Match Day 2018 – Looking Forward
For four years I have watched colleagues take the stage in Langford Auditorium to announce their match. I have always imagined that I could understand their emotions as they walk down the aisle, collect the match letter, and declare their results to the world. But, in reality, I had no idea.
This year of preparing for residency applications, planning and attending interviews, and then putting together a rank list has been surreal. Even after four years of immersion in medical school, it still feels like the results of match are dictated by a series of arbitrary decisions – which programs you apply to, where you interview, how you rank. You are required to ask yourself hard questions which you feel unprepared to answer, and forced to acknowledge your priorities in life which are frequently still uncertain. Every step has felt like another opportunity to ask "what if?," although the answer is rarely, if ever, apparent.
Yet, as we draw closer and closer to Match Day, I have begun to realize how lucky we are to have these decisions to make. Because of the support of families and friends, because of the patient mentorship and incredible opportunities that Vanderbilt has provided, because of our own hard work, we have the luxury of choice. And, at the end of all this, we get to be doctors! So, as I walk down that aisle on March 16, hoping against hope that I don't trip going up the stairs to the stage, I know that I'm going to be excited and nervous, but also profoundly grateful.
That envelope holds the next great adventure, and I can't wait!