Match Day is the culmination of a complex year-long process that matches the nation’s graduating medical students with residency programs. Match results are released nationally at Match Day ceremonies coordinated to occur on the same date — the third Friday in March — at the same time (12:00 p.m. Eastern time) each year.

Under the match process, during the first half of their senior year, medical students apply for positions at residency programs, then interview with program directors, faculty and residents. In February, students submit their list of choices in order of preference — at the same time residency program directors submit their rank-ordered lists of preferred candidates — to the National Residency Matching Program headquarters in Washington, D.C. A computer matches each student* to the residency program that is highest on the student’s list and that has offered a position to the applicant. Residency programs vary in length from three years for general medicine/family practice specialties to eight years for the most specialized of surgeons.

*To protect our students' privacy, we have chosen not to publish our students’ Match List.

Class of 2026 Match Day

Photos, Videos and More

• Feature Story – Golden Ticket Punched: Class of 2026 Discovers Their Matches.
• Class of 2026 Match Day Ceremony.
• They've Got the Golden Ticket: Class of 2026 Match Day.
• Photos from the event.

Class of 2026 Fast Facts

• One hundred and seven (107) seniors entered the match this year, including those who applied to military and early match programs.
• Thirty-two students are staying in AZ for all years of their residency training.
  • Of the 38 AZ students completing one or more years of training in AZ, there will be:
    • Fifteen at U of A College of Medicine – Phoenix.
    • Three at U of A College of Medicine – Tucson.
    • Six at Creighton University Affiliated Hospitals
    • Seven at Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education – AZ.
    • Two at Phoenix Children’s.
    • Five at other training sites around the state.
• Twenty-five states in all will be represented as the students depart for their residencies.

Student Profiles