UF Match Day 2024: Unsealing the future

March 15, 2024 — At 11:30 a.m. on Friday, small white envelopes and a half hour were all that separated 136 members of the University of Florida medical school class of 2024 from their futures.

Though in reality they only held a piece of paper, said College of Medicine Interim Dean Jennifer Hunt, M.D., M.Ed., the envelopes contained insights into where the soon-to-be-physicians would spend the next several years of their medical training — and where they would meet lifelong friends and mentors and begin the next chapter of their lives.

“They’ll be the ones you call when you get a promotion, or you have a baby, or you just need to vent, for the rest of your life,” she said to the crowd of students and their loved ones at the Edward G. Evans Champions Club at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. “The people in your envelope are standing and sitting in a crowd just like you are today at their own institution, eagerly waiting to meet you. They want to learn with you. They want to cry with you. They want to laugh alongside you in this incredible journey that you will call your residency.”

Hunt spoke with the students just before noon at UF’s annual Match Day celebration, held on the day during which all U.S. medical students discover where they will spend the next three to seven years in their residency training programs. This year, the National Resident Matching Program received a record of more than 50,000 applications from medical students across the country.

As the clocks struck midday in Gainesville, anxious students erupted from their seats to find the envelopes that contained their name — and their future.

The destinies of the UF medical school class of 2024 look bright: the incoming residents will spread their medical knowledge to 28 states and Washington, D.C., and 42% of the group will become primary care providers, addressing a nationwide shortage in the field.

Upon receiving and opening their envelopes, some students burst into smiles and happy tears, hugging family and friends as they learned where they will complete their training and develop the skills necessary to pass their board certifications. Others, like Ariel Hall, who matched into pediatrics at her No. 1 program of choice, the Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans, jumped with joy after waiting to open her envelope for the first time on stage in front of her peers and loved ones.

Linda R. Edwards, M.D., dean of the UF College of Medicine – Jacksonville, congratulated the students, several of whom completed clinical rotations at UF Health Jacksonville, on their accomplishments.

“You’re beginning a new chapter and you’re putting into practice what you’ve been working on and what you’ve learned in this great institution,” she said.

Shelley Collins, M.D., FAAP, the senior associate dean for undergraduate medical education, noted how far the class of 2024 had come, from attending their July 2020 first-year orientation over Zoom, to becoming close friends who rooted for one another during the grueling challenges of medical school.

“You came in with so much potential, so bright-eyed, ready to go,” Collins said. “You had to navigate the early days of the pandemic, which isolated you from each other and from us more than we wanted. You were learning medicine in a world that felt largely uncomfortable, and sometimes still does. And yet you persevered. Not only did you persevere — you thrived. You faced every challenge head-on and grew enormously.”

Meet a few members of the class of 2024:

Hassan Perera developed strong passion for medicine early in life. While growing up in a small rural farming community in Cuba, Perera was introduced to medicine through a veterinary lens, as he would often care for his animals. Through personal and family illness, he gained a greater understanding of human care.

During his teenage years, his parents brought him to the United States, allowing Perera to explore more of his interests. While studying behavioral and cognitive neuroscience and biochemistry at UF, he solidified his desire to become a physician. He immersed himself in the world of emergency medicine, earning his EMT license while completing his undergraduate degree.

This summer, Perera will return to UF Health Shands Hospital as an internal medicine resident, where he is looking forward to learning and having greater autonomy in patient care.

“Throughout my clinical rotations, I found aspects of each specialty intriguing,” he said. “Internal medicine, for me, offers the diversity in medical care that will allow me to cover all these interests.”

Throughout medical school, Perera was involved in several organizations that he said offered him transformative experiences. From holding various positions within the Equal Access Clinic Network, he gained a profound understanding of the far-reaching impact physicians can make on underserved populations through community service.

“Being an immigrant who initially sought out similar services upon arriving in the U.S., it was both an honor and a personal duty to provide health care to the underserved Gainesville community,” he said.

After residency, Perera plans to complete a cardiology fellowship and pursue a career path in academic medicine.

This summer, Adam Bria and Ally Fraser will begin their residencies at University of Utah Health in Salt Lake City, where Bria will specialize in internal medicine, and Fraser in pediatrics.

Passionate about providing patient care with a personal touch, Bria and Fraser participated in the couples matching process, during which two medical students rank residency programs together to increase the likelihood of being placed in the same program as their partner.

The pair studied biology and minored in Spanish during their undergraduate years at UF, although they didn’t meet until ending up in the same large group during their medical school anatomy lab. When they were later partnered at UF Health Jacksonville for their internal medicine rotations — spending as many as 10 to 12 hours around each other every day — Fraser appreciated Bria’s intelligent but humble nature, while Bria said he was impressed by how Fraser cared for her patients.

“I could see from her work ethic just how much she cared about the patients, and it really surprised me and drew me to her,” said Bria, who is from Longwood, Florida.

During his internal medicine residency, Bria is looking forward to having more responsibility for the care of his patients and working with them over longer periods of time to see how their health progresses.

Fraser, who grew up in Colorado Springs, Colorado, has long set her heart on specializing in pediatrics.

“I’m looking forward to the opportunity to figure out where I am going to fit within the field of pediatrics,” she said. “Having the freedom to enjoy residency, knowing that we’re going to be in the field we chose, is awesome.”

For Krystal Glasford, making a difference in women’s health care has always been the goal. Since joining the UF College of Medicine for its supportive atmosphere and faculty and staff mentors in 2020, she has dedicated her time to providing free women’s health services around Alachua County with the Equal Access Clinic Network and the Mobile Outreach Clinic. In a few short months, Glasford, an officer in the U.S. Army, will head to Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii to begin her obstetrics and gynecology residency training.

“I already am in love with my specialty and very aware of the hard work and long hours — but knowing I am going to be the one making the decisions and directly impacting the lives of patients gives me a humility I have never known before,” she said. “I can’t wait to be the doctor I hoped to be when I was younger.”

Unlike most of her peers at the College of Medicine, Glasford has known her residency program and destination since December. Military members have a separate Match process with an earlier timeline, which Glasford said has given her peace of mind during her last semester of medical school.

After completing her training, she hopes to work in academic medicine as a program director for residents in and out of the military.

“I’m excited to start the next step of my life,” Glasford said. “It’s everything I’ve dreamed of for so long, and I’m proud of myself for making it this far.”

• 136 total matches
• 37 matches at UF
• 3 matches at UF Health – Jacksonville
• 1 match at UF Health – Halifax Health
• 16 matches at other programs in Florida
• Students matched in 28 states and Washington, D.C.
• Top specialties: internal medicine, psychiatry, anesthesiology, family medicine, pediatrics

The UF College of Medicine also welcomes 188 new residents in Gainesville and 96 new residents in Jacksonville, who will begin their training in July.

Photos by Nate Guidry

*Correction: This story was updated on April 17, 2024 to reflect current Match numbers. The original story mentioned 128 students matching.