As TTUHSC hosts Match Day, one couple hopes for the best

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) School of Medicine hosted their 2024 Match Day ceremony on Friday morning at 11 a.m. at Hodgetown.

During the event, fourth-year medical students, along with their families, friends and mentors, learned where they would be for the next three to seven years for their residencies as each student anxiously opened their sealed envelope and revealed, simultaneously, their matching medical school.

Although the day holds many heartfelt feelings for every student, one couple held an extra layer of excitement as they waited to find out the results of their couple's matches. The Globe-News spoke to them prior to the unveiling of the Match Day results.

"Matching in general is a really difficult process, and the couple's match just adds a whole other complexity to it. And I feel we have been really supported by our Amarillo community. ... I definitely never felt like we had to navigate this alone because the School of Medicine faculty up in Amarillo is really great," said 2024 Match Day student Julie Chugh.

Julie Chugh and Alex Collins applied for their residencies as a couple, hoping to learn that they will be continuing their study somewhere within a close distance from one another. Chugh, a fourth-year TTUHSC School of Medicine program student, applied for a residency position in obstetrics and gynecology; meanwhile Collins, also a fourth-year TTUHSC School of Medicine program student, applied for a residency position in psychiatry.

According to the couple, they met while attending medical school at TTUHSC School of Medicine in Lubbock during their first year. The couple then came to the Amarillo campus for their third and fourth years. Now, they are finding out where they will match for their residencies during the nationwide ceremony.

"We know no matter where our envelopes say on Friday, we are going to be an OB/GYN and a psychiatrist, and that is something we've dreamed about and worked towards really hard for many years. So, even if we don't make number one but we make number 199 on our list on Friday, the important thing is that we are going to be doctors in fields that we are passionate about and looking forward to contributing to for years to come," Chugh added ahead of Friday's event.

The couple said that through the process, they applied to positions that corresponded in areas, then participated in interviews. They were set to learn the results of those interviews at the ceremony as they opened the envelope to anywhere from one to 10 offers, which the two will then decide on and attend for residency.

"As far as the programs go, I think we have a very good list. When it comes to matching in different cities, obviously its not ideal, but I truly believe that we went through the rigors of medical school to get here and no matter what, we will manage," Collins said.

The couple said that although matching as a couple has its own set of unique challenges, they encourage others who wish to match together to not be deterred by the process.

"For anyone considering couple's match, don't be afraid; don't let people tell you 'you can't.' It is possible. There are pros to the process like being able to advocate for one another, and don't be afraid to reach to other people, to reach out to us, and others who have successfully matched for advice, because it's what we did and it has been extremely valuable," Collins added.

As announced during the Friday morning ceremony, the couple did receive a match. Collins accepted his match for residence in psychiatry, while Chugh also accepted her match in obstetrician and gynecology. The couple will attend their residency together at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio.

During the ceremony, Chugh was also announced and awarded the Overall Outstanding Student, and the Outstanding Student in OB/GYN, and Collins was awarded the Outstanding Student in Psychiatry.

In total, 49 students from the Amarillo campus of the TTUHSC School of Medicine matched into residency programs Friday, according to a news release, and 12 students will continue their residencies with TTUHSC.

Lauren Baker, a TTUHSC medical student from Hereford, learned she is staying in Amarillo at TTUHSC for her residency in family medicine. She said she is happy to continue to serve the people of the Panhandle. “Witnessing the need for health care, especially for those without private insurance has been very eye opening,” Baker said in the release. “The need in these areas just solidifies the reasoning to go into health care even more. Seeing how physicians care for such an underserved population and have a true impact has confirmed my choice to enter medicine even more.”

For more information about TTUHSC, visit them online at https://www.ttuhsc.edu/ .

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: TTUHSC hosts 2024 Match Day and couple makes perfect match