Match Day and Residency!

Match Day was March 15^th. This was the day when all 4^th year medical students in the country discover simultaneously where they will be pursuing their residency. For this entry, I’ll talk about my Match Day experience at Ohio State and where I’ll be doing my residency.

OSU Match Day

Since this is such a pivotal moment in medical school (arguably THE pivotal moment), friends and family are invited to quite a ceremonial affair. At some institutions they go a bit overboard, in my opinion. For instance, at some schools each student opens their envelope at a podium in front of a custom slideshow projection and announces their match to the music of their choosing. It’s… a bit much. Imagine if, amidst all this ostentatious ado, you have to mask your extreme disappointment at matching to an institution you ranked near the bottom? That’s a lot of pressure.

Fortunately, OSU’s process is more relaxed, but no less jubilant. The event took place at Mershon auditorium, and I was happy to be joined by two good friends, Chris and Erick (who happened fortuitously to be in town from San Diego visiting his family). My parents live 7 hours away, but they have made plans to be in town for commencement next month so I urged them not to drive up for this.

The ceremony started at 11:30am at which time several faculty members imparted words of wisdom and shared some statistics regarding the match at our institution. For instance, 75% of students received one of their top 3 ranked programs, 44% will remain and Ohio and 15% will stay in Columbus.

At about 11:45am we filed on stage to find our envelope and retake our seats. At exactly noon a horn blared signaling that it was time to open our envelopes simultaneously. A few intermittent shrieks of excitement blossomed into a gleeful cacophony, at the peak of which I was still fumbling to open the folded piece of paper concealing my fate. Flustered and embarrassed, I finally managed to unfold it. Here’s what I saw:

I got my first choice! I’ll be moving to Pittsburgh to be a neurology resident at UPMC—the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. My brain was so flooded with serotonin, dopamine and endorphins that I can’t quite recall how I reacted, but I think I gasped and then laughed from relief and elation (I’ll discuss why I ranked this #1 in the next section).

Afterward there was a reception with cake, cookies, coffee etc, as well as a merchandise sale (of course). I ended up purchasing a coffee mug the read “Future Doctor” with “Future” X’ed out, and the face of Brutus Buckeye (the OSU mascot) underneath. Appropriate, though a couple months premature.

Afterward I went to lunch with Erick (Chris returned to work) at Mozart’s Café, a favorite little eatery of mine because it features live classical piano music. Finally I could relax. While there I received a call from the neurology residency program director congratulating me, and I think I somewhat effusively thanked him and expressed my delight at having matched there.

Neurology at UPMC

Countless factors contributed to ranking UPMC Neurology #1. The following are just a handful:

1. The program. I won’t go into depth about this for fear of leaving the impression that I’m somehow advertising. If you want details, then Google will come in handy. Suffice it to say the curriculum structure, robust didactics, broad training and educational opportunities will provide me with a solid academic and clinical foundation with diverse opportunities for fellowship. It’s also highly flexible, offering several tracks that allow you to customize the emphasis placed on clinical or research activities.

2. The Location. I’m thoroughly excited to move back to Pittsburgh. I was looking for a city that wasn’t too large, expensive or congested (I avoided New York, Chicago, LA and DC) but has rich culture, especially in music and performance. I also have established social connections in Pittsburgh, and my parents are relocating to the region (from Maryland) next summer. The city has changed dramatically in the past 20—even 10 years. Its economy is booming and it was named the most livable city in 2010 by Forbes.

3. The Residents and Faculty. I thoroughly enjoyed the personalities of every resident I met (two of whom are OSU alumni), and the faculty is comprised of academically impressive and highly personable individuals. The resident class size of 7 is about right for me, too. I’m certain I will enjoy working with everyone.

4. Prelim Year. As a bonus, the internal medicine preliminary year (as this is a categorical residency, thankfully) permits 4-5 elective rotations—more than I remember encountering in any other program. I think this will go far in reducing stress and rendering a more diverse experience.

The icing on the cake will be my housing situation. I will be moving into the 3^rd floor of the house owned by a good friend of mine who is on faculty at the University of Pittsburgh. The house is located such that it’s a 5 minute walk to the main hospital and only a 2 minute walk (if that) to the Veterans Affairs Hospital. The top floor includes a bedroom, a guest room, a living room, a bathroom, a kitchen and a storage room. It’s essentially a self-contained apartment, and he’s charging me next to nothing to rent it. I can’t conceive of a better living arrangement! I’ll be saving a ton of money, all the while living comfortably and within a few blocks of all the hospitals. Somebody pinch me.

At the moment I’ve in full vacation mode. I finished my Last-Medical-School-Rotation-Ever last week (ophthalmology) and spent most of my spare time filling out tons of residency paper work, getting my blood drawn, peeing in cups to prove I don’t abuse drugs, getting my TB test done etc. Now I’m “home” in Maryland visiting the family until Commencement on May 2^nd. I intend to enjoy myself thoroughly for now because come mid-June, the real horror begins…

Stay tuned.