The journey from recent SGU grad to earning your MD is a multi-year marathon that culminates with a memorable event: securing a residency position on Match Day.
In order to practice as a licensed physician in the U.S., obtaining a residency is critical to furthering your hands-on training. Medical students await with anticipation for Match Day, which takes place on the third Friday in March each year.
Match Day is where students learn where they will further their training for the next three years and, in some medical specialties, beyond that. Many students say it is a surreal moment in their life—symbolizing that all of the hard work it took to get to this moment was worth it.
“I have been dreaming of becoming an emergency medicine physician since I was an ER volunteer in high school, and here I [am] actually fulfilling that dream,” according to SGU medical student, Kendall Gasner, who learned she will be heading to the University of Kentucky in July to start her postgraduate training.
What is Match Day?
Where students will complete their residencies on Match Day is determined by the National Resident Matching Program’s (NRMP) Main Residency Match. This system places students into US residency programs by using a computerized mathematical algorithm. The algorithm will match applicants with one of their preferred residency positions at a program that also prefers them.
“I was ecstatic and overjoyed!” SGU medical student Julio Ambritz says of matching at his No. 1 residency choice, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in pediatrics. “When I interviewed there, I had a great feeling about the program!”
Facts about SGU’s 2024 Match
The map shows the locations, hospitals, and specialties of where St. George’s University medical students matched in 2024.
The numbers are in: More than 930 SGU students and graduates obtained a residency position in the Match in 2024. (1)
“To match at my No. 1 program is an indescribable feeling. I think I went into shock. Nothing could have prepared me for that moment!” says SGU student Morgan McDonough, who matched in general surgery at University of Central Florida/HCA Florida West.
Explore SGU’s 2024 Residency Placement List
Number of specialties: St. George’s University students and graduates obtained residency positions in several highly competitive specialties, ranging from surgery and neurology to emergency medicine and pediatrics. Overall, SGU students and graduates secured residency positions in more than 20 specialties. (2)
“As an anesthesia resident I will have the privilege of helping patients through the most difficult moments their body may ever experience and I am looking forward to making that experience as calming and safe as possible,” says SGU medical student Azania Mitchell, who obtained an anesthesiology residency at UMass Chan Medical School. “I am also looking forward to continuing to serve underrepresented and underserved communities, which has always been a passion of mine.”
Learn more about the 10 Most Popular Types of Residencies for Medical School Graduates
Across the United States: From Abington, PA to Torrance, CA, the new residents matched in hospitals in 40 states across the US and the District of Columbia. (3)
Ryan Caprio, an incoming PGY-1 orthopedic surgery resident at Morristown Medical Center, says he is looking forward to being able to work with a “fantastic team” at the New Jersey hospital and supporting patients in their time of need.
“As I will be at a newer residency program, I am looking forward to getting involved and helping the program grow as well,” he adds. “I’m also excited to be able to learn more about an incredible field and am hoping that the Boston Celtics finally win another NBA Championship by the time I start residency so I can rock a Celtics scrub cap in the OR!”
What IMG Residency Candidates Should Know About Matching for Postgraduate Positions
Preparing for Residency
Successfully matching for residency is all about demonstrating that you’re a strong candidate who will work well with the physicians at your desired program. The specific criteria that program directors seek will vary among institutions, but there are plenty of things you can start doing even before you apply to residency.
If you’re just starting your medical school journey, you can learn more about what you can do to ensure you’ll be eligible for your top residency programs in our article, “How to Land the Medical Residency You Want: 7 Criteria You’ll Be Evaluated On.”
(1) Data as of March 2024.
(2) Data as of March 2024.
(3) Data as of March 2024.
