It’s a Match for pandemic era medical students!

Starting and attending medical school during the pandemic may have seemed unfortunate initially, but now students are poised to continue their training having learned resilience and adaptability that will serve them for the rest of their careers. Today at Match Day, fourth-year medical students at Baylor College of Medicine and across the country learned where they will conduct their residency training for the next three to seven years.

Match Day, held today at U.S. medical schools, culminates the annual National Resident Match Program that pairs fourth-year medical students with residency programs throughout the nation. At Baylor, 167 students matched this year; 65 students will begin their residencies in the primary care fields of family medicine, pediatrics, internal medicine, medicine/pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology or emergency medicine. Forty-five students will continue their training in residencies at Baylor College of Medicine, and 78 students matched with residency programs in Texas.

Dr. Paul Klotman, Baylor president, CEO and executive dean, reminded students and families and friends in attendance at the on-campus event that it is called Match Day for a reason.

“It is not called ‘Selection Day’ – you are not being selected; you are being asked to the place that wants you. That’s more important in where you go than getting your first choice,” he said.

Wherever they matched, students will bring with them to their residency training valuable lessons and insight learned during the pandemic.

“We recognize that the last four years – and more for our M.D./Ph.D. students – have been tough. You faced obstacles and setbacks. You have accepted the unexpected with grace and maturity and made the best of difficult situations,” said Dr. Andrea Stolar, senior associate dean of student affairs. “You are better equipped because of your experiences, and you will be a better physician because of the challenging situations you have overcome and the complex healthcare issues you have had to grapple with.”

Their residency training also will be positively impacted by the quality of their medical education at Baylor. “For the rest of your lives, it’s more important how you do where you are than where you are. And you will discover that you are better trained than the people around you, so have a little swag and feel good that you are the best trained physicians on earth,” Klotman said.

Class of 2024 President Sahifah Ansari, who matched at Yale in radiology, addressed her peers, drawing on their shared experiences, challenges and successes during their education.

“We were privileged to train in the world’s largest medical center with exceptional and diverse facilities, teachers, mentors and patients. We learned the unique challenges veterans face at the VA, served immigrant and indigent communities at the incredible safety-net system that is Harris Health and Ben Taub, diversified our training at St. Luke’s, and dove into the world of pediatrics at Texas Children’s,” she said. “Most importantly, we rolled with the punches. We went through a pandemic and started a new phase of our lives in a very uncertain and frankly scary time. As we began medical school, we navigated curriculum changes like Step 1 becoming pass-fail. As individuals, we dealt with everything from flat tires and break-ups to family emergencies and health issues. Despite or perhaps because of these challenges, we made it here today. All of these experiences make me positive that no matter where we end up for residency, we will be served well by our resilience and thrive under any circumstances.”

The Match Day program also included remarks from Dr. Jennifer Christner, senior dean of the School of Medicine and School of Health Professions, before the class president led a countdown to precisely 11 a.m. when students rushed the colorfully wrapped board where envelopes containing their future were posted.

Download photos here from the day’s festivities, and download video here (link to come).