WORCESTER, Mass. - Students in the T.H. Chan School of Medicine Class of 2025 learned where they’ll be living and training as residents. Zachary Dyer found out he’s heading to the Institute for Family Health in New York for his residency.

“Such relief, it's such a relief," Dyer said. "I was excited for anything but knowing that I got my number one is really, really, exciting.”

UMass Chan Medical students matched with residency programs across the country.

“I'm going to UT Southwestern for Dermatology," Stephanie Choi said, "in Dallas.”

Choi said there’s nothing quite like holding your future in your hands with the match letter.

“So nerve wracking because all my top choices are in different cities and I'm open to any options," Choi said. "So, it's just exciting to open it up and figure out where you'll be for the next four years of your life.”

Dyer’s looking forward to pursuing a Family Medicine specialty in the same city where he went to undergrad.

“I’m so excited," Dyer said. "I am really excited to go back to New York to work in a community health center and join the incredible physicians who are there.”

“I'm thrilled. I'm so excited. It's really what I wanted because it's what he wanted and it's only three hours away," Lisa Dyer said. "He really believes in in local health and service, making sure everybody gets the proper health care that they deserve”

Dyer grew up in Worcester and worked for the city’s Division of Public Health for five years before med school. He said it’s been a privilege to work and learn in his hometown.

“Really grateful that my community surrounded me for so long,” Dyer said.

Now the future doctor from Worcester plans to focus on addiction medicine and street medicine. And in what he calls uncertain times for America, he believes doctors have the potential to build communities and advocate for patients.

“The people who are graduating with me in this class are, I honestly believe, the best generation of doctors that there have ever been who understand the community, who know what it means to be like a real community engaged physician," Dyer said. "And I'm really excited to see what we all do to kind of bridge the worlds of medicine and public health and really kind of work toward a stronger society together.”