Medical students match into residency, grateful for privilege to train at Baylor College of Medicine

Sahifah Ansari, 2024 class president for Baylor College of Medicine’s School of Medicine, began her Match Day speech with a big smile as she looked at her family, teachers, mentors and classmates. She invoked the word privilege more than once to describe how she felt.

“What a privilege it is to be able to celebrate in person with our loved ones today,” Ansari said. “We know we often come to you tired, our energy depleted from the rigor of our education. Time with you renews and sustains us, and we hope this last year — a break from our busy schedules and frantic studying has been easier on you.”

Tejas Joshi and his parents smile during Match Day 2024 at Baylor College of Medicine.

At 11 a.m. on March 15, fourth-year medical students from across the U.S. matched into residency programs to continue their education as future physicians. This class began medical school in fall 2020, months after the COVID-19 started.

More than 160 students from Baylor College of Medicine matched this year, with 39 percent (65 students) matching into the primary care fields of family medicine, pediatrics, internal medicine, medicine / pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology or emergency medicine. Seventy-eight students matched into Texas residency programs; 45 of them matched into various Baylor programs to continue their training.

Ansari matched with the radiology program at Yale School of Medicine in Connecticut. She graduated from the DeBakey High School for Health Professions, a science-oriented high school started by Baylor physicians, before earning a Bachelor’s degree in public health from the University of Houston. Ansari’s mother, Aisha Ansari, works in Alzheimer’s research in Baylor’s Department of Neurology, and her sister graduated from Baylor’s School of Medicine, as well.

The 2024 class knew how to “roll with the punches during the pandemic” and started a new phase of life in a “really uncertain, and frankly, scary time,” Ansari said. But their shared experiences have made her confident that no matter where they end up training, their own resilience and drive will serve them well.

“No matter where we go from here, we have it within ourselves to build something beautiful,” she said. “To our guests, thank you for your love and for your support today and every day. We hope we always make you proud.”

Dr. Andrea Stolar, senior associate dean of student affairs, said the students did more than study and train to become doctors.

“Your work contributed to scientific advances and your mentorship and teaching helped pave the way for those to come behind you,” Stolar said. ” You’ve made a difference in the lives of your patients that you cared for and in those you served as part of the innumerable volunteer activities you have participated in and that you spearheaded. You have been an integral part of our treatment team and community, and for that, we are grateful to you.”

Following the 11 a.m. rush to the envelope board, fourth-year medical student Tejas Joshi could not stop smiling. He matched into his first choice, Baylor’s dermatology program. He called his time training at Baylor phenomenal.

“It’s world-class training at the best hospitals in the United States: you have a safety net hospital at Ben Taub Hospital, and you get to see patients from all different backgrounds: patients who are undocumented, patients who are traditionally marginalized in medicine,” Joshi said. “I’m just so grateful to everyone, to all the patients I have seen.”

Neal Mody-Bailey matched into Baylor’s urology program more than a month ago. But he felt the emotions flood him again on Friday when he saw his friends and classmates experience the match.

“I have roommates and friends staying at Baylor with me and training, and that’s another three-to-five years I get to be with them in a different capacity,” Mody-Bailey said. “We are pretty close. I think the pandemic forged a bond with us, and we had to try harder to feel close to each other, which really helped our relationships.”