Match Day!

It's an unbelievable feeling to finally match.

Literally 2 hours after I heard the news this morning, I started to feel hungry for real food for the first time in a while, took my first big deep breath in days, and I started feeling so light and happy! Let me tell you, "Light and happy!" is a rare feeling in medical school.

I got a page from a 312- number this morning during surgery grand rounds, and I rushed out to call it back.

Diane: Congratulations on matching! Do you know where you're going?
Me: Not yet.................is it good news???
Diane: Hahahha I don't know!
Me: Oh my God. Um, can you just tell me the STATE first?
Diane: LOS ANGELES.
Diane: University of California.
Me:......
Diane: Are you happy????
Me: ........
Me: Wait! U...C....L....A?!

I'm going to UCLA.

I'm going to UCLA.

I still can't believe it, and now part of me feels like I should double check with OME, because...what if I heard wrong?!

I'm going to UCLA!

UCLA was one of those programs I wasn't sure where to place. They work their residents to the bone. They have evening lectures every night after clinic. Clinical sites are >20 miles away from UCLA which can be a nightmare when you factor in LA traffic. But at the same time, UCLA is a top 5 program in the US and #1 program in California. Work hard and graduate from UCLA and you WILL do anything you want to do and go anywhere you want to go. You will be incredibly well trained and well prepared for whatever you want to do. So, the night before our rank lists were due, I moved UCLA up from #7 to #5. Then 3 hours before I turned in my rank list, I moved it again from #5 to #3. Crazy!

A small part of me (3%) is sad I'm not going to San Francisco, but a HUGE part of me is just incredibly happy. I can't believe I'm going to be back in California. It's all I've wanted for so long, and it was something I put at risk when I decided to go into ophtho. I really didn't know if it would be possible....

I'm so happy! Hahahahaha I don't know what else to say. This is really a dream come true! So much of this is up to luck in the end, so I'm just counting my blessings. I think the collective amount of happy thoughts from my family and friends really helped. It's definitely louder than the prayers from little ol' me alone. So, thanks a billion. I'm going to LA!