Houston couple hopes Match Day results keep them together
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Medical students across the country learned Friday where they will continue their medical training.
It's called Match Day, and it's a big deal in the medical community. It's the day when students who are about to graduate from medical school learn where they will head for the rest of their training.
"No idea right now, but we're hoping and praying to be in the same city together," Ashley Romo explained.
We caught up with Romo and her fiancé, Omare Okotie-Eboh, while they waited to receive their sealed envelopes. They're both about to graduate from the McGovern Medical School at UTHealth. Romo wants to pursue family medicine and Okotie-Eboh is interested in internal medicine-pediatrics.
They applied for what's called a couple's match. It means they've told the selection committee they want to be in the same city. It's a risk, and could mean one or both of them accepting less than ideal positions.
"Maybe you're not at the place that you thought would be number one," explained Dr. Pedro Mancias, a UTHealth professor, "but wherever you go, you can have success and make a big difference."
There are 239 graduating students at McGovern this year.
Each promised to wait for everybody to get a letter before opening them. After a short countdown, students started ripping open their sealed envelopes.
One-hundred and thirty (54 percent) will stay in Texas for their first year of postgraduate training, and 51 (21 percent) matched to McGovern Medical School programs for the duration of their training.
Through the shocked faces, hugs, and cheers, we looked for Romo and Okotie-Eboh. We finally found them under the tree where he proposed.
Both were holding acceptance letters.
"Together in Houston," they screamed at the same time.
