Lehigh Valley, Pa. (March 21, 2025) – Medical students in the SELECT (Scholarly Excellence, Leadership Experiences, Collaborative Training) program with Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN)/University of South Florida (USF) Health Morsani College of Medicine participated today in the annual Match Day. The SELECT students joined fourth-year medical students across the country in opening sealed envelopes to reveal the name of their “match” – the medical residency assignment that will shape their careers as physicians. About a dozen SELECT students participated in a celebration at Renaissance Allentown Hotel, while others in the class of 56 students participated in Match Day activities at USF’s Tampa, Fla., campus or celebrated with family and friends.
One student who stayed in Allentown on Match Day was Gavin Lockard, who was matched with University of Kansas School of Medicine in Kansas City for neurosurgery. A native of Vancouver, Wash., Lockard celebrated with his wife and 3-month-old baby girl. Lockard began his medical education in pharmacy school, but after working in an emergency department during the COVID-19 pandemic, he knew he wanted to apply to medical school.
“I was drawn to medicine and neurosurgery because I am fascinated by neuroscience and its application to treating people with neurologic disease, particularly brain cancer,” Lockard said. “I’m also passionate about building long-term, proactive relationships with my patients as we explore different ways to tackle their back pain, headaches and other problems.”
“Our four-year SELECT program is truly unique among medical school programs,” said Robert Barraco, MD, Associate Dean for Educational Affairs of the Lehigh Valley Campus of USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and LVHN’s Chief Academic Officer. “Through our partnership with the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, students get two years of classroom learning at one of the country’s most progressive medical schools and two years of clinical experience right here, at one of the nation’s top health care systems. This partnership allows our students to learn from, and be mentored by, some of the top minds in medical education. They are qualified to now go out and teach the world what it means to care for others and to be leaders who will shape the future of health care.”
Match Day is a much-anticipated national event for graduating medical students. The process: Fourth-year medical students apply to residency programs and attend personal interviews with prospective health organizations. After completing the interview phase, students submit a rank order list (ROL) of their preferred training programs to the National Resident Matching Program. Residency program directors also submit an ROL of their preferred students. A database aggregates the lists to come up with residency assignments that shape the careers of future medical doctors. The results are binding.
The USF/LVHN affiliation creating SELECT began in 2011. The region’s highest-ranked medical school according to U.S. News & World Report, SELECT offers a medical education curriculum that trains a new generation of 21st century physician leaders. LVHN serves as the northern instructional medical campus of USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. Students attend USF Health Morsani College of Medicine’s Tampa campus for their first two years of medical school and then transition to LVHN for their last two years.
About Jefferson
Lehigh Valley Health Network is now proudly part of Jefferson Health. Nationally ranked, Jefferson, which is principally located in the Greater Philadelphia region, Lehigh Valley and northeastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey, is reimagining health care and higher education to create unparalleled value. Jefferson is more than 65,000 people strong, dedicated to providing the highest-quality, compassionate clinical care for patients; making our communities healthier and stronger; preparing tomorrow’s professional leaders for 21st-century careers; and creating new knowledge through basic/programmatic, clinical and applied research. Thomas Jefferson University, home of Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Jefferson College of Nursing, and the Kanbar College of Design, Engineering and Commerce, dates back to 1824 and today comprises 10 colleges and three schools offering 200+ undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 8,300 students. Jefferson Health, nationally ranked as one of the top 15 not-for-profit health care systems in the country and the largest provider in the Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley areas, serves patients through millions of encounters each year at 32 hospitals and more than 700 outpatient and urgent care locations throughout the region. Jefferson Health Plans is a not-for-profit managed health care organization providing a broad range of health coverage options in Pennsylvania and New Jersey for more than 35 years.
Information provided to TVL by:
Jamie Stover
