SIU Med Seniors and Residency Programs Get Match News

Senior medical students in the graduating Class of 2005 at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine were given results from the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) on Thursday, March 17, at the same time other U.S. medical students learned their matches to postgraduate training programs. Sixty-five seniors secured positions through the match.

Eleven SIU seniors (16.9%) selected family practice residencies. Eight students each (12.3%) matched in pediatrics, in obstetrics and gynecology, and in emergency medicine. Six students each (9.2%) chose internal medicine and orthopaedic surgery.

"SIU medical students have again matched with some of the most competitive programs in the country as well as very competitive specialties," said Dr. J. Kevin Dorsey, dean and provost. "We are very proud that they have matched with excellent programs to continue their medical training."

Other match results are three students each (4.6%) matched in general surgery, in radiology and in anesthesiology. Two students each (3%) matched in dermatology and in neurology. One student each matched in internal medicine/psychiatry combined, pediatric neurology, plastic surgery, psychiatry and otolaryngology.

Twenty-five seniors (38.5%) will be training in primary care specialties of family practice, internal medicine and pediatrics. If the eight student matches in obstetrics/gynecology are included, the total rises to 50.8 percentage.

SIU and its affiliated hospitals in Springfield and Quincy attracted eight SIU graduates for residency training. Another 13 students picked other Illinois programs and 25 others selected Midwest programs, making a total of 46 students (71%) that will begin training in the Midwest.

SIU's Class of 2005 will graduate May 21. New physicians begin their residency training in July 2005.

Match results also were announced Thursday for SIU's residency programs in Springfield, based at the School's two affiliated hospitals -- Memorial Medical Center and St. John's Hospital. Fifty-seven starting positions in Springfield were filled. The first-year residents will join 151 senior residents and fellows already in training at SIU programs in Springfield.

Thirty first-year positions were filled in primary care programs -- family practice (8), general internal medicine (13), general pediatrics (6) and obstetrics/gynecology (3). Twelve positions were filled in the five surgical programs -- general surgery (3), plastic surgery (2), orthopaedic surgery (3), otolaryngology (2) and urology (2). Fifteen positions were filled in dermatology (2), medicine-psychiatry combined (1), neurology (2), psychiatry (4), preliminary medicine (3) and radiology (3).

"SIU and its affiliated hospitals have positioned themselves to attract highly qualified residents to our programs as indicated by our strong match results this year," said Dr. Karen Broquet, associate dean for graduate medical education at the medical school. "These residency training programs assist SIU and its affiliated hospitals in providing quality care to the people of downstate Illinois."

SIU also has affiliated family practice residency programs in Carbondale, Decatur and Quincy, each three years in length. Seventeen first-year positions have been filled for next year through the NRMP match and a similar program held last month for osteopath physicians. These residents will join 35 senior family practice residents at SIU's affiliated hospitals -- Memorial Hospital in Carbondale, Decatur Memorial and St. Mary’s Hospitals in Decatur, and Blessing Hospital in Quincy.

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