Excitement was in the air as students revealed their “match” at Match Day 2006, held at Floores Country Store.
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Although Floores Country Store was packed March 16 with hundreds of medical students and families, faculty and staff, anticipation overshadowed the crowd as fourth-year medical students eagerly waited to open a sealed envelope with their name on it.

The sealed envelopes would reveal where the students would spend their next few years as resident-physicians. Students were very emotional as they stepped onto the stage to open their envelope and announce to the crowd where they were matched.

“People had a fantastic time and the energy level was very high,” said Angela Peng, fourth-year medical student. “We have students going all over the country and everyone seemed very satisfied with their match.”

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. The matching process is done through a Web site where students first apply to places where they want to interview. They then list the places where they would like to do their residencies in order of preference. 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.

Each student marked the spot where they will complete their residency. Fifty-two percent are staying in Texas.

“We are very proud of this class and their choices,” said Nan Clare, M.D., senior associate dean and associate dean for academic affairs in the Medical School. “We’re happy that we will be well represented throughout the country with our outstanding graduates.”

There were 189 medical students that participated in the matching process. Fifty-two percent of them are staying in Texas and 49 percent will further their future in the primary care field.

Now that the students of the Medical Class of 2006 know more what will happen in the future, they are at ease. Since most students were pleased with their match, they are eager to take the next step in life, and their desires to help others will never fade.