Match Day reveals medical students’ next moves

During Match Day festivities at the School of Medicine, Justin Krogue carries his son, Miles, while his wife, Marissa, reveals where Justin will receive his residency training. They learned they will relocate to the University of California, San Francisco, where Justin will train in orthopedic surgery. Visit this School of Medicine page for more photos from Match Day. (Credit: Robert Boston)

The first day of spring, March 20, also happened to be the day medical students across the country found out where they will head for their residency programs, the next stage in their medical careers.

At Washington University School of Medicine, more than 120 students gathered at the Eric. P. Newman Education Center for the much-awaited delivery of envelopes that contained news of where the soon-to-be graduates had matched.

Allan Jiang celebrates at Match Day, where he learned he will train in psychiatry at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. (Credit: Robert Boston)

Kathryn Diemer, MD, assistant dean for career counseling, called each student to the stage to receive such an envelope. Each student had chosen a song that played as they made their way to the stage. Selections — some serious, some silly — included “Let it Go” from Disney’s “Frozen,” to the “Jeopardy!” theme song, to Green Day’s “Time of Your Life.”

As they approached the microphone to announce their specialties and where they had matched, each student placed $1 in a bin. Tradition has it that the cash goes to the student whose name is called last. The students are called randomly, so the loot goes to the person who had to wait the longest for such big news.

To make it easier for families, however, students with small children were called first.

Katie Ihnen’s family came to the front with her, including her husband, Alex, and children Lucy, Oscar and Harriet. Ihnen happily relayed that she had matched in pediatrics at St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

Pankaj Pal (right) and her boyfriend, Adam Zuiani, learn she will train in internal medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. (Credit: Robert Boston)

Justin Krogue brought along his son, Miles, dressed in baby-sized scrubs, and wife, Marissa. Justin and his family will relocate to the University of California, San Francisco, where he will train in orthopedic surgery.

There was no doubt where student Allan Jiang hailed from as he made his way down the steps, dressed in full Canadian hockey paraphernalia. He had trouble opening his envelope because of the hockey stick he carried and mittens he wore. But after a struggle, he tore into the envelope to learn that he would be staying in St. Louis to train in psychiatry at Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

Overall, 123 medical students matched in 22 specialties in a total of 23 states. Top specialties included internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics-gynecology, orthopedic surgery, anesthesiology and psychiatry.

To see more photos from Match Day, visit this School of Medicine page.

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