Meharry Medical College News March 16, 2012 Meharry Continues To Be Among The Nation's Leaders In Training Students Who Pursue Primary Care Specialties 53% Match into Family Medicine, Pediatrics, Internal Medicine Fourth-year medical students around the country and those here at Meharry Medical College learned where they will begin their careers as physicians, Friday during the nationwide event known as Match Day. Fifty-three percent of Meharry's fourth-year students matched in the primary care fields of: Internal Medicine, Pediatrics and Family Medicine. (The rate increases to 56% when Obstetrics and Gynecology is included in the primary care category). Twelve percent of Meharry students matched to residency programs in Tennessee including Vanderbilt Medical Center, University of Tennessee Health Science Center and Nashville General Hospital at Meharry Medical College where seven students will enter training programs. "We are pleased that 53% of our students are pursuing primary care fields and that a significant number of our students will continue to serve right here in Tennessee," said Charles P. Mouton, M.D., M.S., Dean, School of Medicine and Senior Vice President for Health Affairs. Meharry Medical College students successfully "matched" in dozens of residency training programs from coast to coast including such prestigious academic health centers such as Mayo Clinic, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Cleveland Clinic, Baylor College of Medicine and Case Western. More than 30,000 applicants apply for the match to find a position at a U.S. teaching hospital where they will undertake a three to seven-year period of specialized training. Match Day is the culmination of a process where medical school students across the country submit their top three choices for residency programs to the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP), a nonprofit organization established in 1952 to create a fair mechanism to match the preferences of applicants to U.S. residency positions. The Match uses a computerized mathematical algorithm, designed to produce a best result by aligning the preferences of applicants with the preferences of residency programs in order to fill the thousands of training positions available at U.S. teaching hospitals. Match rates can be an indicator of career interest among U.S. medical school seniors. Primary care physicians are the main source of health care for most Americans, yet there is a concern that there will be a shortage of primary care doctors in the coming years. Meharry's match rate in primary care is among the highest in the nation. Students such as Reuben Battley, 2012 Class President, who successfully matched into pediatrics at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge, La., are encouraged to pursue primary care during their training at Meharry. Many Meharry graduates enter the primary care fields, because they are devoted to fulfilling Meharry's mission of caring for underserved and vulnerable populations. "Match Day means everything to me," Battley said. "It's always been my dream to be a pediatrician and this is the first day my dream has actually come true. I'm excited to enter the field of pediatrics and continue the legacy of Meharry." Meharry's overall match rate was 88 percent for the 2012 class of graduating seniors. Number of students who matched in each specialty area: Primary Care Specialties Family Medicine - 15 Pediatrics - 12 Internal Medicine - 11 Medicine - Pediatrics - 3 Specialties Anesthesiology - 11 Orthopedics - 3 Obstetrics/Gynecology - 3 Emergency Medicine - 2 Radiology - 2 Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation - 2 Neurology - 2 Psychiatry - 2 Neuro Surgery - 1 Opthalmology - 1 Otolaryngology - 1 About the National Resident Matching Program: The National Resident Matching Program conducts Match Day annually to match the preference of applicants with their choice of medical residency programs that offer available training positions at U.S. teaching hospitals. A resident is a medical school graduate who is undertaking a three to seven-year period of specialized training in a medical specialty. About Meharry Medical College: Meharry Medical College, founded in 1876, is the nation's largest private, independent historically black academic health center dedicated to educating minority and other health professionals. True to its heritage, it is a United Methodist Church affiliated institution. The College is particularly well known for its uniquely nurturing, highly effective educational programs; emerging preeminence in health disparities research; culturally sensitive, evidence-based health services and significant contribution to the diversity of the nation's health professions workforce. Diverse Issues in Higher Education's ranking of institutions annually lists Meharry as a leading national educator of African Americans with M.D. and D.D.S. degrees and Ph.D. degrees in the biomedical sciences. Visit www.mmc.edu to learn more. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 800-999-8558, ext. 4820 404-520-0593 Skype:sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree Street NW Suite 200 Atlanta, GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (Lyrasis) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children. Register now http://www.hbculibraries.org/html/2012meeting-form.html for the October 21-23, 2012 HBCU Library Alliance 5th Membership Meeting and the Photographic Preservation Pre-Conference in New Orleans, LA. The Pre-Conference and Membership meeting are open to directors and other librarians.