“It’s a dream come true, and it feels unreal,” Walker said of her match. “On your first day as a first-year medical student you dream of this point –approaching the end of your medical school career and being a doctor. I’m so thankful for family and friends who helped make this possible because it’s been a long journey, and I couldn’t have done it without their support.”
The 2015 graduating class of the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine celebrated Match Day on Friday, March 20, with 97 percent matching in a postgraduate position to continue their medical education. School of Medicine students will pursue residency training at 78 institutions in 34 states across the nation.
Match Day, coordinated by the National Resident Matching Program, is when graduating seniors at U.S. medical schools learn where they will conduct their residency training and in which field. This year’s was the largest match in history, according to the NRMP, with more than 41,000 applicants from U.S. medical schools, international medical schools and osteopathic schools competing for 30,212 residency positions.
“We’re incredibly proud of our students for matching into tremendous residency programs across the country,” said Laura Kezar, M.D., associate dean of students in the School of Medicine. “The match is getting tighter every year with our students competing with more medical students for fewer residency positions. In spite of that, this year’s class had a phenomenal match. This speaks highly about the reputation of UAB and our medical students’ readiness to practice medicine when they leave our institution.”
Seventy-six percent of UAB students are staying in the Southern U.S. for training, with about 34 percent of those staying in Alabama.
“I’m very excited to go back to my alma mater,” said Jason Hall, who matched into the anesthesiology program at Duke University, where he attended for his undergraduate studies. “It’s great to see four years of hard work coming to pass.” Hall, a former corporate litigator, said he always wanted to pursue medicine and was able to do so with the support of his parents. “UAB is one of the top medical schools in the country, and I was lucky enough to be able to stay in my home state and get a top medical education.”
A large number of students matched into primary-care related specialties, including 18.6 percent in internal medicine, 12.2 percent in pediatrics, 9.3 percent in family medicine and 1.6 percent in combined medicine-pediatrics. Students also matched in other medical specialties, with 9.3 percent in emergency medicine, 7.1 percent in obstetrics and gynecology, 4.3 percent in radiology, 4.3 percent in anesthesiology, 3.8 percent in ophthalmology, 1.6 percent in neurology, 1.6 percent in child neurology, 2.1 percent in psychiatry, 1.1 percent in physical medicine and rehabilitation, 2.1 percent in pathology, 1 percent in radiation oncology and 1 percent in dermatology.
More than 11 percent of students matched in surgery and surgical subspecialties, including 3.3 percent in general surgery, 2.7 percent in orthopaedic surgery, 2.7 percent in preliminary surgery, 1.1 percent in plastic surgery and .5 percent each in otolaryngology, oral/maxillofacial surgery, urology and neurosurgery.
Gianfranco Frojo, who matched into plastic surgery at the St. Louis University, his no. 1 choice, said he’s excited to move forward in his medical training .“I feel in a way that the road’s just starting because I have six years of training ahead, but it’s something I feel passionate about so I’m very happy in this moment.”