For Mark Yost, the answer meant he was going home. When the clock struck noon this third Friday of March, 167 Harvard Medical School (HMS) students — 163 clinical and 4 non-clinical — learned where they will spend the next three to seven years of their training, and the specialty in which they’ll work.
Yost matched to UCLA Medical Center for general surgery, one of the specialties with fewer candidates. Internal medicine led the pack of specialties, with 32 students entering that field. Others included orthopedics, urology, and neurology.
Yost said UCLA “was my first choice for residency.”
“My sister lives in Los Angeles and my parents live very close by in California. I’m going home.
“This has been one the most stressful and difficult times in my life. I didn’t anticipate it and I’m really glad that everything turned out well and I’m really looking forward to the future.”
Yost said it was hard for him to choose between UCLA and Brigham & Women’s Hospital, where he served his internship.
“There’s a sense of loss at the opportunities you lose,” he said. “I’m proud to say I’m a Harvard alum and I’m going to spread what makes Harvard special to California and beyond. I can’t wait for it.”
