UCSF School of Medicine Match Day 2024 Celebrates Mentorship and Service

On March 15th, Koret Quad on UCSF’s Mission Bay campus in San Francisco reverberated with the sounds of hastily opened envelopes and cheers of excitement and joy. Family and friends joined 168 soon-to-be UCSF graduates to celebrate Match Day, the pivotal moment when medical students learn where they will be continuing their medical training journey in residency.  

This year, 73% of UCSF students matched into residency programs in the state of California, and 30% of students matched at UCSF. Thirty-two percent matched into a primary care specialty. This year’s top five specialties included internal medicine, emergency medicine, anesthesiology, psychiatry, and dermatology.

This class started medical school in August 2020, during the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nathan Coss, who matched into Anesthesiology at his number one choice, Stanford, remembered, “During the COVID-19 pandemic, I delivered medical supplies to health care providers in the Navajo Nation and concurrently researched how to improve global surgery partnerships with colleagues in low- and middle-income countries. Both experiences reinforced my passion for finding ways to help patients across a wide range of communities.”

Students participating in Match Day spent anywhere from four years to close to a decade at UCSF – some pursued the traditional MD track, while others participated in unique programs such as the UC Berkeley-UCSF Joint Medical Program (JMP), the Program in Medical Education for the Urban Underserved (PRIME-US), or the Medical Student Training Program (MSTP).

For students in the MSTP program, Match Day marks the conclusion of nearly a decade of working towards both their MD and PhD at UCSF – many completing their pre-clinical training before heading off into their respective PhD programs, and then returning afterwards to complete clinical rotations and MD graduate requirements. “It has been a long time coming for me and my classmates, and it is exciting to celebrate these years of hard work coming to fruition,” said Ugomma Eze, who matched into Dermatology at UCLA.

In looking back on the paths that helped them get to this exciting turning point, UCSF medical students expressed gratitude for their support systems. James Cevallos, who matched into Internal Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York said, “I feel lucky to have learned from so many incredible physicians at UCSF. When I think about the kind of doctor I want to be, I would like to be bright, kind, thoughtful, and someone who provides exceptional patient care. I feel lucky to have been educated by mentors who have shown me what this looks like in practice.”

At a Match Day celebration held simultaneously at UCSF Fresno, Charis Turner, a member of the UCSF SJV PRIME program, learned she matched into Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) at University of Washington. “PM&R is the perfect fit for my interests in neurology, internal medicine, and the musculoskeletal system,” she said. “I have had wonderful physician mentors in PM&R and research. I’m also lucky to have the chance to celebrate with my family who came all the way from Tennessee and Washington to support me on Match Day.”

Ariana Andere matched into neurology at UCSF, her number one choice. “I came to UCSF for medical school because I knew I would get unparalleled training in neuroscience. I know that I can become the neurologist I want to be here at UCSF,” she said.

Anna Crosetti, who matched into Internal Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, said, “As you rotate through medical specialties, you start to find ‘your people’. The people who ‘nerd-out’ about the same medicine and who express joy and laughter at the same things you do. For me, that was internal medicine. I’ve also wanted to be a medical oncologist since before starting medical school and found that to be even more true during medical training.”

For some, matching brings a chance to serve their own communities, whether that’s staying at UCSF, in the Bay Area, or at various institutions across the country. 

Vanessa Mora Molina, a member of the UCSF SJV PRIME program, learned she matched into General Surgery at UCLA. “I hope to continue focusing on community outreach efforts and health equity research to address barriers in access to surgical care for patients from underserved backgrounds. I also hope to inspire and mentor other underrepresented minority students to pursue careers in surgery,” she said.

Mora Molina is one of eight UCSF students who will graduate from the SJV PRIME program this year. The SJV PRIME program is a tailored track for UCSF medical students who are committed to ensuring high-quality, diverse, and well distributed medical care to improve health for populations, communities, and individuals in California’s San Joaquin Valley.  

Aminta Henriette Badian Kouyate, part of both the JMP and PRIME-US, matched into Emergency Medicine at Highland Hospital in Oakland. She said, “I chose emergency medicine because it is a combination of primary care, urgent care, and community care. You can make a real difference in someone’s life. Oakland is my hometown, and I am proud to be serving my community.”

Yasamin Vafai was a part of the JMP and matched into Pediatrics at UCSF as part of the PLUS: Pediatric Leaders Advancing Health Equity Program cohort.

As part of the JMP, Vafai completed a five-year program with courses at both UC Berkeley and UCSF that included earning her MD and a masters. “I am thrilled to have gotten my first-choice program and to be staying home, right here at UCSF, serving the children of San Francisco,” she said. “I am excited to be part of the PLUS program dedicated to health justice and training pediatric change makers working to promote the health of all kids. I've wanted to be a pediatrician since middle school, to support families and children, and I can't wait to finally be one! It's still hard to believe, since it feels like everything—every test, research project, degree, restless night, study group—has led up to this moment.”