March 20, 2008

SIU Med School Seniors and Residency Programs Get Match

News

Senior medical students in the graduating Class of 2008 at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine were given results from the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) on Thursday, March 20, at the same time other U.S. medical students learned their matches to postgraduate training programs.  Seventy SIU seniors have secured residency positions.

Ten SIU seniors (14.4%) selected family medicine residencies and another six each (8.6%) selected emergency medicine, obstetrics/gynecology, pediatrics and radiology.  Five students (7.2%) matched in general surgery, internal medicine and orthopaedic surgery.

“We’re pleased that SIU medical students are continuing to selected a good combination of primary and specialty care specialties for their residency training, which will help us in our mission of providing care to downstate Illinois,” said Dr. J. Kevin Dorsey, dean and provost.  “I continue to be proud that residency directors tell us that they look for our students for their programs.”

Other match results for SIU seniors were three each (4.3 %) in anesthesiology, ophthalmology, pathology, physical medicine/rehabilitation and preliminary surgery while two (2.8%) matched in psychiatry.  One student each will train in medicine-dermatology, medicine-pediatrics, plastic surgery and urology.

Twenty-three seniors (32.8%) will train in the primary care specialties of family medicine, internal medicine and pediatrics.  If the six student matches in obstetrics/gynecology are included, the total rises to 41.4 percent.

SIU and its affiliated hospitals in Springfield, Decatur and Carbondale attracted 14 SIU graduates for residency training.  Another 10 medical students picked other Illinois programs and 23 others selected Midwest programs, making a total of 47 students (67%) who will begin training in the Midwest.

SIU’s Class of 2008 will graduate Saturday, May 24.  New physicians begin their residency training in July 2008.

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-six starting positions in Springfield were filled.  The first-year residents will join 170 senior residents and fellows already in training at SIU programs in Springfield.

Twenty-eight first-year positions were filled in primary care programs -- general internal medicine (12), family medicine (7), general pediatrics (6) and obstetrics/gynecology (3).  Twelve positions were filled in the five surgical programs -- general surgery (3), orthopaedic surgery (3), otolaryngology (2), plastic surgery (2) and urology (2).  Sixteen total positions were filled in other specialties -- psychiatry (3), radiology (3), dermatology (2), medicine-psychiatry combined (2), neurology (2) and preliminary medicine (4).

“We are pleased and excited to have such a talented and diverse group of residents starting their training with us this summer,” said Dr. Karen Broquet, associate dean for graduate medical education.  “SIU residents are integral members of the health care teams that provide quality care to patients from around central and southern Illinois and help both the medical school and our two affiliated hospitals fulfill our missions.”

SIU also has affiliated family medicine 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 36 senior family medicine residents and fellows 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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