SHREVEPORT – Friday, 140 LSU Health Shreveport School of Medicine students learned where they will go for their residency training. For "Match applicants," Match Day symbolizes the transition from undergraduate to graduate medical education, the day when they learn which residency training program they will attend as they begin their careers as physicians. LSU officials said it is a day filled with emotion as applicants reflect on all they have accomplished.
This year, the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) provided matching services to more than 42,000 applicants. The NRMP maintains a highly secure environment for applicants and programs to be able to rank their true preferences confidentially and without undue pressure. The matching algorithm then attempts to place applicants into their most preferred training program that also prefers them.
At medical schools nationwide, Match Day ceremonies are held in tandem on the third Friday in March. The landmark event is a career-defining moment when students and their families discover which residency program they matched with and where they will spend the next three to seven years completing their graduate medical education, LSU officials said.
This year, 99.3% of LSU Health Shreveport’s applicants matched, continuing this strong indicator of competitiveness of a national level, LSU said, adding 31.2% of the graduating class of 2022 will be staying at LSU Health Shreveport for their residency, with a total of 41.8 % of graduates matching to a LSU residency site. According to information released by LSUE Health, 44.5% of the graduating students will be staying in Louisiana, something the school called "critical with Louisiana facing a significant shortfall in the number of physicians needed to meet the healthcare demand of the state. Also of note, officials said, is that 49.9% are entering into primary care residencies comprised of internal medicine, OB/GYN, pediatrics, family medicine, and medicine-pediatrics. Of the 55.5% pursuing residencies outside of Louisiana, they will do so at prestigious programs around the country including Duke, Georgetown, Emory, Wake Forest, Case Western, Baylor, UCLA and UT Southwestern, LSU Health said.
LSU Health Shreveport Interim Chancellor and Dean of the School of Medicine Dr. David Lewis said he expects this year's class to thrive after facing much adversity during their training.
“I am so proud of our students’ success in matching to a residency," Lewis said. "It should be noted that their path to this accomplishment included navigating multiple years of a pandemic both personally and academically. I wish each of them continued success moving forward and I offer my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to our faculty and staff who deliver exemplary medical education while personally caring for each student.”
Match Day also reveals newly minted physicians coming into the Shreveport-Bossier City area. LSU Health Shreveport School of Medicine successfully filled all 131 residency positions available. This new group of LSUHS residents will be welcomed to Shreveport in July, where they will train at Oschner LSU Health Shreveport Academic Medical Center, St. Mary Medical Center, and Monroe Medical Center, along with other partner hospitals.
ABOUT LSU HEALTH SHREVEPORT
LSU Health Shreveport (LSUHS) is one of two Health Sciences Centers of the Louisiana State University System and one of only 154 in the nation. LSU Health Shreveport is home to the School of Medicine, School of Graduate Studies and School of Allied Health Professions, and a robust research enterprise, which has made a significant impact on the COVID-19 response in Louisiana, region and nation. Almost 900 students are enrolled in the degree programs at any one time. Additionally, over 500 residents and fellows are trained each year. The primary mission of the LSU Health Sciences Center at Shreveport is to teach, heal, and discover, in order to advance the well-being of the region and beyond. At the heart of the LSU Health Shreveport is a strong faculty that includes a number of nationally and internationally acclaimed physicians and scientists. More than 600 strong, they lead our research efforts, educate our students and provide primary and specialty care to patients throughout the region. LSU Health Shreveport has strong community support, fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion that promotes mutual respect for all. For more information, visit www.lsuhs.edu.
ABOUT LSU HEALTH SHREVEPORT
LSU Health Shreveport (LSUHS) is one of two Health Sciences Centers of the Louisiana State University System and one of only 154 in the nation. LSU Health Shreveport is home to the School of Medicine, School of Graduate Studies and School of Allied Health Professions, and a robust research enterprise, which has made a significant impact on the COVID-19 response in Louisiana, region and nation. Almost 900 students are enrolled in the degree programs at any one time. Additionally, over 500 residents and fellows are trained each year. The primary mission of the LSU Health Sciences Center at Shreveport is to teach, heal, and discover, in order to advance the well-being of the region and beyond. At the heart of the LSU Health Shreveport is a strong faculty that includes a number of nationally and internationally acclaimed physicians and scientists. More than 600 strong, they lead our research efforts, educate our students and provide primary and specialty care to patients throughout the region. LSU Health Shreveport has strong community support, fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion that promotes mutual respect for all. For more information, visit www.lsuhs.edu.
