We met Rick at the hospital so we could open the email together to find out where we matched. I didn’t want to wait until he got home from work that evening! I don’t think he did either.

I kept tearing up on my way to the hospital. I felt so much excitement, peace, love and admiration for Rick and for his hard work. This was our moment of truth. Our destiny.

I’m so thrilled to share our good news:  Rick matched to the Hematology and Oncology Fellowship Program at the University of Rochester in New York. It’s a 3 year program and it was our #1 choice on his rank list. We’ve been anticipating this day for months! He interviewed at over 10 programs and spent way too many hours on planes, trains, buses, metros, and automobiles. We submitted our rank list in mid November and have been on pins and needles ever since. You get one shot to match to one program. So you can imagine how much anticipation leads up to “the match.”  This is a big deal because the field of Oncology/Hematology is very competitive. Rick was telling me some of the stats from the match (these are estimates, as I can’t remember exact numbers) and there were around 500 positions available, nationwide, for a spot in Oncology. 8 of those spots were unfilled. However, there were over 700 applicants looking to fill those 500 spots. That means close to 200 residents will not be able to start their fellowship next Summer. They will need to reapply in a year, and hope they match.

We feel extremely grateful and blessed that we matched, let alone to our #1 choice.  He ranked John’s Hopkins as #2 (which would be an amazing place to study cancer, but I would have moved to Baltimore with some hesitation; High cost of living, longer commute, etc) and our #3 pick was Richmond Virginia, along with two programs in Boston, one in Ohio, etc. We feel like this is truly the BEST MATCH for our family and the priorities we have now. (That being cost of living, proximity to a Latter-Day Saint  temple, close to an airport with more direct flights, commute time, etc.) As my friend Lee said, “It’s a match made in Doctor Heaven!” Amen to that! We thank family and close friends for all the love and support you have been the past few months. You’ve been great cheer leaders and we appreciate it so much. We’re so glad the wait is over!

We will be moving late June of 2013 and we look forward to moving back East! Madison has been very good to us. I have met some incredible friends here who have been more than I could ever ask for. (I’m tearing up just thinking about saying goodbye!)  Bridgette has her dear friends too and we will always hold Madison close to our hearts, but it will be easy to leave the soy and corn fields! 🙂 It will be hard to leave the free zoo, the wonderful Children’s Museum, the walking/biking trails, the lakes, the tree-lined streets, the beautiful downtown, the amazing local restaurants, and the members of the church. It has been such a positive experience living in Madison! We have no regrets. I look forward to many wonderful things in Rochester though: The Museum of Play, the Palmyra temple and many church history sites, scenic trails and waterways, lilac festival, a zoo, museums, Broadway plays, lots of festivals and especially some of our Vermont friends!

I’m so proud of Rick and for his dedication to his career and passion for medicine. At the same time, he makes time for family when he can and is always present when he is home. He ain’t no bump on a log! He continues to clean the kitchen, fold laundry, fill my car with gas all the time, stuff our cloth diapers and he keep the B laughing and happy! I’m truly blessed to have him as my life partner and love him so much. Way to go, sweetie! Time to celebrate!!!