TCU’s Burnett School of Medicine sustained its perfect match record for the fourth year in a row, achieving a 100% residency match rate for the Class of 2026.
The Anne Burnett School of Medicine, which welcomed its first students in July 2019, celebrated its fourth matriculated class with a rock-and-roll themed party on March 20.
For Lauren Hui, a fourth-year medical student from San Ramon, California, Match Day was more than just a celebration; it was a defining moment that carried years of hard work and emotion.
Becoming a doctor has been Hui’s dream since eighth grade. But when she opened her envelope, that little girl and her big dreams were not the only thing on her mind. She thought about her mother first.
“My mom was diagnosed with leukemia a few months ago, and it was really special to be able to share this with her,” Hui said. “She was tearing up. It was even better than I could have imagined.”
Lauren Hui matched in Vascular and Interventional Radiology at Yale. (Laura McCarthy, Burnett School of Medicine at TCU)
Match Day is an annual event on the third Friday of March where medical student graduates open an envelope that determines their “match,” or the place where they will complete their residency training. Envelopes are opened at 11 a.m. CT across the country, and families often attend Match Day events to celebrate the graduating class in their transition to the next phase of supervised medical training.
The national average match rate for the Class of 2026 is 93.5% — the highest average ever recorded. The Burnett School of Medicine’s perfect match record has placed TCU above the average match rate nationally.
Hui matched with Yale School of Medicine for Vascular and Interventional Radiology, a specialty that only accepts 150-200 matches in the country every year.
VIS is a subspecialty of interventional radiology that focuses on treating blood vessels through minimally invasive surgical procedures. Hui is the third Burnett graduate to match into this specialty.
Hui’s parents immigrated from Hong Kong, making her a first-generation American. She said her dream to become a doctor was inspired by her grandfather, who was unable to go to medical school during the cultural revolution.
“It was really special to see my friends and family all there ready to celebrate together,” Hui said. “I was happy because my dream had come true.”
For the fourth year in a row, this dream became a reality for every single medical student at TCU, shaping the future of healthcare in Fort Worth and beyond.