Lacey Woods of the University of Utah School of Medicine is emotional after opening her match envelope to find out where she will live and work for the next few years while completing her residency, at the Cleone Peterson Eccles Alumni House in Salt Lake City on Friday, March 20, 2026. Tess Crowley, Deseret News
March Madness takes on a new meaning each year for students in the University of Utah Medical School.
Friday was “Match Day,” when fourth-year medical school students across the nation find out where they will go to complete residency as new doctors.
An excited crowd of students, family members and staff gathered at the Cleone Peterson Eccles Alumni House to watch the university’s fourth-year Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine students and future doctors tear open their long-awaited match envelopes to find out where they will live and work for the next few years while completing residency.
The medical school class of 2026 has applied for residency programs at hospitals all over the nation, specializing in areas such as pediatrics, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry, and emergency medicine to name a few.
In the weeks leading up to Match Day, students completed an application process that included ranking their top choices for residency programs. Based on interviews and applications, those programs considered the students who picked them as their top selections. Then, if the preferred program accepts the student, it’s a match.
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Deseret News photojournalist Tess Crowley was there for the exciting and emotional moment ... and the celebrations that followed.
Hazel Bass, 8, right, pushes her aunt, Madison McLaughlin, of the University of Utah School of Medicine, center right, to kiss partner Sean Mulcahy, center left, after McLaughlin opened her match envelope to find out where she will live and work for the next few years while completing her residency, at the Cleone Peterson Eccles Alumni House in Salt Lake City on Friday, March 20, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
Teryn Holeman of the University of Utah School of Medicine is emotional after opening her match envelope to find out where she will live and work for the next few years while completing her residency, at the Cleone Peterson Eccles Alumni House in Salt Lake City on Friday, March 20, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
University of Utah School of Medicine students reach to open their match envelopes to find out where they will live and work for the next few years while completing their residencies at the Cleone Peterson Eccles Alumni House in Salt Lake City on Friday, March 20, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
Brittney Fairbourn, left, smiles at her husband Brayden Fairbourn, right, of the University of Utah School of Medicine, after he opened his match envelope to find out where he will live and work for the next few years while completing his residency, at the Cleone Peterson Eccles Alumni House in Salt Lake City on Friday, March 20, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
An individual carries flowers during match day for the University of Utah School of Medicine at the Cleone Peterson Eccles Alumni House in Salt Lake City on Friday, March 20, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
CEO of University of Utah Health Bob Carter addresses University of Utah School of Medicine students before they open their match envelopes to find out where they will live and work for the next few years while completing their residencies at the Cleone Peterson Eccles Alumni House in Salt Lake City on Friday, March 20, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
Mimi Dahlin of the University of Utah School of Medicine is emotional while calling people after opening her match envelope to find out where she will live and work for the next few years while completing her residency, at the Cleone Peterson Eccles Alumni House in Salt Lake City on Friday, March 20, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
A student at the University of Utah School of Medicine writes where they will complete their residency after opening their match envelope to find out where they will live and work for the next few years while completing their residency, at the Cleone Peterson Eccles Alumni House in Salt Lake City on Friday, March 20, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
Annie Li of the University of Utah School of Medicine is emotional after students open their match envelopes to find out where they will live and work for the next few years while completing their residency, at the Cleone Peterson Eccles Alumni House in Salt Lake City on Friday, March 20, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
A toast is poured after University of Utah School of Medicine students opened their match envelopes to find out where they will live and work for the next few years while completing their residency, at the Cleone Peterson Eccles Alumni House in Salt Lake City on Friday, March 20, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
Elizabeth McKegney, program manager for M.D.–Ph.D. program at the University of Utah School of Medicine, right, hugs Maci Winn, University of Utah School of Medicine M.D.-Ph.D. student, left, after Winn opened her match envelope to find out where she will live and work for the next few years while completing her residency, at the Cleone Peterson Eccles Alumni House in Salt Lake City on Friday, March 20, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
Delaney Wagers of the University of Utah School of Medicine talks to fellow students after opening their match envelopes to find out where they will live and work for the next few years while completing their residency, at the Cleone Peterson Eccles Alumni House in Salt Lake City on Friday, March 20, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
Mary Vodisek, left, cries while talking to people on the phone after daughter Mimi Dahlin of the University of Utah School of Medicine, right, opened her match envelope to find out where she will live and work for the next few years while completing her residency, at the Cleone Peterson Eccles Alumni House in Salt Lake City on Friday, March 20, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
Michael Kay, M.D.–Ph.D. program director at the University of Utah School of Medicine, is lifted by M.D.–Ph.D. students of the University of Utah School of Medicine after they opened their match envelopes to find out where they will live and work for the next few years while completing their residency, at the Cleone Peterson Eccles Alumni House in Salt Lake City on Friday, March 20, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
Teryn Holeman of the University of Utah School of Medicine, center, celebrates with fellow students after opening their match envelopes to find out where they will live and work for the next few years while completing their residency, at the Cleone Peterson Eccles Alumni House in Salt Lake City on Friday, March 20, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
Hazel Bass, 8, right, jumps up and down after her aunt, Madison McLaughlin, of the University of Utah School of Medicine, center, opened her match envelope to find out where she will live and work for the next few years while completing her residency, at the Cleone Peterson Eccles Alumni House in Salt Lake City on Friday, March 20, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
Co-class presidents Lachlan Zuchetto, Colton Schlag and Audrey Wade, from left, toast with their fellow University of Utah School of Medicine students after they opened their match envelopes to find out where they will live and work for the next few years while completing their residencies at the Cleone Peterson Eccles Alumni House in Salt Lake City on Friday, March 20, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
Vinny Vigorita of the University of Utah School of Medicine pins the location of his residency after opening his match envelope to find out where he will live and work for the next few years at the Cleone Peterson Eccles Alumni House in Salt Lake City on Friday, March 20, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
Kendra Klag of the University of Utah School of Medicine pins the location of her residency after opening her match envelope to find out where she will live and work for the next few years at the Cleone Peterson Eccles Alumni House in Salt Lake City on Friday, March 20, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
Noah Valentine of the University of Utah School of Medicine is emotional after students open their match envelope to find out where they will live and work for the next few years while completing their residency, at the Cleone Peterson Eccles Alumni House in Salt Lake City on Friday, March 20, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
Isabel Shimanski of the University of Utah School of Medicine, center, cheers for fellow students after they opened their match envelopes to find out where they will live and work for the next few years while completing their residency, at the Cleone Peterson Eccles Alumni House in Salt Lake City on Friday, March 20, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
Emma Singleton of the University of Utah School of Medicine cheers for fellow students after they opened their match envelopes to find out where they will live and work for the next few years while completing their residency, at the Cleone Peterson Eccles Alumni House in Salt Lake City on Friday, March 20, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
Jessie Montgomery of the University of Utah School of Medicine, center, celebrates with fellow students after opening their match envelopes to find out where they will live and work for the next few years while completing their residency, at the Cleone Peterson Eccles Alumni House in Salt Lake City on Friday, March 20, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
Matt Holdaway of the University of Utah School of Medicine celebrates after students open their match envelopes to find out where they will live and work for the next few years while completing their residency, at the Cleone Peterson Eccles Alumni House in Salt Lake City on Friday, March 20, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
A University of Utah School of Medicine student pins the location of their residency to the University of Utah after opening their match envelope to find out where they will live and work for the next few years at the Cleone Peterson Eccles Alumni House in Salt Lake City on Friday, March 20, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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