Temple University’s Lewis Katz School of Medicine held its annual Match Day celebration on March 20, as graduating medical students learned where they will complete their residency training. The event took place at both the North Philadelphia campus and the Temple/St. Luke’s School of Medicine campus in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
Match Day is a significant milestone for medical students across the country, marking the transition from student to resident physician. For Temple’s Class of 2026, this day represented years of dedication and preparation for careers in medicine.
The ceremony began with remarks from Amy J. Goldberg, Marjorie Joy Katz Dean of the Lewis Katz School of Medicine. “We are proud to celebrate this incredible milestone with you,” Goldberg said. “Today is one of the most exciting days in medical education. It marks the culmination of years of hard work, long nights of studying, clinical rotations and moments of growth that have shaped you into the physicians you are becoming.”
A total of 215 graduates participated in this year’s Match Day at Temple University. Surrounded by family, friends and mentors, they opened their envelopes together to learn where they would spend their next several years training in hospitals across the country.
For many students like Masashi Azuma and Kristine Chin, Match Day was deeply emotional. Azuma said, “I feel an incredible sense of relief, like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders after years of hard work and sacrifice.” He matched at Montefiore Einstein Medical Center in New York for cardiothoracic surgery—his top choice—while Chin matched into a combined Internal Medicine and Pediatrics residency at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.
Chin reflected on her experience: “Temple has been my home for eight years, so this is bittersweet, but I’m excited to take what I’ve learned here and begin this next chapter while staying close to the people who matter most.”
As celebrations continued throughout both campuses, Goldberg said: “Being Temple made means resilience, determination and showing up every day ready to care for patients and communities who need us most.”
