Just moments before noon on Friday, March 15, 204 soon-to-be-graduating medical students from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine initiated the countdown: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…
Then, the anticipated moment arrived, marking a pivotal milestone in their paths to becoming physicians. At that time, they joined medical students nationwide in learning what residency programs they “matched,” a national tradition recognized with the annual Match Day event.
Faculty, staff, fellow students, and families from near and far gathered for the reveal in the Health Education Campus. Each envelope opening sparked tears of joy and sent celebratory shrieks and shouts throughout Samson Pavilion.
“As in past years, our students have achieved remarkable success, securing residency positions at top-tier hospitals across the United States, with the majority matching to their top-choice specialty,” said Dean Stan Gerson. “This achievement underscores the dedication and hard work of our students, as well as our outstanding faculty who are committed to excellence in preparing our students to be the next generation of physician leaders.”
Notably, 37 students from Ohio matriculated and 51 are staying in Ohio for training—a “brain gain” of 14 newly minted physicians for Ohio. And, 31% of the graduating class will pursue careers in primary care specialties.
“These number matches within the city and state demonstrate our commitment to addressing the healthcare needs of our communities,” said Dean Gerson.
Twenty-six percent of students will go on to serve the Cleveland community, having matched to residency programs at Cleveland Clinic, MetroHealth Medical Center and University Hospitals, with over half the class (107 students) joining residency programs in the Midwest.
Internal medicine and general surgery were top residency matches, followed by psychiatry (16), pediatrics (13), neurology (12), anesthesiology (10), OB/GYN (10), ophthalmology (12) and orthopedic surgery (10).
Institutions outside of Cleveland with multiple student resident matches include:
- University of Michigan Medical Center (9)
- Massachusetts General Hospital Brigham & Women’s Hospital (9)
- UCLA Medical Center (5)
- University of California San Diego Medical Center (4)
- Northwestern (4)
- The Ohio State University (4)
- Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (4)
- Stanford Health Care (4)
- UPMC (4)
“The exceptional match results of this year exemplify the dedication and efforts of our students, the robustness of our curriculum, and the caliber of our faculty,” said Lia Logio, vice dean for medical education. “We are immensely proud of our student’s achievements and look forward to following their continued success as they embark on their careers as physicians.”