Fourth-year students from Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine learned their future at noon Friday.
As they unfolded a letter and learned their speciality and placement for their residencies, the sobbing and screaming began.
“I've been so excited for this day… it's overwhelming but so exciting,” said Alison Barrett, who will head to Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston for internal medicine.
The former valedictorian from Scranton High School went through medical school with her cousin, Alexis Notarianni. Notarianni, a Scranton Prep graduate, will practice neurology at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.
“The last four years have been tough, but having my cousin who's also my best friend there, it just made it so much better,” Notarianni said. “I'm so excited for her. Unfortunately, she will be going to Boston. I'll be in Philly, but that's OK. It's not too far.”
Their grandmother, Kay Barrett, wiped away tears.
“I have 19 grandchildren, three great grandchildren. And they're all very close,” she said. “They've gone to school together. And Alison and Lexi have been friends, really friends. A lot to be thankful for.”
Medical school students across the country participated in Match Day. The students rank their top choices for residencies, and the hospitals and health care systems pick their preferred applicants, too. Residencies last three to seven years.
All 115 of the college’s graduating students placed in a residency. Half of Geisinger students matched into primary care fields, and about 40% will head to residencies in Pennsylvania.
The students, who will graduate in May, entered medical school at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Julie Byerley, M.D., president and dean of the Geisinger Commonwealth and executive vice president and chief academic officer, Geisinger., said the students overcame many challenges to reach Match Day.
“This is when medical students' dreams come true,” she said. “Today they find out what job they're getting as a physician, which is something they worked so hard to be. So we're really proud of our graduates.”
Inside Riverfront Sports in Scranton, families posed for photos, and the future doctors congratulated and embraced each other.
Evan Bair, a Wellsboro native, matched with Yale University’s internal medicine program.
“In some really crazy circumstances we came in, right in the middle of the pandemic. And I'd say, you know, it was a unique challenge,” he said. “And to get here, coming from there, it's unbelievable.”
For area health care facilities, Match Day is also significant.
Geisinger hospitals will welcome 202 new residents this summer, including four at Geisinger Wyoming Valley’s new neurology residency.
The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education will welcome 51 new resident physicians into its regional residency programs. The incoming first-year residents come from 13 countries.
