On Friday, March 15, medical students at the School of Medicine Columbia, and at medical schools across the country, celebrated as they learned where they matched for their residency appointment, signifying the next step in their career in medicine. The big reveal occurs at noon ET each year on the third Friday in March. Following the reveal, 97 percent of the SOMC Class of 2024 matched with a residency program.
The Match Process
The Match process is part of a larger transition in medical education. Students apply to, and interview with a number of residency programs during their fourth year of medical school. The National Residency Matching Program (NRMP) provides the mechanism through the Registration, Ranking and Results System for applicants and programs to then enter rank order lists of their preferences. The NRMP uses a mathematical algorithm to match applicants and programs to their most preferred ranked choices.
The School of Medicine Columbia Reveal
Medical students at the School of Medicine Columbia participated in an interactive and fun reveal event, which was held at Central Energy in the BullStreet District in Downtown Columbia. Upon entry, the students located a keychain with their photo and then proceeded to watch a video recording from an SOMC faculty or staff member who provided the student with a password. From there, the students navigated to rows of decorative boxes which looked like a computer, and used their password to find their specific location. At Noon, the students opened their computer box, revealing a balloon and key, which was used to open an acrylic locked keyboard containing their Match results.
South Carolina Impact
Twenty-eight students will stay in the state of South Carolina for their residency appointments. Those students will begin their careers at Prisma Midlands, Lexington Medical Center, MUSC, Prisma Greenville, Winnsboro, Spartanburg, Grand Strand, Self Regional and McLeod.
What They’re Saying
“This event was so exciting,” said fourth-year medical student Andrew Westfall. “It was more exciting than anything I could have imagined. I can’t wait to match into family medicine at Florence Regional Medical Center with McLeod.”
“What an outstanding day and event to celebrate our MD class of 2024 on Match Day,” said SOMC Interim Dean Gerald Harmon, MD. “I would like to congratulate our students on this step in their career and we are extremely proud of them all.”