St. Patrick’s Day festivities are among the annual rites of spring celebrated across the country. But for thousands of U.S. medical students, Friday, March 17, is not about shamrocks and green beer, but about finding out where they’ll spend the next three to seven years in residency programs they’ve been “matched” with. At UCI, 98 future physicians will learn where they’ll start their careers after earning their M.D.s in May. All pandemic restrictions for in-person attendance have been eliminated this year, allowing the class of 2023 to invite friends and family to share the Match Day experience.
With most of their four years of medical school overlapping the COVID-19 pandemic, these students overcame unique challenges and found creative ways to connect with each other and their mentors, driven by their desire to pursue a career dedicated to helping others through…