Khyati Modi, graduating medical student in obstetrics and gynecology, opens her envelope at Match Day 2005. She was matched with the University of Illinois at Chicago.
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After four years of anticipation, graduating medical students at the Health Science Center’s School of Medicine learned where they will complete their residencies. When March 17 finally arrived, Leon Springs Dancehall filled with faculty, staff, families and 190 graduating medical students, to celebrate the opening of traditional sealed envelopes. The envelopes contained letters showing where students will spend their next years as resident-physicians: Match Day 2005.

“I was anxious waiting for Match Day to finally arrive,” said Thomas Moon, fourth year medical student in pediatric medicine. “Each day I would get a little more nervous. It seemed as though time slowed down as we got closer to the actual match day. It was kind of like waiting for your birthday to arrive,” said Moon, who coincidentally celebrated his 31st birthday on Match Day. “I was also very excited and couldn't wait to find out where I would be spending my next three years. “

Tears of joy and tears of sadness filled the dancehall as students opened their envelopes and announced to the crowd where the next step of their career would take them.

“When it came time to actually open my envelope it was a very surreal moment,” Moon said. “Four years of hard work culminated in that one instant and my emotions were everywhere.”

Moon was matched with the pediatrics program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, his first choice.

“Overall, I think almost everyone was pleased with the results,” Moon said. “I know many of my classmates matched into extremely competitive programs, which just goes to show how strong we are as a class.”

Moon celebrates his match with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

National Residency Matching Program (NRMP) takes place each year and matches students to residency programs. Match Day ceremonies are coordinated to occur on the same date at the same time throughout the country.

Khyati Modi, fourth-year medical student in obstetrics and gynecology, helped plan the event. She said the matching process is done through a Web site where students apply at places where they want to interview.

“Students list the places they would like to do their residencies in order of preference,” Modi said. “But they can only list places where they were interviewed and no one knows exactly where they will be going until they open the envelope.”

Moon’s decision to focus his career in the medical field began as a 10-year-old child when his mother died of ovarian cancer. He said he becomes more convinced each day that the loss of his mother has become his primary influence to entering the medical field. As a doctor, Moon will strive to help several individuals. However, he has also created his other ways of to contribute to research and medicine. He plans to run in this year’s Boston Marathon to help raise money for cancer research.

“My personal goal is to raise $2,500, but I know it won’t be easy,” Moon said.

Now that the students of the Medical Class of 2005 know more about their future, they can plan further ahead. Since most students were pleased with their match, most are eager to take the next step in life and their desires to help others will never fade.

For more information on donating to cancer research, contact Moon at moont@uthscsa.edu.