College of Medicine students learn of residencies at Match Day event
At exactly 11:59 a.m. March 16, Central Michigan University medical students, along with medical students across the country, opened sealed envelopes and learned their residencies after graduation.
Match Day is an annual event during which medical school graduates find out where they will serve their residency. The National Resident Matching Program uses a computer algorithm to match students based on their desired specialty and location.
Last year, all 62 graduates from the College of Medicine were matched to a residency. This year, 75 percent of this year’s graduates were placed in primary care and 54 percent will serve their residency in Michigan, according to University Communications. Five graduates plan to enter the military after residency.
CMU’s College of Medicine opened in 2013 to address the growing shortage of physicians in Michigan and to improve access to health care in rural and underserved areas.
“We are thrilled that our results in the match reflect the mission of our college: to educate and train primary care physicians for our community and for Michigan,” said George Kikano, dean of the College of Medicine. “Our team’s hard work investing in student success is paying off dividends.”
According to University Communications, the top three specialties students chose include family medicine at 19 percent, internal medicine at 18 percent and emergency medicine at 17 percent. Other specialties include surgery, pediatrics, and obstetrics and gynecology.
“Our students’ choices of specialties, as well as their overall desire to stay in Michigan, tell us that we are doing things right,” said Steve Vance, CMED associate dean for clinical education. “From our admissions process to the curriculum to our faculty, clinical education partners and communities, this is working.”
CMU houses one of six medical schools in the state of Michigan. According to Crain’s Detroit Business, about 1,000 seniors from medical schools in Michigan were matched to residency programs.
The National Resident Matching Program cites that almost 44,000 medical students registered for the 2018 match, with just 33,000 positions available. Data from the Association of American Medical Colleges indicated an anticipated shortage of physicians in the U.S. between 41,000 and 105,000 in the next decade.
