VCU news

By Leah Small

The VCU School of Medicine’s Class of 2019 made a star-studded appearance at the school’s red carpet themed Match Day. During the annual event, fourth-year students at medical schools across the country discover where they are headed for residency training.

VCU’s aspiring doctors marked Match Day with glamorous or humorous interpretations of the red carpet theme for the reveal last week at Richmond’s Hippodrome Theater. As students prepared to open envelopes with the news of their residency match, the anticipation seemed similar to the Academy Awards.

Wendy Sun, who matched into the Yale Emergency Medicine Residency Program, posed for a group photo with friends dressed as the cast from the romantic comedy “Crazy Rich Asians.” Sun said the chance to treat a variety of patients is part of what drew her to emergency medicine.

“There are so many reasons why I love emergency medicine, but one of the main reasons is that everyone comes to emergency departments for help, so you are helping folks that come from different socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds,” she said. “We are there 24/7.”

More than 97 percent of VCU medical students matched in the 2019 Main Residency Match, above the national average of 94.9 percent. In all, 44 percent have matched to primary care specialties. A quarter of students will complete part or all of their residencies in Virginia and 35 are staying at VCU Health System for residency training.

“We are really proud of each and every one of them,” said Peter Buckley, M.D., dean of the VCU School of Medicine. “The theme of today was all about movies, and today each and every one of them are stars. It is the culmination of four years of dedication and work.”

Learn more about the students’ residency destinations and view photos from Match Day.