NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) – Dozens of students from the Medical College of Georgia found out where they are going for their residency on Friday.

For some, it’s the start of a dream come true, and for others, it’s a full-circle moment.

“I am so excited,” said one student.

This white envelope may not mean much to you.

But for 244 fourth-year medical students at the Medical College of Georgia, “I’m feeling great. It’s Match Day,” said one student.

The envelope marks a long-standing tradition. One with a costume and the key to unlock their medical future.

“It’s so nerve racking, but I am so amazed by this school and this campus and they prepared me for this,” said the student.

For some, match day marks a dream come true, but for others like David Wolff, it’s a full-circle moment.

“When I started medical school, I thought I wanted to be an ophthalmologist. I had an eye injury as a kid, that’s taken a lot of vision out of my left eye,” he said.

Wolff says he was on a dove hunt with his father and several others when he caught a pellet to the left eye. 

After seeing the impact his dad, who was also a doctor, made on their community, Wolff says his future was a no-brainer.

“He did pulmonology, critical care and sleep medicine. That was a huge influence in my life, seeing what it looks like to be a physician and what that commitment means. That was something that I really want to try and emulate in my life,” said Wolff.

For the class of 2024, medical school came with a lot of ups and downs due to COVID, but for Wolff, he gained a wife and lost his father after his battle with cancer.

“He passed, and my third year of medical school. I was actually on an ophthalmology rotation at a time and there were a few things that really impacted me kind of within the hospital and being home. But I came back shortly after his funeral and went back to working in a hospital,” said Wolff.

But Wolff says he feels his father the most being in the hospital. And as of Friday at 12 p.m., that’s exactly where he will be.

“I love you. I am so proud of you, and your dad is too,” said Wolff’s mom.

MCG says as of Match Day, 100% of their graduates have a residency position.

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