Tears of joy: UW med students discover fate during ‘Match Day’ ceremony

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - Friday was Match Day for fourth year medical students the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, a major step in their journeys toward becoming doctors.

Ahead of the ceremony, students ranked their top residency programs around the country and the programs ranked them. Saturday, students found out where they will be spending the next three to seven years developing their medical skills.

“It’s very different than any kind of job search that most other people have experienced because the students go out, they apply and they interview for the position,” Associate Dean for Students Gwen McIntosh said. “The residency program directors interview the students and review their applications but then each pair, the student and the residency director makes a rank list, number one, two, the students make a list, number one, two,of their preferred program.”

Attendees heard from industry leaders while awaiting their acceptance letters. Then, students gathered with their loved ones to find out their fate.

Kelly Kuehl was born and raised in Wisconsin and the Kaukauna native said since age ten, her dream was to serve as a doctor in her home state.

“It just feels right to me. I spent all this time learning and growing and putting all this energy into my education, and I really would like to just give back to the community that raised me and be able to kind of spread that forward in the future and be a part of the community I grew up in.”

Kuehl’s dream came true and she will be returning to the UW for the Family Medicine Residency Program.

“Family medicine was a clear choice for me, I didn’t really have any too difficult of a decision,” she said. “I really liked everything going through medical school, I loved taking care of adults, I loved taking care of kids, I love doing OB and being there for deliveries and taking care of pregnant people, and so family medicine you’ve gotta do all of those things.”

According to the UW School of Medicine and Public Health, all of the students in the class of 2023 who applied to a residency program matched with one. Just over 30% of those students will be attending an in-state program.

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