Champagne, jump hugs and happy tears filled a tent at Stanford Medicine last week when graduating medical students received notice of their next big career step: where they matched for residency training.
The event is widely known as Match Day, when the National Resident Matching Program shares big news for soon-to-be residents.
Dozens of students stood with their friends and family members as they waited for the ticking clock to strike "0:00" -- the time when they could rip their red envelopes open. Lloyd Minor, MD, Dean of the School of Medicine set the stage for the 85 students, comparing the tent to a boxing ring in which they would gather in their respective "corners" -- which corresponded to their adviser -- for the big event.
When the bell rang -- signaling it was time to rip (or carefully tear) open the cards -- whoops, cheers and shouts of elation rang out as students celebrated their placements.
Ericka von Kaeppler, earning an MD as well as a PhD in stem cell biology and regenerative medicine, learned that she matched in orthopaedic surgery at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York -- her first choice.
"I'm very excited," she said. "I liked the location, the quality of the program and the opportunities for research. I did my away rotation there and really liked the people."
It was the first time in three years that the medical students could gather in person and celebrate their next steps.
"Having an in-person celebration is a really tangible way to celebrate the years of hard work that went into this moment," von Kaeppler said.
Watch the video footage our team captured of the 2022 March 18 Match Day event that culminated in the most recent class of Stanford Medicine medical school graduates learning where their lives and careers will take them next:
Photo by Steve Fisch
Video by Todd Holland
Top photo: Josey Oquendo, MD student, and Yanick Mulumba, MD-MBA student, celebrate their matches.
