As cameras roled for a national documentary, 249 graduating medical students of the Wayne State University School of Medicine learned today where they will spend the next several years of residency training.
The annual Match Day ritual was met with whoops, hollers and tears of both joy and sorrow as medical students across the country gathered with their families to learn - individually and simultaneously - where they "matched" for their residencies.
This year at WSU, a film crew will captured the event for "The Heartbeat of Detroit," a multi-part documentary that will air on the Sundance Channel and French television. The documentary will chronicle the lives of several 25- to 35-year-olds - including residents and nurses at Detroit Receiving Hospital - who are personally invested in the city of Detroit 's future.
"Our match rate continues to be an outstanding one," said Dr. Kertia Black, WSU School of Medicine assistant dean for student affairs, referring to the 95.2 percent of students who matched successfully. "Many of the most high-powered programs in the country demonstrated that our students are exactly what they're looking for."
The WSU/Detroit Medical Center program continued to be the most popular match with 44 students. About 60 percent of the class will stay in Michigan, while others will spend the next phase of their career at institutions scattered across the country, from Yale-New Haven Hospital to Stanford University Programs.
Monika Olchawa, who will be joining the internal medicine program at Loyola University Medical Center, in Illinois, said she was looking forward to the opportunities offered by her match, which featured a diverse patient population.
"I'm really happy I got my first choice," she said.
The Match Day celebration also featured the presentation of several awards, including departmental awards, distinguished service awards and the Penfil Award. Sachin Shah received the Penfil Award, which recognizes the senior who in the opinion of his classmates has developed an understanding of the art of medicine as displayed by the care and understanding of patients during the clinical years of medical school.
"He is the patient's No. 1 advocate," said Loretta Robichaud, this year's fourth-year counselor, as she read comments submitted by Mr. Shah's classmates.
In addition, Dr. Diane Levine, WSU vice chair for education in the Department of Internal Medicine, was named class marshall. She will lead the class procession at commencement, Tuesday, June 6, an honor reserved for a faculty member whom the students believe contributed greatly to their education.