On March 21, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science celebrated Match Day – the day on which medical students across the country find out where they will spend their residencies—the next three to seven years after graduation. 

Thirty-one Charles R. Drew University students stood before a crowd of fellow students, family and faculty to open their official Match Day envelope that determines the next chapter of their careers. This represented an increase in matched students from last year.

CDU will see 77% of its medical graduates enter into primary care (Family medicine, Internal medicine, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Pediatrics).  This marks a 33% increase from last year’s matches to primary care at the University. The remaining CDU medical graduates will serve in non-primary care specialties such as anesthesiology, dermatology, emergency medicine, psychiatry, and surgery.

 “I am incredibly proud of our graduating medical students,” said Dr. David M. Carlisle, president of CDU.

“Their placements are not only impressive; they actually emphasize the uniqueness of our students and the University mission to serve those who are underserved. Being placed is the result of their hard work and dedication to practice medicine with excellence and compassion.”

Primary care serves of particular importance as we see an increased number of individuals who will be receiving coverage through the Affordable Care Act this year.

The majority of CDU medical graduates, 77%, will be staying on the West Coast, but some will be venturing to the East Coast.

Angela Orozco was matched with John Hopkins University: “My Grandfather came with his Baltimore hat today because he said ‘That’s where we are going to go next.’ I said, ‘We don’t know, let’s just see what the envelope says.’ And then I read it and there was overwhelming joy all around.”

Lance Mixon was matched into Anesthesiology at Harbor UCLA Medical Center. When asked how he was feeling beforehand:  “I am feeling great today.  Last week when we learned we were in the match pool was actually more stressful.  I am not going to say where I am hoping for until I open my envelope. New York could be a possibility, but I’m hoping for something locally.”

After he opened: “I’m going to Harbor UCLA! That’s what I wanted!”  His overcome mother could only wave a crumpled Kleenex and utter “Tissues!”

The National Residency Match Program (NRMP), which oversees the process, stated in a press release that 16,399 U.S. allopathic medical school seniors have matched to first-year residency positions. This year, the Match offered 29,671 first- and second-year positions, 500 more than in 2013 and an all-time high. More than half of the additional positions were in the primary care specialties of Internal Medicine and Family Medicine.