It's an exciting day for fourth-year medical students across the country and here in the state as they learned where their future in medicine lies.
It's all part of "Match Day," an annual event managed by the National Residency Matching Program which pairs the preference of medical students with those of residency programs to create ideal matches.
This tradition was no different for 120 students from the Penn State College of Medicine. For those students, there was a countdown to the moment they could rip open their envelopes which held their future residency destinations.
"While I graduated high school and college, I still didn't feel like I accomplished anything yet," Andrew Fouchey of Derry Township, Dauphin County said. "And this is the first time I really feel like I've accomplished something, and I really feel like I've made my family proud. They did a lot to get me here, and huge, huge day for me. "
Students were able to share the special moment with their family and friends.
"It's a little overwhelming," Elizabeth Atmick of Derry Township, Dauphin County said. "I started crying. I definitely did not see that happening. I think it's a little surreal right now. Apparently we get calls from programs later, and I think eventually throughout the day it will set in, but I'm just so thrilled for all my friends."
Some of the students will remain at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center while others will be going to residency programs throughout the country.