NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — March 17 is National Match Day and graduating medical students from Tulane and LSU learned where they will be spending their residencies.
2023’s residency match is said to be the largest in its 70-year history. In total, there were 42,952 applicants vying for a match with only 40,375 spots available unfortunately leaving 2,500 students unmatched.
LSU Health Shreveport announced that 98.6% of the School of Medicine’s applicants matched.
While several are leaving the state, like Himasa Wijetunge, who is headed to Salt Lake City to begin his residency in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, 29.3% will be staying at LSU Health Shreveport with another 37.8% of graduates matching to an LSU residency site.
These numbers are keeping the school as the top competitor at the national level.
45.7% are staying in Louisiana which will reverse the state’s shortfall in the number of physicians as 49.3% will enter fields of:
- Primary care residencies comprised of Internal Medicine
- OB/GYN, Pediatrics
- Family Medicine
- Medicine-Pediatrics
“With this being the School of Medicine’s 50th Match Day, I find today’s match outcome extremely meaningful for those of us who are early alumni of this medical school. With a five-year match rate of 99%, this year’s class further solidifies the school’s reputation for training outstanding students who successfully compete with the ‘best of the best’ across the nation. I offer my wholehearted congratulations to each of our students, their families, and our dedicated faculty and staff,” Dr. David Lewis, Dean of the School of Medicine at LSU Health Shreveport.
Additionally, a group of 193 residency and fellowship positions were filled at LSUS and will begin their training in Shreveport in July.
Medical students at Tulane University also opened their letters to destiny.
Nashire Howe got a match to Virginia Commonwealth University Health System today and while it was not her first pick she says the opportunity still feels amazing.
“I am appreciative, I am grateful, I am thankful, and I have matched where I am supposed to be,” said Howe.
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