Nationwide Gathering Reveals Medical Students' Training Placements
The University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry (UR SMD) recently held its annual Match Day ceremony on March 15, 2023, marking a significant milestone in the academic careers of its graduating medical students. This event signifies the culmination of years of hard work and the beginning of the next phase of their careers as they embark on residency training.
A total of 183 residents from UR SMD matched at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) and will begin their training in Rochester this summer. Of these, 30 students will remain at URMC for their residency training, the same as last year. The remaining students from the class of 2024 will pursue residency training in 26 other states, including the District of Columbia, with 5 students heading to California and 7 students to Pennsylvania.
The ranking and selection process for Match Day is run by the National Residency Match Program (NRMP). After completing interviews, both applicants and residency programs create Rank Order Lists (ROLs). Students list their preferred programs in order of desirability, typically including 10-15 programs for a strong chance of matching, while programs rank applicants they wish to accept.
Key factors influencing applicants' ranking decisions include program quality, geographic location, lifestyle, research opportunities, fellowship success, and cultural fit. Applicants must submit their ROLs through the NRMP/NMS Match System by a deadline, with the ability to rank up to 20 programs without additional fees.
The NRMP uses a Nobel Prize-winning algorithm designed to optimize matches based on applicants' and programs' preferences, prioritising applicants' rankings to maximise their chances of matching to their top choices. Partial matches can occur if higher-ranked programs do not select the applicant.
Match Week begins with notification indicating whether applicants matched, usually on Monday morning, but the exact program placement is revealed later. The Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP) follows immediately for unmatched applicants to apply for unfilled positions. On Match Day (Friday at 12:00 PM EDT), results are officially released, confirming where each applicant matched. Match results are final and binding, leading to a 45-day commitment period where applicants prepare for residency start, including licensing and housing arrangements.
David R. Lambert, MD, senior associate dean for medical school education at UR SMD, stated that Match Day sets the course for the next phase of a physician's career. The Class of '62 Auditorium at UR SMD was filled with cheers and tears during the annual Match Day ceremony as students learned where they will train as residents.
The pivotal moment in students' academic careers begins during the fourth year of medical school when they apply and interview at institutions where they are interested in training. This year, UR SMD had residents in 23 different specialties, with the largest concentrations in Internal Medicine (15), Psychiatry (10), Family Medicine (8), and Pediatrics (7).
Match Day 2023 was a celebration of the culmination of years of hard work and the start of an exciting new chapter in the lives of these future physicians. The event was a testament to the fair, transparent, and efficient method for pairing medical graduates and residency programs nationwide, ensuring a smooth transition into the next phase of their careers.
During the Match Day ceremony, the Class of '62 Auditorium at UR SMD was filled with celebration as students learned they would be pursuing their residency training in various specialties, marking the start of a new phase in their health-and-wellness journey. This education-and-self-development milestone, a result of years of dedicated medical education, was achieved through the science-based ranking and selection process coordinated by the National Residency Match Program (NRMP).
