TEMPLE, Texas (March 16, 2009) - Fourth-year medical students at the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine will participate in the annual Match Day, slated for Thursday, March 19. This year's event will take place in Strasburger Hall at the Cultural Activities Center, located at 3011 N. Third Street in Temple.

Members of the Class of 2009 will be joined by their spouses, families and friends to learn where they will spend their residency training following graduation. A class photo will be taken at 10 a.m., followed by envelope distribution to the class. Students will open their envelopes at 11 a.m., to coincide with Match Day ceremonies held all across the United States.

Nationwide, approximately 16,000 students in 125 U.S. medical schools are expected to participate in the annual "Match Day" through the National Resident Matching Program. The match uses a computer algorithm designed to produce favorable results for students that aligns the preferences of applicants with the preferences of residency programs to fill the thousands of training positions available at U.S. training hospitals.

Residences are unveiled at the same time nationwide, noon Eastern Daylight Time, but announced in different methods. It was established in 1952 at the request of medical students to provide a fair, impartial transition from medical school to residency.

As a result of the comprehensive educational and clinical opportunities available from the College of Medicine and its affiliated institutions, the college's medical students continue to enter a broad spectrum of excellent residency programs across the state and nation.