How exciting! Our son’s starting his MD-PhD program this summer, 8 years in all so I have got some time to look forward to match day and white coat day and everything else in between. I love celebrations, good luck to you all and your families!
We are invited to attend. Our student’s school does a luncheon before the reveal for families. Thankfully they do livestream so our family overseas can be there too. Our student is choosing to have their spouse open the envelope in front of everyone. Should be exciting!
@ourtown - congrats. It is a loooong haul. Depending on how his PhD research goes, it could be more than 8 years… and going back to the MD part after getting that PhD is very challenging. Be ready to provide a lot of emotional support and pizzas. 
We are planning to be there next year when D matches. As far as I know, it’s a pretty big deal. And yes, right after that, the entire class has one big party/bar crawl. Luckily we are only about an hour away, so can be with her for the main moment and then come back home. Friends’ D matched a couple of years ago and her parents did fly down to be with her for match day.
@BunsenBurner - Aw, thank you very much for the congrats and the advice He’s deciding between Yale and Johns Hopkins, with second looks at both within the next month and final decision to be made by the end of April.
Good choices! We were thrilled when kid got into the local MSTP - that was her dream! No experience with medical schools at either of your son’s choices, but JHU is top notch for medical and especially public health research.
@BunsenBurner Congratulations to your daughter (and you)
Remember to NOT post specifics- program and place when you find out the results. Many are small enough you could be identifying the person. Leave them some privacy, especially after all those CC posts over the years. Thanks for confirming the time- I’s guess by 1 pm EDT all the results will be known.
Sharing a ‘word to the wise’…Tomorrow, three years ago, DS opened the white envelope. It revealed he’d matched to the hospital of his last choice.
He’d psychologically built himself up with the expectation that he’d be going to one of his higher choices–a top-named hospital in the chosen specialty. After all, he’d knocked his standardized tests out of the park and he’d done well with the interview process, his reference letters were stellar…
Nevertheless, he was headed to a no-name safety hospital that didn’t really charge his battery.
As a result, opening the envelope required significant adjustment on his part. I was so glad to have been there – to ‘pick up the pieces’, to talk him through the disappointment and watch the proverbial light bulb come on in his head…to watch him realize that he was actually going to become the medical doctor he’d thought about for so long…It was a dream coming true!..AND to remember that there was a large percentage of people in his shoes who had no white envelope to open at all because they had NOT matched. (25% of those who’d applied in his specialty did not match! That’s frightening.)
He was disappointed and couldn’t bring himself to attend the school’s celebration luncheon with his friends. Instead he and I wandered the streets of the city for a couple of hours and grabbed a sandwich at the corner deli. He needed time to adjust his thinking.
During this time, the chair of the department at the ‘matched’ hospital called to welcome him to the program…Dr Chair expressed how much he looked forward to working with DS, how lucky they felt to have DS in their program…As a mom I was impressed Dr. Chair made the effort to reach out in this personal way…
We eventually met his friends at the bar crawl and I overheard one of his friends say, “Who cares where you’re going, DS. YOU are going to be an f—ing XXX surgeon!” DS looked at me and grinned. I knew, from that moment, he’d be fine. And, he is fine – thriving and happy!
As time has progressed, he’s discovered that he’s in a great program at a great hospital where the attendings --most of them, anyway – enjoy teaching and value the residents as young professionals. He’s learning lots and having wonderful experiences! No question – he is in a great place!
Please keep in mind these young people are all over-achievers and have worked extremely hard to get to this point in their careers…But some may struggle with the hand they are dealt. It may take a few hours of walking around town on a beautiful spring day to make the adjustment in their heads; the path they’d visualized may have a curve or two they hadn’t expected!!
My best wishes to all the hard working physicians-to-be AND to their parents.
I wish I could love 
your post many many times over, @rutgersmamma. All the best to your son!
Ditto
YES. Onward!!!
There was a young woman at D’s match day who sobbed and sobbed. Her expectations were so very high and she landed in the middle of her choices. It was heartbreaking. Her match school was an excellent one and she was fine–just a big adjustment in her own head.
Love that story ^ :).
I know that DIL really would like to match with X but due to family no doubt put Y as her first choice. And G’son wants Z desperately. I want Z also–a great place to visit… S does not care as long as DIL is happy.
Remember- what do you call the person who graduates last in the class? Doctor.
Students get so used to being at the top of their HS, college, being the minority who apply and get into medical school then being far too busy to think about anything else that the reality that there are others elsewhere who are more competitive for very limited spaces is a shock.
It is a best fit for both new doctors and residencies, not a perfect fit. Presumably students only ranked places they were willing to go to- I recall not ranking one I interviewed at. From my own experiences and seeing what the next generation is experiencing I can honestly say some of the less prestigious schools and programs can give a better education. The stories I could tell…
On a much lighter note I sent DIL a necklace instead of flowers and she loves it! She said she will wear it to
Match Day. Just made me happy to make her happy.
Hoping all of our students feel centered and loved when they open their envelopes.
Just found out D matched at her desired location, will be there for next five years!!!
Wowowow! Congrats @Lassie3 and L3’s daughter!
Not sure what my niece’s first choice was, though I think she got the families first choice! She won’t have to move and her H won’t have to quit his job.
^^^ Congrats all!!!
Great news - congratulations! D just texted that the match wasn’t great at her school for her chosen speciality. Lets hope the results are better next year!