EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — For 107 Texas Tech Health El Paso medical students, Friday was a day of nervousness and excitement.
Those students discovered where they will be going next to continue their studies and what type of doctor they will become during Match Day, a special ceremony that was held on Friday, March 20, said Eric Rohren, dean of the Paul L. Foster School of Medicine at Texas Tech Health El Paso.
Photos courtesy of Texas Tech Health El Paso
“As you can see this is an exciting day in a medical career,” Rohren said. “Today is the day when all of our students at the Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, as they approach their graduation, find out what sort of doctor they are going to be and where they will be going to pursue their training.
“Up until 10 a.m. this morning, they really had no idea. They had done their applications and done their interviews but had no idea what the future held for them,” he added.
“They opened up the envelope at 10 o’clock and found out where they are going to go, what they are going to pursue and it’s just an exciting time, a time of celebration,” Rohren said.
Mason Bettes, a student at Texas Tech Health El Paso, said he and his wife did what is called “couples matching” and coordinated their interviews so they could apply to the same schools.
They will both be going to further their studies at Texas Tech in Lubbock. Mason Bettes will study internal medicine, his wife dermatology.
“It was on our list so we are very excited to be going to Lubbock,” Bettes said.
Bobak Zakhireh, another student at Texas Tech Health El Paso, said he will be going to Duke University to study internal medicine.
“It was not my No. 1 school, but I absolutely fell in love with it during my interview,” he said. “So am excited to be going there. It is incredible.”
The class included 13 students from El Paso and Las Cruces. A total of 16 Foster School of Medicine students matched into residency programs at Texas Tech Health El Paso. They will be joined by 106 incoming residents from other institutions, along with 16 fellows who will begin their advanced training this summer.
According to national data, physician shortages remain especially acute along the U.S.–Mexico border.
El Paso County currently has approximately one primary care physician for every 2,500 residents, underscoring the need to train and retain doctors locally, Texas Tech said.
The Foster School of Medicine was established to help address those disparities, Texas Tech Health El Paso said.
Since its founding, the physician shortage in El Paso County has improved significantly, with each graduating class helping expand access to care in the region. Since opening in 2009, the institution has contributed to growing the number of physicians in the Borderplex region from 1,034 to 1,792, Texas Tech said.
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