Boston University medical students gather on 'match day' to learn their residency fate

More than 100 graduating medical students gathered in a Boston University ballroom Friday morning.

It was match day. At noon, they’d learn about the rest of their lives.

Sitting with their families, they stared at stacks of envelopes sprawled across long tables. Each envelope had a name written on its front. Inside were details of the student doctor’s assigned residency program.

It was a scene that played out across the country. According to the National Resident Matching Program — an organization that places U.S. medical school students into residency programs — more than 38,000 graduating medical students matched this year.

Cole Hansen was one of the students waiting in Boston. He had applied to several pediatric programs, he said, because of the doctors who helped care for his little sister.

When she was born, doctors told his family that she had developmental heart issues and only had a few hours to live. But years of surgeries and treatment allowed her to reach her 18th birthday.

“She ended up living a really long time,” Hansen said. “We had great family memories. I always thought that pediatrics would be something that would be meaningful to me.”

Jeet Kothari is another aspiring pediatrician. He grew up taking care of his little sister, who has cerebral palsy, which gave his family first-hand experience in children’s medicine.

“Really the pediatricians and the health care workers that saw my sister as greater than the sum of our conditions, more as a human,” Kothari said. “Those were the ones that really connected with us. I think that really inspired me to try to emulate that as a pediatrician myself, to really go into every room and really connect with each patient.”

Kothari said he wants to match in a program at the Midwest, where he’s originally from, to give back to his community. Hansen said he wants a program in California.

At noon, all 135 fourth year medical students ripped open their envelopes.

Kothari, surrounded by his family, read the news; he matched with the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital.

“I’m still trying to process it, but I’m very excited,” Kothari said. “I’m very happy. I’m going to go to Michigan. Go Blue, I guess I’m going to start saying that.”

Hansen, his wife and their 2-year-old son are headed to Children's Hospital Los Angeles.

He said he’s dedicating this achievement to his father and little sister, who both died when he was a teenager.

“They both were huge influences on my life and getting to this point,” Hansen said. “It just seems honoring their legacy both in their influence on going into pediatric medicine, but also just who I am today.”

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