Medical students across the country marked a major milestone Friday as they learned where they will complete their residency training during Match Day 2026.
At exactly noon, students opened sealed envelopes revealing the next step in their medical careers, a moment often filled with anticipation, relief and celebration after years of rigorous study.
At Lehigh University’s Iacocca Conference Center, 38 fourth-year students from the Temple/St. Luke’s School of Medicine gathered with family, friends and faculty for the annual event. Thirteen students matched into residency programs within St. Luke’s University Health Network.
Among them was Michael Cardiges of Fogelsville, Pennsylvania, who matched into the St. Luke’s Internal Medicine Residency at the Anderson Campus. Cardiges follows in the footsteps of his father, Dr. Nicholas Cardiges, a longtime radiation oncologist at St. Luke’s. He was also born at the hospital.
Two other students, Brian Smoots and Natalie Sliwowski, both matched into St. Luke’s programs — urology and pediatrics, respectively. The couple, who are engaged and planning a fall wedding, will continue their training together within the network.
Smoots reflected on the impact of his medical school experience.
“My decision to study at the St. Luke’s campus has been reinforced and validated less by a single moment than by the consistency of the attitude and culture which I have found here… That kind of continuity builds trust and strength in mentorship that has made my clinical training to this point second to none.”
Sliwowski emphasized the importance of mentorship and hands-on experience.
“Throughout my pediatric rotations, I have been fortunate to work with faculty and residents whose excellent teaching and mentorship has shaped me into the kind of physician I hope to become. I look forward to continuing to be a part of this culture and to helping bring up the medical students who come after me.”
The celebration in Bethlehem was held simultaneously with events at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine’s North Philadelphia campus. Officials addressed students at both locations ahead of the envelope opening.
“You’ve worked hard for this moment. You’ve inspired us along the way with your motivation to heal others and your commitment to our community,” said Dr. Shaden T. Eldakar-Hein. “In that envelope is a program that chose you, just like four years ago when you chose us, and we chose you. Those programs saw the value and potential in you that we had, and the support that you will receive in programs that see your value are opportunities for growth and an amazing training environment. My message to those programs is, ‘you are lucky’.”
Match Day marks the transition from medical school to residency training, where graduates will spend several years gaining specialized clinical experience as physicians.
Officials said the annual tradition highlights both the culmination of students’ academic journeys and the beginning of their careers in medicine.
