The Doctor of Medicine Class of 2026 from the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine (UNR Med) celebrated Match Day on Friday, March 20, 2026, alongside family, friends, faculty and community partners for one of the most anticipated milestones in medical education. A highlight of this year’s celebration was a surprise LEGO-themed reveal, featuring personalized boxes and custom LEGO doctor figures for every matched student. 

Match Day marks the moment when graduating medical students across the country simultaneously learn where they will complete their residency training. At UNR Med, the occasion is celebrated with a themed event, building excitement leading up to the 9 a.m. reveal, when students discover their residency placements by opening their personalized reveal items. 

“It is nice to be able to celebrate together among friends that have been made over the past four years and our school does a great job of making Match Day a truly epic party!” said Miranda Hellman, who matched into family medicine at Dignity Health Methodist Hospital of Sacramento. “The theme and decor are kept a secret until you walk through the door, which adds to the excitement and fun.” 

In his remarks, Dean Paul J. Hauptman, M.D., recognized the collective effort behind each student’s journey, noting that families and loved ones “lived every exam, every late night, and every moment of uncertainty right alongside these students.” 

Reflecting on the Class of 2026’s training, he emphasized that their education extended beyond knowledge, highlighting the resilience, compassion and humanity they developed along the way. With that foundation, he affirmed, they are ready for the next phase of becoming physicians. Dean Hauptman also pointed to a key indicator of their preparedness, noting that 100% of residency program directors surveyed last year said UNR Med graduates met or exceeded expectations — “that statistic alone should tell you what you need to know: you are ready.” 

Building on the LEGO theme, Senior Associate Dean Neda Etezadi-Amoli, M.D., compared medical education to constructing a strong foundation. She shared that students have spent the past four years developing the core pieces of their careers, and Match Day represents “just the next layer.” Encouraging adaptability, she likened students to “master builders” who can problem-solve and evolve when plans change — an essential skill in medicine. As students prepared to open their boxes, she reminded them that they already have “the most important pieces in place — curiosity, compassion, integrity, readiness, and a deep commitment to patients and to one another.” 

Interim Associate Dean of Student Affairs Lauren Schwarz, Ph.D., also recognized the significance of the milestone, noting that wherever students matched, the programs welcoming them “will be incredibly fortunate to have them.” 

“Match Day is one of the few moments where we get to pause, reflect on the years of hard work, and celebrate together as classmates before we all head off to different parts of the country for residency,” said Olawale Akinyemi, who matched into internal medicine at Duke University Medical Center. “Matching into my top choice truly feels like a dream come true.” 

Zoee Castro, who matched into emergency medicine at the University of California, San Francisco Fresno Medical Education Program echoed these thoughts. “What makes the day so special is being surrounded by the classmates who went through this entire journey with you, along with the family members and mentors who supported you every step of the way,” she said. “I feel very grateful for the training I received at UNR Med, which has prepared me to be a great emergency medicine physician.” 

This year, 21 percent of UNR Med students will remain in Nevada for a portion of their graduate medical education, including five who matched into UNR Med residency programs in internal medicine and pediatrics. Additionally, 40 percent of the class will train in primary care and mental health specialties. The most popular specialty was emergency medicine, with 17 students choosing to pursue residency in one of the fastest-growing specialties nationwide. 

Cameron Shonnard matched into his number one choice — emergency medicine at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine in Albuquerque, New Mexico. 

“I’m so excited,” Shonnard said. “This is the culmination of a lot of hard work and dreams coming together. I’m really happy to be exactly where I’m meant to be. I feel so fortunate to have an amazing family that has supported me every step of the way, and it’s really special to be following in the footsteps of so many of them in medicine. My mentors, especially the team at Western Emergency Physicians, have also been incredibly helpful along this journey.” 

Reno local Baily Ivory matched into the UNR Med Pediatrics Residency Program, making her the first medical student to enter the program who was born and raised in Reno, attended the University as an undergrad, and will graduate from UNR Med. 

“I am so excited to be matching into Peds,” Bailey said. “This has been a journey that has certainly taken several years, but it really has culminated into one of the coolest accomplishments of my life. Pediatrics has been the end goal for as long as I can remember. I love kiddos, I love families, and it's even more special that I get to serve the families and community that helped to raise me.” 

Residency training plays a critical role in shaping where physicians ultimately practice, making Match Day an essential part of strengthening the physician workforce in Nevada and beyond. UNR Med currently offers residency programs in family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, and psychiatry and behavioral sciences, with continued expansion underway. In 2027, UNR Med will launch its obstetrics and gynecology residency program, welcoming its inaugural class of three residents. 

Residency placements are coordinated through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP), which uses a Nobel Prize-winning algorithm to align applicant and program preferences. The NRMP announced that 2026 was the largest in its history, with over 53,000 applicants registered and more than 44,000 residency positions offered in over 6,800 program tracks across the United States. The 2026 Main Residency Match demonstrated continued strength in residency placement, with more than 93 percent of positions filled nationwide. 

The total specialty breakdown for the UNR Med Class of 2026 includes: 

• 17 in emergency medicine. 

• 10 in internal medicine. 

• Six in anesthesiology. 

• Five in family medicine. 

• Four in obstetrics-gynecology. 

• Four in orthopaedic surgery. 

• Four in pediatrics. 

• Four in transitional and preliminary. 

• One each in dermatology, medicine-pediatrics, neurology, otolaryngology, psychiatry, radiology-diagnostic, and urology. 

The full list of Match Day results for the Class of 2026, including residency programs and specialties, is available on the Match Day website.