Annual Match Day Ceremony Maps the Future for 130 UAMS Seniors

By Nate Hinkel

 

There were 55 of UAMS seniors matched with residency positions in Arkansas, while 75 are headed to out-of-state positions in 29 different states.

March 16, 2012 | The fate of 130 University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Medicine seniors was kept neatly packaged inside non-descript envelopes locked inside a silver briefcase until just the precise moment.

As Dick Wheeler, M.D., executive associate dean for academic affairs, approached the podium a minute before 11 a.m., the excitement inside a packed Robinson Auditorium Exhibition Hall was palpable. As the room counted down in unison, the annual Match Day ceremony was about to begin, spelling out where the class of 2012 would be serving their residencies.

“You know, I get the luxury of seeing the results a little bit in advance for administrative purposes, but it never gets old to see them get up there and find out for themselves,” Wheeler said. “It’s always a very special day for nearly everyone involved.”

For some, the many years of hard work and recent weeks of anxiety were almost unbearable.

“I wanted to be traditional and wait until I got to the podium to open it up and experience that with everyone in the room,” said senior Ronan Bakker, just moments after leaping off the side of the stage in celebration. “It’s a moment of great excitement where you’re up there and the room is just spinning. It’s something I’ll never forget.”

Bakker, who came to UAMS from Brazil, was matched with his top choice. He’ll be doing an OB-GYN residency at Virginia Commonwealth University Health System in Richmond, Va.

“I went to interview there and just fell in love with it there,” he said. “The beautiful mountains, the people, everything about it. I’m very happy.”

For others, it’s not about packing up a U-Haul and setting off for life’s next adventure. Senior medical student Spencer Wright, from Hot Springs, is married to a UAMS College of Pharmacy senior from Little Rock, Kathryn Wright. She already has several job opportunities on the horizon in the central Arkansas area and the two wanted to stay close to their family and friends.

“You can’t do a couples match with a pharmacy student,” Spencer Wright said. “So I was really hoping to be matched at UAMS so we can continue moving forward with our lives here. Today is a great day.”

Wright will be doing an emergency medicine residency at UAMS.

Results of the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) are released simultaneously to more than 16,000 medical school students nationwide. A computerized system controls the selection process and matches fourth-year students with residency openings based on student preference and availability. More than 95 percent of U.S. medical school seniors, which is the highest rate in 30 years, matched to residency positions according to NRMP.

Wheeler said 55 of the UAMS seniors were matched with residency positions in Arkansas, while 75 are headed to out-of-state positions in 29 different states. Primary care was again the leading specialty, with 55 percent of the seniors specializing in internal medicine, pediatrics, family medicine or OB-GYN.

“Once again, one of the things that stands out to me is that more than half of the Class of 2012 matched into primary care areas,” said Wheeler. “That is traditionally a particular strength of UAMS and this year is no different.”

Here’s a complete list of where the Class of 2012 will be filling residency positions.