Special to UM News

Hours after bringing their adopted daughter to Miami, Derek and Emily Estes were happy to learn he would continue his training at Jackson Memorial Hospital.

MIAMI, Fla. (March 18, 2016)–Derek Estes’ joyful voice cried out “Jackson Memorial Hospital!” as he opened the envelope and learned where he would be spending his residency.

For Estes, a fourth-year Miller School of Medicine student pursuing a career in internal medicine, Friday was a day filled with life-changing themes. When he and wife stepped off an early-morning flight to Miami with Alexis, the three-week-old baby they had just adopted in Virginia, it was just four hours before Match Day activities would begin.

Match Day is the culmination of a secretive, tension-filled process that begins when graduating medical students apply to their top three residency choices. The programs make their selections, the decisions are sealed in envelopes, and fourth-year students all across the country learn their fates beginning at noon on Match Day, when they open the envelopes.

As is typical at the Miller School, Match Day 2016 was one of the year’s truly special events. Nearly 200 fourth-year students, their families, and friends, and a large contingent of faculty and administrators, formed an overflow crowd under the tent on the Schoninger Research Quadrangle. The sealed envelopes were placed in a large basket and Dean Pascal J. Goldschmidt, M.D., drew them at random, one at a time, and called out each student’s name. The student, with heart pounding, walked to the dais, opened the envelope and announced to all assembled where he or she had been accepted.

As fate would have it, Estes’ name was the first Goldschmidt called. With little Alexis in her father’s arms, the new parents joined the dean on stage, opened Derek’s envelope and learned the happy news.

“To say we’re excited is an understatement,” said Emily. Then, nodding toward her new daughter, added, “This is a big day all around.”

For Goldschmidt, presiding over Match Day is one of his happiest duties.

“The Class of 2016 has achieved the best match record of any class since I have been dean,” he announced, generating loud cheering and applause. “And,” he added, “this is the only true medical reality show in the world,” drawing much laughter from the crowd.

In all, 191 students are graduating with the Class of 2016. Of that total, 186 went through the matching process, four are in the military service and went through the military match, and one student who is going into research did not pursue a residency.

Some statistical highlights:

27 percent of students are remaining in Miami for a Jackson or UM residency.

31 percent are remaining in Florida for training.

Specialties with increased numbers this year compared to last year are Medicine/Pediatrics (4 percent), OB/GYN (12 percent), Dermatology (5 percent) and Orthopaedics (4 percent).

Graduates pursuing primary care fields (inclusive of OB/GYN) continue to rise overall— 51 percent this year, up from 41 percent last year.

The M.D./M.P.H. program, which will graduate its second cohort this spring, continues to have an impact on career choices—63 percent of M.D./M.P.H. students chose primary care fields (inclusive of OB/GYN) compared to 40 percent in the traditional M.D. track.

More M.D./M.P.H. students are continuing their training outside of Florida. Only 25 percent of M.D./M.P.H. students will train in Florida vs. 33 percent of students in the traditional M.D. track.