Liberty University's first medical class participates in match day

LYNCHBUG,Va. – Kiersten Pikarsky is among the many students at Liberty University whose life will never be the same after Friday. 

Pikarsaky is among 126 other graduating classmates who will be the first class for Liberty University’s osteopathic medical school.

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She says that being the first was a benefit and struggle.

“The biggest obstacle is just trying to pave the way and make a name for ourselves, so that people know that we are medical students and here to learn and that we will be physicians in a couple short months," Pikarsky said .

Across the nation, thousands of medical students are participating in National Match Day. This is where students find out which residency programs they will be heading to for the next three to seven years.

Today, Liberty University celebrated its medical school's first match day and many of their students have been accepted into residency programs all over the country, some as far as Chicago.

This is where former paramedic William Engle will be headed; he's proud of the legacy he is leaving behind. 

“The reason I and a lot of my colleagues chose to be in a first class is that we have the ability to come in, go through something and make it better. Hopefully, we will leave a legacy behind that people are proud to follow,” Engle said. 

Many of the faculty say this group of students has set the bar high for the next class. 

“It’s, you know, our first children out the door in a way but we are just really thrilled to see them as they develop their career and first class moving on as we continue to develop the medical school,” said David Klink,senior associate dean of clinical affairs.