt the chemistry, but the sparks needed time to catch. 

Their budding relationship hit a turning point the day of a Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA) board-member brunch. 

"I accidentally sat down next to Jenn," Darwin recalls. "And I just remember being able to make her laugh, whether on purpose or by accident. And I swear I wasn't trying to be flirtatious or get her attention or anything; I was just being myself." 

After the LMSA event, Darwin invited Jenn over to his place to hang out and watch movies with a few classmates. Jenn already had plans to study anatomy. Darwin didn't see a problem. 

He told her to come on over with the anatomy slides. They could easily study together. 

Darwin now admits that while he was perfectly willing to study, he assumed Jenn might lose interest in school after watching movies. 

Jenn proved him wrong. 

"We took the movie off, she plugged in her laptop, and we went over the anatomy deck for that week. Love at first sight."  

Dating in Med School: The Pros and Cons 

Med-school life comes with formidable challenges. Dating can make things more complicated—and also more fulfilling.

Pro: Med-school couples understand each other's needs. 

"I think one of the biggest pros of being a couple in medical school is that the other person knows exactly what you're going through and is also going through it with you," Jenn says. 

She found comfort in Darwin's support as both her partner and her peer. Darwin agrees wholeheartedly. He found Jenn's specialized support especially helpful. When he struggled with suturing, for example, he felt lucky to have Jenn, a future urologist and suturing expert, to lean on.  

Con: Both members of a couple in med school face the same responsibilities and stressors at the same time. 

"Little day-to-day things, such as washing dishes, can turn into much bigger issues than they need to be because we both have extremely limited time," Darwin explains. 

Ultimately, working through difficulties can bolster a med-student couple's closeness and commitment. 

"We were able to figure it out," Jenn says. "I think that's also what it means to be in a relationship in general—you figure things out. It's just more complicated when you're in medical school and stressed and studying all the time." 

Jenn and Darwin felt strongly about supporting each other through whatever complications they encountered. 

"We've worked out all the kinks along the way, because when we first started dating we didn't know any other couples who were both in medical school or who were both doctors," Darwin says. 

"And on top of that, we're both first gen—the first in our families to even graduate college and get to medical school." 

Navigating uncharted territory can feel less daunting with a trusted partner by your side. 

Considering how they figured everything out, Darwin and Jenn came up with a few practices that kept their bond strong. 

1) They prioritized communication. 

"Medical school is difficult. Communication is key when you're sharing that difficult time with someone else," Jenn says. "You both have goals and also fears — talking about it can make it less stressful." 

The couple made talking through their issues and about their successes a habit—one they mindfully worked on. 

"Now, we are able to be direct with each other and communicate exactly what it is that we need at any specific moment in time," Darwin says. 

2) They learned to let go, every once in a while. 

"I've always been a staunch believer that just because you're in medical school, that doesn't mean it has to be your entire life," Darwin says. 

"Once in a while, we just have to let go—go have fun and enjoy each other, knowing that med school will still be here." 

3) They kept their big-picture priorities in mind. 

"For me, the best thing to come out of medical school is Jenn, not necessarily my degree," Darwin says. "Because sure, if I can't be a doctor tomorrow, that hurts. But if I can't be with Jenn tomorrow, that hurts a lot more."

Crossing the Finish Line, Hand in Hand 

Luckily, Darwin gets to be with Jenn and continue becoming a doctor. Both halves of this DGSOM power couple matched into residency programs at the University of Colorado in Denver, Darwin for anesthesiology and Jenn for urology. 

After their graduation in the summer of 2025 and before setting up their new life in Colorado, the couple celebrated achieving a milestone within a milestone: finishing medical school with their relationship not only intact but also stronger than ever. 

"Darwin is so unapologetically himself," Jenn says. "And he gets along with anyone. Put him in a room with people who don't look or sound like him and he can still spark up conversations. I love that about him and think that's going to make him a great doctor. He connects with patients so well."

"Jenn is probably one of the most patient people I've ever met," Darwin says. 

"And she matched into urology, a highly competitive specialty. I'm extremely proud of her for that, and I think that achievement reflects who she truly is as a person." 

Post Script: Darwin and Jenn on Matching into Residency as a Couple Outside the NRMP 

The Couples Status option in the National Resident Matching Program Registration, Ranking, and Results (R3) system makes it easy for many med-school couples to match into the same residency program. Once a couple registers in the system, an algorithm does the heavy lifting. 

Ending up in the same place proves harder if one half of the couple in question chooses a specialty that handles residency matching outside the national system. 

Urology, Jenn's specialty, does an early match. To stay together, Darwin and Jenn had to do manually what the national system does for registered couples. 

"We had to plan ahead and really think about where we both wanted to match," Jenn explains. 

"But it was very stressful because there were no guarantees. We just had to communicate with everyone along the way and rely on them remembering what we said." 

The process got a little less stressful after Jenn matched into a urology residency at the University of Colorado (CU) a month before Darwin. He had time to update his rankings and make CU his clear top choice. 

"I still was really nervous on Match Day because I didn't know 100% that I would match in Denver." 

Thankfully, the nerves dispersed when he opened his envelope and saw the University of Colorado. 

"I breathed a huge sigh of relief," Darwin recalls. "After that, we could actually plan the next chapter of our life in Colorado."