Momentous "Match Day" for inaugural class of WSU Elson S Floyd College of Medicine medical students

There are many momentous occasions in a medical students’ four years at the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine. One of them is Match Day, which happens the third Friday of every March and is celebrated nationwide. Match Day is when fourth-year medical students learn where they “matched” for their residencies - the three to seven years of training they’ll receive in their respective specialties after graduating from medical school.

At 9 a.m. on Friday, March 19, the inaugural class of WSU medical students learned where they matched. See this video for some sheer joy and tear-jerkers!

The COVID-19 pandemic didn’t allow for an in-person celebration, but students were able to celebrate at their homes across the state with their friends and family. They joined together virtually for a celebration acknowledging their incredible achievements.

Make sure you take time to read about the medical students and find out where they matched.

Match Day also gave WSU the opportunity to accept its first cohort of 16 medical residents for the new Internal Medicine Residency Program in Everett, Wash. Of the 16, eight are from the Pacific Northwest (including six from Washington), and 10 are from rural and underserved backgrounds.

Creating the state’s second public medical school was one step on the way to increasing the number of doctors practicing in Washington. Creating residency programs is another step toward that goal. Adding doctors in the state—especially in rural and underserved areas—is crucial to creating a healthier Washington. The first graduating class of the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine and the new medical residents in Everett are trailblazers for what’s to come next, both locally in Spokane and across the state.