School of Medicine Class of 2021 Celebrates Match Day
SOM Class of 2021 Celebrated the Next Step to Becoming Physicians as They Learned Where They Matched to Medical Residency Programs
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Members of the New York Medical College (NYMC) School of Medicine (SOM) Class of 2021 celebrated the next step on their path to becoming physicians on March 19, as they learned where they were matched to medical residency programs and will continue their training for the next several years in their chosen specialty. Although it was not the traditional in-person envelope opening ceremony, students learned where they matched online and a live stream of the event, as well as interactive chat rooms, allowed the students to celebrate together virtually with family and friends joining in the celebration. Within moments of learning of their match results, students shared their excitement and posted photos across social media.
“I came to medical school to become a psychiatrist and I am beyond excited to have matched at Massachusetts General Hospital for my psychiatry residency training. I am jumping for joy. This would not have been possible without the mentorship I received at NYMC, especially from Dr. Mill Etienne [Mill Etienne, M.D., M.P.H. ’02, vice chancellor of diversity and inclusion and associate dean of student affairs] and Dr. Lidia Klepacz [Lidia Klepacz, M.D., assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences]. I could not have asked for a better outcome,” said Ganaëlle Joseph-Senatus, SOM Class of 2021.
“I am so grateful for this opportunity. It has been a long journey and it’s a sweet moment to find out I’ll be training at Yale. NYMC has been my home for six years and I just can’t believe this day has finally come,” said Sheba Ebhote, SOM Class of 2021, who completed the Associated Medical Schools of New York (AMSNY) post-baccalaureate program and matched in internal medicine.
“As I sit reading my match result I am still in shock. What was just a childhood dream almost 15 years ago is now coming to life in front of me. I would never have made it without the incredible love and support I have received. I am grateful for the many opportunities I have been fortunate enough to participate in and am excited to begin training at such an incredible institution where I may begin dedicating my life to helping others,” said Mathias Palmer, SOM Class of 2021, who matched in internal medicine at the Mayo Clinic.
“I am so excited for the opportunity to get amazing training in both adult and pediatric medicine with Indiana University Med-Peds! I am also so grateful to all the family, friends, and my fellow NYMC significant other who have helped me get to this point,” says Cydney Nichols, SOM Class of 2021.
NYMC medical students will be training in 27 states at 104 different institutions, including several of NYMC’s local affiliate hospitals – Westchester Medical Center Health Network’s Westchester Medical Center, NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan and NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln – as well as at many top tiers, research-intensive, academic medical centers across the country, including three hospitals of the Harvard Medical School System (Brigham and Women’s, Massachusetts General, Beth Israel-Deaconess), Brown, Cleveland Clinic, Duke, Emory, Mount Sinai, Johns Hopkins, Mayo Clinic, New York-Presbyterian/Columbia, New York-Presbyterian/Weil Cornell, NYU, Stanford, Northwestern, UCLA, Vanderbilt and Yale.
The top career choices for the Class of 2021 were internal medicine, emergency medicine, pediatrics, general surgery, family medicine, anesthesiology, psychiatry, obstetrics and gynecology and radiology.
During the virtual Match Day event, several members of the SOM administration offered their congratulations. Jane M. Ponterio, M.D. ’81, senior associate dean for student, commended the graduates for adapting so well to changes to the residency interview process caused by the pandemic, which included not being able to travel to visit residency programs and necessitating interviewing virtually. “You prepared for this day with intense determination and effort, and even COVID-19 could not prevent you from reaching this historic day in your lives,” she said.
“During the past year, our lives were forever changed. In that time, rather than retreat, your class unified and initiated a COVID-19 student volunteer network, fortified mentorship programs and mastered the art of the Zoom interview,” said Jennifer Koestler, M.D., senior associate dean for medical education. “This milestone represents another step towards fulfilling your dreams —which will no doubt involve changing our health care system for the better. Remember to bring the humanistic, patient-centered clinical skills that we have taught you at NYMC into whatever specialty you have matched. While your paths will never be easy, you have all of the necessary tools to succeed.”
SOM Dean Jerry Nadler, M.D., said, “This has been a challenging year for everyone but especially your class. You showed outstanding resiliency and flexibility with all the changes due to the pandemic. In a few minutes, you will learn the residency programs you will match in to carry out the next phase of your training to become true healers. Please never forget the values you have learned at NYMC, especially compassion, humanism and support for diversity, inclusion and caring. You have gained all the knowledge, skills needed to be successful physicians and healers. We are proud to say you will always be part of the NYMC family.”
Prior to Match Day, two SOM students, Ryan Fahey and Gabriela Mujica-Martorell, who are both members of the U.S. Army, received their military match results, with Mr. Fahey matching in general surgery at San Antonio Military Medical Center and Ms. Mujica-Martorell matching for a transitional internship at Madigan Army Medical Center in Washington State.
“I am extremely proud of our two graduates who have met all the requirements of service in the U.S. Army while excelling in medical school,” said Mill Etienne, M.D., M.P.H. ’02, vice chancellor of diversity and inclusion and associate dean of student affairs. “After graduation, they will be serving our country as both officers and physicians providing care to our men and women who have put themselves in harm’s way.”
Though the moment of students learning of their matches was done virtually, their reactions we still just as exuberant, with many also expressing thanks to New York Medical College for preparing them so well for their future careers.
"Truly blessed and happy for today’s Match results! It’s been a long road to medicine and I am grateful for the opportunities provided at New York Medical College. I am super proud of my classmates as well and excited to begin residency training at Yale for Emergency Medicine," said Reba Gillis, SOM Class of 2021
“New York Medical College has provided me an opportunity to grow both as a clinician and a person,” said Mr. Palmer. “As I look forward to starting residency next year, I feel confident in the knowledge and training I have received here at NYMC. I have made lifelong friends both with my classmates and with the faculty mentors and I cannot wait to see what the future holds.”
View the Class of 2021 Match Day press release and results.
