March 18, 2010 | As the seconds ticked off the clock until their date with destiny, the restlessness and anxiety gave way to a buzz of anticipation among 142 University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Medicine seniors.

A full house of students, faculty, family and friends crammed into the West End Smokehouse and Tavern, erupting with each rip of an envelope as the annual nationwide Match Day event revealed where these soon-to-be physicians would be serving their residencies.

“I’m extremely happy with my match,” said Joseph Sanford, a senior from Fort Smith who will enter the anesthesiology program at UAMS. “I’m not complaining a bit.”

A residency is the next step up the professional ladder for young physicians after graduation from medical school. The students will spend three to six years in specialized training, with the length of time varying according to each discipline. For example, family medicine requires three years of training while neurosurgery requires six.

Richard Wheeler, M.D., executive associate dean for academic affairs in the UAMS College of Medicine, presided over the ceremony and oversees the annual “match” process.

“With the possible exception of commencement, I think Match Day is the most exciting day of the year for seniors in medical school,” Wheeler said. “They find out for sure what specialty they are going to be entering, something that obviously affects them for the rest of their lives. It is just a great day, and the fact that it happens at exactly the same time all over the country for all medical students is pretty exciting.”

For Susan Griffee, Match day was a dream come true. She had her sights set on pursuing a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialty at the Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education.

“When I opened that envelope it took me a second for it to register,” she said. “I’m still shaking a little bit … it’s very exciting to have gotten this news. I can’t wait to get there and get started.”

As Griffee stepped off the stage, she was quickly enveloped in the arms of her visibly emotional family.

“Minneapolis is a long way from the small town of Marion, Arkansas,” she said. “They’re very happy for me.”

While residencies often take future physicians away from their family and friends, it can also be a homecoming for some.

John-Robert La Porta came to UAMS from Long Island, N.Y., for medical school. His envelope revealed he’d be returning close to home for a four-year anesthesiology specialty at the Albany Medical Center in Albany, N.Y.

“I was prepared either way,” he said. “On one hand, I have a house I’ve put a lot of work into here and would’ve been fine with being matched at UAMS. But on the other hand, even though I’ll have to sell my house, I’m really excited to be returning home closer to my family and friends.”

And while a boisterous crowd of family and friends were in attendance at West End, many students’ support systems couldn’t make the trip. To help them share in the Match Day festivities, Sanford had a Web cam set up and was streaming the ceremony and running a live chat room on the Internet from a laptop directly in front of the stage.

“We’ve had as many as about 100 people coming in and out,” Sanford said. “The comments have been very appreciative and supportive.”

Wheeler said most years a small handful of students go unmatched, as was the case this year. However, by Match Day all 142 UAMS seniors seeking a residency position had found a spot. Out of that total, 64 seniors were appointed to in-state residencies, while 80 are leaving for spots in 31 different states. Primary care specialties (internal medicine, pediatrics, family medicine, Ob/Gyn) made up 45 percent of matches. Out of those, family medicine matched the most with 26.

Out of the 16,070 U.S. seniors who applied through the National Resident Matching Program, 14,992 found a match. A computerized system controls the selection process and matches fourth-year students with residency openings based on student preference and availability.