Fourth-year medical students get 'matched' for residency

By Colleen Flynn
VCU Communications and Public Relations

The futures of 174 fourth-year medical students were determined last week as the tradition of Match Day revealed the much-anticipated locations of their residencies.

Match Day, a national tradition since 1952, occurs on the third Thursday of March each year. It is the culmination of a grueling and tiresome process in which fourth-year medical students receive sealed envelopes containing the residency program to which they have been matched. The process of applying and interviewing begins in December and January.

As friends, family and faculty members gathered in support, the students anxiously awaited hearing their name called.

“I was extremely excited and a little emotional. It’s the end of a long process,” said Kevin Lee, who matched with Fairfax Family Medical, his first choice.

“I was nauseous all morning,” said Claire Rezba, who also matched with her first choice – the University of California, San Diego Medical Center.

According to Chris Woleben, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine and adviser to residency hopefuls, the process can be stressful not only for the students, but for faculty as well.

“I can finally sleep tonight,” said Woleben. “I felt like I was going through the process all over again.”

The event, which was held at the Woman’s Club of Richmond, Bolling-Haxall House, featured a “bon voyage” theme. Attendees sported leis and Hawaiian shirts and ties and enjoyed food and beverages as everyone celebrated the students’ success.

The matching process is coordinated by the National Resident Matching Program. Established in 1952, the National Resident Matching Program matches thousands of graduating medical students from all over the United States and Canada with various hospital internship and residencies.

Both the students and hospitals select and rank their top choices. Based on this information the National Resident Matching Program then matches the students with their residencies.

This year VCU School of Medicine exceeded the national average with 96 percent of the students matching to one of their top choices, many of whom matched in highly competitive fields. VCU had 17 students match in radiology, 20 in anesthesiology and 56 in primary care.

“They are all such bright and talented students,” said Woleben. “The caliber of our students keeps going up every year and with our matching rate, we expect that to continue.”