• Gryphon Login
  • MyCourses
  • Alumni
  • UCLA Health
  • Contact Us
Prospective Students

Prospective Students

Prospective Students
  • Admissions
    Procedure & Timelines
    • Admissions Timeline
    • Admissions Procedure
    • Basis of Selection
    • COVID-19 Impacts on Admissions
    • Housing Information
    • Interview Process
    • Prerequisites
    General Information
    • Statement of Diversity
    • Mission Statement
    • Curriculum Resdesign
    • Honor Code
    • FAQs
    • Admissions Brochure
    • Admissions Timeline
    • Admission Procedure
    • Basis of Selection
    • Competencies
    • COVID-19 Impact on Admissions
    • DACA Applicants
    • DGSOM Mission Statement
    • Equity and Diversity Inclusion
    • FAQs
    • Honor Code
    • Housing Information
    • Interview Process
    • Virtual Events
  • Outreach & Pipeline Programs
    Summer Pre-Health and Postbaccaluareate Programs
    • UCLA SHPEP
    • UCLA PREP
    • UCLA RAP
    Outreach and Recruitment
    • Contact and Events
    • Mailing List
    • Summer Pre-Health and Postbaccalaureate Programs
    • Stay Connected
    • Join our Mailing List
  • Financial Aid & Scholarships
  • Degrees & Programs
  • Curriculum
  • Student Life
    Why Choose UCLA
    • Research
    • Clinical Work
    • Service Opportunities
    • Global Health Impact
    • Why You'll Love LA
    Campus Life
    • Student Organizations
    • Annual Events
    • Day in the Life
    • Around Campus
    • Photo Galleries
    • Medical and Research News
    • Medical Student Council
    • Geffy Guide
    • Search Campus and Health News
    • Service Opportunities
    • Global Health Impact
    • Why You'll Love LA
    • Photo Galleries
    • Day in the Life
    • Around Campus
    • Medical and Research News
    • Search Campus and Health News
  • How to Apply
  • Gryphon Login
  • MyCourses
  • Alumni
  • UCLA Health
  • Contact Us

Prospective Students

Search Campus and Health News

Search Campus and Health News

Search Campus and Health News

  • Health News
  • A Day in the Life
  • Around Campus
  • Medical and Research News
  • Health News
  • A Day in the Life
  • Around Campus
  • Medical and Research News
  1. Home
  2. Prospective Students
  3. Student Life
  4. Search Campus and Health News

Search Campus and Health News

Share this

Health News

Title

UCLA medical students luck out on Match Day, and that's no blarney

Health News

Date
03/17/2017
Article

There was a reason why many UCLA medical students and their families wore emerald green this St. Patrick’s Day. Superstition aside, a little leprechaun luck could only help their circumstances.

This year, the holiday coincided with Match Day, the day when 40,000 aspiring doctors nationwide find out simultaneously which hospitals have accepted them for 30,000 residency slots across the United States.

The annual Match Day ceremony, held for the first time in the newly opened Geffen Hall — part of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA — peaked in a mad scramble as 170 future doctors rushed to tear open blue and gold envelopes, with excited families and friends looking on, waiting to hear the news.

Depending on the students’ chosen specialty, their residency match for advanced training determines where they will live and work for the next three to seven years, starting in July.

Elaine Schmidt/UCLA - Medical students Jasmin-Ann Reyes, Razmik Ghukasyan and Pooja Upadhyaya react to their matches.

This year, almost 70 percent of the class chose to remain in California. “I think the winter weather back east took its toll on the recruitment process,” teased Dr. Lee Miller, associate dean for student affairs, as he welcomed the capacity crowd of students, their families and friends.

Among other Match Day statistics:

  • 62 percent of the class will pursue training in primary care;
  • 33 students, or 20 percent of the class, will train to be surgeons;
  • 33 percent of the class will remain with University of California hospitals;
  • 20 percent of the class will head to the Northeast;
  • 12 students will train in psychiatry.

Here are some of the UCLA medical students who met their match today:

Jasmin-Ann Reyes, 34, who grew up seeing some of her friends become pregnant as early as the 8th grade, is pursuing a career in obstetrics-gynecology. After graduating this June with a dual M.D./M.A. degree in public policy, she wants to work in health care administration and increase low-income women’s access to reproductive health resources. She matched at the University of Hawaii.

Razmik Ghukasyan, 26, grew up in war-torn, post-Soviet Armenia, where essential resources like natural gas, electricity, running water and food were scarce. When he was 14, his family won the green-card lottery and emigrated to the U.S. He quickly progressed in high school from ESL (English as a second language) classes to advanced placement, and graduated with honors from UCLA. In medical school, he was named a Leader of Tomorrow and was awarded a four-year scholarship. He will graduate in June with a joint M.D./M.B.A. degree. Inspired by his uncle, who died at age 48 of pancreatic cancer, he plans to pursue a career in surgical oncology at UCLA.

Pooja Upadhyaya, 28, launched a global health nonprofit called Mobilizing Health in college. She and her team helped 5,000 rural patients in India communicate with their local doctors via text messages. Midway through medical school, she also earned a master’s degree in public administration. She will pursue a residency in general surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and aims to increase patients’ access to care by working to improve the health care system.

Like Us on Facebook Follow Us on Twitter Subscribe to Our Videos on YouTube Follow us on Instagram Connect with Us on LinkedIn Follow us on Pinterest Follow us on Flickr Follow us on Sharecare
Top 10 U.S. Medical Schools
  • Giving
  • Publications
  • Newsroom
  • Weekly Digest
  • Directory
  • Contact Us
  • Diversity
  • Emergency
  • Maps & Directions
  • UC Regents
  • Abuse Free
  • Volunteer
  • Biomed Library
  • Disability Resources
  • UCLA Health
  • Smoke-Free
  • Sitemap
  • Terms of Use
Top 10 U.S. Medical Schools
Like Us on Facebook Follow Us on Twitter Subscribe to Our Videos on YouTube Follow us on Instagram Connect with Us on LinkedIn Follow us on Pinterest Follow us on Flickr Follow us on Sharecare