UCSF Medical Students Celebrate Match Day 2026: A Milestone Shaped by Community, Gratitude, and Purpose
On the morning of March 20, 2026, 166 graduating UCSF medical students gathered under clear blue skies at Koret Quad on the Mission Bay campus and at the UCSF Fresno campus in Fresno to mark one of the defining moments of their medical education: Match Day. Surrounded by family, friends, mentors, and faculty, they awaited the long-anticipated reveal of where they will spend the next several years in residency—taking their next steps as physicians.
For many, the celebration extended far beyond individual achievement. Loved ones traveled across states and continents to be present, underscoring the shared sacrifices and support systems that sustained students through years of training.
In his opening remarks, Associate Dean for Students, Erick Hung, MD, reflected on both the significance of the day and the promise of what lies ahead. After thanking the Career Advising and Student Experience teams, he invited graduates to retrieve the envelopes that would reveal the next chapter of their training.
“Sometimes it feels like you're just moving from one chapter to the next, but this next chapter is honestly the best one – because you get to practice the specialty you’ve wanted all along,” he said. Thinking back to my residency, it was one of the best years of my life.”
At exactly 9:00 am, students opened their envelopes in unison. The quad filled with cheers, tears, and embraces as futures came into focus. For many students, the emotions extended beyond personal achievement, and instead reflected a deep gratitude for the communities that supported them and a renewed commitment to the patients they will soon serve.
Match Day is celebrated across the United States and marks the transition from medical student to resident physician. This year, 73% of UCSF medical students matched in California, with 28% remaining at UCSF. The most common specialties included Internal Medicine, Anesthesiology, Emergency Medicine, Pediatrics, and Psychiatry. Thirty-nine percent matched into Primary Care specialties.
UCSF students arrive at Match Day through a range of educational pathways. While many began in the traditional four-year MD program, others trained through specialized programs such as the UC Berkeley–UCSF Joint Medical Program (JMP), the Program in Medical Education for the Urban Underserved (PRIME-US), the San Joaquin Valley Program in Medical Education (SJV PRIME), and the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP), which culminates in both an MD and PhD.
Paths Shaped by Gratitude and Purpose
Alice Summer Tang (she/her), an MSTP student who matched into Dermatology at UC Irvine and was recently named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in Science, viewed Match Day as both a culmination and a beginning—a moment she described as “a kind of collapse of many amazing possibilities into a single clear future.” Drawn to dermatology for its breadth, she hopes to pursue research alongside clinical care and credits the collective support of peers, mentors, and programs across UCSF. The joy of patient connections, she said, sustains her commitment to medicine.
Jessa Culver (she/they), a student in the Joint Medical Program (JMP) and PRIME-US, who matched into Psychiatry at UCSF, described Match Day as the moment when years of training suddenly become real. Motivated by a commitment to addressing structural inequities, Culver hopes to partner with public and community-based organizations to help shape more equitable systems of care. Their message to future students: “You belong here… there’s no single right way to ‘be’ in medical school.”
Pablo Suarez Proano (he/him), a PRIME-US student who matched into Urology at UCSF, described Match Day as “both an ending and a beginning” shaped by years of perseverance and purpose. As the child of undocumented immigrants, he described medicine as a way to uplift communities that have long been marginalized and emphasized the importance of creating spaces where patients feel safe, heard, and empowered.
Sheyda M. Aboii (she/her), an MSTP student who matched into Medicine-Pediatrics at UC San Diego, was drawn to her specialty for its ability to care for patients across the lifespan. She is particularly interested in exploring “environmental exposures across all stages of life” and is considering a future in primary care that incorporates home visits. Reflecting on Match Day, she described it as an opportunity to celebrate 10 years of training alongside people she has come to know and care for.
Rafael Verduzco Guillen (he/him), a student in the SJV PRIME program who matched into Emergency Medicine at Kern Medical, described the day as the culmination of years of hard work, dedication, and failures-to-successes—shared not only by him, but by his family. Raised in California’s Central Valley by parents who immigrated from Mexico and Guatemala, he was drawn to medicine through firsthand experiences with inequities in care and hopes to serve patients during their most vulnerable moments.
Neytali Kanwar (she/her), also a member of SJV PRIME, who matched into Internal Medicine at Cedars-Sinai, described Match Day as a celebration of both personal and collective journey. She hopes to return to the Central Valley to provide high-quality care to her community. She credits UCSF and UCSF Fresno for shaping her path and emphasizing that it truly is the culture and people that make UCSF what it is.
Lillian Vang (she/her), an SJV PRIME student, who matched into Emergency Medicine at Harbor-UCLA, reflected on Match Day as a moment of possibility and an opportunity to make meaningful impact in the lives of others. Inspired by witnessing how limited resources and mistrust can affect patient care, she hopes to ensure that every patient feels seen, heard, and empowered as active participants in their own health. Through SJV PRIME, she said, she came to value the meaning of community and the importance of caring for diverse patient populations.
Davis Bullock, who matched into Neurology at the University of Washington in Seattle, described Match Day as a deeply personal milestone shaped by years of perseverance, faith, and support from loved ones. Inspired by his own experience as a childhood cancer patient at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, he was drawn to medicine through the care he received. He hopes to provide compassionate, personalized neurological care.
Ziad Jowhar (he/him), an MSTP student who matched into Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Michigan, described Match Day as the culmination of sacrifices, growth, and challenge. Drawn to the specialty during his PhD years, he found meaning in its ability to transform lives and emphasized the importance of representation in medicine and science. His commitment to medicine is rooted in service and representation. “It is essential that patients have doctors and scientists who look like them,” he said, noting the importance of his presence as the second Black graduate of the MSTP program.
A Collective Achievement
Across specialties and career paths, students emphasized that their journeys were never undertaken alone. Mentors, classmates, friends, family members, and patients played central roles in shaping their growth – not only as future physicians, but as individuals.
Whether through long-standing friendships forged over nearly a decade of training, guidance from faculty who believed in them early on, or the unwavering support of family members who traveled great distances to be present, Match Day served as a reminder that achievement in medicine is deeply collective.
As the celebrations continued across Koret Quad – with photos being taken, envelopes clutched tightly, and futures beginning to take shape – graduates stepped forward with both humility and purpose. Match Day is not simply an end, but a beginning – grounded in gratitude and defined by a lasting commitment to serve.
