331 students learn where they are headed for residency training as part of annual Match Day
INDIANAPOLIS — At precisely noon on Friday, March 15, the IUPUI Campus Center erupted with shrieks of joy and cries of relief as 331 Indiana University School of Medicine students tore open sealed red envelopes to reveal where they will complete the next phase of their medical training.
Students leaped into the air, hugged loved ones, and found themselves overcome with tears as they celebrated Match Day, a milestone that brings them one step closer to becoming a physician.
“When I opened the envelope I felt like my heart was going a million miles a minute,” said medical student Matthew Coghlan, who matched into internal medicine at IU School of Medicine—his top choice.
“I’m kind of in disbelief and thrilled and feeling every emotion at the same time,” said Lori Morgan, who is headed to Oregon Health & Science University for pediatrics.
Match Day is a rite of passage in medical school, as fourth-year students nationwide simultaneously learn what residency program they have “matched” into after months of anticipation. While medical school provides students with foundational knowledge and skills necessary to be a doctor, residency offers intensive preparation for a medical specialty and is required before a physician can practice independently.
Contributing to Indiana’s physician workforce
A total of 114 members of the IU School of Medicine Class of 2019 will complete at least part of their residency training in Indiana.
“We are excited to retain so many of our talented medical students in Indiana for the next chapter of their careers,” said Jay L. Hess, MD, PhD, MHSA, dean of IU School of Medicine and IU’s executive vice president for university clinical affairs. “We know that IU School of Medicine graduates who remain in Indiana for their residency are very likely to practice here, which ultimately ensures Hoosiers have access to high-quality care throughout the state.”
Other highlights from IU School of Medicine Match Day include:
- 39 percent of students will enter primary care residencies, helping to fulfill a significant need for primary care physicians in Indiana and across the country
- Graduates will complete residencies in 37 states, including at some of the most selective programs in the nation, such as Mayo, Northwestern, Duke, the University of Pennsylvania and UCLA.
- Students matched into a total of 31 specialties
Attracting talent from around the country
IU School of Medicine also learned which students from throughout the United States will move to Indiana to complete all or part of their residency training at IU.
A total of 251 medical students matched into IU programs. This includes students who will join the school’s newly created Family Medicine Residency Program at Memorial Hospital in Jasper, Indiana, and Psychiatry Residency Program at Good Samaritan Hospital in Vincennes, Indiana. The programs are part of IU School of Medicine’s commitment to improve access to physicians in underserved areas of the state by increasing the number of training programs outside of Indianapolis.
“Match Day is one of the most exciting and inspiring days in the life of a medical school,” said Paul M. Wallach, MD, executive associate dean for educational affairs and institutional improvement. “We are extraordinarily proud of our students and all they have accomplished over the past four years, and we are confident they will excel as residents and in their careers as physicians.”