March 27, 2000

On March 16 at exactly 12:05 p.m., 74 UConn School of Medicine students, along with medical students across the country in the Class of 2000, ripped open envelopes that held the key to their futures to find out which residency program they will enter.

Students apply through a national database to residency programs, where they will spend the next four years, before becoming full-fledged physicians. When they are accepted by a program of their choice, they are considered to be "matched."

Traditionally, UConn medical students do very well, surpassing the national average. This year was no exception, with 97.2 percent of the graduating class matching. Nationally 93.9 percent of medical students matched. "For the class as a whole, 65 percent received their first choice of residency programs; and 89 percent placed within their first three choices," said Anthony Voytovich, associate dean for student affairs at the Health Center. "We are very happy with the success rate of our students and the quality of our programs."

Fifty-seven percent of the UConn students have chosen primary care specialties, including family practice, internal medicine, and pediatrics. UConn medical students will be in top residency programs in 19 states, from coast to coast. Thirty of the medical students will be in residency programs in Connecticut; 26 will stay at the Health Center, three at Yale, and one at Greenwich Hospital.

"I'm delighted so many of our students have chosen to stay in Connecticut and gratified so many chose to stay at UConn," said Voytovich. "It reinforces the fact that we offer an outstanding medical education and deliver outstanding doctors into the community."

The National Resident Matching Program was established in 1952 as a way to end the chaos of applicants and programs being forced to make commitments before all options could be considered. The program also provides a common time for the announcement of appointments, and a mutual agreement that hospitals will honor an offer and that students will accept an appointment, when a match results.

Jane Shaskan