By Maggie Lindenberg
Photography by Rayni Shiring, University of Pittsburgh
On Friday, March 20, as a countdown ticked toward noon, MD students in the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Class of 2026 clutched envelopes that would help define their future as physicians.
The third Friday of March is the National Resident Matching Program Match Day, a milestone in every medical student’s career that marks the transition from student to physician-in-training as students learn where they matched for residency programs. Students are paired with residency placements based on mutual rankings by both students and programs.
For Anna Slingerland, the envelope she held would not only dictate where she’d spend the next years of her life but also what medical specialty she would pursue. Unlike many of her classmates, Slingerland applied to programs for more than one specialty: obstetrics and gynecology (OB-GYN) and internal medicine.
Caption: Anna Slingerland
“I think there are probably a number of people who would be happy in multiple specialties, and that’s definitely the case for me,” Slingerland said. “It’s an individual process, and everyone has a different path.”
Brighid O’Donnell, assistant professor of pediatrics and assistant dean for student affairs, School of Medicine, encouraged students to be open to their placements, noting that her own match to her second choice turned out to be “one of the best things that ever happened to me.”
“Moving forward, where you match does not distinguish you as a physician,” she said. “That is accomplished by your compassion, your curiosity and your commitment to your patients.”
In his remarks, Anantha Shekhar, John and Gertrude Petersen Dean, School of Medicine, advised the students to think about their social impact. “Every one of Pitt Med’s graduates is an impact maker, a leader,” he said. “And wherever you go, you’re going to make a difference in that environment.”
As the clock struck noon, the sound of envelopes tearing open was soon displaced by cheers of celebration in the Assembly Room of the William Pitt Union. More than 70% of the graduates have residency placements at top research-intensive institutions, and many will be in highly competitive specialties.
With a national shortfall looming in primary care fields, Pitt students showed an unusually high interest in primary care specialties this year, with 38% of the class going into those fields, up from 33% last year.
It was a boon year for family medicine at Pitt, with placements more than doubling from last year’s 5 to 13 this year. “Pitt is contributing to essential workforce development of family physicians caring for all communities, including our rural populations,” said Abbas Hyderi, professor of family medicine and vice dean for education, School of Medicine.
The number of students matching to pediatrics also jumped from 8 last year to 12 this year, with 6 more in other pediatrics-focused residencies.
“Pediatrics is in a national crisis,” said Paul M. Wallach, executive vice dean for academic affairs, School of Medicine. “The fact that our students see a future in it is a testament to the success of our department.”
Caption: Sasha Dubinsky
One of those students is Sasha Dubinsky, who first discovered her love of working with children while teaching ballroom dance. As a former professional ballroom dancer, she felt her energy and enthusiasm were a great match for the world of pediatrics. Dubinsky will soon head to Boston, where her family lives, for a pediatrics residency at Boston Children’s Hospital.
“When I did my rotations and realized I can really be myself on pediatrics rotations and work well with that patient population, I was like, ‘This is definitely for me,’” she said. “I’m still in shock, but I’m really positive about the next steps. Boston is home.”
Pitt students also boasted 100% successful match rates for several highly competitive specialties, including otolaryngology, urology, psychiatry, internal medicine and emergency medicine.
Students will be going to 68 institutions in 25 states in July, with 59 staying in Pennsylvania. There are 45 students who matched to positions with UPMC this year, accounting for 11% of its new residents. The areas where most students are going are internal medicine, pediatrics, OB-GYN, family medicine, anesthesiology and psychiatry.
Chinemeh Eyiba will be among them as she completes her residency in psychiatry at UPMC.
Caption: Chinemeh Eyiba (right) with Eva Fandozzi, who both matched into psychiatry at UPMC.
“It feels amazing. My favorite part of medicine is connecting and talking with patients to understand why they do what they do,” said Eyiba. “That connection is a major diagnostic tool, and I enjoy how much it can be used to really help someone in psychiatry.”
As for Anna Slingerland, when she tore open her envelope, she learned she would be heading to an OB-GYN residency program at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York.
“Ultimately, I feel like OB-GYN is more fitting with what I want out of a career. I do want research to be a part of my career, and the fact that the NIH only provides 1- 2% of research funding to women's health is a big motivator for me to dedicate my research focus to women’s health,” Slingerland said. “The longer I’m sitting with it, the better it gets.”
For Samuel Adida, who matched with a residency in neurosurgery at UPMC, Match Day is a chance to reflect on the journey that brought him here.
Caption: Samuel Adida
“There’s a lot of delayed gratification in medicine, and all of it kind of comes down to this day, and it’s just the middle of my journey,” said Adida. “I’ve spent eight or nine years getting here, and it’s going to be another seven or eight years after. I’m in the middle of the road, and I'm excited.”
“This is where I need to be, and I’m ready to get started,” he added. “It finally feels real.”
To learn more about the Pitt Med Class of 2026 and where they matched, visit: matchday.pitt.edu.
To view the full gallery of Match Day photos, visit this link.
