Match includes inaugural class of Maine Track program

Newswise — Boston, MA (March 15, 2013) – Fourth-year medical students from Tufts University School of Medicine gathered on “Match Day” today to learn where they will begin their residency training following graduation this spring. Nearly 200 doctors-in-training – supported by family, friends and the University community – eagerly opened small white envelopes to find the results of the national “Match.” This year’s Match Day at Tufts included the University’s first cohort of 32 students in the “Maine Track” program, a partnership between Tufts University and Maine Medical Center designed to train medical students interested in pursuing careers in Maine or other rural areas.

In order to provide direct patient care, physicians in the United States must complete a three- to seven-year residency program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. National Match Day is the culmination of a process that begins each fall, when senior medical students apply to residency programs through a national computer system designed to optimize the rank-ordered choices of applicants and residency program directors. The results of the Match were released simultaneously today at noon to all senior medical students across the United States.

“Match Day is an exciting and proud day for all of us at Tufts, as members of the graduating class take a momentous step towards becoming doctors,” said Harris Berman, M.D., Dean of Tufts University School of Medicine. “We know that this year’s class will take with them into practice a profound commitment to high-quality, compassionate care.

Among the most popular specialties for Tufts medical students this year were Internal Medicine (35 students), Family Medicine (24 students), Anesthesiology (20 students), and Emergency Medicine (18 students). Tufts medical students were particularly successful in matching students in highly competitive specialties such as Dermatology, Emergency Medicine, Neurosurgery, Otolaryngology, Plastic Surgery, and Diagnostic Radiology. All 39 students who applied to such programs were accepted. Seventy-seven (77) students, representing 39% of the class will pursue potential careers in Primary Care, including Internal Medicine, Pediatrics and Family Medicine. Five students will pursue military residencies.

A total of 83 students (44%) in the Class of 2013 will join residency programs in New England, including 53 who will remain in Massachusetts. Thirty-three will further their medical training at Tufts-affiliated hospital programs. Other popular destinations include California (17%) and New York (12%). Tufts medical school graduates will join residency programs in a total of 24 states, the District of Columbia, and Canada.

All 32 students in the inaugural class of the Maine Track program participated in the Match. Ten matched in Maine, along with three who were not enrolled in the Maine Track program. The other 22 Maine Track students matched in 15 other states, including Alaska, Iowa, New Hampshire, and Wisconsin. Two will undergo residency training in the military. Sixteen (50%) of the Maine Track students will pursue residencies in Primary Care fields, including seven in Family Medicine. Another seven students will pursue surgical specialties.

“Match Day is an extremely important and special day for these future doctors — one that they’ll always remember,” said Peter Bates, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at Maine Medical Center and Academic Dean for the Maine Track program. “It confirms their hard work and long hours of study, and reveals the next path that their journey will take. The students in our program are a closely knit group, and we could see the joy and excitement they feel for each other, as well.”

About Tufts University School of Medicine Tufts University School of Medicine is an international leader in innovative medical education. Ranked among the top in the nation, the School of Medicine is affiliated with six major teaching hospitals and more than 30 health care facilities. Tufts University School of Medicine emphasizes rigorous fundamentals in a dynamic learning environment to educate physicians, scientists, and public health professionals to become leaders in their fields; contribute to the advancement of the sciences basic to medicine through discovery, research, scholarship, and communication, and join with our partner institutions to provide the best care to individuals and communities.

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