Friday not only marked St. Patrick’s Day, but it’s also Match Day for medical students across the country.
Match Day marks the end of students undergraduate medical studies and the start of their residency program.
Students from Central Michigan University’s College of Medicine packed the concourse at Dow Diamond in Midland as they eagerly waited to find out where they will be going. The Dean for the College of Medicine, Dr. George Kikano, says it’s an exciting day for medical students and faculty.
“Today is most important to them because these students have done four years of undergrad and four years of medical school. They find out what specialty they’re going to be into and more importantly where they’re going to go,” Kikano describes.
Medical students from all 160 medical schools across the country found out where their residency program will take them.
“It’s a little surreal because it’s a moment that you picture for at least the last eight years. I wanted to be a doctor before high school, so this is 10 to 12 years in the making,” admits CMU medical student, Sanjay Balijepalli.
Another student, Averie Dickinson, reflected on what the moment meant to her and her community.
“Especially in my African-American community, there’s a lot of stereotypes and stigmas and I want to be able to change that. I want people to look at me as a physician and feel like they can also go into medicine,” Dickinson explains.
Students had to wait until nooon to receive their envelope and find out their residency, but once the clock struck noon the place erupted with emotions. Stephanie Soukar is another medical student from CMU who is the first person in her family to go to medical school.
“I’m super excited my family is over the moon for me,” Soukar states.
And now that they know where they’re going they say they can’t wait to begin their future.
“I’m super excited. I’m going to be the doctor I always wanted to be,” Balijepalli says.
