Matched at Mercy General

Priya Shah matched into her first-choice pediatrics residency at Mercy General, ending a long season of exams, night shifts, interviews, and coffee that probably violated several medical guidelines. When the envelope opened, her hands shook so badly her younger brother had to read the first line out loud. Her parents stood beside her in the crowded auditorium, remembering the seven-year-old who used to bandage stuffed animals with paper towels. Priya laughed through tears, then immediately started texting the friends who had kept her sane through anatomy lab and Step exams. The celebration was small and loud: samosas in the kitchen, cousins on FaceTime, and one very proud grandmother asking if this meant Priya was finally a real doctor. Almost, Priya said. Close enough, her grandmother replied.