Match Day Sets Future for OU Medical Students

On March 21, a group of University of Oklahoma medical students learned their future in one moment. These students joined thousands of others across the country as they learned, on the same day, where they will be doing their residency program. Across the OU College of Medicine in Oklahoma City and the OU School of Community Medicine in Tulsa, the university had 152 students who matched into residency programs, with 44% staying in Oklahoma for their training.

“Match Day is a powerful reminder of our purpose at the OU College of Medicine—to train the next generation of physicians and scientists who will shape the future of healthcare,” said Ian Dunn, M.D., executive dean of the College of Medicine. “Whether they stay in Oklahoma or serve communities across the country, our graduates carry forward a legacy of excellence in education, service through compassionate care, and a responsibility to advance medical knowledge through research.”

Match Day is a significant day for fourth-year medical students, as they learn the outcome of days of waiting, weeks of preparation, and years of schooling when they are informed of where they have matched for their residency program. The matching is handled by the National Resident Matching Program, an independent, nonprofit organization that works with over ten thousand programs and 50,000 applicants annually. Medical students apply and interview with their desired residency programs, then register to finalize where they will further their medical training. The programs and applicants submit rank-ordered lists, and NRMP runs a matching algorithm. Applicants and programs receive their results on the third Friday of March each year. The matched applicants will begin their residency training on July 1.

Congratulations to all the University of Oklahoma medical students who are taking this next exciting step in their educational journeys.