Future physicians celebrate milestone on Match Day

• What: Class of 2025 Match Day Ceremony
• When: Friday, March 21, 7:30-11:30 a.m.
• Where: Outside of Old Main, 1200 E. University Blvd., Tucson
• Livestream: https://satyrlivestream.com/stream/matchday2025/

At this year’s Match Day ceremony, to be held Friday, March 21, on the west side of the Old Main Building on the University of Arizona campus, 123 medical students from the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson will learn where they will begin the next phase of their medical training. The event will also include an announcement of a major gift to the College of Medicine – Tucson.

On Match Day, fourth-year medical students from across the nation gather with their loved ones and open envelopes simultaneously at 9 a.m. (AZ time) to discover where they will begin their residencies. Residency programs, which range from three to seven years, represent a critical phase in graduate medical education. During this time, new doctors practice in their chosen specialties under the supervision of experienced physicians.

For students at the U of A College of Medicine – Tucson, Match Day marks the beginning of their professional medical careers after four years of rigorous study, volunteering, research, clerkships, subinternships and clinical rotations.

In their final year of medical school, students participate in residency interviews at institutions where they hope to receive further training. They then rank their preferred residency locations, while institutions rank the students they wish to train. The National Residency Matching Program facilitates the matching process, with students committing to the residency location they are matched with.

“Match Day is a significant milestone that brings together the excitement of our medical students with the pride of our administration and faculty. This event marks the culmination of years of hard work, perseverance and the growth of a professional identity,” said Rich Amini, MD, associate dean for student affairs at the College of Medicine – Tucson.

“As our students learn where they will continue their graduate medical education, we take great pride in sending them off as well-prepared graduates to programs across the country. We also eagerly anticipate welcoming many into our own residency programs, helping train the next generation of outstanding physicians within our community.”

Registration and breakfast for Match Day begin at 7:30 a.m., and the gift announcement will take place at 8 a.m. Match Day programming starts at 8:30 a.m., and at 9 a.m., students will individually gather with their supporters to open their Match Day envelopes. At 9:15 a.m., they will announce their matches publicly. Closing remarks begin at 10 a.m. 

Parking is available at a rate of $8 per car at the Tyndall Garage, located on Tyndall Avenue south of University Boulevard. There is a drop-off area for people with disabilities on University Boulevard at the flagpole west of Old Main. For more information, visit the College of Medicine – Tucson Match Day webpage.

The following College of Medicine – Tucson students are among those who will be participating in Match Day.

Curtis McGuire

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As a child, Curtis McGuire set his sights on the National Football League, but by the time college arrived, he was tired of injuries and was seeking a new direction. Then one day he met an anesthesiologist.

“I took my mom to cataract surgery and in walks an African American man — the anesthesiologist,” McGuire recalled. “He seemed to love his job.”

By the time McGuire entered medical school, his goal was to become an anesthesiologist, citing Jerry McCoy, MD, PhD, an associate professor of anesthesiology, as an influential mentor. He remembered a pivotal experience in the operating room.

“The patient coded, and watching Dr. McCoy, up close and personal, save this patient’s life; it was life-changing,” he recalled. “I got to do compressions for the first time on a real patient. It taught me that I can stay calm in the chaos.”

McGuire said he’s looking forward to celebrating Match Day with his fiancée and infant son, but more than anything, he’s excited to become an anesthesiologist.

“I love the one-on-one patient care,” McGuire said. “I want to start their day on a good note, be responsible for their well-being, and get them back to the post-op area. Doing that every day seems like what I’m meant to do.”

Gabriela Orozco

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Growing up in Phoenix, Gabriela Orozco and her family did not have the opportunity to see a doctor because they did not have medical insurance. The lack of health care inspired Orozco to become a physician.

“It was very challenging, growing up with that fear of ‘I can’t get sick,’” Orozco recalled. “For that reason, I always wanted to become a doctor so I could help others who have had similar experiences to mine.”

Orozco is a first-generation college student who earned undergraduate degrees from the University of Arizona in physiology and Spanish literature. She said her physiology background was helpful during medical school.

“Some of the stuff I learned in medical school I had seen previously in my physiology courses, and that made me feel really confident,” Orozco said.

As Match Day draws closer, Orozco said she is excited to celebrate with her relatives. Her family moved to Phoenix from Colombia when she was young, but many family members still live in her birth country.

“I’m so excited because this is the first graduation where anyone from Colombia gets to be part of the celebration,” Orozco said. “It’s nice to finally get some family to come visit and be part of this.”

Laura Tran

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Phoenix native Laura Tran said she always wanted to become a doctor, driven by her family’s experiences with the health care system.

“I’m the child of immigrant parents, and I grew up uninsured,” she recalled. “I wanted to go into medicine to combat barriers to health care.”

As a medical student, she soon found her passion in internal medicine.

“Those were my people,” she said. “They pushed you to become a better clinician, and that was what I needed to grow.”

Tran received a Primary Care Physician Scholarship, which covers tuition for medical students who commit to practice primary care in underserved communities in Arizona.

“It made sense to apply,” she said. “I knew I was going to come back and serve the community that raised me.”

She will spend Match Day with two other College of Medicine – Tucson students, her sister, Missy Tran, a first-year medical student, and her partner, Justin Le, who is also matching. She’s especially excited to celebrate the day with her parents.

“This degree represents the degrees my parents didn’t have the opportunities to attain,” she said. “This degree is also a symbol for those who come from similar positions — first-gen, minority, low-income — that this dream is possible.”