Ohio State celebrates medical residency Match Day

On March 21, dozens of medical students with The Ohio State University College of Medicine gathered at the Ohio Union with nervous excitement.

As the clock struck noon and the airhorn blared, shaking hands and anxious fingers ripped into envelopes that held the future — representing years of hard work, long hours studying, grueling clinical rotations and personal sacrifice.

On Match Day each year, fourth-year medical students across the country learn of their residency position placement. Ahead of the announcements, applicants and hospitals rank their order of preference, and the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP) places soon-to-be physicians into clinical training programs, working to maximize the preference of all parties.

While Match Day can be an emotional roller coaster, it is one of the best days of the academic year, said Carol R. Bradford, MD, MS, FACS, dean of the Ohio State College of Medicine.

“When you open that envelope and discover where your journey is going to take you next, I hope you will feel true joy — joy in knowing that wherever you are headed, you can and will succeed,” said Bradford as she addressed the Class of 2025. “I have witnessed your empathy, your drive, your dedication and your determination, and I am so proud of each and every one of you.”

Nearly 200 Ohio State medical students placed into 26 specialties in 2025, said Alex Grieco, MD, interim vice dean for Education. The most popular specialties were internal medicine, anesthesiology, family medicine and psychiatry. About 65 learners chose to pursue primary care specialties.

Ohio State medical students placed across the country, with about 39% matching within the state of Ohio, 6% in Michigan, and nearly 5% in New York. About 19% matched at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

The 2025 residency match marked the largest ever, according to the NRMP, with over 47,000 applicants nationwide.

Jack Wang, a fourth-year medical student from the San Francisco Bay Area in California, hugged his friends and girlfriend tightly after opening his envelope. Wiping away happy tears, he learned he’s heading back to his home state for residency, matching in anesthesiology at Riverside Community Hospital.

“When I opened up that envelope and saw Riverside, California, I just got overwhelmed. I was really happy to go back to California,” said Wang, who also completed his undergraduate studies at Ohio State. “Everything that I’ve worked for these past eight years, it’s all been leading up to this moment.”

When fourth-year medical student Kayley Irwin opened her envelope, she saw her first choice: family medicine at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center.

“I’m thrilled. I’m just really proud to have made it to this point,” said Irwin. “I wanted to stay here because my fiancé and I built our life here, and I just love the Family Medicine Department and found so many great mentors, so I’m happy to stay.”

Congratulations to the Ohio State College of Medicine Class of 2025!