Campbell Medicine celebrates 2021 Match Day

The School of Osteopathic Medicine faculty and staff gathered virtually today to celebrate National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) Match Day with the Class of 2021. The virtual event included the tradition of students sharing their residency Match by writing it on commemorative “I Matched” signs, which they shared live on the Zoom call as well as on social media. 

“A year ago, Match Day was the first school event that transitioned to a virtual celebration seemingly overnight,” reflected Dr. David Tolentino, associate dean for clinical affairs. “While we hoped to be back together in person this year at Levine Hall, the joy of seeing our students celebrate with their loved ones all across the country and our excitement for their future is just as deep. Given the hurdles of COVID-19 this class had to overcome to achieve this success, our celebration today is meaningful in a way unique from all other years.” 

The annual Match Day is the third Friday in March when medical students and residents across the country who applied through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) find out where they will continue their medical training. Students pursuing urology, ophthalmology or a military match found out their results over the past few months. 

“Match Day is incredible,” Dr. Mark Hammond, provost of Campbell University affirmed to the participants during the virtual celebration. “When I welcomed you at your orientation and I said to you ‘what a challenging road you have ahead of you’ – who could have ever imagined we would have a global pandemic as part of your medical education and experience! We didn’t plan it that way, but I know you are stronger from experiencing it. The characteristics of a camel come in handy – perseverance, feistiness, durability and resilience – we have the perfect mascot to face such challenges. You did, and we are here to celebrate your success today.” 

This year’s NRMP Match saw a record high of 42,000 applicants. Campbell’s DO Class of 2021 will enter residency in 27 states and Washington D.C. in 18 areas of medicine including child Neurology, pathology, and occupational family medicine. Fifty-three percent will enter a primary care residency, and 76 percent will enter a residency in a target specialty of need. 

Research shows that physicians are much more likely to practice in the state where they complete their residency. 37 of Campbell’s soon to be graduates will stay in North Carolina to practice and 56 percent will stay in the Southeastern United States. Of those remaining in North Carolina, 20 percent will continue their training in a specialty of need. 

“I am over the moon – this is an amazing day!” said Caitlin Porter who will enter a Mountain AHEC family medicine residency in Boone, NC. “I fell in love with family medicine after my first year of medical school when I participated in the North Carolina Association of Family Physicians summer internship program, and they have been incredibly supportive every step of the way. I’m from the mountains of North Carolina, so being able to come back and serve Appalachian people that I grew up with is great.” 

Campbell’s medical student match success is shared by eight clinical campuses from Conway, SC to Salisbury, NC and the physician preceptors and hospital staff who work with the students during their third and fourth year rotations. 

Campbell University Affiliate Residency Programs are in four North Carolina community health systems – UNC Southeastern Health, Cape Fear Valley Health, Harnett Health and Sampson Regional Medical Center — and Conway, SC. Those residency programs will welcome 18 Campbell Medicine graduates and include dermatology, emergency medicine, family medicine, internal medicine, general surgery and psychiatry. 

Members of the Class of 2021 also matched into residencies at institutions across the country such as Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio; Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD; and Duke University Health in Durham, NC. 

Johnny Dang will go to East Carolina University-Vidant Health for a preliminary year, and then go on to Johns Hopkins to train in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R). 

“I’m from Texas, but I really enjoy living in North Carolina, so I’m looking forward to another year here at ECU,” shared Student Doctor Dang. “PM&R is patient centered. It emphasizes the lifestyle of the patient – if they are dealing with pain or severe injury – the focus is what they want out of life and how medicine can help them achieve that. Johns Hopkins really made me feel at home – to be able to show me that through a virtual interview is a really amazing thing, and I believe they will be able to put me in a good position for whatever I pursue after residency.” 

For more information about Campbell University student outcomes visit https://medicine.campbell.edu/academics/outcomes/ 

For more information about the residency match process, please visit the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP), American Academy of Ophthalmology, and the Military Graduate Medical Education Match for residency Match in 2021.