India Rogers-Shepp, surrounded by her family and friends, was overjoyed to learn she will train as an OB-GYN at Stanford Health Care. “I’m very, very happy. Very grateful,” she expressed about staying at Stanford Medicine, her first choice.
At Berg Hall on the Stanford School of Medicine campus, the Class of 2025 discovered their residency placements. Students arrived with family and friends to receive sealed envelopes containing their residency assignments.
Lloyd Minor, MD, dean of the medical school and vice president for medical affairs at Stanford University, addressed the students before they opened their envelopes. “This is the most exciting time ever to go into medicine,” he stated. “Technology is actually enabling us to connect better, more effectively with our patients.”
Reena Thomas, MD, PhD, senior associate dean of medical education, acknowledged the students’ anxiety: “The anticipation in this room is palpable,” she said.
As the countdown ended at 9 a.m., students opened their envelopes amidst cheers. Sol Savchuk was thrilled to be assigned neurosurgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Medical Center in Boston. “I loved the program and really connected with the faculty,” she noted.
In keeping with tradition since 1952, graduating medical students in the U.S. participate in interviews for residencies through the National Residency Matching Program’s algorithmic matching process.
This year saw 81 Stanford Medicine graduates matched across various specialties including psychiatry and pediatrics; about 40% remained at Stanford Health Care.
Students celebrated together after learning their placements. Champagne flutes were passed around as Thomas congratulated them: “To our students who have matched today … congratulations!”
Basil Baccouche reflected on emotional moments during medical school: “Medical school was the first time many of us saw…the astonishing responsibility of caring for another person.”
Alex Doan will stay at Stanford for general surgery training after being inspired by personal experiences with brain cancer cases close to him during high school.
“I want to be the kind of person who can bring light no matter how dark things are,” Doan shared about his aspirations in surgical oncology.
The event marked a significant milestone for these future doctors as they embark on their careers in medicine.
