The envelopes have been opened and futures revealed for soon-to-graduate students at Penn State College of Medicine.
Today at noon, senior College of Medicine medical students, along with thousands of fellow medical students across the country, simultaneously opened letters to learn which hospitals and other health-care providers have accepted them into residency programs. The much-anticipated ceremony is known as "Match Day."
"It's great; I'm staying here," said senior student Nicholas Otto, a native of Mount Gretna, minutes after opening his envelope. "My wife and I are both from the area. We wanted to stay here, and I'll be studying radiology -- it's exciting."
"I got my first choice, and it's the best fit for me," said Bena Mehta, a senior student originally from Long Island, N.Y., who is accepted into the emergency medicine residency program of another central Pennsylvania hospital.
"It was fun for the whole class to be together for the event," said student Kathleen Byrne, a Sinking Spring native, who is accepted into the family medicine residency program at a Pittsburgh-area hospital. "It was an emotional day."
This year, 106 College of Medicine students participated in the national match ceremony. Twenty-one of these students were accepted into the College of Medicine's various residency programs and will remain at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. In total, 90 medical students nationwide were matched today to the 20 accredited specialty residency programs at the College of Medicine and Penn State Hershey Medical Center.
"The 'match' sets the future direction of each student's medical education journey," said Richard Simons, vice dean for educational affairs. "This letter-opening event is now imprinted on each student's mind as a career-building milestone."
Senior medical students began the residency assignment process months ago by researching, visiting and interviewing with directors of residency programs that interest them. In February, students and other applicants filed their rank-order lists of residency programs of interest. Medical program directors also filed their rank-order lists of applicants. The National Resident Matching Program (NRMP), a private, not-for-profit corporation, completes the "match." This year more than 14,700 U.S. medical school seniors applied for residency positions, the highest number in almost 20 years.
Seven additional senior College of Medicine students did not participate in Match Day. They learned before today's event that they have been matched with military or other special programs.
All College of Medicine students now look forward to graduation ceremonies before beginning their residency programs. The 2005 graduation weekend is scheduled for May 13-16.
For photos from today's event, check Penn State Live at http://live.psu.edu/still_life/2005_03_17_match_day/index.html