Match Day reveals next stop on medical journeys

Match Day reveals next stop on medical journeys

Four years of medical school tuition: $146,000. Textbooks covering abdominal pain to yellow fever: $3,200. Medical licensing exam fees: $2,445. Matching to the residency of your dreams: Priceless.

Vanderbilt University School of Medicine students reached that goal during Thursday's Match Day celebration, which came complete with rock music, tears, leaps of joy and congratulatory body slams. When the cheering stopped, many students had matched with the nation's top medical centers.

Match Day is the crowning moment of the National Resident Match Program (NRMP), which matches thousands of medical students with residency programs at medical centers and hospitals across the country. The students started the process a year ago by listing the residencies that most interested them. After completing applications and attending an average of eight on-site interviews, they ranked the different programs, which in turn ranked the students. The NRMP computer then matched programs with students to give each their best choice. On Match Day, the thrilling and often life-changing results were revealed simultaneously nationwide.

Of the 91 Vanderbilt students matching with residency positions across the country, 24 will remain at VUMC. Sixty-seven other students matched at top programs, including Johns Hopkins, the Mayo Clinic, UCLA Medical Center, Massachusetts General, New York Presbyterian University Hospital of Columbia & Cornell, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, and Brigham and Women’s.

This year the School of Medicine matched 11 students underrepresented in medicine — the largest number in the history of the school.

“We know how great Vanderbilt medical school graduates are, and it is clear that the best residency training programs around the country recognize this as well,” said School of Medicine Dean Steven Gabbe, M.D. “It was a truly amazing match. We are very proud of these students.”

Gabbe kicked off Match Day by channeling the announcer for Saturday Night Live: “Live, from Light Hall, it's Match Day!” He then continued a beloved VUSM tradition by dropping a $100 bill in a fishbowl. Scott Rodgers, M.D., assistant dean for Medical Students, received a standing ovation, then drew names at random.

Each student came forward to music that ranged from “Chariots of Fire” to “Don't Worry, Be Happy.” After depositing a dollar in the fishbowl, the student read his or her match aloud. Igor Voskresensky, the last student to learn his match, went home with the pot of cash. He will remain at Vanderbilt in General Surgery.

Many students were accompanied to the front by friends and family, including newborn babies.

“It's been hard, because my husband and I have felt like our lives were in limbo, not knowing where we'll be for the next three years,” said Sarah Greene. “Luckily, my husband has been very involved in the process. I only interviewed in cities he was willing to live in. Leaving our friends in Nashville would be the hardest part about matching in a new city.” Greene won't face that hurdle, as she matched in Pediatrics at Vanderbilt.

The day's family theme included Gordon Bernard, M.D., Vanderbilt's assistant vice chancellor for Research, whose daughter, Aline Bernard, matched in Pediatrics at Denver. Clay and Dan Kaiser, the sons of Vanderbilt University Hospital Chief of Staff Allen Kaiser, M.D., matched in Thoracic Surgery at Stanford and Internal Medicine at Vanderbilt, respectively.

“Match Day is the culmination of what we've worked for for the past four years,” said Jonathan Kropski, who also landed Internal Medicine at Vanderbilt.

“This is the beginning, but it's a bittersweet occasion. Beneath the excitement, there's also an undercurrent of closure.”

Early match was available for students going into Ophthalmology, Neurosurgery and Urologic Surgery. “Vanderbilt has been a great place for medical school,” said Ben Rosenbaum, who matched in Neurosurgery at the Cleveland Clinic. “It will be tough leaving such a great institution with terrific students and faculty.”

Match Day was Webcast live, allowing family and friends around the world to watch the festivities from home — a boon for Roxanne Wadia, who will be going into Internal Medicine at the New England Medical Center. “My parents weren't able to make it, but they're watching the Webcast. I've been thinking about how I'd feel at this time for three years.

“Actually matching seems so surreal. But what struck me is how supportive and excited everyone is for one another.”

Residency Assignments

Muyibat Adelani – Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Orthopaedic Surgery

Rehan Ahmed – U. of Texas Medical School, Transitional; Baylor College of Medicine, Ophthalmology

Rachel Akers – Carolinas Medical Center, Ob/Gyn

Jeffrey Albert – U. of Texas Medical School, Medicine-preliminary; U. of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Radiation Oncology

Laura Altom – U. of Alabama Medical Center, Surgery

Raimy Amasha – U. of Michigan Hospitals, Anesthesiology

Cameron Atkinson – VUMC, Orthopaedic Surgery

Ryan Bayley – N.Y. Presbyterian Hospital, Emergency Medicine

Mihaela Bazalakova – Lahey Clinic, Medicine preliminary; Massachusetts General Hospital, Neurology

Marschall Berkes – Hospital for Special Surgery, Orthapaedic Surgery

Aline Bernard – U. of Colorado School of Medicine, Pediatrics

Elizabeth Bleecker – U. of North Carolina Hospitals, Ob/Gyn

Robert Browning – U. of Florida College of Medicine, Surgery

Christopher Bunick – Yale-New Haven Hospital, Medicine-preliminary; Dermatology

Heather Burks – U. of Oklahoma College of Medicine, Ob/Gyn

Darryl Calvo – Hennepin County Medical Center, Emergency Medicine

Erin Carney – Johns Hopkins Hospital, Pathology

Clinton Carroll – VUMC, Pediatrics

Marisa Cevasco – Brigham & Women's Hospital, Surgery

Yong Cha – VUMC, Medicine-preliminary; Radiation Oncology

Sutin Chen – Boston U. Medical Center, Medicine-preliminary; Emergency Medicine

Nadja Colon – VUMC, Surgery

Robert Connors – St. Vincent's Hospital, Medicine-preliminary; New York U. School of Medicine, Neurology

Leigh Dageforde – VUMC, Surgery

Larry Davis – U. of Tennessee/Baptist Hospital, Medicine-preliminary; VUMC, Radiology-Diagnostic

Kevin Elias – Brigham & Women's Hospital, Ob/Gyn

Alex Eshaghian – U. of New Mexico School of Medicine, Medicine-preliminary

Nafeh Fananapazir – Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Pediatrics

Sheryl Fleisch – U. of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Psychiatry

Denis Foretia – Emory U. School of Medicine, Surgery

Joseph Gentile – U. of Florida College of Medicine, Orthopaedic Surgery

Kirsten Gibbs – Baylor College of Medicine, Medicine-Pediatrics

Aviram Giladi – U. of Michigan Hospitals, Plastic Surgery

Jennifer Gloeckner – Grand Rapids Medical Education & Research Center, Transitional; Boston U. Medical Center, Dermatology

Sarah Greene – VUMC, Pediatrics

Dana Guyer – VUMC, Medicine-Pediatrics

Randon Hall – VUMC, Pediatrics

William Heerman – VUMC, Medicine-Pediatrics

Erin Horn – Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Emergency Medicine

Joyce Hsu – Chilren's Hospital of Boston, Pediatrics

Olivia Hutul – VUMC, Ob/Gyn

Kathryn Jongeward – VUMC, Medicine-preliminary; Massachusetts General Hospital, Radiology-Diagnostic

Clayton Kaiser – Stanford, Thoracic Surgery

Daniel Kaiser – VUMC, Internal Medicine

Andrew Keyes – U. of New Mexico School of Medicine, Psychiatry

Alaina Kiefer – VUMC, Pediatrics

Jared Knol – McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern U., Internal Medicine

Leanne Kolnick – VUMC, Internal Medicine

Jonathan Kropski – VUMC, Internal Medicine

Yaa Kumah – VUMC, Pediatrics

Benjamin Landis – N.Y. Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia U. Medical Center, Pediatrics

India Landrigan – N.Y. Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medical Center, Pediatrics

William Lea – Indiana U. School of Medicine, Surgery

Diana Lemly – Massachusetts General Hospital, Internal Medicine-Pediatrics

Brent Lorenzen – Carolinas Medical Center, Emergency Medicine

Noami McClure – UC Davis Medical Center, Emergency Medicine

Michael McTigue – UCLA Medical Center, Internal Medicine

Carrie Menser – VUMC, Anesthesiology

Vineet Mishra – Emory U. School of Medicine, Transitional; U. of Alabama Medical Center, Dermatology

Willard Moore – U. of Alabama Medical Center, Orthopaedic Surgery

Anamika Mukherjee – VUMC, Pediatrics

Mary Alice Nading – Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Transitional; Massachusetts General Hospital, Dermatology

Joshua Nepute – St. John's Mercy Medical Center, Transitional; University of Cincinnati, Radiology-Diagnostic

Albert Nguyen – Loma Linda U., Emergency Medicine

Blake Niederhauser – Gundersen Lutheran Medical Foundation, Transitional; Mayo Clinic, Radiology-Diagnostic

Mario Nieto – Baylor College of Medicine, Anesthesiology

Milton Ochieng – Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Internal Medicine

William Oldham – Massachusetts General Hospital, Internal Medicine

Sanjay Patel – UCLA Medical Center, Surgery-preliminary; Urology

William Payne – U. of Arizona Affiliated Hospitals, Orthopaedic Surgery

Colleen Pepper – Jackson Memorial Hospital, Anesthesiology

Rohith Piyaratna – Stanford, Transitional; Anesthesiology

Paul Reynolds – VUMC, Anesthesiology

Deanne Roberts – VUMC, Surgery

Benjamin Rosenbaum – Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Surgery-preliminary; Neurological Surgery

Yaw Sarpong – U. of Washington Affiliated Hospitals, Surgery-preliminary; Neurological Surgery

Jacob Sepmeyer – Spartanburg Regional Healthcare, Transitional; Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Radiology-Diagnostic

Rohan Shah – Louis A. Weiss Memorial Hospital, Transitional; U. of Illinois, Ophthalmology

Nader Shourbaji – Emory U. School of Medicine, Orthopaedic Surgery

Rebecca Snyder – VUMC, Surgery

Dmitri Sofianos – U. of Utah Affiliated Hospitals, Orthopaedic Surgery

Adam Stenger – Barnes-Jewish Hosptital, Emergency Medicine

Daniel Stover – VUMC, Internal Medicine

John Stringham – U. of Colorado School of Medicine, Surgery

Paul Stromberg – Virginia Commonwealth U. Health System, Emergency Medicine

Ryan Tomlinson – VUMC, Anesthesiology

Bernard Trappey – U. of Minnesota Medical School, Medicine-Pediatrics

Keli Turner – U. of Maryland Medical Center, Surgery

Jan Vobecky – Stanford, Emergency Medicine

Igor Voskresensky – VUMC, Surgery

Roxanne Wadia – New England Medical Center, Internal Medicine