University of Maryland School of Medicine Celebrates Largest National Residency Match in History

UMSOM 2023 Match Day Marks Next Phase of Medical Training for Graduating Students

The National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) has reported that the national 2023 Main Residency Match was the largest in NRMP’s 70-year history, with an increase of 481 more registrants as compared to 2022. A total of 40,375 certified positions were offered. Of the 37,425 PGY-1 positions offered, which includes preliminary and transitional year positions, 34,822 positions were filled for a rate of 93%.

This year, 135 UMSOM senior students were recognized at the School’s annual Match Day Celebration on March 17, 2023, at Rams Head Live! in Baltimore, Maryland where students discovered where they will begin their careers as physicians. These students matched through the NRMP main match at 74 different healthcare facilities in 26 states for a match rate of 96%, compared to 69 different healthcare facilities in 25 states in 2022. A full 34% (46/135) of the Class of 2023 will stay in the state of Maryland for their residency training, compared to 24% (35/145) in 2022.

“Match Day is a special event in the life of a medical student. It is a culmination of years of hard work, perseverance, and dedication. It is also a new beginning -- what lies inside those golden envelopes will open a whole new world of possibilities for each student,” said Kerri Thom, MD, MS, Associate Dean for Student Affairs at UMSOM. “Surrounded by family and friends, students in the Class of 2023 chose to create a new tradition, opening their envelopes all together as the clock struck noon. The celebration was amazing to behold and a fitting cap to the journey these students have taken to get to this point.”

Among UMSOM’s graduating students are partners Rachael Belcher, MD ’23 and Lucy Murnane, MD ’23. Ms. Belcher was inspired by her family to pursue a career in medicine. Growing up, she observed how her parents and brother shaped their careers around helping others. Her parents worked tirelessly, helping children diagnosed with autism, while her brother sought out opportunities in politics and business to give a voice to underserved communities. From watching them, she knew she wanted a career that involved helping others. “Looking back, my academic interests and the inspiration from my family, along with my love for working with my hands, led me to a career in medicine, and ultimately surgery,” she said. “The saying, ‘General surgery chooses you, you don’t choose general surgery,’ is true in my case. I can’t imagine wanting to do anything else.” Ms. Belcher will complete her residency in General Surgery at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland. Ultimately, she plans to pursue a career in colorectal surgery and become involved in research.

As for Ms. Murnane, she wanted an opportunity that would challenge her outside of her comfort zone and expose her to people from all different backgrounds. Before starting medical school, she spent two years as a middle school science teacher with Teach for America in New Orleans, Louisiana. “Not only did this experience completely reshape my understanding of this country, its education system, and myself, but it also cemented that I love working with children and partnering with their families on their journey of growing up,” she said. “Additionally, it sparked a passion for adolescent medicine that I hope to continue to nurture throughout residency.” Ms. Murnane hopes to teach medical students and possibly pursue an adolescent medicine fellowship or a pediatric cardiology fellowship after residency. She will complete her residency in Pediatrics at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.

Both Ms. Belcher and Ms. Murnane are excited to start the next chapter of their lives together.

Vishnu Rao, PhD ’21, MD ’23, is a member of the Medical Science Training Program. He comes from a family of researchers, including his mother and father who both own their own research labs. “I was involved in cancer research during my undergrad years; however, I was introduced to preventative medicine during my clinical years,” he said. “I developed an interest in Endocrinology and was drawn to the opportunity to have a continuous relationship with patients.” Mr. Rao plans to pursue his research endeavors and will complete his residency in Internal Medicine at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia, PA. After graduation, he plans to travel with his fiancé across the country to national parks.

Jocelyn Wu, MD ’23, initially developed an interest in medicine when a radiologist visited her middle school class. After graduating from McGill University, she spent time at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) conducting research on neural plasticity and the neural circuits. While she enjoyed her work, she felt a calling to enter the medical field. Reconnecting with the same radiologist who she met as a middle school student, Ms. Wu was inspired by Aletta A. Frazier, MD, a clinical professor in the Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine at UMSOM, to follow in her footsteps and pursue medicine.

“I would like to thank the residents and faculty of the UMMC Diagnostic Radiology Department for all of the support and encouragement I’ve received during my time at UMSOM,” she said. Ms. Wu will continue her training at Spokane Teaching Health Center in Spokane, WA for her Transitional Year program, before transitioning to University of Utah for a Diagnostic Radiology residency. She plans to pursue a career in academic medicine as a radiologist and look for opportunities to mentor future medical trainees. 

About the University of Maryland School of Medicine

Now in its third century, the University of Maryland School of Medicine was chartered in 1807 as the first public medical school in the United States. It continues today as one of the fastest growing, top-tier biomedical research enterprises in the world -- with 46 academic departments, centers, institutes, and programs, and a faculty of more than 3,000 physicians, scientists, and allied health professionals, including members of the National Academy of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences, and a distinguished two-time winner of the Albert E. Lasker Award in Medical Research. With an operating budget of more than $1.3 billion, the School of Medicine works closely in partnership with the University of Maryland Medical Center and Medical System to provide research-intensive, academic, and clinically based care for nearly 2 million patients each year. The School of Medicine has nearly $600 million in extramural funding, with most of its academic departments highly ranked among all medical schools in the nation in research funding. As one of the seven professional schools that make up the University of Maryland, Baltimore campus, the School of Medicine has a total population of nearly 9,000 faculty and staff, including 2,500 students, trainees, residents, and fellows. The combined School of Medicine and Medical System (“University of Maryland Medicine”) has an annual budget of over $6 billion and an economic impact of nearly $20 billion on the state and local community. The School of Medicine, which ranks as the 8th highest among public medical schools in research productivity (according to the Association of American Medical Colleges profile) is an innovator in translational medicine, with 606 active patents and 52 start-up companies. In the latest U.S. News & World Report ranking of the Best Medical Schools, published in 2021, the UM School of Medicine is ranked #9 among the 92 public medical schools in the U.S., and in the top 15 percent (#27) of all 192 public and private U.S. medical schools. The School of Medicine works locally, nationally, and globally, with research and treatment facilities in 36 countries around the world. Visit medschool.umaryland.edu

Match Day 2023 Image Gallery