With an excited tear of the envelope, students at the ̽»¨ÊÓƵ’s Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine celebrated the most important milestone to date in their medical journeys – Match Day – on Friday, March 21, as they discovered where they would spend their residencies.
“Match Day is a defining moment for our students and a proud milestone for the College,” said Dr. Jonathan McCullers, dean of the Fertitta College of Medicine. “It represents the culmination of years of dedication and resilience, and as these future physicians take their next steps, they carry with them our mission – to improve health care and health outcomes in communities. Their success is our success, and we celebrate their achievement with immense pride.”
This is the Fertitta College of Medicine’s second Match Day. This year, 96% of students in the class matched, with 63% going into primary care. Other notable matches include a student who earned one of only 30 dermatology residencies nationwide and another who was matched in neurosurgery. Two-thirds of students are staying in Texas and nine students were matched for residencies in the Texas Medical Center. The rest will continue their education at institutions around the country, including University of Louisville Hospital in Kentucky, LSU Health in New Orleans and Yale New Haven Hospital in Connecticut.
“I’ve known I wanted to be a doctor since I was a child and I’ve worked extremely hard to get to this moment,” said Iliana Sanchez, a fourth-year medical student from Donna, Texas, who plans to specialize in emergency medicine. “As a former public school teacher, I am ecstatic to match at such a renowned academic institution as Yale that is going to further support my career in academic medicine.”
“This journey has been a lifelong dream of mine, and today it is a reality,” said Nabeel Ahmad, a fourth-year medical student from Houston who will specialize in pediatric dermatology. “Through the Fertitta College of Medicine, I’ve gained a deeper understanding of how the social determinants of health impact clinical outcomes, and I hope to address these factors to benefit my patients and society as a whole.”
Each year on the third Friday of March, thousands of graduating medical students across the country are placed into residency programs through the , referred to as The MATCH. The program was founded in 1952 at the request of medical students to provide an orderly and fair mechanism for matching the preferences of applicants for U.S. residency positions with the preferences of residency program directors.
“Match Day begins the transition from student to physician, setting the stage for the next chapter in growth and training,” said Dr. Kristin Kassaw, associate dean of student affairs and clinical associate professor at the Fertitta College of Medicine. “This day is not just about securing a residency; it’s about stepping into the future of patient care with commitment and purpose.”
