3-23-10

Match

Senior medical students graduating from Southern Illinois University School of Medicine have again matched with competitive residency training programs for the next stage of their training.

SIU seniors received the results from the National Resident Matching Program last Thursday and learned where they will be doing their residencies, which follows medical school.  Dr. Erik Constance, associate dean of student affairs at SIU School of Medicine in Springfield, says 64 SIU medical students were matched with residency programs in Illinois, the Midwest and around the country.  Constance explains the match program.

SOUND BITE:  “Match Day is when all the graduating United States medical students find out where they are going to be doing their residency training after graduation.  So this is a day that happens nationally and we’re just one of the 130 medical schools who are celebrating today.”

Fifty-six percent of this SIU graduating class of medical students will enter primary care residencies.  Primary care specialties include family practice, internal medicine, pediatrics, and obstetrics and gynecology.   Dr. Constance explains where the students will do their residencies.

SOUND BITE:  “. . . we’re happy that almost 70 percent of our students are going to be training in the Midwest.  So we’ll keep an eye on those students and when they are ready to come back and start their practices.   Hopefully most of them will start practicing in central or southern Illinois.”

Dr. Constance said Match Day is the culmination of the four years of medical school for the students who will begin their residency training in July after their graduation in May.

This is Ruth Slottag at SIU School of Medicine in Springfield.