Ninety-six percent of the College of Medicine graduating medical students who participated March 20 in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) were placed into residency programs, where they will continue their specialty medical training for the next three to seven years.
Forty-three percent are staying in Arkansas for their training, where studies show they are likely to remain to practice medicine. Forty-five percent are going into primary care fields such as family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, and obstetrics and gynecology.
Match Day is an annual event in which fourth-year medical students across the nation simultaneously open envelopes revealing their “match” — or where they have been accepted to continue their training in a specialty residency. Usually a big celebration with friends, family, and faculty, this year’s celebration was held virtually. In-person classes at UAMS were suspended March 12, and events have been canceled in an effort to stop the spread of the highly contagious novel COVID-19 respiratory illness.
“I suspect that this will be more memorable than any other Match Day,” Christopher T. Westfall, MD, UAMS executive vice chancellor and College of Medicine dean, said to the students.
“I’d also like to thank you because of the adjustments we’re making as we look at COVID-19. I have seen a tremendous response; not only from our faculty and our residents, but the students have really stepped up to the plate with acts of volunteerism. I urge you over the next few months to learn everything you can about this virus and how to take care of these patients, because you’re going to be the front line. I have every confidence that this will be yours and our finest hour.”
In the College of Medicine Class of 2020, 161 students participated in the match, 155 matched into a residency, and six were left unmatched. They have the option to participate in subsequent attempts to match students with any remaining residency slots. Sixty-six are remaining in Arkansas. Seventy are going into primary care. General surgery (14), psychiatry (13), and anesthesiology (10) were also popular specialties. In addition to the UAMS seniors who participated in NRMP, 11 received residencies in early matches (military, ophthalmology, and urology).
“I think we need to pause to reflect on the fact that it’s never been more clear the difference you’ll be able to make for the people of your community and the people of this state and nation,” said James Graham, MD, executive associate dean for academic affairs. “It is very obvious that the field you’ve chosen can really, really make a difference in the coming days and months.”
The 2020 Main Residency Match was the largest in NRMP history. A record-high 40,084 applicants submitted program choices for 37,256 positions, the most ever offered in the match. The number of available first-year (PGY-1) positions rose to 34,266, an increase of 2,072 (6.4%) over 2019. The increase in positions was due, in part, to the last migration of osteopathic program positions into the Main Residency Match. This was the first year both MD and DO programs participated in the same match process.