Eager students from the University of Minnesota Medical School’s Class of 2009 nervously picked at their breakfasts at the McNamara Alumni Center on March 19, awaiting the start of this year’s Match Day ceremony. At 11 a.m., surrounded by family, friends, and Medical School faculty and staff, the students learned where they would complete their medical residency training.
“This is an exciting time,” Gary Davis, Ph.D., senior associate dean of the Medical School-Duluth Campus, told the crowd. “We need physicians desperately. Hurry up and finish your residency.”
This year’s Match Day set records nationwide. More than 24,000 students placed in residencies throughout the country this year, making it the largest Match Day in U.S. history. Of the 202 University of Minnesota medical students who matched, approximately 47 percent matched in primary care residencies-up from about 44 percent in 2008.
