my number one!

i matched at my first choice! after a month of people saying "oh, you know you'll match there" but not really knowing, i'm ecstatic. i'm glad my husband was there to lend his support right before because i probably looked green. afterwards, i cried tears of joy and relief. i've been doubting myself about whether i picked the right program, but this feels right. if i had ranked the other program first and matched there, maybe i would have felt the same way. however, all is right in the world ... for me.

overall, my class did very well. we matched people into a lot of top programs, and i'm so proud. however, there were some disappointed people. they got into great programs but not their top choices. it was written all over their faces, and it was hard to know what to do but say, "that's a great program! congrats!"

people in general were just happy and relieved to know where they were going to be for the next few years. this match process feels crazy long, and the residency match is unlike anything else in the professional world. in most professions, you apply for a job, they give you an offer. you have a chance to mull it and your other offers over before accepting. not for the future doctors of america! there's a lot of nice words said on both sides, a wink or two, and then you rank each other. it sounds a lot like this weird british dating experiment i saw on pbs. or maybe a professional sports team draft? i'm not sure either of those analogies are good ones.

anyway, since i matched at my home program, the head of the primary care track came by the match celebration to find me. i was so touched that she took time to welcome me into the program, and it reassured me that this program is exactly where i want to be.