Match Day Ceremonies

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Chakrabs

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I was wondering how match day works at different schools. At my school, we gather at noon in the auditorium and all open our envelopes together and then go over to the student center for champagne. And then we all disperse to do whatever and get back together later on for a pub crawl in the city.

I've heard that at some schools people go up on stage one by one and open their envelopes and read out loud their matches. I assume this happens only at top medical schools where pretty much everyone gets plum positions.

So what happens at your schools?
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Disorganized meeting in a lounge area with several designated distributors combing through the crowd handing out the match list. Meanwhile, individualized envelopes with match results sit on a table, many of which are not opened b/c of the distributed match lists.
 
We do the one at a time thing in front of the class and family. We also have a tradition of everyone tossing $5 into a jar and the last name called gets the cash.
 
atkinsje said:
We do the one at a time thing in front of the class and family. We also have a tradition of everyone tossing $5 into a jar and the last name called gets the cash.
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Its not alphabetical? And what happens when someone matches really low on their list?
 
We call our event The Reveal. We rent our a sweet locale (classy restaurant or country club, etc), and allow students to invite a guest (typically significant other but some invite mom/dad or whatever). We plan a clever fun way to reveal where everyone is going without putting the spotlight on any one person (like the reading off on the stage) in case people aren't excited about their choice. Last year, everyone was given a wrapped present which was contained a nice fleece jacket embroidered with their new school and their name with M.D. after it. Another year, you popped the balloon tied to your chair, that contained multiple pieces of paper and had to find the one, on which your program was listed. One of our ideas for this year, that wasn't adopted, was a container with multiple fortune cookies, one of which held your assignment. Though we come up with these ideas ourselves and put alot of planning into booking the room, catering lunch, ordering any props used in the reveal, it is important to note that without the help of the administrative staff, this would be impossible to pull off. Where they know where we match on Thurs. and can incorporate this into our plans, there is no way the administration would let a student know early. After everything is over, the lists where everyone matches is distributed, a powerpoint with everyone's picture and new location begins playing. Lunch is served and everyone begins either drinking to celebrate or to forget bad new. Hope this helps. We had alot of fun planning it this year and think it will make the day even more special for everyone.
 
Wild20 said:
We call our event The Reveal. We rent our a sweet locale (classy restaurant or country club, etc), and allow students to invite a guest (typically significant other but some invite mom/dad or whatever). We plan a clever fun way to reveal where everyone is going without putting the spotlight on any one person (like the reading off on the stage) in case people aren't excited about their choice. Last year, everyone was given a wrapped present which was contained a nice fleece jacket embroidered with their new school and their name with M.D. after it. Another year, you popped the balloon tied to your chair, that contained multiple pieces of paper and had to find the one, on which your program was listed. One of our ideas for this year, that wasn't adopted, was a container with multiple fortune cookies, one of which held your assignment. Though we come up with these ideas ourselves and put alot of planning into booking the room, catering lunch, ordering any props used in the reveal, it is important to note that without the help of the administrative staff, this would be impossible to pull off. Where they know where we match on Thurs. and can incorporate this into our plans, there is no way the administration would let a student know early. After everything is over, the lists where everyone matches is distributed, a powerpoint with everyone's picture and new location begins playing. Lunch is served and everyone begins either drinking to celebrate or to forget bad new. Hope this helps. We had alot of fun planning it this year and think it will make the day even more special for everyone.
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You must go to a tiny, very well-endowed school!
 
Our ceremony is held in a nice, St. Louis-y venue--this is the third year we are renting a large clubhouse area in Busch Stadium, for example. We meet at 10:30 to get everyone settled, and envelopes are distributed starting at 11:00. The dean 'randomizes' our enveloped by throwing all our names in a basket and pulling them one by one. We get our envelopes in front of everyone, but people typically go to where their family/spouse/friends are to open them rather than reading them in the spotlight. Afterward, a lunch is served, with one free drink for each adult, and it's a cash bar thereafter. Everyone is allowed about 2-3 guests, but we have to buy tickets for anyone staying for the post-ceremony meal.

I'm so excited!! GL to everyone for a great Friday! :luck:
 
We get up on stage an announce our match. Whn someone matches to the bottom of his/her list, we dump a bucket of pig's blood on him/her.
 
All our envelopes are randomly pulled out of a box. We then go up on stage and claim our envelope and have the option of 1) going up to the podium where we open our envelope and announce where we matched or 2) walking off stage and opening the envelope in private. The whole Match Day Ceremony is broadcasted live over the internet so that friends/family that can't physically be present can watch, so there is a lot of pressure to actually go up to the podium and announce your match to everyone watching.
 
We have a breakfast at one of the cool buildings on campus and then the envelopes are distributed to everyone at essentially the same time and then they are ours to do what we want with and then shortly after they distribute the lists of where everyone is going.
 
We get our envelopes at 12. We can open them then or wait for the ceremony to start at 1230 and open them on stage.

Family and/or SO's are welcome on stage with the student and many students have someone else open their envelope and/or announce the results.

I go to a small school so each student is allowed their moment on stage.

Many students choose to open their envelopes beforehand to avoid the embarassment of sharing a negative reaction to their match with everyone. I know I'll be opening my envelope at 12 as I want my initial reaction to be private and where I match will influence the tone of my speech (funny vs serious)
 
All go to friends apartment, drink Champagne and tasty belgian brews with breakfast (west coast) and hit refresh on computers at 10am.
 
Wow, your match day ceremonies sound pretty cool! I go to a DO school so we have no match day ceremony since the class is split between the AOA and ACGME matches. It wouldn't make sense to have a ceremony since regardless of which match you center it around, people have either known for a month and celebrated or people won't know for another month and are nervous. :-\ As for me, I'll be sitting alone in my apartment refreshing my email/NRMP Friday afternoon to find out where I'll be going. At least I don't have to worry about announcing a place I don't particularly love in front of everyone...
 
Chakrabs said:
I was wondering how match day works at different schools. At my school, we gather at noon in the auditorium and all open our envelopes together and then go over to the student center for champagne. And then we all disperse to do whatever and get back together later on for a pub crawl in the city.

I've heard that at some schools people go up on stage one by one and open their envelopes and read out loud their matches. I assume this happens only at top medical schools where pretty much everyone gets plum positions.

So what happens at your schools?
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You're at Downstate aren't you?
 
From what I can tell, it seems like our school has more of the traditional approach. Envelopes are thrown into a box, and when your envelope is pulled, you walk across stage and pay $1 to get your envelope. You can open it there or back with your friends/family. The last person to get their envelope pulled wins the money (~$200). Our Alumni Association sponsors a lunch downtown afterwards.
 
gutonc said:
You're at Downstate aren't you?
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My secret identity has been revealed! Ha, yes I am. And unfortunately our match day ceremonies pale in comparison to some of the others mentioned here. How about you?
 
We don't do one. DO school. I guess first, it's the MD match. But, we don't do one for the DO match either, so there goes that theory.

I think the real reason is that many people do their clinical rotations all over the place. Some people are close to school, but many people go back to their home states for rotations, many go to NYC or Chicago (or another large city), so we're kind of spread out and it would be silly to make everyone come back for a celebration.

I think Match Ceremonies are kind of cool, but not very sensitive to those who didn't match, or those who aren't super-happy with their choice.

EVMS has the best match ceremony in history though. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGJYYGWnR6U[/youtube]
 
digitlnoize said:
EVMS has the best match ceremony in history though. [YOUTUBE]kGJYYGWnR6U[/YOUTUBE]
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I go to EVMS, it is the best match ceremony in history! Our theme this year is the 90s. I am the DonkeyKong part of a MarioKart team. 😀
 
drhexane said:
I go to EVMS, it is the best match ceremony in history! Our theme this year is the 90s. I am the DonkeyKong part of a MarioKart team. 😀
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So awesome. I loved EVMS...it was by far my favorite MD school. I got wait listed, mostly because I'm a non-trad, and despite straight A's for 3 years, I never overcame some poor grades from my first year of college 15 years ago. Oh well. My family and I probably wouldn't have been as happy in Norfolk as we were where we wound up, so it all worked out for the best!

Good luck, and the Internets demand an awesome video again this year!
 
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