Match Day 2017: Half a world away, he feels his parents' presence on Match Day

Jason Han

As I peeled open the envelope containing the culmination of years of hard work, I looked at a sea of inquisitive eyes that begged to know: Where?

“Penn Cardiac surgery!” I exclaimed.

An overwhelming sense of relief washed over me. I had matched at my first choice.

Like a child proudly bringing home his first trophy, I experienced an irresistible urge to share the news with my parents. I needed them to see what I had accomplished.

“Mom, Dad, look! I did it!”

I took out my phone. Opening the chat app my family uses as our main lifeline to communicate across the globe, I sent them a photo of me holding the Match letter. I eagerly awaited those three little dots indicating an elated response would be arriving, forgetting it was 2 a.m. in South Korea. Those words would remain unread until morning came, suspended in that luminous screen.

Read the rest of Jason’s blog on Philly.com and share Jason’s Match Day excitement with the rest of PSOM’s class of 2017 by following #PSOMMatch and checking this video highlighting all  Match Day 2017 celebrations.