Excitement and anticipation crackled in the air at the Health Education Campus on Friday, March 21, as 202 Case Western Reserve University medical students eagerly awaited the clock to strike noon. Then, they would discover where they will be completing their residency programs for the next three to eight years.
When the anticipated moment finally arrived, they joined medical students nationwide in learning where 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 and, as each envelope was opened, tears of joy and celebratory shrieks and cheers echoed 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 School of Medicine 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 through our three medical training programs—the WR2 University Program, Medical Scientist Training Program and Lerner College Program.”
In this cohort, 64 students are staying in Ohio for training (35 of them are originally from the Buckeye State), contributing to a “brain gain” of 29 newly minted physicians for the state. Additionally, 41% of the graduating class will pursue careers in primary care specialties.
“We are proud to be the only medical school in the state where more of our students stay in the state than grew up in our state. It is part of our commitment to addressing the healthcare needs of our communities,” added Dean Gerson.
Twenty-six percent of students will serve the Cleveland/Northeast Ohio community, having matched into residency programs at Akron General Medical Center, Cleveland Clinic, MetroHealth Medical Center and University Hospitals, with over half the class (106 students) joining residency programs in the Midwest.
Internal medicine (44), OB/Gyn (15) and general surgery (15) were top residency matches, followed by emergency medicine (13), pediatrics (11), ophthalmology (10) and otolaryngology (10). Institutions outside of Cleveland with multiple student resident matches include:
- University of Michigan Medical Center (11)
- Massachusetts General Hospital (9)
- Johns Hopkins Hospital (7)
- UCLA Medical Center (6)
- Northwestern McGaw (6)
- Brown University/Rhode Island Hospital (5)
- Mayo Clinic (5)
“The exceptional match results are a celebration of our extraordinary students and their commitment to becoming excellent physicians through the quality and range of our curriculum and with guidance and support from our amazing faculty,” said Lia Logio, vice dean for medical education. “We are immensely proud of our students’ achievements and look forward to following their continued success as they embark on their careers as physicians.”