The journey from medical student to MD culminates in one of the most important milestones in medical education: Match Day. This pivotal moment reveals where students will begin their residency training.
To practice as a licensed physician in the United States, medical school graduates must complete a residency program, where they gain advanced clinical training in their chosen specialty. Each year, students across the country eagerly await Match Day, which takes place on the third Friday in March.
Match Day reveals where graduating medical students will continue their training for the next three years or longer, depending on their specialty. For many students, opening their Match envelope is a surreal moment that symbolizes years of dedication, study, and clinical training finally paying off.
“I was very emotional before I opened up my email!” says Chioma Gabriel, MD ’26, who matched into Family Medicine at MedStar Georgetown Franklin Square in Baltimore, MD. “When I opened up my email I was extremely happy!! Tears of joy were flowing, but I had a huge smile on my face and said, ‘Praise God.’”
What is Match Day?
Where medical students complete their residency training is determined by the National Resident Matching Program’s (NRMP) Main Residency Match, the nationwide system that pairs graduating students with residency programs. The NRMP uses a computerized matching algorithm that considers the residency program rankings of both the students and the program directors. The system then matches applicants with residency programs based on the preferences of both parties.
Jennifer Wallace, MD ’26, secured a residency in Internal Medicine at University of South Florida Oak Hill in Brooksville, FL.
“I was absolutely ecstatic—it was the moment everything finally felt real after all the hard work. Matching at my number one choice made it even more special, and it still feels a bit unreal.”
Facts about SGU’s 2026 Match Day
Each year, St. George’s University graduates secure residency placements in hospitals across the United States and beyond. The results of the 2026 Match highlight the strong clinical training and global reach of SGU’s School of Medicine. In the 2026 residency Match, more than 800 SGU students and graduates secured a residency position in the United States and for the 12th year in a row, SGU secured more US residency positions than any medical school in the world.*
The map above shows the locations, hospitals, and specialties where St. George’s University medical students matched in 2026.
A Range of Specialties
SGU students and graduates matched into several highly competitive fields such as medical genetics, neurology, emergency medicine and pediatrics. Overall, SGU graduates secured residency placements across 23 specialties,** demonstrating the breadth of opportunities available to students.
“When I saw that I matched, everything just hit me at once,” says Mai-Sher, MD ’26, who matched in Internal Medicine at Aurora Health Care in Milwaukee, WI. “I’ve wanted to become a doctor ever since I was a little girl. For the longest time, I thought I would go into pediatrics. But as I went through medical school, I had the opportunity to explore different specialties, and my interests began to evolve. SGU gave me the space to really experience that, and over time, I found myself drawn more and more to Internal Medicine.”
Across the United States
From California to Michigan to Louisiana, SGU graduates matched into residency programs in 43 US states and the District of Columbia.***
Arjun Venkatesh, MD ‘26, who found herself seriously pursuing medicine after a health scare was overjoyed when she found she’d matched. “I was ecstatic and so relieved when I matched,” said Venkatesh who’d matched in Urology at University of Florida Jacksonville at Jacksonville. “I knew I’d taken a risk, so having that weight lifted off my shoulders felt incredible and really validated the confidence I had in myself.”
Global Student Representation
The SGU graduates who matched represented 33 countries around the world, highlighting the global diversity of the university’s medical student community.
For Dimitria Liovas, MD ’26, the dream to pursue medicine was sparked by watching her older sister’s transformative years at SGU. “Seeing how much she enjoyed her experience and how exciting her journey was made me realize that this was a path I could see myself on as well,” she said. Drawn to a medical education without borders, Liovas chose SGU for the opportunities she saw to do her clinical rotations across multiple locations. “The opportunity to begin my studies in England through the KBT program was a major factor in my decision. Also it gave me the chance to complete clinical rotations across multiple locations like England, New York, Chicago, Detroit, and Canada!”
Preparing for Residency
Successfully matching into a residency requires demonstrating that you’re a strong candidate who can provide valuable contributions to a program and work effectively alongside physicians and healthcare teams. While the criteria program directors use to evaluate applicants vary by specialty and institution, there are many ways students can begin preparing for residency from their first day of medical school.
The Steps to Becoming a Doctor
Deciding to attend medical school is one of the most important choices you’ll make, whether you’ve dreamed of being a doctor since childhood or discovered your passion through personal experiences.
St. George’s University supports students throughout their journey to becoming a physician, offering guidance and resources from medical school application through residency and beyond. From medical school applications to board certification, explore our free resource, Journey to MD, to learn more about the path to becoming a doctor.
FAQs:
What is Match Day in medical school?
Match Day is the annual event when graduating medical students learn where they will complete their residency training. Through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP), students are matched with residency programs based on their ranked preferences and the rankings submitted by program directors. Match Day takes place on the third Friday in March each year.
How does the medical residency Match process work?
The medical residency match process is managed by the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP). Medical students submit a list of their preferred residency programs, while residency programs rank the applicants they interview. A computerized matching algorithm then pairs students with programs based on these rankings, placing applicants into residency positions where both parties have expressed mutual interest.
Why is Match Day important for medical students?
Match Day is one of the most important milestones in a medical student’s journey to becoming a physician. It determines where graduates will complete their residency training, which provides the specialized clinical experience required to practice medicine in the United States. Residency programs typically last three to seven years, depending on the medical specialty.
How many SGU students matched into residency in 2026?
In the 2026 residency Match, more than 800 St. George’s University students and graduates secured residency positions in the United States. SGU graduates matched into programs across 43 states and the District of Columbia, representing 23 medical specialties.
Where do SGU graduates complete their residency training?
St. George’s University graduates match into residency programs at hospitals and healthcare systems across the United States. Each year, SGU publishes a detailed overview of residency placements, specialties, and hospital locations where graduates continue their clinical training.
Explore the full SGU Match Day results to see where graduates matched.
*As the medical school graduating the largest number of students per year, SGU places the largest number of graduates into residency programs each year, based on internal SGU graduate/expected graduate and residency placement data as of April 2026.
**Data as of April 2026
***Data as of March 2026
