BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Across the country, it's considered one of the most important days of a medical student's career.
It's Match Day — the day every March when, at noon on the dot, those studying to become doctors open envelopes to find out where they will spend their residency.
“It's been three and a half years of a lot of studying, a lot of apprenticeship, a lot of clinical care and a lot of decisions on what's next steps they want in terms of their career,” said Shaden Eldakar-Hein, senior associate dean of St. Luke’s Katz School of Medicine.
“It's been a lot of work over the last four years, lots of late nights studying overnight shifts in the hospital and it's just all been worth it."Medical student Eva Munshower of Schnecksville
St. Luke’s medical school is partnered with Temple University, and for the first time, Match Day celebrations were held this year in both North Philadelphia and Bethlehem.
“Typically it has occurred in North Philadelphia; we are a partner with Temple University," Eldakar-Hein said.
"These are Temple students. However, this is the first graduating class that spent all four of their years in Bethlehem.”
St. Luke’s celebration was held at ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks in Bethlehem, with 38 students along with their friends and families, eagerly waiting to open their envelope and find out where they will continue their training.
Lehigh Valley Health Network simultaneously held a Match Day event at Renaissance Allentown Hotel.
'It's all been worth it'
Eva Munshower of Schnecksville was born at St. Luke’s and now she’s a medical student who was matched with St. Luke’s for her residency.
“It's been a lot of work over the last four years, lots of late nights studying overnight shifts in the hospital and it's just all been worth it," Munshower said.
"I'm just so proud of her today. Proud is an understatement. It's a big moment."Dr. Thomas Munshower, a family physician, speaking of his daughter Eva
"It's something that I've worked hard for my entire life and I'm just so happy to be in this position where I am today."
Munshower, 26, is following in her father’s footsteps as she pursues a career in medicine.
"My dad was actually my earliest inspiration to becoming a physician and I became interested in surgery early on and just pursued that throughout my training and my education.”
Her father, Dr. Thomas Munshower, a family physician for the network, watched with anticipation as his daughter tore open her envelope Friday.
"I'm just so proud of her today," the father said. "Proud is an understatement. It's a big moment."
Eva Munshower is heading into the general surgery program.
'The next step in their careers'
Medical students nationwide go through a rigorous process of interviews to figure out their top choice for their residency, then an algorithm matches the students’ top choice of residencies with the programs’ top choice of students.
Post-graduate medical education can last three to eight years, including residency and fellowship.
“You basically have to apply to a bunch of programs, have your chosen specialty, and then you interview there," said Kate Arner, who grew up in Allentown.
"And then at the end, toward, like, February, use them in a ranked list of the programs that you would like to go to from your top to your least.
"And they do the same as well with the applicants and then there's an algorithm that matches you. I’m so lucky to match to neurology here at St. Luke's.”
“I remember she lit candles before every exam. So that was really special, that she could be here today and share that really intimate moment of me finding out where I'm going to be the next few years as a doctor.”Student Kate Arner, about her 96-year-old grandmother
Arner said she was hoping to be matched close to home, especially near her 96-year-old grandmother, who she calls her best friend.
“We hang out all the time during the week, we'll go to the casino here, we'll go get chocolates, go to the library, and she's always been a great support system,” said the medical student.
“I remember she lit candles before every exam. So that was really special, that she could be here today and share that really intimate moment of me finding out where I'm going to be the next few years as a doctor.”
Eldakar-Hein, the St. Luke's associate dean, said, “This is their first job. They've worked hard now almost eight years since high school.
"They've gotten the high grades that they needed to be successful and this is really the next step in their careers."
The students who matched on Friday will go on to graduate in May.
