Screams and giggles could be heard from outside of a conference room in the University Club, 3435 Forest Road, on Thursday, as about 18 MSU medical students learned where they will train for the next three years.
Just outside of the room, a woman rapidly talked on her cell phone, holding a white letter in one hand while resting on the staircase.
"I'm going to write you an e-mail tonight," she said. "And do you know what it's going to say?"
She paused, smiling.
"I got in."
Inside, students hugged their friends and family and started to make plans for the next year.
Next to graduation, many MSU physicians say the biggest day in the life of a medical student is Match Day, a time when students are matched with a hospital or clinic where they will continue their medical training, or residency.
Medical students nationwide opened up their match letters at the same time Thursday, including students from MSU's College of Human Medicine.
"Right now we have a pretty happy group here," said Karlene Torres, director of the College of Human Medicine alumni office.
The match is made through a computer system in which both the students and the participating health care facilities rank their top choices, she said.
Medical student Rebecca Torres, got her first choice at a hospital in her home state of California after applying for 31 residencies and interviewing for 15.
"I'm happy to be going back home," Torres said. "I'm missing my family and the environment."
Medical student Martin Romero, also a native Californian, is excited to stay in Michigan for his training. He'll be training in Lansing's Sparrow Hospital emergency room starting this summer. It was his first choice.
"I looked at programs in California and they didn't match up to what we have here," he said. "I'm fortunate to stick around here for another three years."
Romero said he feels Sparrow is the perfect match.
"It's official, I can't believe it," he said. "It seems like I was just receiving congratulations welcoming me to the entering class of 1999.
"Now it's like, 'Wow, I've got a job.'"
When David Shulz went to open his match letter, his hands shook nervously.
"I think it's hard to not be nervous," he said. "It's out of your control for a month and it's all we think about."
Shulz said his radiology training will take place here in Michigan.
"This brings some closure to the whole process," he said.
But Liz Palmer said she wasn't nervous before the event because she was pretty certain she'd get her top choice.
"It feels good to be finalized," she said. "It was more exciting for me to hear where everyone else is going."
Palmer will train in family practice medicine at Sparrow Hospital.
Everyone in the MSU batch of students received their first or second choice, said Carol Slomski, associate dean for graduate medical education for the College of Human Medicine.
"This particular group of medical students did extremely well in the match this year," she said. "We're extremely pleased and excited as they go on and finish their training."
