Annie Liu '19

Match Day was a blur. I was filled with nerves. I chose to go to Match Day because it has traditionally been an allopathic ritual, but also a rite of passage for a medical student. During the whole application process, I feel like we're always finding out something new each step of the way. As medical students, we have traveled for months, lived in different parts of the country, worked tirelessly every day to shine at our audition rotations, and the amount of work and resources we put in boiled down into a week of finding out whether we matched and where. It's a great triumph for every medical student, and I was really happy I decided to go that day and felt a sense of closure after this long medical student journey. 

There was a feeling of surrealism because this journey culminated on a piece of paper. I wanted to delay the moment for a few seconds to fully comprehend what was about to happen. Once I opened the envelope, there were so many emotions including a wave of relief and disbelief that I got my first choice. Medical students have a tendency to doubt themselves, and we frequently hear about imposter syndrome. I am so happy for my peers that we made it. Opening that envelope was a reminder that our dedication and hard work has led us to this tremendous point in our lives. 

I'm looking forward to being able to practice medicine, and at the same time having that responsibility is terrifying. Also, excited to be with like-minded people interested in the same field as me. I am looking forward to putting on that long white coat, but I'm not sure yet how I'll react when someone calls me "doctor" for the first time...