Filling Local and Nationwide Health Care Needs
Match Day: A Milestone Moment
The Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine is celebrating its fourth Match Day as future doctors locally and across the country prepare for the next phase of their medical training. The Class of 2024 is poised to fill critical gaps in the health care industry and an ongoing doctor shortage, particularly in rural areas both locally and nationwide.
Match Day is one of the biggest days in a medical student’s journey. The process starts in the fall, when fourth-year medical students apply for residency programs. This is where, upon graduation from the MD program, students will transition into resident physicians to curate their skills in specific specialties.
The application and interview process takes months, all coming to an exciting, albeit nerve-wracking conclusion in mid-March when the National Resident Matching Program runs an algorithm that matches applicants and programs. This year, that day was Friday, March 15.
MD Program: The Next Step for WSU’s Future Doctors
Even for many of those students who placed outside of Washington, it doesn’t mean they’ll be gone for long.
“After residency, I plan to return to Washington state and continue serving its communities,” said Garrett Britt, a fourth-year medical student who matched into a urology residency at SUNY Upstate Medical University in New York.
Looking at specialties, 51.5%, or 34 students, chose primary care specialties, which include family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, internal medicine/pediatrics, and obstetrics and gynecology. There were nine matches in family medicine, 17 in internal medicine, six in pediatrics, one in internal medicine/pediatrics, and one in OB/GYN.
“I have been destined for pediatrics since the beginning,” said Ali Comfort, a fourth-year medical student who matched into pediatrics at University of Utah Health. “Walking step-by-step with children and their caregivers is such an immense privilege.”
Each medical student’s journey is different. Visit our Match Day website to learn more about our students and see a map pinpointing their reach and promise to serve in communities in our region and beyond.
Graduate Medical Education: Welcoming New Doctors to Washington
Match Day also means that the WSU Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine is welcoming doctors who will serve in residencies across the state of Washington as part of our Graduate Medical Education (GME) programs. This includes the Internal Medicine Residency Program located in Everett, the Family Medicine Residency Program located in Pullman, and the new Pediatric Residency Program located in Spokane.
Stating this summer, the WSU College of Medicine will have 52 resident physicians treating patients across Washington. This increases health care access and the quality of care for thousands of people, many of whom live in rural or traditionally underserved communities.