HOUSTON, Texas — It was a day of celebration in the Texas Medical Center as graduating fourth-year medical students learned where they will continue their medical training for the next three to seven years.
Match Day takes place at the same time across the country.
For medical students at Baylor College of Medicine, Match Day is the culmination of years of studying, training and hard work.
They were matched with their residency programs to continue on their journey of becoming doctors.
Among them was Michael Reul, a third-generation aspiring cardiac surgeon.
Reul said he and his classmates endured a lot to get to this milestone.
“So going through COVID, going through the freeze back a year ago now and then going through virtual interviews with the ongoing pandemic, it’s been a lot,” Reul said.
By his side, his father Ross, who experienced Match Day at the same school 29 years ago.
Ross said, “This is the pinnacle of the training that he’s gotten so far.”
He’s beyond proud to see his son achieve his goals.
Baylor College of Medicine said 163 students were matched this year.
The school said 67 students will be starting their residencies in the primary care fields of family medicine, pediatrics, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology or emergency medicine. Also, 61 matched with programs in Texas which include 39 students with residencies at Baylor College of Medicine.
Reul said getting matched next to his peers made the day extra special.
He announced he is moving to Atlanta to become a resident physician at Emory University.
“No matter where I matched it was going to be my first choice for residency and I’m so thrilled to go train there,” Michael said.
“To see his face when he opened that envelope and see the beaming smile that he got when he saw Emory was just incredible, his dad said. "That solidified all of the thoughts that this is the best place for him.”
While COVID made their medical school experience unlike any other, these students learned to adapt and never lost their passion for medicine.