The Ohio Academy of Family Physicians (OAFP) would like to congratulate this year’s medical student graduates on an outstanding Match Day held on March 19. The 2021 Match season was the first solely virtual experience, and with that came new challenges for students and programs alike. Luckily for family medicine, this was the 10th consecutive year that an all-time record number of students matched to the specialty!
- 4,493 applicants matched into family medicine, 158 more than in 2020
- 741 family medicine categorical and combined residency programs offered positions in this year’s match, 21 more programs than in 2020
- 4,844 positions were open to medical students and graduates, 159 more than in 2020
- U.S. seniors from allopathic medical schools accounted for 1,623 positions, 66 more than in 2020
- U.S. seniors from osteopathic medical schools accounted for 1,443 positions, 44 more than in 2020
Many OAFP student members matched to family medicine this year, and we are thrilled to see them take their next steps to becoming family physicians. Hear from just a few OAFP student members who have shared where they matched and what they are most excited for about residency:
Name: Melanie Biegler
Medical School: A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona
Specialty Matched: Family Medicine
Residency Program: University of Wisconsin Madison Family Medicine Residency Program
Most Excited about for Residency: Getting to know the community that I will be working with!
Name: AuBree LaForce
Medical School: Northeast Ohio Medical University
Specialty Matched: Family Medicine
Residency Program: Cleveland Clinic Akron General
Most Excited about for Residency: Building relationships with my co-interns and patients! Family medicine is all about the people and I can’t wait to learn about others and be there for people in their most exciting and vulnerable moments of life.
Name: Cynthia Pathmathasan
Medical School: Northeast Ohio Medical University
Specialty Matched: Family Medicine
Residency Program: UPMC St. Margaret Hospital
Most Excited about for Residency: I’m most excited to finally meet the wonderful faculty, staff, and residents at St. Margs in person!
Name: Maya V. Prabhu
School: Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine
Specialty: Family Medicine
Residency Program: The Christ Hospital/University of Cincinnati Family Medicine Residency Program
Most Excited about for Residency: I’m most excited to grow as a family doc in my hometown, and in the same city/community that taught my mom and grandpa (both family docs!)
Name: Shaina Rood
Medical School: Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Cleveland Campus
Specialty Matched: Family Medicine
Residency Program: Grant Medical Center
Most Excited about for Residency: Meeting my co-residents, faculty, and staff; learning how to be an awesome family doc; building my advocacy skills; and exploring Columbus!
Support 25×2030
The United States is facing a worsening primary care physician shortage. A robust family medicine workforce is critical to ensure patients everywhere have appropriate, effective, and accessible care for generations to come.
The AAFP and seven other national and international family medicine organizations envision a future in which one in four U.S. medical students pursues a career in family medicine. Together, we have launched the America Needs More Family Doctors: 25×2030 collaborative. Our goal is to ensure that, by 2030, 25% of U.S. medical students pursue family medicine as their specialty.
Although this year’s match exhibits the continuous, positive trend in family medicine matches, there is still more to do. Support the 25×2030 collaborative by making a donation to the OAFP Foundation (Foundation). The Foundation is the only 501(c) (3) tax-exempt charitable organization in Ohio that exists to promote family medicine as a career choice to medical students and family medicine residents – building a strong family medicine workforce for Ohio.
Foundation programs have a positive track record for attracting and retaining students to the specialty of family medicine, and have proven effective in supporting students and residents in their decision to specialize in family medicine. Outcomes of the Leroy A. Rodgers, MD, Preceptorship Program show that 30% of student participants chose family medicine and 74% chose primary care. Since 2010, 92% of resident delegates and alternate delegates to the AAFP’s National Conference of Family Medicine Residents and Medical Students (National Conference) stayed in Ohio for their career and 66% of student delegates and alternate delegates to National Conference chose family medicine as their specialty.
Donate to support Foundation programming today!