This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Cassandra Ricketts' hands shook as she gazed down at a white envelope holding the key to her future.
The aspiring orthopedic surgeon normally has quite the steady hand, she said Friday, but the nerves and anticipation of Match Day for University of Utah medical students had them trembling.
She slowly tore open the envelope's seal to reveal her fate — placement in the residency program at Geisinger Health System in Pennsylvania — and her eyes welled up with happy tears.
"This is surreal, I almost can't think of any words to explain this feeling other than sheer joy and excitement," she said. "I have wanted to do this for as long as I can remember."
Ricketts and her classmates were surrounded by friends, families, teachers and mentors as they discovered their residency placements Friday morning at the University Guest House. Match Day takes place nationally the third Friday in March every year as medical students across the U.S. are paired with residency programs.
Ninety-two students of the 97-person 2017 class from the U. were matched with programs across 29 states and 20 specialties. About 25 percent of the students will be staying in Utah for all or a portion of their training and 44 percent were matched with a primary care field, such as internal medicine, family practice and pediatrics.
The uncertainty and doubt faded from the room as the students rejoiced with peers and loved ones and congratulating one another.
For Ricketts, celebration and relaxation were in store, she said, before preparing for academic adventures in the Keystone State – an accomplishment she attributed to her studies at the U.
"The path has been treacherous at times," she said, "but I made it."
kgifford@sltrib.com Twitter: @kelgiffo