Fifty-four medical students from the University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria joined thousands across the country today as they learned where they “matched” to continue their path in medicine.
UICOMP students matched to 16 specialties across 26 states. Of those, 20 are headed into primary care and a quarter of the class will remain in Illinois with six matching to residency programs in Peoria. Three students participated in the military match – two of whom are in the U.S. Navy and one who is in the U.S. Army.
The top three areas of medicine students chose to pursue this year were surgical fields (11), Internal Medicine (11) and Emergency Medicine (10). Students learned of their matching program at 11 a.m. Friday at the Embassy Suites East Peoria.
This year was the largest match in history, according to the National Resident Matching Program®. A record-high 35,969 U.S. and international medical school students and graduates vied for 31,757 positions, the most ever offered in the Match. The number of available first-year positions rose to 28,849, which is 989 more than last year.
In Peoria, all 73 residency positions were filled. UICOMP has more than 270 residents enrolled in 11 residency programs affiliated with UnityPoint Health – Methodist, OSF Saint Francis Medical Center, and Children’s Hospital of Illinois.
One of four campuses that make up the largest public medical school in the United States, UICOMP educates more than 150 medical students annually and offers 19 graduate medical training programs with its hospital affiliates. UICOMP is home to the Cancer Research Center, the Center for Outcomes Research, and a partner in Jump Simulation.