Mississippi Medical Students Participate in 2022 MATCH Ceremonies
Published on Wednesday, March 23, 2022
Last week, medical students at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) and William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine (WCUCOM) discovered which residency training programs they will attend as they begin their careers as new physicians.
More than 230 Mississippi students were among the thousands of students across the country who participated simultaneously in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP). Match Day, held on Friday, March 18th, symbolizes the transition from undergraduate to graduate medical education (GME).
The NRMP maintains a highly secure environment for applicants and programs to be able to rank their true preferences, confidentially, without undue pressure. The matching algorithm then attempts to place applicants into their most preferred training program that also prefers them.
Students who decide to continue training here in Mississippi have more opportunities than ever with the addition of several new residency programs across the state. In 2012, there were four sponsoring institutions in Mississippi accredited by ACGME. In 2022, that number includes 13 operational sites and 2 more in development.
During the last decade, the number of Mississippi sponsoring institutions - the governing bodies that assume financial and academic responsibility of residencies and fellowship training programs - have more than tripled. All have been accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medication Education (ACGME) which oversees post-graduate education and training for all MD and DO physicians in the U.S.
More residencies produce more opportunities for students to train and remain in the state to practice. Programs train physicians in family medicine, neurology, internal medicine, emergency medicine, obstetrics and psychiatry – or one of many more specialties in short supply.
This year the Match included 39,205 total positions, the largest number on record. Nationwide, more than 94 percent of those positions were filled.
