For those unfamiliar with the medical school world, "Match Day" is a massive deal. On one designated day, at the same time all across the country, graduating medical students receive an email revealing where they have been matched for their post-med-school residency training. It's a high-stakes, binding system that determines where new doctors will spend the next several years of their careers--so our family wanted to make sure that Abigail had a full cheering section on Match Day today.
Abigail and Susan came to my office, where I had blocked out my calendar so we could wait together for the designated email time. The med school had sent T-shirts and announcement signs in advance to encourage Abigail to share the results on social media. However, the real highlight was the family surprises. Suzanna and her fiancé, Jacob, secretly flew in from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, the night before so they could walk into my office just minutes before the reveal! Meanwhile, Hillary cleared her work schedule back in Murfreesboro to join the countdown via video call.
When the email arrived, Abigail was elated to learn that she has been placed at her top choice: Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters in Norfolk, Virginia. She applied to and interviewed with dozens of children's hospitals throughout the winter and spring and even flew out to her top-ranked possibilities in February, and Norfolk became her favorite--so she ranked it #1 on her preference list and hoped that they had ranked her highly, too, based on her interviews. Apparently, she made a good impression on them!
We are so happy for Abigail and are glad we could share this milestone in her medical school journey. Of course, we went out for supper to celebrate; and we look forward to joining her at her med school commencement ceremony in May (stay tuned).
(Click on any photo to enlarge it.)
