Students succeed at annual Match Day

GREENVILLE, N.C.  —   The excitement continued until the 66th envelope was handed out March 16 during the annual Match Day event at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University.

Starting promptly at noon, 66 members of the East Carolina University medical class of 2006 began finding out where they will be heading for residency after graduation.

Clockwise from bottom left, Tiffany Shearn, Jennifer Barber, Armalin Richardson, Tracey Richardson and Ed Johnson celebrate Johnson’s acceptance into the pediatric residency program at Duke University in Durham. Tiffany Richardson matched into a family me

This year, 44 medical students, or 67 percent of the class, chose primary care, including obstetrics and gynecology.

Dr. Cynda Johnson, dean of the medical school, said she’s pleased with the number of students heading into primary care. “I believe it speaks to the quality our program to provide a solid general medical education for whatever specialty our students choose,” she said.

One of those class members heading into an OB/GYN residency is Randolph Scott. He and his wife, April, are heading to Pittsburgh. He will enter residency at Western Pennsylvania Hospital while she will pursue her doctorate in speech pathology at the University of Pittsburgh. Randolph Scott earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

The Scotts were overjoyed to receive their first choice. “We could both go to school, it’s still on the East Coast, we liked the area, and Randolph really liked the program when we visited,” April Scott said.

Randolph Scott’s mother, Victoria Scott, said her son is living the dreams she had for him. “I was a single parent working and praying for this. I give it all to the Lord above. He is the first doctor in our family, and we’re very proud of him,” she said.

“Yes, we are,” piped in Kathryn Smith, the self-described “favorite aunt” of Randolph, who took photos to try to capture the moment.

The class of 2006 was accepted into 35 institutions in 19 states in 15 different specialties. The Brody School of Medicine and Pitt County Memorial Hospital will be home to 18 class members, or 27 percent. Half the class will stay in North Carolina.

Nathan Meltzer is heading to the University of Utah Affiliated Hospitals in Salt Lake City, his first choice, for an OB/GYN residency. At Match Day, Meltzer wore a piece of paper on his back letting everyone know he was wearing his “official interview suit.”

He let out a loud “Yes!” as he opened his envelope walking back to his seat.

“It’s a great program,” he said after all the envelopes had been handed out. “It’s a beautiful place to live with great outdoor activities like mountain biking and skiing,” he said.

The last class member to receive a residency envelope was Tana Hall. She was rewarded for her wait with more than $300 collected from class members.

Hall also received her first choice for her OB/GYN residency, the Brody School of Medicine and PCMH.

For her, obstetrics and gynecology combined her interest in women’s health, primary care and surgery. “It’s a perfect fit for me,” she said.

Before they can provide direct patient care, U.S. medical school graduates are required to complete a three- to seven-year residency program accredited in a recognized medical specialty.

The National Residency Match Program is a private, not-for-profit organization that provides a method for matching applicants for residency positions in the United States with residency programs at various teaching hospitals. Applicants and hospitals rank each other in order of preference, and a computer matches them based upon those rankings.