Next generation of physicians gather for Match Day

• What: Class of 2024 Match Day Ceremony
• When: Friday, March 15, 7:30-11:30 a.m.
• Where: Outside of Old Main, 1200 E. University Blvd., Tucson
• Livestream: satyrlivestream.com/stream/matchday2024/

At this year’s Match Day ceremony, to be held Friday, March 15, on the west side of the Old Main Building on the University of Arizona campus, 111 medical students from the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson will learn where they will pursue the next phase of their medical training.

Fourth-year medical students across the country will gather with loved ones and simultaneously open their envelopes at 9 a.m., learning where they will begin their residencies. Varying in length from three to seven years, residencies are the stage of graduate medical education during which new doctors practice medicine in their chosen specialty under the supervision of a senior physician.

After four years of study, volunteering, research, clerkships, subinternships and clinical rotations, UArizona College of Medicine – Tucson students see Match Day as the first step of their medical careers.

In the final year of medical school, students engage in residency interviews at institutions where they aspire to pursue additional training. Then students rank their preferences for residency locations, and institutions likewise rank the students they desire to bring on as trainees. The National Residency Matching Program oversees the matching process, concluding with medical students committing to serve in the location where they have been matched.

“Match Day is a momentous occasion that unites the excitement of our medical students with the pride of our administration and faculty. The ceremony symbolizes the culmination of years of dedication, resilience and the development of a professional identity,” said Rich Amini, MD, associate dean for student affairs at the College of Medicine – Tucson.

“As our students discover their placements for graduate medical education, we take immense gratification in sending forth well-prepared graduates to programs nationwide. We also look forward to welcoming a substantial number into our own residency programs, fostering the next generation of exceptional physicians within our community.”

Registration and breakfast begin at 7:30 a.m., with programming starting at 8:15 a.m. At 9 a.m., students will individually gather with their supporters to open their Match Day envelopes. At 9:30 a.m., they will announce their matches publicly. Closing remarks begin at 11 a.m.

Parking is available ($8 per car) at the Tyndall Garage, located on Tyndall Avenue south of University Boulevard. There is an accessible 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 website.

The following College of Medicine – Tucson medical students are participating in Match Day.

Monique Crawford, MSN, MS, was a nurse for eight years before making the pivot to medicine. Through her work with the Sarver Heart Center’s Structural Heart Disease Program, she observed health professionals collaborating on challenging problems.

“Seeing how physicians work together, combining different specialties to come up with a plan for a high-risk patient, was eye-opening,” she said.

As a medical student, she often drew from her nursing experience but knew there was still a lot to learn.

“Medical school was still very humbling,” she said. “I was very comfortable as a nurse, but as a doctor, you take on a different role.”

Crawford has applied to programs in internal medicine with the intention to apply for a fellowship in pulmonary critical care after completing her residency training. She will celebrate Match Day with her family, alongside some of her former nursing colleagues.

Jonathan Credo, PhD, came of age in Flagstaff, near the Navajo Nation, where he has roots on his mother’s side.

He majored in biochemistry and biomedical sciences at Northern Arizona University, investigating water contaminants on the Navajo Nation, where mining has wreaked havoc.

“It really opened my eyes,” he said. “I would love a career where I work with the community to answer their questions, not only from a clinical perspective, but also a research perspective.”

As an MD/PhD student, he completed a doctorate in clinical translational sciences through his work on environmental exposures in tribal communities across the western United States. He said he hopes to match into a combined residency program in internal medicine and psychiatry.

Phoenix native Priyanka Hadvani, MS, got her start at the College of Medicine – Tucson a decade ago as an undergraduate in physiology and medical sciences.

After receiving a master’s degree in biomedical sciences from Marian University, Hadvani was accepted into the Pre-Medical Admissions Pathway, an intensive preparation program for promising students who have faced considerable obstacles. With a head start on medical school, she flew through her first two years and then began her search for a specialty that felt right.

“Throughout my rotations, I felt like there were some pieces missing. When I started shadowing in anesthesia, all the pieces fit together,” she recalled. “It’s the perfect blend of physiology and hands-on procedures. It’s a privilege to be a calming presence for patients.”

Maya Lowney’s passion for medicine originated in childhood, when her little sister was born with a disability.

“We had to fly her all the way from Hawaii to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester just for her diagnosis,” she recalled. “She needed open heart surgery as a baby and spent six months in the hospital on Oahu, away from the family. Ultimately, we had to relocate to the mainland.”

After her family moved to Sedona, Lowney enrolled as an undergraduate at the College of Medicine – Tucson, majoring in physiology and medical sciences with honors. She considered other health care professions but realized medical school was the right choice.

She hopes to match to a residency in general surgery.

“General surgery opens a lot of doors for specialties,” she said. “I would also have the opportunity to stick with general surgery and work in a rural area, which I’m passionate about."