Is there a doctor in the house?

Arthur Nead anead@tulane.edu
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“It seems like just yesterday it was White Coat Day,” Dr. Marc J. Kahn said, addressing the eager crowd assembled for Tulane University School of Medicine's Match Day ceremony. Tulane medical students of the Class of 2013, along with numerous relatives and friends, filled the River City Ballroom at Mardi Gras World on Friday (March 15) to learn where they will do their medical residencies.

Match Day 2013

Lily Huang learns she has received a residency training assignment in internal medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, while Travis Manasco will pursue emergency medicine at Boston Medical Center. (Photo by Ryan Rivet)


“Match Day is really the culmination of their medical career,” said Kahn, senior associate dean for admissions and student affairs at the medical school. “This is when they find out where their next step is going to take them — where they are going to do their residencies. This is actually my favorite day of the year.”

Envelopes were distributed in random order to the students, each one containing eagerly anticipated news of their residency assignments from the National Resident Matching Program.

One hundred eighty-eight Tulane medical students were in the 2013 match, with 34 students, or 18 percent of the class, slated to do their residencies at academic medical institutions in Louisiana.

“Twenty-seven of these are from Louisiana, so that's a net gain of seven,” Kahn said. A total of 34.6 percent of the class will be specializing in primary care.

The next big milestone for this class of students is just around the corner. “On May 18 you will be graduating,” Dr. Ben Sachs, senior vice president and dean of the School of Medicine, reminded the students.

“So let's practice! Is there a doctor in the house?”

Not a single student remained silent. “YES!”