The fates of more than 200 soon-to-be physicians from the University of Arizona's two medical schools came down to what they found inside envelopes – or chocolate bar wrappers – on Friday.

The university's College of Medicine – Tucson and College of Medicine – Phoenix each held their own celebrations for Match Day, the annual day when medical students nationwide learn where they will train for their residencies. The matches marked the first step for 226 med school graduates as they embark on careers as physicians.

On the west lawn of Old Main in Tucson, COM-T fourth-year medical students smiled as they tore open their envelopes. Beneath the palo verde trees at the Biomedical Sciences Partnership Building in Phoenix, COM-P graduates unwrapped Willy Wonky-style "Wildcat MD" chocolate bars to reveal the golden tickets to their residencies.

"It feels like just yesterday I welcomed your class at orientation and your White Coat ceremony, and it has truly been a privilege to participate in your journey along the way," said Dr. Kevin Moynahan, vice dean of medical education at the College of Medicine – Tucson. "I am happy we will be welcoming many of you to our residency programs here in Tucson, and I am also proud of those of you who leave will represent the College of Medicine – Tucson around the country."

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The 119 Tucson and 107 Phoenix students together earned placements at training centers across 23 states. Half of Tucson class matched into primary care, a notable figure for a state that has been facing a shortage of front-line physicians. The Phoenix class also performed well in competitive specialties, with students matching at Harvard University, Stanford University, Washington University in St. Louis and Boston Children's Hospital, among others. 

In Phoenix, Dr. Ranita Sharma, executive vice dean, opened the festivities in lieu of Dean Fred Wondisford, who was attending his own daughter's Match Day at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. 

"Match Day is a watershed moment in each student's journey in medicine. As nascent physicians-to-be, let purpose, grit, discipline and humility define your journey. The strength and resilience you've built over the past four years will be vital as you step into the clinical world," Sharma said. 

College of Medicine – Tucson student Samantha Olsson, a Benson, Arizona, native, matched into the college's own family medicine residency program, and plans to take her training back to a community like the one she grew up in. 

"As I take these next steps toward my career, I'm most looking forward to getting to be somebody's family doctor. I envision a practice that's small town, close-knit, serving the communities that built me," Olsson said. 

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In Phoenix, Santana Solomon came to medicine through a different door. A first-generation college and medical student from Buckeye, Arizona, she spent time before medical school working with refugees and asylum seekers, and helped them with medical evaluations. 

"Being a physician could allow me to combine technical skills with advocacy for people who often do not have a voice," Solomon said. 

Find more Match Day profiles on the College of Medicine – Tucson and the College of Medicine – Phoenix websites, and a gallery of photos from both Match Day ceremonies on the U of A Health Sciences website.

U of A Match Day by the numbers

College of Medicine – Tucson

• 43% of graduates will complete their residencies in Arizona
• 44 graduates matched with Banner – University Medical Center residency programs in Tucson and Phoenix (36 at COM-T; 8 at COM-P)
• 50% of graduates matched into primary care fields, including internal medicine (22%), family medicine (10%), pediatrics (8%), and obstetrics and gynecology (7%)
• 50% matched into non-primary care specialties, including emergency medicine (11%), general surgery (7%), psychiatry (5%) and neurology (4%)

College of Medicine – Phoenix

• 107 seniors entered the match this year
• 32 students are staying in Arizona for all years of residency training
• Of the 38 Arizona students completing one or more years of training: 15 at COM-P; 3 at COM-T; 7 at Mayo Clinic AZ; 6 at Creighton Affiliated Hospitals; 2 at Phoenix Children's; 5 at other in-state sites
• 25 states will be represented as students depart for residencies