UCSF San Joaquin Valley Program in Medical Education (SJV PRIME) students shared tears of joy, hugs and shouts of excitement on Match Day 2026, when they learned, along with medical students across the country, where they will complete their residency training and take the next step in their medical careers.
At noon ET (9 a.m. PT), 50,000 medical students nationwide opened envelopes that held their residency matches. For Austin O’Callaghan Langhoff, the moment was one of happy relief. “Once you open the letter, all your anxiety goes away, and you can finally start planning where you’ll be,” said Austin O’Callaghan Langhoff. “It’s another part of the journey.”
Langhoff, who grew up in Redding, California, feels fortunate to now call Fresno home. After graduating from Fresno State, he joined SJV PRIME at UCSF Fresno. On Match Day, he learned he matched with his top choice: the UCSF Fresno Internal Medicine Residency Program.
“I really want to be a great clinician, someone who takes excellent care of patients and who applies everything I’ve learned from mentors and faculty at UCSF and UCSF Fresno,” Langhoff said.
UCSF Fresno, a regional campus of the UCSF School of Medicine and largest academic physician training program in the San Joaquin Valley, filled all available residency positions this year. During a breakfast celebration, the SJV PRIME students—including Langhoff and Alyssa Rivera—opened their Match Day envelopes, surrounded by family, friends, faculty, and staff.
“I’ve worked hard for this moment for the past eight to nine years, the day when I finally found out where I will be a doctor,” said Rivera. She was excited to match with the UCSF Fresno Emergency Medicine Residency Program.
Langhoff and Rivera were among six students of the 14 SJV PRIME students who matched residency programs in the Central Valley. Thirteen of the students matched in California and 12 matched with UC campuses.
“My heart was pounding but I felt a big sense of relief when I opened my letter and saw my number one choice,” said Rafael Verduzco Guillen, another SJV PRIME student who participated in Match Day at UCSF Fresno. “My commitment to medicine has always been to return to my community and help uplift underserved populations.”
Guillen will return to his hometown of Bakersfield, CA, to complete an Emergency Medicine residency at Kern Medical.
“One thing I’ll carry forward is what UCSF instilled in us: to care for everyone, regardless of their background,” he said.
The day’s celebrations continued with a campus community lunch, where UCSF Fresno program directors announced the names of all incoming interns and fellows.
Emily Fourt, DO, will complete chief residency in June and is thrilled to join UCSF Fresno’s Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship Program.
“I worked with the pulmonary and critical care fellows and attendings in the ICU over the three years of my residency which inspired me to continue my training,” said Fourt, currently an Internal Medicine chief resident at UCSF Fresno. “The excellent exposure to pathology and the support of a familiar community made me choose to stay at UCSF Fresno for three more years.”
UCSF Fresno Vice Dean Jose M. Barral Sanchez, MD, PhD, attended the celebration to thank staff, residents, fellows, faculty and program directors of all Graduate Medical Education programs for their commitment to recruiting top candidates.
“Today marks the culmination of months of dedication recruiting applicants to join our outstanding medical education programs to serve our communities right here in the Central Valley,” said Barral Sanchez. “Our collaboration with clinical partners and shared commitment to exceptional patient care are the foundation of who we are and our training programs.”
Stacy Sawtelle Vohra, MD, UCSF Fresno Assistant Dean for Graduate Medical Education, presented the numbers of the Match Day statistics.
The UCSF Fresno medical residency programs that participated in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) received 7,187 applications and conducted 1,128 interviews for 81 positions. The UCSF Fresno fellowship programs that took part in the October/December NRMP match received 2,132 applications and conducted 407 interviews for 25 positions. Non-NRMP programs filled available positions through another matching service or through interviews and offers.
UCSF Fresno will welcome over 100 new trainees later this summer.
A regional campus of the UCSF School of Medicine, UCSF Fresno plays a vital role in expanding access to health care in the San Joaquin Valley and Central California; training residents, fellows, and medical students for the region and state; conducting research that addresses regional health issues; and academically preparing students from the Valley to pursue careers in health and medicine. Established in 1975, UCSF Fresno celebrated 50 years of training doctors and improving health in the heart of California in 2025.
